Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize, the embattled owner of Royal AM, was rumoured to be interested in buying one of the largest football clubs in the landlocked Kingdom of the Swati people while she and her family were out and about in Eswatini.
The fourth-largest team in the Eswatini Premier League, Moneni Pirates, invited MaMkhize, her son Andile Mpisani and his wife to attend the Ingwenyama Cup final against Royal Leopards last weekend.
The South Africans were given a rousing welcome by the Pirates supporters.
After failing to honour league and cup games, MaMkhize’s team, Royal AM, is about to be expelled from the Premier Soccer League and put up for auction by the South African Revenue Service.
The club was placed under curatorship by the taxman, and although interested parties submitted bids, no deal was finalised.
A well-placed informant in Eswatini has shed more light on Pirates, and MaMkhize’s presence in the country.
The mole said that the club is trying to revive its image and to bring back the glory days and that MaMkhize was the high-profile person they brought in to help drive that mission.
Pirates is not for sale
He said that the Eswatini club was not for sale and is owned by businessman Thulani Xaba, who is a friend of MaMkhize’s.
“Pirates is a team from Moneni, one of the townships in Manzini, which is the second-biggest city in Eswatini,” the mole told Sunday World.
“The team has been in existence since 1967. It’s one of the biggest teams after Manzini Wanderers, Mbabane Highlanders, and Mbabane Swallows.
“It is a team that is trying to revive itself. They were relegated twice to the first division, and now they are under the leadership of Xaba, who has promised to bring back the glory days. Reaching last week’s final was one of the promises Xaba made to the fans.”
He continued: “Shauwn Mkhize is a friend of Xaba. They were invited to watch the final, and they arrived in Pirates’ regalia. There’s nothing official in terms of her taking over.
“Xaba is very clear on that issue and that Pirates is not for sale. But behind the scenes, MaMkhize may end up buying a stake in the club because they are looking for investors.”
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