Swazi Observer

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BIRDS COUNCIL OF ELDERS DISBANDED

By SIPHOSETHU DLAMINI | 2024-05-24

SOCCER - LIKE an enjoyable but short journey, Mbabane Swallows have decided to do away with the Council of Elders structure in the team.

According to the team's PLE Board of Governor Sandile 'Beyond 2000' Zwane, the team no longer sees the need for the Council of Elders as announced by outgoing Chairman Absalom Ngwenya.

This follows the latest commotion in the team, where a supposedly new council was installed, led by ex-MP Robert Magongo.

Zwane said they had decided to do away with any structure that had to do with elders within the team.

“We are not aware of any council of elders, we only know Absalom Ngwenya, who is also stepping aside and a Board of Trustees will now take over. These are people who will be working hand-in-hand with the team’s management,” said Zwane.

The long-serving official further mentioned that what was confusing was that there were people from the Hhohho region who were calling themselves council of elders. Others are from the Shiselweni region, also calling themselves elders. This causes confusion and this is the reason we want to do away with this structure."

In conclusion, Zwane said as management they knew nothing about members of a new council of elders.

The disputed council of elders was announced at Mshosholozi Restaurant, where its new ‘Chairman’ Robert Magongo announced that Ngwenya was no longer part of the council. Magongo confirmed that this resolution was taken on March 23 at the Happy Valley Hotel, where he alleged that Ngwenya was invited to the meeting but did not honour the invite.

“We took this decision on March 23 and met with former President Archbishop Lukhele, where we came to the conclusion that we won’t announce it as yet as it would disturb the team’s performance in the league,” said Magongo.

He also announced that Ngwenya, whom he alleged always referred to himself as chairman of the council, was not known to them.

He claimed this was why they had the new committee, where he was elected the chairman with Cyprian Ginindza being the vice-chairman. Enoch Nkosi will serve as the secretary general.
Magongo said they were backed by the constitution to do what they were doing.

In his own words, Ngwenya said, “I am the chairman of the Council of Elders and also the acting president in the absence of Bishop Bheki Lukhele, whom we are working on restoring back to his position. We want to put this elders thing to an end, don’t be surprised because even myself am no longer there.

Let the team be run in alignment with today’s standards and avoid being in power yet we contribute nothing to the team. And this thing of elders is the reason some big teams are perishing because we all want to have a say, disturbing those whore are hands-on with the team on a daily basis,” said Ngwenya.

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