Lunga Sokhela bore the brunt of barbs from a battalion of keyboard assassins this week.
The warriors stopped short of telling the AmaZulu general manager to drop dead for sharing a pearl of rather warped wisdom. What set tongues wagging was Sokhela's statement that Premier Soccer League chairman "Dr (Irvin) Khoza is the only individual in SA that can lead the PSL".
It comes across as a classic case of currying favour (Sokhela is based in Durban, the city where they make some of the best spicy dishes in the country).
The Iron Duke has had a 16-year iron grip on the PSL, but Sokhela must take a chill pill before wetting his pants in defence of one very capable of defending himself.
Sokhela's statement was apparently motivated by a claim that six unnamed PSL clubs were plotting a palace revolt to remove Khoza from his position.
"We @AmaZuluFootball would never support that. Dr Khoza is the only individual in SA that can lead the PSL and has our full support." Which begs the question: What has Khoza, the honorary colonel of the SANDF, done to drill the 22-year-old organisation to march in step?
USHERING IN PROFESSIONALISM
South African football comes from an age when players got paid from a car boot on the 32nd day of the 13th month. If they were paid at all.
The PSL ushered in professionalism.
The sport used to scramble for crumbs from the rugby and cricket masters' tables where sponsorship was concerned. The most-followed sport got only a fraction of the sponsorship pie.
That the PSL is in the top 10 bracket of the financially flush leagues in the world is in large part a consequence of Khoza's shrewd ability to create investor confidence in a league that commands billions from conglomerates such as Absa, SuperSport, Nedbank, MTN and Telkom.
His strength, his close comrades never fail to inform, comes from the strength of his late mother, who brought him up and taught him, no matter what the odds are, you can always make it.
STENCH OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
And the self-confessed half-cooked sausage from the University of Fort Hare never shies away from referencing soccer bosses as a congregation of self-made people who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.
For every strength, however, there is a weakness.For every success, there is failure. Khoza's PSL is no exception.
Chief among the weaknesses is the strong stench of conflict of interest that is as inescapable as it is inexcusable.
Even the sun can run away from the sin of having an acting chief executive for, staggeringly, and against corporate law, now close to three years in a crucial position in a multibillion-rand organisation. Acting incumbent Mato Madlala is the chairman of Lamontville Golden Arrows, who reports to PSL chairman Khoza, chairman of Orlando Pirates. Perhaps, to borrow from Sokhela's logic, the only person who can be PSL chief executive has yet to be born.
The majority of disciplinary cases are defended by the firm of Michael Murphy, he who heads the PSL legal division.
VEIL OF SECRECY
Khoza, who is sensitive to any criticism of his PSL baby, hasn't actively discouraged these conflicts from happening under his watch. The secrecy is scary. If the PSL exists in a democracy, its lack of transparency smacks of autocracy.
For example, no information was made public about the values of the renewal of the aforementioned sponsorships, the latest being the television rights that were renewed for another five years with SuperSport International in December.
"Great leaders are transparent, leadership is something that can't be faked. A leader assesses current strengths and areas for improvement and sets out specific plans of action for personal development.
"They are curious, have goals and know their profession by taking courses and studying. Great leaders listen to experienced people and they ask a lot of questions because successful people leave a trace," Khoza, a recipient of an honorary doctorate in philosophy from the University of Zululand, once told a South African National Defence Force gathering.
Another failure is the fact that ex-players of high calibre have been discouraged from participation and haven't been groomed. The problem is that South African football has never developed lifestyle training for players. At least Matthew Booth has been roped into the disciplinary structure but a single swallow makes not a summer.The Sunday Times canvassed the opinions of PSL club chairmen on Sokhela's statement.
Khulu Sibiya, SuperSport United chairman:
Is Khoza the only individual in South Africa who can lead the PSL?
That is Lunga's views. Irvin is the longest, maybe the second-longest serving administrator after Kaizer Motaung.
