South Africa's soccer players have threatened to strike if three soccer bosses go ahead and accept the R70-million awarded to them as "a token of gratitude" by the Premier Soccer League.
Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe, deputy general-secretary of the SA Football Players' Union, described the decision as "absolutely scandalous".
He said that, as far as he knew, the three were Irvine Khoza, PSL chairperson and owner of Orlando Pirates, Kaiser Motaung, owner of Kaizer Chiefs, and Mato Madlala.
He said: "If necessary we will go on strike. These are the guys who go around saying how well they have done with 'the product'. What the hell is that product? It's us, the players.
"Yet we have requested salary increases, minimum wages, and all the rest of it - and they go and pay themselves R70-million.
"It was publicly pointed out to the bosses by the minister of finance that what they were doing was wrong. It also comes at a time when the game in South Africa and our national team are not in such good shape. So they go and find another way to pay themselves the money. It's unbelievable."
The SA Football Players' Union claims a membership of 85 percent of professional soccer players.
Khoza said this week, following the PSL's AGM, that the R70-million would be "apportioned to the members of the negotiating team and other role players" and would be a "once-off payment".
It was "a token of gratitude" for their part in securing rights and sponsorship deals.
Last month, following the PSL's R1,6-billion television rights deal and a R500-million Absa sponsorship deal, it was calculated these would be worth R150-million in commission to soccer bosses.
The news that Khoza, Motaung, and Madlala will each receive a share of R70-million has upset Trevor Phillips, former CEO of the PSL, and Peter Mancer, of Diversity Management, both of whom are understood to believe that they are also entitled to a share of the cake.
Phillips refused to comment, other than to say he had "been around, oh yes, very much so", when the main sponsorship deals had been done. Mancer also refused to comment except to say Diversity Management was "virtually" the marketing arm of the PSL.
Phillips and Mancer are understood to be waiting for a meeting in a week's time when the issue will be discussed again.
Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said it was "immoral, if not illegal" for sports administrators to receive huge bonuses and commissions from sponsors for performing their normal duties.