Reality TV star and controversial businesswoman Shauwn "MaMkhize" Mkhize has finally confirmed the story ZiMoja published yesterday that her team, Royal AM, is under the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
ROYAL SARS
Today, she released a statement, signed by herself as the president of Royal AM Football Club, that her team, together with her son Andile Mpisane, are no longer under them but the state entity SARS. She confirmed that a curator appointed by SARS, Jaco Venter, is overseeing the club's assets and operations. Due to Venter overseeing the team on behalf of SARS, the team was forced to postpone their Betway Premiership match against Chippa United in Port Elizabeth, due to be played on Saturday.
SHE OWES SARS CLOSE TO R40M
According to the court documents seen by ZiMoja, Royal AM owes SARS close to R40 million in unpaid taxes. She said in the statement, "Royal AM Football Club wishes to address the unfortunate situation regarding the non-payment of salaries for December 2024, affecting our valued players, technical team, and staff. We acknowledge the hardship this has caused and extend our heartfelt apologies to those impacted, including their families. As many are aware, the club is currently under curatorship following a preservation order obtained by SARS. While this has resulted in the temporary appointment of a curator, Venter, to oversee the club's assets and operations, we want to assure all stakeholders that Royal AM remains committed to resolving this matter as swiftly as possible," MaMkhize said.
NO TRAINING THIS WEEK
On Monday, the players were turned back when they came to train at their training ground in Pietermaritzburg. According to close sources, they had not been paid their December salaries. Mkhize explained: "The club's management team, led by our CEO and general manager, has been working diligently with the curator to secure the necessary permissions to release funds for salary payments. It has always been the ethos of Royal AM to prioritise the well-being of our personnel and we remain dedicated to upholding that principle despite the current challenges." We appreciate the patience and support of our players, staff, and their families during this difficult time." The CEO of the team, Sinky Mnisi, and General Manager Richard Makhoba have been silent about the team's activities since the police and SARS officials raided the Royal AM clubhouse in Pietermaritzburg. With the team part of the 32 teams who are facing the Nedbank Cup draw in Sandton on Thursday, it is not clear how the Premier Soccer League will deal with their issue.
