PSL ruling clears Luke Baartman for Kaizer Chiefs move

Kaizer Chiefs are now cleared to sign promising forward Luke Baartman after the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) officially declared him a free agent.

The ruling, handed down on Tuesday, brings an end to the young player’s contract dispute with his former club, Cape Town Spurs.

This decision comes just a week after the same DRC panel granted free agency to another CT Spurs player, Asanele Velebayi, who subsequently signed a long-term contract with Chiefs. Both Baartman and Velebayi had fought for their release after CT Spurs were relegated to the amateur ABC Motsepe League from the Motsepe Foundation Championship last campaign.

The duo’s legal team successfully argued that a club’s drop to amateur status voids all professional contracts, a claim the DRC upheld.

Despite the back-to-back legal setbacks, Cape Town Spurs are not giving up. The club has already filed a review application with the SAFA Arbitration Tribunal regarding the Velebayi matter and is expected to do the same for Baartman.

In a previous statement, CT Spurs criticised the PSL DRC’s rulings as “inconsistent” and a “gross, reviewable error,” arguing that the players’ contracts were explicitly “not terminable on notice.”

For now, however, the ruling allows Chiefs to move forward with securing the 19-year-old forward.

Stay Connected with Pan-Africa Football
Instagram:   / panafricafooty  
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PanAfricaFooty
Facebook:   / panafricafootball