Libyan hotel detains S. Africa football club officials over unpaid bill
Friday April 07 2023
The owner of South Africa's Marumo Gallants Football Club Abram Sello whose two officials are being held in Libya over $37,000 unpaid hotel bill. PHOTO | MARUMO GALLANTS
Two South African football club officials are being held as collateral in Libya for an unpaid $37,000 bill.
Exactly 16 days after their club Marumo Gallants played Al Akhdar in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation Cup, team manager Rufus Matsena and physiotherapist Amos Dina Dhlomo remain held up at the Alfakhama Hotel Suites in Benghazi, Libya.
After struggling to book flights due to the ongoing Ramadhan period, Marumo Gallants owner Abram Sello made an arrangement with Alfakhama Hotel owner, Dr Ali Elzargha, to pay for the team's air transport to Libya for their crucial CAF encounter..
The two had met last year in November when the DSTV Premiership outfit played a club continental fixture in the Libyan capital.
Marumo Gallants players celebrating a goal. PHOTO | MARUMO GALLANTS
Sello would then pay back Dr Elzargha’s dues upon arrival in the north African country. However, the Marumo Gallants owner was unable to meet his part of the bargain.
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The two businessmen then agreed that Matsena and Dhlomo would be held as collateral and would only be released once the money was paid.
Dr Elzargha is holding onto the passports of the two men to ensure they don’t flee while Sello is now insisting he has been overcharged.
DIRCO intervenes
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Corporation (DIRCO) issued a statement this week saying they were intervening to assist the duo.
“Holding people hostage is a criminal offence and the South African government will not allow our nationals to be kidnapped or held against their will. This is the reason why we are decisively intervening in this matter to secure their release. We are quite confident that they will be soon back with their families,” DIRCO spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.
The Libyan businessman responded to DIRCO’s statement, saying the issue was about an unpaid debt. “Pay the money, that’s all,” he told South African media.
South Africa does not have an embassy in Libya, forcing the government to engage the mission in neighbouring Tunisia.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) general manager Mzwandile Maforvane on Thursday confirmed a meeting had been scheduled to resolve the matter.
Dr Elzargha, Sello, SAFA and DIRCO are set to have a virtual discussion to map the way forward.