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wait ends at last

Dan Fuphe

Dan Fuphe

After more than a year of waiting for their prize money, the winners of the 2007 Ibhola Lethu Off Season Soccer Tournamant will finally get paid.

This was after Raymond Vukani Ngoetjanaa, formerly known as Hlatshwayo, was pressured to sign an undertaking at the Benoni Police Station last Monday that he would pay R50000 in R500 instalments as total settlement to the three winners of the tournament, Sika Lekhekhe (winners) Black Pirates (2nd) and Argentina FC (3rd).

In the undertaking signed at the Benoni Police Station and witnessed by Superintendent Maureen Shibambo, Ngoetjana stated: "I Raymond Vukani Ngoetjana on behalf of Ibhola Lethu Off-season Soccer Tournament will pay R50,000 as a total settlement to the winners of the 2007 Ibhola Lethu, namely Sika Lekhekhe (No.1), Black Pirates (No.2) and Argentina (No.3).

"The instalment will be R500 per month. The money will be paid in (sic) one account. I further promise to pay more than the stipulated amount as and when I have more funds. The account number is of Mr Spiwe S Mokoena - Standard Bank in Benoni.''

The agreement brings an end the animosity that bedevilled the good relationship that existed between Ngoetjana and the teams.

In an interview with Sowetan, Ngoetjana dismissed allegations that was on the run, after he'd failed to pay the teams last year.

"I am aware of these rumours which have tarnished my name. But, the truth of the matter is that I left home to avoid confrontationafter unknown people came to my house to intimidate my family. I was never on the run," he said.

But, his version was disputed by Siphiwe Mokoena, who said: "Everytime we tried to contact him on his phone it was off. No one ever threatened him. All we wanted was for him to give an undertaking to pay.

"We only found him when some of our players saw him at Lakeside Mall. We confronted him and managed to convince him to go with us to the Benoni Police Station to recommit himself to a new undertaking as this was not the first time he had reneged."

In the first undertaking signed on January 25 2008 at the same police station, Ngoetjana promised to pay R50000 into Mokoena's bank account. But he didn't.

Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Pollen Ndlanya has stepped into the breach organising festive game in the area.

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