AmaZulu deny Manzini’s tribalism claims
AmaZulu have responded to Rhulani Manzini's claims that he was mistreated by the club’s supporters on the basis that he was not Zulu.
Rhulani Manzini (Pic Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix)
Manzini made the claims during a radio interview with PowerFM.
READ: Former player accuses AmaZulu of tribalism
In a statement on the club’s website, AmaZulu said the claims were false and have brought the club into disrepute.
The club statement:
AmaZulu Football Club would like to express our extreme displeasure with regards to the comments made by the club’s former player, Rhulani Manzini, on Power FM last week. It has been brought to our attention that distasteful remarks were made towards the club and its fan base in an interview carried out by Power FM’s Koena Moabelo.
Unfounded accusations of tribalism stemming from our supporters and bias amongst the team’s management structures are false and have brought the club into disrepute.
We would also like to make it known that the interviewer in this matter, Mr Moabelo, had not offered AmaZulu the chance or platform to respond to these claims and as a result prejudice was formed. For clarity, we would like to use this opportunity to make known the facts around this particular matter.
AmaZulu team manager Qedi Dlamini said: “Not once did Rhulani (Manzini) report that he was being harassed by supporters of the club for his moTsonga background. It became evident that a large portion of our fans were unhappy with his performances and he became subject to that pressure, however, he was not the only one. It got to the point whereby we had to call meetings with our supporters, asking them to refrain from being negative towards our players, when the team wasn’t doing well. The supporters club even came to training to reassure our squad that they were behind us 100%. We are a multiracial club and it’s been that way since the ’70s.
“I never suggested that he play away games only, how can I do that knowing that I would be interfering with team selection. The season he left was the season he had many problems with our technical team, which he reported to us, but beyond that, he lost his starting position and it was hard for him to accept.”
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