Mafoso defends Kalake

Hlompho Kalake in gold and black outfit in action recently

Bantu head coach Atang ‘Bob’ Mafoso defends Hlompho Kalake from fans’ attack over contract negotiations.  

Some of Bantu fans were on Kalake’s case on social media since the details of the contract negotiations between the player and the club leaked to the public for the past weeks, revealing that Kalake demanded M50 000.00 signing on fee, M12 000.00 monthly salary and  for Bantu to build him rental houses.

 But Mafoso says Kalake’s contract negotiations became the issue just because it came at last, and not because it was different to other players’ contracts.

 Mafoso said that after Kalake eventually renewed a contract with Bantu for two years on Tuesday last week.

 “Contract negotiations are not something that you can finish in one day, and on top of that COVID-19 has caused us delay to start negotiating the players’ contracts,” said Mafoso in an interview with NM Sport.

 He further said: “So on top of the COVID-19 and the suspension of the season Kalake had personal issues and hence why his contract negotiations became the last to be discussed. 

 Mafoso said Kalake was busy with funeral arrangements for his late grandmother during the COVID-19 lockdown.

 “That’s simply what made people to be interested in his contract negotiations, just because he was the last player to renew contract with Bantu, and not because his was different to other players’ contracts.”

 “But we were still expecting that his contract negotiations would not take one day or two days.”

 Mafoso also said it might be because people thought Bantu management had actually failed to agree terms with Kalake right from the beginning of the negotiations, not knowing that negotiations with Kalake were yet to commence.   

 He said around the same time Bantu management was also negotiating with other players who their contracts had also expired.

 “Even contract negotiations for those other players did not take one day or two days, and I fail to understand why Kalake’s contract negotiations details leaked to the public,” Mafoso said.

 Bantu coach said in fact contract negotiations should remain confidential between the employer and the employee.   

 “Let me make an example, Lundo (Lundokuhle Phungulwa)’s contract was still being renewed around the same time, as well as Lazola (Jokojokwana)’s contract, Thabo Lesaoana, Tau Masiu, (Tsietsi) Khooa and Bokang Sello’s contract.

 “But there was not a plenty of (negative) talk about

Their contracts despite the fact that their contracts expired at the same time when Kalake’s contract expired.”

Mafoso however said he’s happy that all of their players whose contracts expired had all been renewed.

 “I am happy that all of our players whose their contracts expired have all been renewed now because they were all important to us,” he said

 “What we did was to fight for each and every one of them and today we are happy that we have managed to register all of them.”

Bantu are yet to sign new players, with Mafoso saying they are definitely going to reinforce their squad for next season.

Bantu have just been declared the 2019/20 Econet Premier League (EPL) champions after the league was suspended and later ended due to the COVID-19 lockdown.