Players campaigning in the top flight of South African football earn salaries that are "far below the breadline", says the South African Football Players' Union (Safpu).
Safpu president Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe claimed that many Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs are guilty of short-changing their players, especially those with lesser experience.
According to Gaoshubelwe, elected as the union leader last month, a minimum wage of R35,000 per month for a player registered with a PSL club and R18,000 per month for those plying their trade in the National First Division (NFD) is what Safpu resolved is a justifiable and decent minimum wage.
"Unfortunately I can say that what many players in the PSL and NFD earn is far below our proposed minimum wage," he said.
"There are clubs in the top league that are paying as little as R3,000 and R5,000. In the First Division, the situation is even far more demoralising."
In response to this reality, the PSL, through its legal counsel Michael Murphy, said they doubt that Safpu "has any basis for these allegations about salaries."
"Safpu today represents such a tiny minority of footballers that he (Gaoshubelwe) has no way of establishing this.
"Salary matters are confidential as between employers and employees and I have no right to comment any further," he added.
PSL has no power
On membership, Gaoshubelwe said they have 707 members in good standing out of a possible 1,200 players plying their trade both in the top and second tier of South Africa's professional football...