Black Leopards Michael Mntuyedwa
Leopards contest shot player's claims
Posted: 2010-03-09 12:12
Black Leopards are to contest Michael Mntuyedwa’s claims of breach of contract.
Mntuyedwa has taken the club to the DRC, claiming that Lidoda Duvha owe him almost a year’s salary after they put him on unpaid leave after, he claims, he was shot by thugs in Venda during December 2008.
The former Cape Town FC midfielder claims he last received a salary in January 2009.
South African Football Players Union spokesperson Cappy Matutoane has confirmed that the matter between their member and Black Leopards, regarding unpaid salaries, is now in the hands of DRC.
“It has been tough for the player to continue paying his medical expenses without a source of income. His contract with Leopards was still running and it was disappointing that the club put the player on unpaid leave even though they knew he had been shot by thugs.”
In response to the allegations, Black Leopards manager Sam Khapathe says his club is not ready to fork out any money to the player after his accident took place while he off duty.
“Yes, it is true the player you are talking about is on unpaid leave. How can you pay someone who got injured while off duty?
“He is making up stories because the truth of the matter is that he was not shot by thugs, but had a fight with some other guys at a party that was organised by taxi owners with their girlfriends here in Venda,” Khapathe alleges.
“The accident happened at 2am in the morning when we expected him as a professional player to be sleeping at his home. Mntuyedwa has still not yet recovered fully from the accident and is not back at training, so how can we continue to pay him?
“We were sympathetic after initial reports of his accident and paid him his salary for two months after the shooting,” Khapathe adds.
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