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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
THE Footballers Union of Zimbabwe have wedged into the dispute at CAPS United and defended the players in the wake of their boycott of the Premiership clash against How Mine, suggesting instead that it is the Green Machine’s management that needs to “put their house in order’’.
CAPS United players snubbed their scheduled match against How Mine at Luveve on Thursday following a row with the club’s officials over outstanding salaries and bonuses.
The boycott of the game, which was set to be broadcast live on SuperSport, also left CAPS United facing severe Premier Soccer League sanctions although the top-fight body is at the moment following procedures that include receiving reports from the referees and the Match Commissioner Mike Phiri.
There have also been suggestions that SuperSport, who are the Premiership’s official broadcaster could demand $60 000 for the losses they endured in the abortive game.
CAPS United executives, on their part, insist they were surprised by the players’ industrial action arguing that they had actually deposited the players’ salaries by midday on Thursday to avert a strike action.
But FUZ, the body that represents the players’ labour interests, yesterday plunged into the debacle and blamed the CAPS United management for the chaos that rocked the abortive Luveve game.
FUZ secretary-general, Paul Gundani, reckoned the scenes in the CAPS United camp were always looming and warned that the Premiership giants could be plagued by similar scenes after the Easter holidays.
Gundani said although it was regrettable that the Premiership’s image had been severely dented by CAPS United’s failure to fulfil their league fixture, his union had always feared that matters would come to a head as there was now some gross mistrust between the players and their management.
“This (the strike) is a culmination of false promises made to the players by the CAPS United management. It was an issue that has been on the cards for a while and which has not been fully addressed.
“As a result CAPS United players were left to withdraw their labour and as a Union we stand by them. As it is there are cases before an arbitrator in Harare and the judgments will be released after Easter.
“While the CAPS United management might want to talk about the February or March salaries, the truth of the matter is that some of the cases date back to 2013, others involve signing-on fees for running contracts and for 2014.
“So, we are saying it is really the CAPS United management that needs to put their house in order and avoid a recurrence of these situations,’’ Gundani said.
Gundani also accused the CAPS United management of defaulting on agreements made before a Labour arbitrator citing the case of defender Stephen Makatuka as an example.
Makatuka was on March 6 awarded by consent $12 000 by an arbitrator Kenneth Nhongo in outstanding signing on fees which CAPS United were expected to have started paying by March 9.
“The Respondent (CAPS United) acknowledges that it owes the claimant the sum of $12 400 in outstanding salaries and signing on fees.
“The Respondent shall settle the said amount as follows
Deposit with the claimant (Makatuka) S=$500 on the 9th of March 2015
Deposit with the claimant another $500 on the 31st of March 2015
The balance of $11 400 to be paid in instalments of $1 500 for six calendar months commencing the 31st March 2015 and the balance of $2 400 shall be settled by 31st October 2015.
“Both parties agree that the amounts stated herein are correct and this is a full and final settlement in relation to the stated dispute.
“The parties agree to hereby renounce all benefit from legal exceptions ‘ non causa debiti’ ‘non numerate pecuniae’, ‘errore calculi’, ‘revision of accounts’, and ‘no value received’, the full force and effect of which renunciations the parties declare to be fully acquainted.
“No variations in terms and/or conditions of this acknowledgement shall be of any force or effect unless reduced to writing and signed by the parties,’’ read part of the judgment awarded in Makatuka’s favour.
But it is the kind of strike action witnessed at Luveve which CAPS United were yesterday understood to battling to avert ahead of their blockbuster Easter Monday derby showdown against bitter rivals Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium.
CAPS United president Twine Phiri, chief executive Joe Makuvire and members of his secretariat were shuttling around holding a series of meetings with the players and technical staff to ensure there will be no further flames in their house by time they face DeMbare on Monday.
Phiri yesterday said the game on Monday will go ahead as scheduled.
Makuvire, to his credit, apologised to the PSL, the league’s sponsors, SuperSport, How Mine and the CAPS United family for the embarrassment caused by the incidents in Bulawayo on Thursday and acknowledged that they still owed their players varying amounts in outstanding salaries and signing on fees.
“. . . The club acknowledges owing players various amounts in signing on fees. However the club has paid the players their salaries for February and March 2015.
“We find no honest explanation and possible reason behind the players’ actions. The club had done everything possible to ensure the fulfilment of the fixture. We further assure all stakeholders that whatever happened today will never recur at a club of our status.
“It is our duty to ensure that we successfully fulfil our fixtures under whatever circumstances and CAPS United hereby apologises to the football fraternity for the humbling occurrence.
“Special apologies to the PSL, fellow clubs, league sponsors and especially to SuperSport and our supporters.
“We promise to urgently address our issues and provide guarantees for future positive behaviour,’’ read part of Makuvire’s statement.
Online Reporter