Swallows confirm that Vuyo Mere was actually fired

Vuyo Mere’s sudden departure from Swallows FC last weekend sent shockwaves across football supporters in the country.

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The veteran defender was expected to retire at the Dube Birds having helped the side return to the DStv Premiership a few seasons ago. 

While he didn’t reveal his reasons for the sudden switch from the Soweto side to KwaNdebele’s TS Galaxy, it has emerged that he was actually fired at Swallows. 

A report by the Sunday World at the weekend revealed that Mere had been silently taken through to the club’s Disciplinary Committee where he was found guilty. 

This was after he had led a players’ revolt against signing a handbook on how the players at the club are to conduct themselves. He was unhappy with some of the things in the handbook which he felt were repressive to the players. 

Mere is alleged to have then urged other Swallows players to revolt and not sign the document and hence he was hauled through the coals and fired. 

“He did not agree with certain things in our handbook and he was taken to a hearing,”  Swallows official Sipho Xulu is quoted as saying.

“The club felt that he was influencing players otherwise and as a result, he was destabilizing the team. A decision was taken to terminate his contract and he appealed. Whilst the club was considering his appeal, he changed his mind and requested his clearance from the club and that’s how he left and joined TS Galaxy,” said Xulu.

It has meanwhile emerged that Mere may not be the last player to opt out of the Dube Birds nest with some others unhappy about the current situation. 

Swallows coach Dylan Kerr is meanwhile looking to find a striker who can get the Birds soaring again. 

“I’ve got three strikers and one of them, Mwape Musonda, is out of shape. I don’t mean that physically but he is just out of sorts mentally,”  Kerr was quoted as saying recently. 

Swallows heavily relied on Ruzaigh Gamildien for goals last season but they have since dried up this season and Kerr is considering redeploying him back to his original position as a midfielder. 

“Ruzaigh’s work ethic is good, but is he an out-and-out striker? I don’t think so. And I’ve got Kagiso Malinga who is just coming back from injury. We have to find someone who we can bring into the squad and who is going to help us going forward. We need someone to stay in and around the penalty area.”