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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It’s just a matter of time before the strange and highly disruptive </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-09-royal-am-saga-puts-the-boot-into-premier-soccer-leagues-integrity/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Royal AM saga</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is resolved. The Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) board of governors will today convene to ratify the resolution made by the league’s executive committee last week. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The executive resolved to expel Royal from the Premiership. The club, owned by KwaZulu-Natal businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize, has not been involved in any soccer action since December 2024. Its inactivity is due to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) putting the team under curatorship because of a sum of in the region of R40-million that Mkhize owes the tax collector. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the time of being taken over by SARS, Royal had played just 11 league matches. Their inactivity has caused a major headache for the league, with fixtures involving the team having to be constantly postponed while SARS seeks a suitable buyer. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thwihli Thwahla were even booted out of the </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-25-uncertainty-looms-over-royal-am-as-nedbank-cup-exclusion-and-tax-troubles-shake-clubs-future/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nedbank Cup</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to this issue. However, there was still hope that the team would be able to somehow play catch-up in the league if a buyer was found. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Collapsed deal</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An auction took place in early March, facilitated by SARS-appointed curator Jaco Venter, with Global Investments the winning bidder. One of the company’s two directors is Mageshpren Moodley — the son of </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-06-06-royal-security-founded-by-state-capture-kingpin-roy-moodley-bags-r282m-contract-in-da-led-western-cape/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chockalingam Roy Moodley</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, the company failed to pay the bid fee timeously and the deal collapsed.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the PSL’s hierarchy has been patient throughout the whole saga and tried to work with Venter to find a resolution that suits all parties, the failure of the deal with Global Investments has forced its hand. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The situation has deeply dented the integrity of the league, casting a dark shadow over South Africa’s impressive showings in both of the Confederation of African Football’s inter-club competitions this season. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns are into the </span><a href=\"https://www.goal.com/en-za/lists/the-dream-of-an-all-south-african-caf-champions-league-final-between-mamelodi-sundowns-and-orlando-pirates-remains-alive-after-bucs-beat-mc-alger/bltef7a8bdc3e894895\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">semifinals of the Champions League</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after seeing off MC Alger and Espérance respectively.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stellenbosch are in the last four of the Confederation Cup after shocking defending champions and Egyptian giants Zamalek with a 1-0 aggregate win in the quarterfinals. Yet, the Royal saga has somewhat overshadowed these achievements.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2670997\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TL_1917285.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1793\" height=\"1162\" /> <em>Royal AM owner Shauwn Mkhize. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2670995\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TL_2264151-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1733\" height=\"1155\" /> <em>Sedwyn George of Royal AM and Tlakusani Mthethwa of Richards Bay in action at Harry Gwala Stadium. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The PSL board of governors (made up of representatives of teams in the Premiership and Championship) will probably put a stop to this on Thursday, 10 April 2025 when they convene. Royal’s expulsion would leave the league with 15 teams, with the sides who earned points in the 11 matches KwaZulu-Natal club played losing them in the interest of fairness. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes log leaders Sundowns, who currently enjoy a 12-point gap over second-placed Pirates. Although the latter still have three games in hand, which would be reduced to two matches if Royal are booted out. Relegation-threatened SuperSport United will lose the one point they earned during 0-0 draw with Thwihli Thwihla in September 2024. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While teams will be frustrated about losing their hard-earned points, the Royal players and technical staff are the ones who will bear the brunt of an expulsion. If Royal are indeed expelled, the employees’ contracts will be nullified, leaving them destitute from an employment perspective. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Collateral damage</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Footballers are professionals who rely on their wages, and we will not allow them to be collateral damage and be on the receiving end of this situation,” said the South African Football Players’ Union on Royal’s expulsion. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Should the club face expulsion, we will explore all legal avenues to pursue the recovery of all outstanding salaries and contractual entitlements,” said the union. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“In the event of the team’s expulsion, we will engage with the league and the National Dispute Resolution Chamber to ensure affected players can transition to new clubs without undue restrictions, where they can be allowed to secure employment elsewhere,” it added.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As many as six players have already left Royal in recent weeks, with the PSL’s Dispute Resolution Chamber greenlighting their jumping from the sinking ship to join clubs of their choosing. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The outcome of the board of governors meeting is expected sometime on Thursday, following what are likely to be robust deliberations. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"name": "Sedwyn George of Royal AM and Tlakusani Mthethwa of Richards Bay during the Betway Premiership match between Royal AM and Richards Bay at Harry Gwala Stadium on September 24, 2024 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)",
