Outcomes of the May 2021 Executive Committee Meeting

Executive Committee Meeting Attendance

The Executive Committee of the association held its ordinary meeting via a virtual platform (Microsoft Teams) on the 12th of May 2021. This is a postponed meeting that was originally scheduled for the 9th of May, but did not materialise as key members of the committee were not available. The committee also reflected on the fact that no meeting was held in April and an appeal was made to the members to take the meetings seriously as operations and administration are falling apart. Members will propose the suitable frequency, days, dates, time for the future meetings to ensure that all members attend without fail.

Days prior to the meeting, and in reaction to the disappointment of the meeting of the 9th that not taking place, the committee had debates about the ‘Apologies’ and how these should be treated. It was clarified that in accordance with the Constitution, an apology is not valid unless the following are true:

The person submits a request of absence in writing to the Chairperson of the meeting concerned;
The Chairperson of the meeting concerned acknowledges and approves the request, also in writing.
The request and the approval will form an apology.

The Chairperson of the meeting concerned must never be surprised that someone is not attending a meeting. In that case, a person must be marked as “Absent”, and such absenteeism must be monitored and managed in line with Article 47.1.2 of the Constitution, which could lead to a dismissal.

Performance Reviews

Performance Reviews of the Executive Committee members are done every three months. In this case, the last review was done in March 2021. Two members were found to be performing below par in December 2020 and letters were written to them to give reasons why they should not be dismissed. They both did not respond. In March a resolution was made to request them to resign within fourteen days, failure of which they would be dismissed in accordance with Article 28.13 of the Constitution.

No response was received from both members. However, the Head of Technical and Technical later submitted via informal channels that he still wants to serve, and he also repeated the same during this meeting. The Head of Technical and Development was then given an opportunity to submit a formal response why he should not be requested to resign by Friday the 14th of May 2021.

The committee resolved to dismiss the Vice Secretary in accordance with Article 28.13 of the Constitution.

The next Performance Review will be in June 2021.

Secretariat Matters

The minutes of the previous meeting were not submitted by the Secretary due to her hectic schedule at work. However the Secretary was requested to find time to complete and submit these by the 14th of May.

The minutes of the PLFA 2020 Congress were NOT signed. These must be signed by the previous Secretary, Mr. Zakhele Ntuli. Signed minutes will be submitted by the 14th of May.

The documents of the PLFA 2021 Ordinary Congress are still to be signed by the Secretary. These will be signed by the 14th of May and will be published by the 16th of May.

Three SSS Players have submitted a request for the association to intervene with the acquisition of their Clearances. The Secretary wrote to SSS United to request reasons for their refusal from issuing clearances to the players. Thus far SSS United did not respond and the Secretary has been requested to make the last follow-up, failure in responding, or a response that departs from the rules will lead the association issuing the clearances to the players. Deadline is 14 May.

Facilities Management

The Vice Chairperson: Operations has a duty to workshop the Football Competitions Policy with the stakeholders known to host tournaments in Phelindaba to ensure that whenever a request to host a competition in the future, such be compliant with this policy. The policy ensures that football in Phelindaba is the winner at the end of the day, and prevents people from gaining through football competitions whilst leaving football poorer.

The Vice Chairperson was also requested to workshop the new regime regarding control of Mbolekwa ground, ensuring that the association applies sufficient demand management practices in the use of the Ground. Mbolekwa is currently the flagship ground of the association. It is the most expensive to repair and yet when it is in a state of disrepair, it is the most disruptive of the programmes of all leagues, including higher leagues. So the ground must be protected with all reasonable means. To establish the best way to do this, particularly with the use thereof as a training facility and as a home ground, a workshop with the Members must be held to get all to be on the same page, and to come up with the most user friendly demand management practice to preserve the ground.

These matters have already been approved by the Congress. It is now a matter of implementation. Implementation must however not be draconian, it must enjoy the support of the Members.

The City of Tshwane has shared with the association a quote for the Lease Agreement for Mbolekwa. Ordinarily, taking up a Lease Agreement is the correct thing to do. However the benefits of taking up such a lease must be weighed up against the cost thereof prior to committing and actually paying. Therefore, the Treasurer, with the help of the Vice Chairperson: Operations and the Head of Leagues and Competitions must perform these analyses, including discussing with the City of Tshwane if need be, and advise the Executive Committee whether to proceed with the Lease Agreement or not, or if any adjustments need to be made on the terms of conditions, or on the price itself. Progress will be reviewed during next the meeting.

