Councillor attacks VW over its policy on soccer sponsorship

By Max Matavire Metro Editor

A NELSON MANDELA BAY councillor yesterday launched a scathing attack on Volkswagen SA for buying a “second string” soccer side for the region while at the same sponsoring one of the country’s top professional teams, based outside Mandela Bay.

Councillor Mike Msizi described the company’s decision as “an insult”.

VWSA recently bought first division side Maritzburg United, which plays in the Mvela Golden League, and moved it to Port Elizabeth from KwaZulu Natal, where it was previously based.

The company also announced its sponsorship for Moroka Swallows, an established Premier Soccer League side based in Johannesburg.

Digressing during a full council meeting discussing the amendment of the council budget to allow for the funding of soccer teams playing in the Vodacom League, Msizi said he had been “sad” when he saw VWSA announcing on television its sponsorship of Swallows.

“In Germany, the company supports a team in the town of Wolfsburg where it is based and does lots of business.

“Nelson Mandela Bay is the company’s manufacturing base, and they should be supporting a local team where their employees and their families are,” an emotional Msizi said.

“It’s a real shame that they are not coming up with a clear policy on their support to have a professional team from here.

“They are insulting our intelligence. For VWSA to sponsor an already established side and buy a second string side for us is unfortunate and unforgivable.”

Mayor Nceba Faku, although concurring with Msizi, said he did not want to comment further as “it might be distorted”.

He said: “I wish I could also comment on what councillor Msizi has said, but am afraid it might be construed in another way.”

Announcing its soccer strategy three weeks ago, VWSA said it would establish a soccer development academy in Mandela Bay, bring a first division club to the region, with a view of building the club into a Premier Soccer League side and, on a national level, expose the VW brand to soccer by sponsoring a PSL side.

Responding to Msizi’s attack, VWSA communications executive Bill Stephens said the company had fulfilled and adhered to the three different soccer strategy initiatives it had announced three weeks ago.

“At a function also attended by councillors, we outlined our full soccer strategy which has three different initiatives as part of the total strategy.

“The first is to develop a soccer academy in Nelson Mandela Bay.

“The second is to bring a first division club to Mandela Bay with a view of building it into a PSL side, thereby bringing first class soccer to the region,” Stephens said.

“The third is then to expose the VWSA brand at national level by sponsoring PSL side Moroka Swallows.

“This is exactly what we have done. As far as we are concerned, we have made a major contribution towards the development of soccer in Mandela Bay.”

Stephens added: “When we made this announcement, we had 100 per cent support from all parties who attended the function, including Nelson Mandela Bay councillors.”