Royal AM boss Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize. Image via Instagram @kwa_mammkhize
MaMkhize’s Royal AM players ‘breathing fire over unpaid salaries’
Royal AM general manager Richard Makhoba has responded following reports that the club’s players have not been paid their salaries.
Royal AM boss Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize. Image via Instagram @kwa_mammkhize
Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize’s financial struggles have reportedly spilt over to her women’s team, Royal AM Ladies Football Club.
ROYAL AM LADIES DEMANDING THEIR SALARIES FROM MAMKHIZE
According to Sunday World, the club’s players have not been paid their December and January salaries. On Friday, when they met with general manager Richard Makhoba, they were informed that the club did not pay them because their contracts had ended.
“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.
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“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,” said the source.
The source added that there are also salary complications with the men’s team, which competes in the DStv Premiership.
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CLUB RESPONDS
Addressing the allegations, Makhoba said that Royal AM has no obligation to pay its ladies’ team during the 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 a 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.
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SARS BILL AND FIFA BAN
The Pietermaritzburg-based outfit made headlines last year for its financial woes.
According to FARpost, MaMkhize’s football club was slapped with a tax bill to the tune of R37 million in October. The High Court of South Africa directed the sheriff of the court to attach and remove the movable property of Royal AM.
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In addition, Thwihli Thwahla (as the club is also known) is serving a FIFA transfer ban after unfairly dismissing striker Samir Nurkovic – whom it was ordered to pay R12 million.
