Motsepe pledges no salary cuts at Sundowns

Patrice Motsepe, Chairman of Mamelodi Sundowns during the Absa Premiership 2019/20 Mamelodi Sundowns Press Conference at the ARM House, Johannesburg on the 21 May 2020 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

by Graeme Jackson

Sunday May 24, 2020. 16:00

Mamelodi Sundowns club boss Patrice Motsepe has pledged that they will continue to pay players and backroom staff despite the ongoing season suspension.

South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) has been halted since March, with no clear indication as to when or even if the campaign will be resumed.

Despite this uncertainty, the Brazilians will not follow the path of fellow top-flight clubs such as AmaZulu, Cape Town City and Highlands Park – who have all been forced into pay cuts for their employees – and will continue to honour salaries in full.

“It’s important [that we continue paying the salaries],” Motsepe said in a virtual press conference:

“We will continue to pay the salaries whether there is football or no football.”

The magnate added, “We will continue to pay everybody who works for us their salaries as if there was no coronavirus – it’s an obligation we have for them. It’s an obligation. We have to do that.”

Motsepe, via his foundation, has also donated R1billion toward fighting the coronavirus in South Africa.

He insists that fighting unemployment, poverty and inequality is part of his duty as a successful businessman.

“Listen, for me, football is not my number one focus. I love football. I am passionate about football but my number one focus is unemployment, poverty, inequality, hunger and lack of education,” said Motsepe.