Linare are crying foul over money they say is owed to them by Econet Telecom Lesotho. ‘Tse Nala’ are outraged over an amount that equates to 45 percent of the 268 444 votes they received from fans to enter the club in the People’s Cup in March.
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Linare allege they are supposed to receive the money from Econet.
However, Econet disagrees.
When the voting for the People’s Cup began, Econet, who are also the sponsors, announced every team will get 45 percent of their votes back.
To encourage teams to vote in big numbers, they announced that the team that would reach 200 000 votes first would get M200 000.
Linare were the first team to reach the milestone and this is where the misunderstanding is.
‘Tse Tala’ believed they would be getting 45 percent in addition to M200 000 for beating opponents to 200 000 votes.
Econet on the other hand, say they explained to clubs that if a team that reaches 200 000 votes first will get M200 000 but will forfeit the 45 percent. Linare say that was not the information they received at the beginning and they only heard it when they inquired about the money.
Econet’s Public Relations Officer Puleng Masoabi insists the telecommunication giants were clear that the team that gets M200 000 would forfeit their 45 percent and that was communicated to the club’s communication and marketing managers.
She said it is unfortunate the message did not reach Linare but said they are already working to resolve the complaint on the table.
“We have received such a complaint from Linare, they want 45 percent of votes like it was promised,” Masoabi said.
“If you remember , during the People’s Cup we promised that each team would get 45 percent of their votes back. Then to encourage (more) votes, along the way we said the team that will reach 200 000 votes first, we will return the 200 000 but they will forfeit the 45 percent,” she said.
“So that’s where the issue is, Linare got M200 000 and now they also want the 45 percent, we were clear you get either or,” Masoabi said.
“We were communicating with the CMMs of these clubs to pass the message we even gave them airtime, if Linare’s CMM did not pass this message then it’s unfortunate, but it is something we are working on, (and) it has not been resolved,” she said.
Linare’s spokesperson ‘Matlhohonolofatso Lebesa denied they were told that they would forfeit the 45 percent cut if they reach 200 000 votes.
Linare always believed the money had nothing to do with their voting share, she said.
“They never said a team that reaches 200 000 will forfeit the 45 percent, what they said was that a team that reaches the number will get a surprise, and the surprise was only known on the day (Econet) announced that M200 000 (which would be given to the team that reaches 200 000 votes first),” she said.
“We never knew what it was, as the 45 percent they never told us we will not be getting it because we were expecting it. I don’t remember them telling the CMMs that, you can go back to the past recordings or ask other CMMs,” she said
If Econet gives in to the pressure of giving Linare the 45 percent, the club would walk away with more than they invested in voting since they have already been given M200 000. Their voting share is M120 799, if they get it they would have received a little more than M52 000 as profit from what they spent to vote.
Tlalane Phahla
