Motsepe: Sundowns ‘will continue to pay salaries whether there is football or no football’

23 May 2020 - 12:27 By Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane and Mamelodi Sundowns President Patrice Motsepe during the Mamelodi Sundowns 50th anniversary announcements in Sandton on May 21, 2020 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane and Mamelodi Sundowns President Patrice Motsepe during the Mamelodi Sundowns 50th anniversary announcements in Sandton on May 21, 2020 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

All staff employed by Mamelodi Sundowns will continue to receive their full salaries during the lockdown as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic that has applied the brakes on all forms of sport in the country.

Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe made this commitment when announcing that club coach Pitso Mosimane has signed a new four-year contract that will see him increase his eight-and-half-year stay at Chloorkop.

“We will continue to pay salaries whether there is football or no football. We will continue to pay everybody who works for us their salaries as if there was no coronavirus – it’s an obligation we have for them‚” said Motsepe.

In March‚ the Motsepe Foundation and its associated companies‚ which include Sanlam and African Rainbow Capital‚ announced that they would be putting up R1-billion to government’s coronavirus Solidarity Fund.

While Sundowns employees will get their full salaries‚ the devastating impact of the coronavirus is being felt elsewhere with other clubs in top-flight‚ first tier and amateur football beginning to institute salary cuts.

Last month‚ Cape Town City chairman John Comitis said the club’s players and technical staff will have to take a 20 percent pay cut if there is no resumption of football by the end of May.

“We all have to act responsibly to try and get everybody to be able to at least put food on the table. We’ve undertaken to pay full salaries in April with a clear understanding that if there’s no football return next month there have to be some drastic changes‚” Comitis told TimesLive last month.

“Over and above that‚ if we do return there would still be some percentage cut across the board‚ including the players.”

Most clubs are exploring the possibility of cutting salaries but they have not spoken openly about this issue‚ so it remains to be seen if they will be able to pay players and general staff fully at the end of this month.

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