Windhoek
Namibia Football Players Union (NFPU) firebrand secretary general Olsen Kahiriri has climbed bare-knuckled into the Namibian Football Association (NFA)’s half-hearted reaction to Brave Warriors veteran striker Rudolf Bester’s allegations of serious misconduct against MTC Premiership chairman Johnny ‘JJD’ Doeseb.
The outspoken unionist, popularly known as Commissar Kahiriri, aired his displeasure over the association’s reluctance to mediate between the pair on the apparent assumption that the transaction was concluded between clubs and not under the jurisdiction of the NFA.
This is the NFA’s stance, notwithstanding the fact that the very same NFA issued an International Transfer Clearance (ITC) to the club they now conveniently claim does not fall under its jurisdiction.
Bester declared a dispute with Doeseb after his signing-on fees derived from his much reported transfer from Maritzburg United to fellow South African Premiership (PSL) campaigners Orlando Pirates failed to reach its intended destination.
Acting on the instruction of Bester, the NFPU referred the dispute to the country’s football governing body, NFA, but ironically, the association wants to know why it should be dragged into matter since the aggrieved player was not playing in the domestic league at the time of signing the contract.
Instead of taking a neutral stance and dealing with the matter in the most appropriate and mature manner, the NFA in its response appears to be interrogating Bester’s representatives as to why the issue was not dealt with earlier and why it took so long to be raised.
“We also note that, in accordance with your letter, Mr Bester received a portion of the signing-on fee, even though claims are that he was not a co-signatory to the agreement”.
An agitated Kahiriri would have none of that and shot back, saying the issue was brought to the attention of former NFA president John Muinjo, but the latter ostensibly turned a blind eye on the player’s plight.
Bester is seeking a hefty fee of around N$400 000, plus interest, from September 2011, which could escalate to N$800 000 in total.
On his part, Doeseb is adamant that he dealt in good faith, despite damning allegations that he unlawfully pretended to be the sole rights holder to Bester’s image and autograph rights – a claim vehemently denied by Bester.
In the meantime, Kahiriri has cautioned the NFA against treating this ugly spat lightly and promised to drag the association to the highest sport authorities should the association persist in trying to disassociate itself from dispute.
“Rest assured, we’re going to apply all available avenues to make sure justice prevails in this matter. This is daylight robbery, because he (Doeseb) was only tasked to facilitate the transfer. There was no written agreement for him to lay his hands on any monies accrued from the transfer deal. And for the NFA to claim ignorance with regard to its role in this matter is tantamount to treason.
“Technically, Bester is a Namibian athlete, who resorts under the jurisdiction of the NFA, irrespective of where he plays football, or else why who would the NFA call him up for national duty if he were not their baby?” charged Kahiriri angrily.