Johannesburg - The Premier Soccer League board of governors has mandated the PSL executive committee to get negotiations for the new broadcast rights under way, reports the Sowetan. 

Led by league chairperson Irvin Khoza, the committee will enter into talks with interested parties for the rights to broadcast the PSL and National First Division matches.

The current deal with rights holders SuperSport International has a year left.

Instead of issuing an invitation to tender for the right to negotiate with broadcasters on behalf of the PSL, the board of governors decided to look internally during a meeting held in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The PSL drew severe criticism after their decision to pay more than R30 million in bonuses to members of the sponsorship committee that secured the R1.6 billion TV broadcast deal with SuperSport International.

At the root of the controversy was a PSL resolution providing for a 10 percent commission payment for all monies secured for the league by the committee that comprised Khoza, Trevor Phillips (the PSL CEO at the time), executive committee members Kaizer Motaung and Mato Madlala, and the league's consultant, Peter Mancer.

Khoza retorted at the time that "a lot of people are talking from an uninformed position and some people are making reckless statements which are uncalled for".

This time around Khoza said "Manco (the PSL management committee) will make a recommendation on whether or not the people who are negotiating get rewarded". This after it was established that outside service providers would demand about five to 15 percent of the total gross amount from any deal.

"The league decided to look internally and the remuneration committee has been tasked with coming up with recommendations around payment of ex gratia bonuses to the negotiating team. It will be entirely up to them."