Birds' 'Minority' make a big noise

A group, which held a 'crisis meeting' in Soweto on Sunday, are threatening to boycott Swallows games until they see the back of Prins.    "What happened is that supporters had the same opinion with us shareholders that there is a crisis in the club and something needs to be done," Minority Shareholders chairman Charles Makhubu says.   Makhubu claims his group includes 490 supporters. However, no more than four of the so-called Minority Shareholders were present at the meeting. Also absent was prominent businessman and ANC politician, Tokyo Sexwale. The group had earlier announced that Sexwale would address the meeting.   The crisis meeting was convened by the Minority Shareholders to address "outstanding and pressing matters," but many Birds fans are unhappy with the rebel group, and accuse them of destabilising a club that has enough troubles already.   "They want to use us to fire Prins," says leading Swallows supporter Thomas 'Rasta' Mkhari, "but Prins is going nowhere!   "If they want to fire him they must not use us. We don't have a problem with him – they are the ones who have a problem with him."   Makhubu tells KickOff.com that the gathering expressed disappointment at the way Prins and his management were running the club and gave the minority shareholders seven days to get Leon Prins and his management out of the team, with assistance from the PSL, failing which there will be a legal battle. The seven days begin today.   _quote "Prins has shown that he does not have the ability to run the club," Makhubu says. "All he has done is divisive to the club. He is dividing the shareholders, the supporters and the staff and we cannot allow that to continue. Even his management is questionable and Swallows now owes over R20-million in unpaid taxes," Makhubu alleges.   Makhubu also accuses Prins of having no proper plans to develop the club into a formidable force in football.   "He keeps signing below-average players that will not take the club anywhere and we now need someone with fresh ideas to turn around the club. We need trophies, we need to win the League and for that to happen, we must have the right technical staff and players. Swallows are a big club, not a spaza shop or a club campaigning in the Vodacom or Smirnoff League."   Prins, meanwhile, remains unconcerned by the minority shareholders' posturing.   "First all of it was not a minor shareholders – it was only three or four shareholders [at the meeting]. I'm not interested on that, that's not a meeting of shareholders of Swallows," Prins says.   He adds that Makhubu "has no legal standing over Swallows".   "I'm not interested in what he says. He's only got 200 shares in Moroka Swallows. People can say whatever they want but that does not necessarily mean a thing. This is not relevant at all," Prins adds. 

By KICK OFF reporters

WHAT DO YOU THINK: Do the minority shareholders have a legitimate gripe?