There is a long standing issue of relocating the office of the association from Molambo Hall to Lucas Moripe Stadium. We have been on this journey for the last four to five years and yet we are not succeeding. We acknowledge that part of the reason we are not succeeding is that we relent in our quest to relocate based on the City’s push back. We are now re-launching the quest and we will go through all levels of escalation without relenting. The Vice Chairperson has been requested to start this.

The Vice Chair was also requested to compile a holistic meetings schedules of the association, consolidate these, and submit to the City of Tshwane for security of venues. This includes the Executive Committee, Leagues and Competitions, Referees, Disciplinary Hearings, Marketing, Finance, etc. Progress will be reviewed during the next meeting.

The Vice Chair was also requested to create a Facilities Management task team, and work on the remediation plans for Mbolekwa, Makhaza and Masupha grounds. These plans will culminate into what will be submitted to the City of Tshwane to include in their reparation / maintenance budget and programme. Progress will be reviewed during the next meeting.

Membership Matters

The 2020 Ordinary Congress had resolved that all Members must be registered as NPOs, NPCs, or whatever the form that makes them accountable legally and publicly. This resolution was not implemented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 impact. The Vice Chairperson: Membership and Governance has been tasked with the submission of the programme to achieve this. We will report on the programme and implementation after the next Executive Committee Meeting.

The committee needed confirmation of the participation or withdrawal of Relebogile Football Club, which was admitted in 2020. This club never participated in the events of the association since. After formally following up, they have confirmed their withdrawal from the association as they have joined another LFA. Their withdrawal will be processed formally during the next Congress.

A Membership Move to GREEN initiative was discussed where

the Secretary needs to ensure that all the contact details of the Members are captured, these including Email Addresses, Physical Addresses and Talephone Numbers;
The Vice Chairperson: Membership and Governance must ensuring that the members comply with the submission of the relevant documents, like admission letters, completion of the affiliation forms, etc;
The Treasurer ensures that all Members pay their fees.

Feedback on the above will be reviewed during next meeting.

Governance

The Executive Committee made some serious commitments to the Congress that it will ensure that all disciplinary matters will receive attention, and not let a situation of anarchy to prevail. A list of transgressions from the beginning of the season is currently being compiled and progress thereof is being shared with the Executive Committee.

Transgressors will receive an admission of guilt letter with fines for their transgressions, for which they will have a set timeframe to pay their fines. Those who believe that they are not guilty of those transgressions will provide such a feedback to the association, and they will either be lined up for disciplinary hearings for them to properly defend themselves, or charges will be withdrawn if the fault is with the association. It must be highlighted through that with the Disciplinary Hearing there will be an added cost to the transgressors should they be found guilty. The added costs will be more for the funding of the disciplinary hearings.

Maithaithai has already submitted a letter detailing why they are not guilty for the transgression in their match with Jacaranda Callies. The Vice Chairperson: Membership and Governance has been given a go ahead to set up the Disciplinary Hearing for that.

PLFA is one of the most non-compliant LFAs when it comes to COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols. To rectify this, the Vice Chair has been requested to finalise the appointment of the new Compliance Officer, or resuscitate the services of the old Compliance Officer, whichever is adequate to cover the risk. This must be done by the end of May.

In addition to this, Health and Safety reporting with the relevant views and elements must be submitted to the Executive Committee monthly. The Vice Chair will start submitting these by the end of June 2021.

Financial Matters

The Treasurer has been requested to submit a report showing all the Members who made payment arrangements, and whether they stuck to the agreements or not. Those who did not must be given up to one week to pay up, failure of which they will be suspended and will forfeit their fixtures and points. This is NOT a desired route as it distabilises the operations of the association, but must be taken if Members take their commitments to the association for granted.

The Treasurer was also tasked with the review of the Referees Payment part in the Operations Process, also in compliance with the Treasury Policy. It must be re-iterated that according to the policy, payments must only be processed on Friday’s and not on any other day of the week. Secondly it must be emphasised that paymements to the Match Officials will be only when a Match Report (including two Team Sheets) have been received by the association. Therefore the Treasurer will sit with the Acting Head of Referees and agree on the Operational Periods for officiating fixtures, like for an example from 24th of May to the 27th of June (Operational Period), and submission deadlines, like 29th of June, and payment deadlines, like 2nd of July. These must be properly workshopped with the Match Officials so that their expectations are set and managed.

