GU ordered to pay Molebatsi P50,000
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Saturday June 15, 2024 09:31
“The respondent (GU) is hereby ordered to compensate for salary arrears amounting to P50, 000 as stipulated and calculated from the applicant’s statement of claim, within 30 days of receipt of this order,” the judgment states. The ruling further states that should GU fail to pay the player within the stipulated time frame, further penalties shall be imposed. The player was represented by the Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB) in the legal proceedings instituted against GU. According to the documents filed before the NDRC, the two parties signed a five-month contract running from February 1 to June 31, 2018.
According to the arguments raised by the FUB on behalf of the player, GU were supposed to pay Molebatsi a basic monthly salary of P10, 000 for the period of the contract. “Notwithstanding the above agreement, the respondent (GU) defaulted in its obligations thus salary arrears amounting to P50, 000 accumulated. The claimant (Molebatsi) prays for judgment against the respondent to pay the amount owed to him, which was for the whole duration of the contract (five months),” FUB argued. In another matter, VTM have been ordered to pay former player, Moabi Sebele P12, 000 in 30 days. The player reportedly signed a 12-month contract running from January 1 to December 31, 2023. The player was to be paid a monthly salary of P3, 000 but the club terminated his contract in August the same year after he picked up an injury in March. The FUB, representing the player, argued that VTM terminated the contract with no just cause and that the club has not, at any point in time taken responsibility for the player’s injury. They also argued that VTM should compensate Sebele for the remainder of the contract, which is four months, amounting to P12, 000.
“The player has (at the time) had to fend for himself to seek medical attention. In the premises, the termination of the contract by the respondent is unlawful and with no just cause, therefore the respondent must compensate the claimant (Sebele) for the remainder of the contract and compensate for the injury incurred at work as per the Worker’s Compensation Act,” FUB argued. The NDRC ruled that the player sustained an injury at work and must be compensated accordingly and that the termination was, therefore unlawful.