Moorosi Tsiane
AXED Linare gaffer Freeze Ntene has accused his former employers of dragging their feet in attending to his appeal against his dismissal in March this year.
Ntene, who joined Linare in January last year, was in December last year suspended for misconduct. His disciplinary hearing was only held on 1 March 2020. And a day later, the team announced that it had dismissed the coach from the club.
“Following the disciplinary hearing regarding the head coach’s suspension over misconduct, the outcome of the hearing has resulted in his immediate dismissal,” reads the statement.
However, Ntene said the management flouted regulations and he appealed the decision to fire him. He said the team did not follow due procedure in handling the matter. But after his appeal, he says the management has been dragging its feet in addressing the matter.
Ntene has since approached the Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) in May asking for its intervention. The PLMC ordered Linare to attend to the matter but he says nothing has been done so far.
“I was in suspended in mid-December 2019 and have been attended several meetings with the management until they fired me.
“However, I find it inappropriate that the decision to dismiss me was made by one person when the constitution of the team stipulates that the decision must be reached by at least three executive members,” Ntene said.
The former Sandawana coach said the team’s constitution also stipulates that appeal cases must be attended to within 30 days but the Linare management has ignored the regulations.
“Firstly, I had seven days to appeal the decision and despite the fact that I only learnt of my dismissal on social media, I appealed the case in March but nothing has happened. I decided to involve the PLMC in May and it ordered Linare to attend to my case. Linare promised to work on it as soon as they could nothing has happened since then,” Ntene said yesterday.
“Apart from an email stating that the management was yet to meet and decide on a date for the appeal, I have not received any communication. To me, it is clear that they are dragging their feet.”
Ntene said he has been negatively affected by the matter as he is not receiving his salary from Linare despite having a contract which runs until December 2021.
“This whole issue is affecting me negatively because I was last paid in February this year and now that they are dragging the matter. I can’t even look for another job because my contract with the team ends in December 2021.”
Linare communications and marketing manager Lebele Molati said Ntene’s appeal would be chaired by the PLMC.
“There is no way the same body that fired him can chair his appeal hearing. So, we are waiting for the PLMC to advise us on the way forward.
“We are ready to proceed but we are just waiting for the PLMC to call us. We received their email last month asking us to work on the case but we also showed them that it was only fair that they (the PLMC) chair the appeal hearing. So, we are just waiting for the PLMC,” Molati said.