"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It’s just a matter of time before the strange and highly disruptive </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-09-royal-am-saga-puts-the-boot-into-premier-soccer-leagues-integrity/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Royal AM saga</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is resolved. The Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) board of governors will today convene to ratify the resolution made by the league’s executive committee last week. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The executive resolved to expel Royal from the Premiership. The club, owned by KwaZulu-Natal businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize, has not been involved in any soccer action since December 2024. Its inactivity is due to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) putting the team under curatorship because of a sum of in the region of R40-million that Mkhize owes the tax collector. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the time of being taken over by SARS, Royal had played just 11 league matches. Their inactivity has caused a major headache for the league, with fixtures involving the team having to be constantly postponed while SARS seeks a suitable buyer. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thwihli Thwahla were even booted out of the </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-25-uncertainty-looms-over-royal-am-as-nedbank-cup-exclusion-and-tax-troubles-shake-clubs-future/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nedbank Cup</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to this issue. However, there was still hope that the team would be able to somehow play catch-up in the league if a buyer was found. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Collapsed deal</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An auction took place in early March, facilitated by SARS-appointed curator Jaco Venter, with Global Investments the winning bidder. One of the company’s two directors is Mageshpren Moodley — the son of </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-06-06-royal-security-founded-by-state-capture-kingpin-roy-moodley-bags-r282m-contract-in-da-led-western-cape/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chockalingam Roy Moodley</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, the company failed to pay the bid fee timeously and the deal collapsed.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the PSL’s hierarchy has been patient throughout the whole saga and tried to work with Venter to find a resolution that suits all parties, the failure of the deal with Global Investments has forced its hand. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The situation has deeply dented the integrity of the league, casting a dark shadow over South Africa’s impressive showings in both of the Confederation of African Football’s inter-club competitions this season. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns are into the </span><a href=\"https://www.goal.com/en-za/lists/the-dream-of-an-all-south-african-caf-champions-league-final-between-mamelodi-sundowns-and-orlando-pirates-remains-alive-after-bucs-beat-mc-alger/bltef7a8bdc3e894895\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">semifinals of the Champions League</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after seeing off MC Alger and Espérance respectively.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stellenbosch are in the last four of the Confederation Cup after shocking defending champions and Egyptian giants Zamalek with a 1-0 aggregate win in the quarterfinals. Yet, the Royal saga has somewhat overshadowed these achievements.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2670997\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1793\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2670997\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TL_1917285.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1793\" height=\"1162\" /> <em>Royal AM owner Shauwn Mkhize. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2670995\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1733\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2670995\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TL_2264151-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1733\" height=\"1155\" /> <em>Sedwyn George of Royal AM and Tlakusani Mthethwa of Richards Bay in action at Harry Gwala Stadium. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The PSL board of governors (made up of representatives of teams in the Premiership and Championship) will probably put a stop to this on Thursday, 10 April 2025 when they convene. Royal’s expulsion would leave the league with 15 teams, with the sides who earned points in the 11 matches KwaZulu-Natal club played losing them in the interest of fairness. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes log leaders Sundowns, who currently enjoy a 12-point gap over second-placed Pirates. Although the latter still have three games in hand, which would be reduced to two matches if Royal are booted out. Relegation-threatened SuperSport United will lose the one point they earned during 0-0 draw with Thwihli Thwihla in September 2024. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While teams will be frustrated about losing their hard-earned points, the Royal players and technical staff are the ones who will bear the brunt of an expulsion. If Royal are indeed expelled, the employees’ contracts will be nullified, leaving them destitute from an employment perspective. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Collateral damage</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Footballers are professionals who rely on their wages, and we will not allow them to be collateral damage and be on the receiving end of this situation,” said the South African Football Players’ Union on Royal’s expulsion. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Should the club face expulsion, we will explore all legal avenues to pursue the recovery of all outstanding salaries and contractual entitlements,” said the union. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“In the event of the team’s expulsion, we will engage with the league and the National Dispute Resolution Chamber to ensure affected players can transition to new clubs without undue restrictions, where they can be allowed to secure employment elsewhere,” it added.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As many as six players have already left Royal in recent weeks, with the PSL’s Dispute Resolution Chamber greenlighting their jumping from the sinking ship to join clubs of their choosing. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The outcome of the board of governors meeting is expected sometime on Thursday, following what are likely to be robust deliberations. </span><b>DM</b>",
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Royal AM owner Shauwn Mkhize. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)
Sedwyn George of Royal AM and Tlakusani Mthethwa of Richards Bay in action at Harry Gwala Stadium. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)