Financially struggling Royal AM boss Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize has failed to pay her women’s team players their December and January salaries.
It is alleged that Royal AM Ladies players have not been paid their their salaries since December last year, and the players are up in arms and threatening to quit the club. Sunday World has it on good authority that the club management, led by general manager Richard Makhoba, convened a meeting with the players on Friday.
The players were informed that the club did not pay them because their contracts had ended. Our informant has also revealed that Royal AM wants to sign more players before the start of the season in March, and that they have released 10 players without consulting with the technical team.
“There are some complications at that club. Some players want to go back to their previous clubs because things are not going as they expected. Other players got injured, and the treatment they got from the club was not desirable,” said another mole close to the events.
“When most of the players arrived from Bloemfontein Celtic, the players saw their lives changing. The team performed well at the beginning, but things went sour because the players were not getting their money.
“The food they were eating at first when they arrived at the club changed; the treatment was different and some of the injured players were not considered.
“Last year they didn’t receive their salaries during the festive season. Even last month (January), they didn’t receive their salaries. The view that the people have about Royal AM Ladies, because they’re playing for “MaMkhize”, is that they have money and that they’re well treated is not true,” added the informant.
The club’s eccentric and flamboyant owner and businesswoman, MaMkhize, has been embroiled in a tax controversy with South African Revenue Services after she allegedly dodged tax in excess of R12-million.
The warrant of execution from the high court further directed the sheriff of the court to attach and remove the movable property of the Royal AM.
It has also emerged that the first team technical ensemble, led by the head coach John Maduka, is also experiencing a problem getting their salaries.
South African Football Players Union vice-president Tebogo Monyai says that their hands are tied.
“Women’s football is tricky because it has not been professionalised yet. It is still at the amateur-level, and there is not much the union can do,” said Monyai.
Makhoba said there was no reason why they should be paid as they are amateur players and have no contracts.
“We have no obligation to pay them during off season. They are on a stipend monthly and the league never paid the prize money either. Note that we don’t owe any women players any salary and have no obligation to give stipend when the league is over.
“The rules of Safa say that the registration of all amateur players is only for one season,” he said.
