The footballing world is abuzz with a legal battle brewing between Polokwane City FC and its owner, Johnny Mogaladi, and former midfielder Mpho Makola. The club and its boss are demanding R15 million in damages from Makola, alleging that he made defamatory statements about them on a popular sports show.
The controversy stems from an interview Makola gave on Arena Sports Show last month, where he claimed that Mogaladi instructed his team manager to feed the players' post-match meal to his dogs after a loss against Hungry Lions in Kimberly.
The video clip of the interview went viral, with Makola alleging that the club's actions were a sign of disrespect towards the players, stating: “When I heard this, I didn’t want to know what happened – did they actually do it or not? I actually lost respect for that person and those people who were in the bus who work with him because apparently those are the kind of things they do at that team.”
However, Polokwane City and Mogaladi vehemently deny Makola's claims, labelling them as "incorrect and false" in court papers filed in the Johannesburg High Court. They argue that Makola's statements were intended to damage their reputations, portraying the club as "reprehensible, inhumane, aggressive, abusive, high-handedly, arbitrarily, punishingly, immorally, dishonourably and deviously."
"It ill-treats football players of Polokwane City FC, and that these football players are treated worse than dogs. (The club) lacks professional and ethical integrity," the court papers read.
The club claims that Makola's statements have caused them R7.5 million in damages, citing the negative impact on their image and potential sponsorship deals. They are also seeking an order for Makola to issue a public apology and retract his statements.
Mogaladi, personally, also feels the sting of Makola's words, claiming that the allegations have tarnished his reputation and created a false impression of his treatment of players. He too seeks R7.5 million in damages and a public apology from Makola.
"As a result of the defamation, the second plaintiff has been damaged in his reputation and has suffered damages in the sum of R7.500.000.00," the court papers state.
