The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has expelled the embattled Royal AM Football Club from the league with immediate effect.
Royal AM, which was under the ownership of overzealous and popular businesswoman Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize, endured a long period of financial struggles.
The team last played a PSL match on December 29 and has had their matches postponed due to the club being taken under curatorship by the SA Revenue Service (SARS).
Mkhize’s business practices resulted in an investigation and a legal dispute with the taxman over her purportedly unpaid R40-million tax bill.
This also includes staff and players’ salaries.
Recommendation to cancel club’s membership
This week the PSL sent a memorandum to all the chairpersons, CEOs, and member clubs of the National Soccer League (NSL) about its decision.
Reads the memorandum: “As per NSL’s constitution, articles 10.16 and 14.6, the league has vested certain powers and duties in the executive, and having regard to the totality of the facts and circumstances in relation to the matter of Royal AM FC under curatorship, the executive committee has concluded that:
- Royal AM is unable to fulfil their obligation to the league;
- Royal AM misrepresented material information to the league in the application for renewal submitted on 1 July 2024; and
- Royal AM transferred shares contrary to the provisions of Article 14.6 of the NSL constitution.
“The executive committee resolved to recommend the cancellation of the membership of the club to the board of governors of the league in accordance with Article 14.16 or 14.6 of the NSL constitution.
“Royal AM and all member clubs of the league will be given notice of the board of governors meeting in accordance with the NSL handbook,” reads the statement.
Due to the club’s expulsion, the league will still have 15 clubs participating in the remaining games.
The team that finishes in 15th place will automatically advance to the relegation/promotion play-offs, which are held between the teams that finish second and third in the National First Division at the end of the season.
Expelled from the Nedbank Cup
Prior to their current regrettable predicament, Royal AM were first expelled from the Nedbank Cup.
Royal AM has not played in three months. Their most recent official game was the Nedbank Cup on January 27 against Milford FC of the National First Division.
After just 11 league games, the team’s final league game was a 3-1 loss to TS Galaxy at home on December 29.
This was after the SARS seized control of the club as part of its attempt to recoup a tax bill owed to the taxman by Mkhize.
The PSL executive committee’s decision in February regarding the Royal AM saga has left the league in a chaotic state.
In February, the league said that the NSL executive committee had decided that, for the sake of time, Royal AM would no longer participate in the Nedbank Cup.
