Cape Town - Marumo Gallants FC officials Rufus Matsena and Tebogo Dhlomo, who were detained in Libya following the team’s CAF Confederation Cup match against Libya’s Al Akhdar on 19 March 2023 are finally set to return home.
On Saturday, Gallants confirmed that the travel documents for the two employees have been returned, and that both Matsena and Dhlomo are ready for their much-awaited return to their country and families.
They will be landing in Johannesburg over the course of the current long weekend.
Gallants’ Chairman Abram Sello said: “We are immensely relieved that our staff will be returning home safely. They are anxious to get back to their families and their lives here in South Africa. We would like to thank all parties that assisted in us getting to this point.”
The diplomatic intervention has paved the way for the long-awaited release of the two officials who were held 'hostage' in Libya at the Alfakhama Hotel Suites in Benghazi, a major seaport on the Mediterranean Sea.
The imbroglio came about when Gallants were unable to settle various bills fully after playing a match in Benghazi. In an effort to appease the hotel owner Ali Elzargha, a Libyan businessman, Gallants owner Abram Sello came up with a plan to leave two officials behind while the rest of the squad could return to South Africa.
The two officials would serve as collateral while Sello would raise the funds to settle the bills. In the meantime, Elzargha would hold on to the officials' passports until such time the bills were settled.
In the days that followed Sello started to dispute the bills which he felt had been inflated and during this time, the 'Good Samaritan' Elzargha, was looking after the two officials as if they were guests at his hotel, and at his own expense.
On Thursday, several parties were called to a Zoom meeting in an attempt to resolve the impasse. After the meeting, all the parts remained schtum despite the huge interest on the continent on the matter.
On Friday morning, Gallants issued a statement on social media.
It read in part: 'Efforts are still underway to bring home two Marumo Gallants FC staff members detained in Libya over a financial dispute following the team's CAF Confederation Cup match against Libya's Al Akhdar on 19 March 2023.
'A virtual meeting was held yesterday [Thursday] under the mediation of the South African Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) in an attempt to urgently resolve the issue.
'Parties in attendance included the executive management team of Marumo Gallants, the South African Football Association (SAFA), the Libyan embassy in South Africa, South Africa’s ambassador to Tunisia and other relevant officials.
'The Libyan hotel owner, as well as staff members involved (Matsena and Dhlomo), were also in attendance. Talks and processes are currently underway to settle the matter and bring the PSL club’s employees back home.
'My people belong at home here in South Africa with their families, especially over the Easter period. Both men are extremely emotional and exhausted, and need to return to their homes and loved ones.'
It is expected that the officials will arrive in Johannesburg on Sunday.
@Herman_Gibbs
IOL Sport