A locked hotel room and unsigned contract – why Mapeza never joined TTM as coach

16 October 2020 - 13:25 By Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC owner Masala Mulaudzi during announcement of new players ahead of DSTV Premiership 2020/21 season.
Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC owner Masala Mulaudzi during announcement of new players ahead of DSTV Premiership 2020/21 season.
Image: Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila/twitter

Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC owner Masala Mulaudzi has explained why Norman Mapeza never joined his club as coach‚ detailing a convoluted contractual process where the Zimbabwean allegedly stalled too long in signing on the dotted line.

Announcing Joel Masutha as TTM’s head coach‚ Mulaudzi explained the disappearance of Mapeza‚ who spent some time with the club at their preseason training camp.

“Mr Mapeza was on the forefront‚ but what then happed was that we invited him to join the team. Before he came through to SA‚ we sent him the contract after we agreed on the terms and conditions‚” Mulaudzi said.

“The contract was already signed by ourselves because we had agreed on the terms of conditions and he was supposed to sign‚ but he said he would give us the contract on his arrival in SA.

“He did all the Covid-19 tests so that he was allowed to come through to SA and on his arrival in the country he was welcomed by our chief executive‚ Mr Sello Chokoe‚ at the team’s camp.

“We were expecting Mr Mapeza to hand us the signed contract on his arrival in SA but the contract was not forthcoming for some time. I followed up with the chief executive to ask where the contract was because we needed to organise working permits for the coach and we didn’t have time.

“One of the conditions to appoint him was that he had to fulfill all the conditions including the work permit but the permit was not coming because he was not giving us the contract back.

“We told him that we don’t have time because we are going to play the first game of the DStv Premiership under the MTN8 in less than five days‚ [and asked] ‘What is going on?’

“I was surprised when I got a call that his hotel room was locked because the CEO was looking for a stamped passport from him.

“The CEO was not getting a signed contract and the work permit was not there‚ so they took the resolution that Mr Mapeza must first produce all those documents before proceeding with any other services.

“He had to comply with the request of the management and they took a resolution that they can’t keep him under these circumstances and I respected the decision of the management.”

TTM‚ who bought the top-flight franchise of Bidvest Wits‚ kick off their 2020-21 season with their MTN8 quarterfinal against SuperSport United at Thohoyandou Stadium on Sunday (kickoff 3pm).


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