Latest news with #ShawnMkhize
IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Enigmatic Royal AM owner Shauwn Mkhize: 'I'm too sexy for my shirt,' so what!
Royal AM Royal AM owner Shawn Mkhize was, for a long time, a thorn in the side of the PSL. Picture: ANA WHEN thinking of Shauwn Mkhize, one is tempted to think of that musical lyric proclaiming one's allure: 'I'm too sexy for my shirt'. The excessive cleverness and cunning of Mkhize, the larger-than-life, enigmatic owner of the beleaguered football club Royal AM, have tripped her up again. She has been overly clever, too cunning, and was caught out by her schemes to save her beloved club, Royal AM, named after her son Andile Mpisane. The ruling announced on Tuesday by the Pretoria High Court may finally end Royal AM's efforts to regain its Premier Soccer League (PSL) status. The court dismissed her case with costs. Last week, Judge Boitsheko Seleka reserved judgment and decided on a later date for the verdict. Around this time, there was speculation that Royal AM could win the case. Being the owner of Royal AM, it has been a long and arduous journey for Mkhize. Even before she bought Bloemfontein Celtic's franchise, she was in trouble with the PSL. After Royal AM finished runners-up on the GladAfrica Championship's (National First Division) final standings and the PSL's promotion-relegation playoffs, it started a legal battle to overturn Sekhukhune United's automatic promotion to the Premiership. The club refused to participate in the playoff matches, and after they lost a few arbitrations, they approached the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein. When all else failed, Mkhize brought Bloemfontein Celtic's franchise, and Royal AM was finally playing in the Premiership. Fast forward to January 2025, the PSL Executive Committee, after three meetings, suspended Royal AM from all future matches. From that point onwards, Mkhize navigated the swirling currents of the football world as several legal battles came under the spotlight. During this time, she angered fans after she disclosed player salaries. This revelation sparked outrage and accusations of unfair labour practices because of significant discrepancies. Now more than ever, football fans are questioning the club's financial management and ethical standards, giving rise to the term 'dirty hands' because of perceived questionable practices, possibly involving financial dealings or other forms of manipulation. This episode reflects a broader issue in local professional soccer, where pay disparity has often been a contentious topic. The salary figures disclosed by Mkhize serve as a particularly striking reminder of the challenges faced by many players as they navigate their careers on the South African landscape. Clubs must ensure increased transparency and a commitment to secure a more equitable environment for all players involved. As the dust settles on this landmark ruling, one thing is clear: the court's verdict underscores the necessity for unwavering compliance with the PSL's regulations. This should herald a new chapter in South African football, one that emphasises not just ambition, but also responsibility and adherence to protocol.
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Royal AM must give up on their fight to be reinstated in the PSL . . . they've done more harm than good
Shawn Mkhize continues to be a thorn in the side of the PSL, this time due to a recent court battle that is awaiting judgment. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix COMMENT The tug-of-war between the PSL and Royal AM appears far from over — but the league may have made the right call by expelling the club earlier this year. This week, Pretoria High Court Judge Boitsheko Seleka reserved judgment on Royal AM's bid to be reinstated in the PSL. 'Thwihli Thwahla' turned to the High Court after being expelled from the league for bringing it into disrepute. SARS placed the club under curatorship earlier this year in an effort to recover R40 million in unpaid taxes owed by club president Shaun Mkhize. However, after SARS failed to secure a buyer for the club, the PSL removed it from the league — finishing the season with just 15 teams. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ In court papers, Mkhize contends that the family had relinquished ownership by the time the club entered curatorship, transferring directorship to a certain Shamis Sadab. According to her, this meant the club could not be used to recover her personal tax debts. However, PSL legal representative Michael Murphy argued that Mkhize never informed the league of this change in ownership. Therefore, the league acted within their rights when the Board of Governors (BoG) voted to expel the club in April. Mkhize also claimed that Royal AM were not permitted to attend the BoG meeting — a point rendered moot by the fact that, had they appeared, they would have been asked to leave due to the nature of the proceedings. Attempts by Independent Media to reach Murphy for comment on Thursday were unsuccessful. Exclusive : Royal AM Sale Details Bidders required to submit refundable deposit of R1 million and indicate intention to bid on 14 March. Successful bidder to be informed 17 March Thread 👇🏽 — Cash N Sport (@CashNSport) March 5, 2025 If the league can prove to Judge Seleka that the club was still under Mkhize's consortium at the time of curatorship, a verdict in their favour seems likely. Royal AM's administrative chaos has dented the PSL's image, which their leadership, under chairman Irvin Khoza, have spent decades building. This isn't the first time the club has courted controversy — from failing to appear for promotion/relegation play-offs to buying their way into the top flight. Their mismanagement also threatened vital commercial partnerships, with sponsors like Betway and Nedbank likely displeased that the season concluded with an odd number of teams. Khoza has repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining strong relationships with sponsors, who are the league's financial backbone. That's why the league could not allow a 'rotten potato' to spoil the entire bag — especially when livelihoods, reputations and operations are on the line. DA Victory: Royal AM R27 million sponsorship terminated Following relentless pressure from the DA - the Msunduzi Municipality resolved to terminate the controversial Royal AM sponsorship contract. — DA KZN (@DA_KZN) July 3, 2025
