Tim Sukazi Aubaas Pirates

TS Galaxy media officer Minenhle Mkhize has opened a case of assault against Orlando Pirates’ media liaison Thandi Merafe. Photo: PA

TS Galaxy open case of ASSAULT against Orlando Pirates

TS Galaxy media officer Minenhle Mkhize has opened a case of assault against Orlando Pirates’ media liaison Thandi Merafe.

Tim Sukazi Aubaas Pirates

TS Galaxy media officer Minenhle Mkhize has opened a case of assault against Orlando Pirates’ media liaison Thandi Merafe. Photo: PA

TS Galaxy media officer Minenhle Mkhize has opened a case of assault against Orlando Pirates’ media liaison Thandi Merafe.

WATCH | TS GALAXY CHAIRPERSON TIM SUKAZI DENIED ACCESS TO ORLANDO STADIUM!

Video footage from the Rockets’ DStv Premiership 2-0 loss to Orlando Pirates last Saturday showed TS Galaxy chairperson Tim Sukazi forcibly denied access to the players’ change rooms by security at the venue.

Merafe also reportedly slapped Mkhize in the face during the incident.

Mkhize said on TimesLIVE: “I did open a common assault case at Orlando police station on Tuesday morning.

“After consulting with our (Galaxy’s) legal team we decided to open the case because the culprit must face consequences for their action.”

Mkhize added: “While the chairman [Sukazi] was busy outside trying to access the change room, one of the (security) guys was instructed to lock the door. I asked, ‘Why are you guys instructing this guy to lock the door because the chairman is eligible to access the change room and field?’

“We’d been six times to games against Pirates [at Orlando] and the chairman (Sukazi) was in the change room and was on the pitch.

“I asked, ‘Why?’ It wasn’t the first time it was occurring – when we locked horns against Pirates at the start of the year at Orlando Stadium a similar incident occurred.

“I asked, ‘How can he lock the door because the chairman is eligible? He is not just saying he wants to enter the change room because he wants to, but he has an accreditation that allows him to go to the change room and field’.

“I was told, ‘You are media’. I said, ‘Ja, what does that have to do with the chairman having access?’.

“Then all of a sudden it was pushing and shoving and Thandi Merafe, the media officer at Orlando Pirates, laid her hand to my face.

“One of my colleagues who was there told her, ‘This is wrong what you are doing. This is very unprofessional and you might find yourself in a spot of bother because what you are doing is an act of criminality’.

“I was really astonished at that barbaric behaviour from someone like Thandi who has been in the game for some time.”