Yet another former Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC player has lambasted the club during an ongoing financial dispute by demanding a fee allegedly owed by the Limpopo-based club.
Lesotho international Tumelo Makha signed for TTM in January 2021 from Lioli FC but was forced to return to Lesotho following an ongoing financial stand-off.
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"I had a contract with TTM, and they failed to pay me, I took them to the players' union and won the case," Makha tells KickOff.
"But since I've won the case, those guys from the union haven't come back to me, I don't know why because I won the case a long time ago.
"It's been almost four months now.
"In total, the money I'm owed is R93 000. I want my R93 000. I was getting paid 50% of my salary, and I was let go while I still had an existing contract with the club, as I had signed a two-year deal.
"I don't know why the union didn't take my case to FIFA because I'm an international player.
"After TTM sacked me, I was staying in Limpopo without work, not eating, because I was not getting a salary while I was back in Lesotho.
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"I opened a case at SAFPU on the 25th of October 2022, but I've been waiting for my money ever since. My contract was ended in June 2023."
SAFPU Secretary-General Nhlanhla Shabalala explained the delay in proceedings in dealing with Makha's ongoing case.
"Yes, we won Makha's case, we got an award to pay him a particular amount of money that was due to him for the breach of his contract," Shabalala explains.
"When we got this award, the season was about to wrap. And the problem is towards the end of the season, every player was looking to be paid what he was owed from the last grant money TTM were expecting from the PSL.
"This means there is not a lot for us as a union to share accordingly the way we ought to. It's a situation we are faced with.
"Yes, we won his case, but TTM has got so many other cases that have been filed by other players against the club.
"So, there is a small pot of money with very big claims. And now the PSL has no jurisdiction in really dealing with them because they don't fall under the auspices of the NSL anymore since they were relegated.
"We've won Makha's case, but what he has to get is not sufficient in terms of the award that he has won because of the challenges, problems and debts that TTM has.
"Whatever that is left there by the club, everybody has to share amongst themselves. And you can't spread it equally, it would be unfair. That is more or less where we are.
"The money has been paid to our attorney's trust account already for the players that we were representing against TTM. And I can tell you it's probably nine players.
"TTM were in a lot of debt, so the money can never be sufficient. It seems they were suffocating in running this team.
"Yes Makha's status has got an international dimension, but right now we've got this NDRC, FIFA approves of that, And there is no need for us to take matters directly to FIFA before we exercised all internal processes.
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