PSL Prosecutor Resigns Amid Gathering Legal Storms with Immediate Effect

• Premier Soccer League prosecutor Nande Becker had been at the head of club football's legal arbitration since 2013
• He had overseen many cases, which have come something of a norm in South African football, including the farcical GladAfrica Championship playoff debacle
• His resignation was met with surprise, unrestrained conspiracy mongering and glee by disgruntled football fans on social media

Amid another gathering legal thunderstorm, veteran Premier Soccer League (PSL) prosecutor Nande Becker has unexpectedly resigned from his position with immediate effect.

Becker had served in this role within the organisation since 2013, presiding over various legal furores which have become the mainstay of local club football.

The latest saga was that of Kaizer Chiefs not honouring a fixture against Cape Town City on Saturday, citing a Covid-19 outbreak at the club. The Amakhosi had requested that the PSL postpone all the team's fixtures in December, a matter the governing body had yet to rule on.

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"I resigned with effect [on] 30 November 2021," Becker told iDiski Times, without elaborating on the reason.

The PSL had not released a statement at the time of this article's publication. Social media users had various theories, from reasonable to the absurd and sinister.

Zolani Zenzile said:

"Well done to Chiefs for saving lives. It would have been disastrous had they attended the game. People's lives are more important than 3 points."

@Sia_meleni said:

"It's because of the influence of Chiefs that is corrupting the league that led to his resignation."

@NKapitso said:

"Always targeting Sundowns this one."

@TAUKHOAPA said:

"The plot thickens... PSL is now in tatters. No formally appointed CEO in ages, now prosecutor amid a big decision to decide the Chiefs' non-appearance yesterday... Where to now for the biggest brand in SA football? Gone are the days of the revered "the B bulldog" [Trevor Phillips] & " Mr zola" [Zola Majavu]..."

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Resigning PSL prosecutor gets involved in courtroom football fiasco

Nande Becker is not new to Briefly News readers. He weighed in on the messy GladAfrica Championship saga involving Sekhukhune United and Royal AM, which is owned by the irrepressible Shauwn Mkhize.

Royal AM were crowned champions at the end of the 2020/21, guaranteeing the club automatic promotion to the DSTV Premiership. However, Sekhukhune United were then confirmed as the winners of the title because of a technicality stemming from a fixture against Limpopo rivals Polokwane City. City had improperly selected players for this match, resulting in United being awarded three critical points, leapfrogging them above Royal AM.

This resulted in an uproar for the ages, which threatened to upend the 2021/22 South African football season, with the matter going as far up as the Supreme Court of Appeal.

"Unfortunately I have got‚ and am in the process of doing‚ a hell of a lot of reading," said a weary Becker to TimesLive after Royal AM failed to honour fixtures in their protest.

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"It’s being investigated and probably by the end of the week I would have reached a decision.”

Football fans had their say on the controversy.

@Moreover_more said:

"Keep fighting Ma Mkhize good luck but the League goes to Sekhukhune."

@George_Marima said:

"A game is won on the field of play...even if you field ineligible players you must expect to be punished with deduction of three points given to the opposing team."