THE battle for Orlando Pirates has taken a nasty turn after chairman Irvin Khoza questioned the sanity of Julius Sono, who is challenging the club's ownership in court.

On Tuesday, the Labour Court in Johannesburg gave Pirates 10 days to respond to an application brought by Sono to have Khoza step down as the club's boss.

But Sono hit back at Khoza yesterday, saying he should instead respond to the Labour Court case and not insult him.

Sono claims in court papers that Khoza has caused tremendous damage to the reputation of supporters' branches by allowing other branches to recruit members and operate without the Orlando Pirates Football Club Members and Branches, a registered non-profit organisation.

Sono said he was authorised to take action by the organisation, which represents 53 supporters' club branches across the country - from Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Kimberley, Thaba Nchu, Mahikeng, Welkom to Mamelodi East and Mamelodi West, among others.

However, Khoza hit back at Sono on the club's website after Sowetan reported about the court battle on Wednesday.

"It is really painful to see the son of an Orlando Pirates great, Eric "Scara" Sono, in such a sad state of mind," said Khoza.

He said this was the second time in the space of a month that Orlando Pirates "had to attend to his (Sono's) spurious claims".

"First it was a case he went to open at the Hillbrow police station, which after an investigation by Detective Cokozani was thrown out by the prosecutors," he said in a statement posted on the club's website.

"Yesterday he tried to sneak in a case at the Labour Court hoping to get a default judgment resulting from a possible 'non-appearance' of respondents he cited.

"It is time that Julius get help as it is really painful to see him in such a compromised mental state," said Khoza.

Khoza also took a swipe at Sowetan, saying it was a pity that the newspaper "deemed it fit to provide such prominence to this sad episode in Julius Sono's life".

"Then again we live in a free society where one of our core freedoms is that of the media. Hopefully, this prominence will help Julius get help."

Sono told Sowetan yesterday: "He [Khoza] is busy saying I'm mad. He's a dunderhead.

"Khoza can't tell me I'm a dunderhead.

"Lela timer is nie reg gedeur. Daai grootman is dom (That old man is not well, he is stupid)."

On Tuesday, Labour Court Judge Edwin Molahlehi gave Pirates 10 days to respond to Sono's application.

Molahlehi also moved the matter from the unopposed roll to the opposed roll and gave Pirates leave to file their responding papers and an application for condonation of the late filing of their response.

This was after Orlando Pirates lawyer Farai Razano told the Labour Court in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, that the club received notice to appear in court only on Monday.

According to Sono, Razano said he would respond to him in seven days. Yesterday, members of the Greater Randfontein Orlando Pirates supporters branch gave Sowetan a signed letter distancing themselves from Sono's court action.

sidimbal@sowetan.co.za