Royal AM FC Workers Left Unpaid In December Owing to MaMkhize’s SARS Saga
The plot thickens for businesswoman and Royal AM owner Shauwn Mkhize with the latest developments revealing that the club has been taken over by the South African Revenue Services (SARS), following the mogul’s failure to settle her outstanding debt with the taxman.
As club owner of Royal AM, Mkhize issued a formal statement in which she laid her cards on the table concerning the matter of her employees, including the players, of the club not receiving their salaries from December. She explained that this hiccup was linked to SARS seizing the club for investigation.
Shauwn Mkhize | SUPPLIED
“Royal AM 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, Mr Jaco Venter, to oversee the club’s assets and operations, we want to assure all stakeholders that Royal AM remains committed in resolving this matter as swiftly as possible,” said the statement.
The statement also stated that the club’s management side of things has been hard at work to make sure that employees received their due for the work rendered.
“The club’s management team, led by our CEO and General Manager, has been working diligently with the curator to secure the necessary permission to release funds for salary payments. It has always been the ethos of Royal AM to prioritize the well-being of our personnel, and we remain dedicated to upholding that principle despite the current challenges,” said the statement.
Read the full statement | SUPPLIED
Last year, SARS was given a preservation order as well as the go-ahead to execute a search-and-seize on MaMkhize’s properties, including her palatial mansion at Umhlanga and the Royal AM clubhouse in Pietermaritzburg. The authorised order came as the taxman’s attempt to pare down Shauwn’s debt which, at the time, had already accumulated to a total of about R40 million.
This is a developing story.