Money woes hit Galaxy as players, staff demand salaries

TS Galaxy players, technical team and support staff are demanding answers from the club owner Tim Sukazi on why some were not paid their salaries.

The players, the technical team and the staff held a meeting after training at Sturrock Park, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, where they shared their pain of not getting paid for two months.

In an audio that was leaked to the media after the meeting, some of the players and staff members appealed to the technical team to help them by speaking to Sukazi, who was absent to explain why some have not been paid.

Sowetan has been informed that six players – Vuyo Mere, Ebrahim Seedat, Masilake Phohlongo, Nkosikhona Radebe, Mike Sebelebele and Lebone Seema – and eight technical team members have not received their monies.

“I think people who have direct contact with the management, maybe you the coach (Sead Ramovic) if you can pick up the phone and call Tim and say ‘listen, what is happening'," a player said during the meeting.

“I know maybe you do that, but the guys are not getting help. It’s not nice that I wake up in the morning, I have petrol to come to work and I have whatever [it's] needed at home.

“But there are families who are relying on the players...  but for us to finish the season properly and close it, we have to stand up and fight for each other.

Some players also accused Sukazi of not communicating with them every time they experienced problems in the team.

“When we went to Turkey, we had a meeting with the chairman, we spoke to him and when things are not going well why can’t he come here and say ‘guys this is what is happening and the only thing we can do is this',” he said.

“But every time there are problems we can’t see the chairman here, but if he wants something from us we have to step up.

“Now that we have problems, we don’t see him; the guys have to come [to] work every day without their salaries and it’s not okay.”

Coach Ramovic, who defended the club before calling it a liar when asked how the players managed to perform without receiving their monies, did confirm that they have not been paid. 

“I had a chat with the chairman. He came to my place and we spoke for three hours. What he told me is he will get a sponsorship that you can be paid and everyone should receive their monies,” he said.

Sukazi could not be reached for a comment as he failed to answer his phone or respond to our text messages.