The Treasurer has been tasked with the drafting of a process for the billing of teams that register more than 25 players. This process will be reviewed and approved during the next meeting. All those who have already registered more than 25 players will be invoiced for those, and the new process will kick in.

Leagues and Competitions

The Head of Leagues and Competitions has a responsibility to monitor the fixtures and compliance with the Rules of the association. Members that do not honour fixtures for any reason must immediately be reported via a Corrective Action Request process for disciplinary action. This must happen on a weekly basis.

The committee reflected on the Team Sheet template that is currently in use and identified its flaws. It was agreed in principle that the Team Sheets must be for Coaches, and Match Officials will use Match Summary templates to report on the match. A draft Team Sheet is currently under review by the committee to be finalised by the 14th of May. This new Team Sheet will be used from the following week without any exceptions. The new Team Sheet will have the names of all the players registered in that division and will leave space for cross participation. No team will be allowed to play without the proper team sheet. Teams that register players during the week, will be sent updated Team Sheets with the added players by Thursday for them to print by Friday together with the cards. To facilitate this, no matches must be officially scheduled to play on Friday to allow for the clubs to print updated Team Sheets and Player cards on Friday. No players will be registered beyond this point (from Friday to Sunday).

The Head of Leagues and Competitions has been requested to submit a plan for a mini-tournament for the Super League as they have finished their season. This plan will be submitted by the 14th of May. Further deliberations will ensue until the plan is approved and implementation begins.

Technical and Development

Previously the committee had compiled Coaches data and created a proposal to SAFA Tshwane for the hosting of Coaches Courses. The data received suggests that approximately 56% of our coaches do not have qualifications at all, and 8% still on Introductory level. These are the targeted categories for the D-License Coaches Course that is being requested. We await response from SAFA Tshwane.

During the last meeting it was noted that the Motsepe Foundation, who are donating soccer material worth R120,000.00 to the association, wanted to hand these over during a Coaching Clinic to be held after the calling off of the COVID-19 Lockdown. However, the foundation has confirmed that such Coaching Clinics will no longer happen due to the lockdown persisting and the country being faced with the resurgence of the virus leading to a possible third wave.

The committee confirmed that there will be no efforts made to prepare for the Mayoral Cup as the City of Tshwane will not host the competition this year.

The Head of Technical and Development requested that PLFA prepare a squad to participate at the Engen competition. This was however not approved as Jacaranda Callies will already participate therein.

Commercial and Marketing

Through the donation of the Motsepe Foundation, and as a result of being nominated as beneficiaries by Pretoria Callies Football Club after being runners up in the national ABC Motsepe Playoffs last year, the association is procuring football materials and equipment to benefit mostly the teams that were participating in the respective leagues of the association in 2019. These teams will receive Balls, Socks, Goalkeeper Gloves, and Flat Cones. The aim is really to incentivise and reward the teams who consistently participate in the various leagues of the association and provide the much needed stability. Through this initiative the association is also procuring kits and equipment for the Match Officials, these including a Referee Kits (top, shorts and socks), Whistles, Referees Purses, and Referees Bibs. We are procuring the Goal Nets for all the grounds that are in use, including for the Under 11 poles, and the Ground Marking machines. These procurement is at its advanced stages, and we expect delivery in three to four weeks time.

The members of the committee were briefed about a candidate for the position of Commercial and Marketing, Jesse from Lotus. The Chairperson will share more information to the committee for their review and decision. ETA 14 May 2021.

Chairperson’s Feedback

The Chairperson reported that Atteridgeville Saulsville Sports and Recreation Council will be holding an AGM on the 13th of May 2021 at 18h00 at Lucas Moripe Stadium. The Vice Chairperson: Operations will attend. However the Chairperson expressed displeasure on the breach of governance by the ASSREC EXCO and still not acknowledging this, and thus taking its Members, in particular football, for granted.

Members of the committee are requested to ensure that all actions are fulfilled, including those that were not discussed due to time constraints. These include the items on the Executive Report submitted by the Chairperson for the March 2021 meeting.

In closing, it is acknowledged that the Executive Committee is currently not as effective as required, leaving only a few people to do the work, and this is showing. Members must ensure that they perform their tasks outside of the meetings, and only come back to the meetings to report affirmatively and assist with forward looking but progressive inputs. Should a member need assistance, they must get assistance outside of the meeting so that by the time they are required to report, they report affirmatively.

END