By Dylan Bettencourt
- MaMkhize claims the Premier Soccer League unlawfully removed Royal AM and wants court action.
- She blames Sars account freezes and league interference for the club’s struggles, not misconduct.
Royal AM owner Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize is taking the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to court after her team was kicked out of the competition.
In an urgent application to the Joburg High Court, MaMkhize asked for the league’s decision to be declared unlawful. She wants the case heard before the season ends, Sunday World reported.
The PSL claims Royal AM lied during their membership renewal in July last year. The league said MaMkhize and her son, Andile Mpisane, were listed as directors — but the real director, they claim, was Shamish Sadab.
MaMkhize hit back, saying the PSL got it wrong. She said Sadab only became a director after 26 July, long after the membership forms were submitted.
“When we submitted the renewal on 1 July 2024, Mpisane and I were the official directors. That was the truth,” she said.
She argued that even if there was a mistake — which she denies — only the disciplinary committee, not the board of governors, can deal with misconduct.
The PSL also raised concerns about changes to Royal AM’s shareholding. But MaMkhize said the Shandi Trust, with Mpisane as the sole beneficiary, still owns 100% of the club. Sadab, she said, holds 38% of shares on behalf of the trust to help raise funds.
The league accused Royal AM of ignoring Fifa registration bans and missing matches. But MaMkhize said the league already knew about the bans when renewing the club’s membership.
On missing fixtures, MaMkhize blamed a court order obtained by Sars that froze the club’s accounts in November last year. A curator, Jaco Venter, was appointed to manage the finances but, according to MaMkhize, failed to pay players and staff.
MaMkhize said the club had promised the PSL a “Letter of Comfort” to fix the problem, but the curator demanded R900,000 before issuing it.
She also accused the league of making matters worse by cutting Royal AM’s R2.3-million monthly grant. Even without the grant, the club continued paying players from their own pockets.
In her court papers, MaMkhize said: “By cutting the grant and suspending our matches, the league itself contributed to the problems.”
Pictured above: Royal AM boss Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize.
Image source: File
