With Cape Town City having won the case at SAFA’s arbitration, it has reignited talk of a sensational return to the Betway Premiership for the Mother City club, and legal expert Kabelo Mashigo believes the outcome of the Marumo Gallants case could prove decisive.
The ruling found irregularities in player registration procedures, casting a spotlight on Gallants, who benefitted from the results in question.
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If Gallants are charged and found guilty of any administrative wrongdoing, it could open the door for City to be reinstated in the top flight following their relegation at the end of last season.
“Look, they (Marumo Gallants) are an innocent third party, so to speak. It’s an administrative blunder, and no one can run away from that,” said Mashigo, from K4 Alchemy Consult, speaking exclusively to the Siya crew.
“But if they’re found guilty and points are deducted, Cape Town City won’t be 15th anymore, they’ll move to 14th. And by the rules of the league, they’d have to come back. That’s the simplest way to look at it.”
Mashigo cautioned, however, that the situation highlights deeper issues within the PSL’s administrative framework, and the dangers of letting off-field battles dictate outcomes.
“If we start charging clubs for every admin error, we risk creating a culture where teams sit back, don’t push for results on the field, and instead wait to see how things unfold off it,” he warned.
“It becomes chaos. We don’t even apply our own timelines properly. In my opinion, if a protest isn't filed before a match, it shouldn't be entertained after the fact. Otherwise, we’re opening the floodgates.”
The legal mind also warned that the PSL could be walking into dangerous territory where the legal system is abused to influence sporting outcomes.
“Just because the constitution allows us to litigate, doesn’t mean we must litigate everything. That kind of approach risks eroding our football structure,” Mashigo said.
“The permutations now are endless. If Gallants are docked points, then City's return becomes a matter of procedure – not possibility.”
As the league prepares for the new season, Mashigo has urged the PSL to bring back administrative workshops for clubs, which he believes could prevent these types of issues from recurring.
“There was a time they had workshops at the start of each season where club administrators would be trained on licensing, registration, and compliance. That needs to come back,” he said.
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“Michael Murphy (Legal Counsel of the PSL) and Phindi, (Phindile Dlamini, the PSL Club Licensing Manager) used to run those sessions province to province. I know this, because I went to a few of them back in the day. They used to have those workshops where they were teaching clubs about filing procedures. I remember it was a time when club licencing was starting to be a big issue that needed to be dealt with. It’s clear now how necessary they are.”
The PSL’s Disciplinary Committee is now under pressure to act swiftly and transparently, with the potential reinstatement of Cape Town City – and the integrity of the league – hanging in the balance.