The good he has done?
One thing that stands out very strong in my mind is that he has brought wealth into football. Clubs are quite happy with that. No club can complain that I'm broke, they get money through the broadcasting rights and sponsorship brought in by Irvin. In that regard he has done extremely well. Give due where due is warranted.
The bad?
One thing I think should really happen in the PSL is that it should not be a one-man show, when somebody will even rule from the grave. Without him, nothing works. I'm not talking about a succession plan but a collective running of the organisation where everybody can put the shoulder to the wheel and make invaluable input. The PSL should grow in that regard and be broader rather than a narrow one-man show. That is a thing of the past, when people used to say without this oke we are all doomed.
John Comitis, Cape Town City chairman:
Is Khoza the only individual in South Africa who can lead the PSL?
We have one of the most successful leagues on the globe. To achieve what we have in the past 10 years, with the chairman at the helm, is unsurpassed in Africa.
The good he has done?To create a league structure that emulates the UK EPL in terms of TV rights and owning our own content is no mean feat. We are blessed as football clubs to kick off the season knowing we can bank multi-millions into our accounts to run our businesses. The responsibility now remains with the clubs to take the league to another level.
The bad?
We have left the fan behind. The fan culture has to be developed so that the experience of the fan becomes value for money. We can't depend only on match content. Apart from that, there are matters of escalating players' salaries, some agents that don't act ethically. By and large, under the leadership of the chairman, we have a solid business and we need to protect our product.
Farouk Kadodia, Maritzburg United chairman:
Is Khoza the only individual in South Africa who can lead the PSL?
I fully respect the job that has been done by Khoza for the PSL. He's done extremely well. But I must say that I don't know in which context Lunga was saying what he said. In fact it's the first time I hear this from you guys. Based on how the PSL is run and structured, I think he has done a sterling job. Unless we change the whole structure of the league, for now I think he's the right man for the job.
The good he has done?
He's turned the PSL into a top brand in Africa. I think the work he has put in has really helped the PSL to be among the leading leagues, not only in Africa but the world.
The bad?
People have different views but I think if you're talking about the PSL, you're talking about Irvin Khoza.
I think the appointment of the league's permanent and independent CEO should be a priority for the chairman. I think there could be challenges as to why it has taken so long to appoint one. But it will be good to have a CEO who has no conflict with the business of the league.
David Thidiela, chairman of Black Leopards
Is Khoza the only individual in South Africa who can lead the PSL?
For me there's no one better than Khoza to run our league at the moment. We have to safeguard what we have fought for so many years and with Khoza at the helm, we are in capable hands. There's no doubt about that.
The good he has done?Tell me where in the world you have a league that has grants for its first division and top division league. Now you want to erase all that with some rumours of people wanting to topple Khoza? We can't allow that.
Khoza has even sacrificed paying attention to his own club, Orlando Pirates, for the PSL. Had Khoza been focusing on his own club only, no one could have touched Pirates today, I tell you. So let the man continue with his job for our own sake.
The bad?
For me there's nothing bad that Khoza has done. Even this issue of Ajax Cape Town you can't blame him because each and every club must know the rules on registration of players. You can't blame the PSL or Khoza.
Khurishi Mphahlele, chairman of Baroka FC
Is Khoza the only individual in South Africa who can lead the PSL?
First of all I must distance myself from what Lunga Sokhela said.
I simply have no knowledge as to where that came from.
As far as I know, Khoza is still good for the league and its future.
It's the first time I hear of some people wanting to topple the chairman. I don't think that's a way to solve any problem that we might have.
The good he has done?
There's a lot that the chairman has done. I mean, everyone can see for themselves. It's not really up to me to say anything. We've just re-elected him as chairman, so for me there's no debate about his suitability to lead us.The bad?
In every organisation there's always room for improvement and the league is no exception to that.
I've got nothing bad to say about the league or the chairman.
As I said, I don't know where Lunga was coming from with what he said...