Johannesburg – Premier Soccer League (PSL) club Royal AM have walked away from the serious charges laid by league’s disciplinary committee (DC) with a mere “slap on the wrist”, a legal expert has said.
Royal AM have been fined R1.2-million for bring the league into disrepute by boycotting matches to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with how Sekhukhune United were promoted to the top-flight Premiership.
The football club, owned by Durban-based businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize, had challenged the PSL in a long and protracted court battle over the promotion.
“It could have been worse, I see it as a slap on the wrist, so, Royal AM has no business challenging the outcome of the sanction imposed. The club was part of the agreement,” said the legal expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was involved in the matter.
“There were threats to expel the club. I believe it was a satisfying situation for Ms Mkhize, considering how much the club was fined – R1.2-million – is nothing,” he told Sunday World.
Royal AM had initially been hit with a hefty R4-million fine , but the sanction was suspended for a year and reduced to R1.2- million as punishment following the DC hearing outcome.
The KwaZulu-Natal outfit failed to honour their four PSL promotion/relegation playoff games in a controversial bid to show their displeasure, arguing they had won automatic promotion on the field of play, after the PSL had awarded Sekhukhune three points in the aftermath of a protest against Polokwane City.
“The threat to throw them out [of the PSL] would have been the worst outcome. If you look at the overall picture, Ms Mkhize being allowed to purchase the status of Bloemfontein Celtic was a win for her,” the legal expert said. “Looking at the overall picture and where they come from, in the end Ms Mkhize came out of it satisfied considering that the club was facing the possibility of being expelled from the PSL.
“The PSL approved the sale [the transaction believed to be R50-million], they could have turned it down. If you put everything into context by analysing it, overall Royal AM were the big winners, they could not be much happier,” the legal source said.
Our mole added that the PSL is looking forward to having Royal AM campaign in the premier division as Mkhize, who is a reality TV star, and her son Andile Mpisane, who is the club’s president, are a flamboyant duo and bring vibrancy to the league.
“The PSL wanted to bring the energy that Royal AM showed while playing in the first division to the Premiership. Just look at Ms Mkhize and the club’s Instagram following, you will realise she has a massive following.”
Mkhize and her son are known for flaunting their wealth on social media. But the field of play has not been rosy for them after the new Royal AM, comprising players from the now defunct Celtic, lost their two DStv Premiership matches, narrowly losing 1-0 to Swallows in their season-opening match, and getting a 2-1 thrashing from Cape Town City last week.
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