Durban businessman Roy Moodley Roy Moodley's deal to buy troubled football club Royal AM from Shauwn Mkhize has collapsed. Photo: Tumi Pakkies/Independent Newspapers
Image: Tumi Pakkies/Independent Newspapers
Royal AM are reportedly back on the market after Durban businessman Roy Moodley’s deal to buy the club collapsed at the last minute.
Moodley is the leader of the African Movement Congress and a close ally of former president Jacob Zuma.
According to reports, the controversial business’ background has led to the failure in the bid to purchase the club from Shauwn Mkhize. The Sowetan have reported that Sars curator Jaco Venter has found information that makes the businessman unfit to take over.
Daily Maverick reported in 2023 that a number of Moddley’s entities have been implicated in alleged state capture schemes that occurred when Zuma was still the country’s president.
“When it is finalised, we will send a press release,” Venter was quoted by the Sowetan.
Last week Mkhonto weSizwe Party MP David "Mazolman" Skosana confirmed he submitted a bit to purchase the troubled KwaZulu-Natal club, but his R15 million offer wasn’t enough to seal the deal.
Due to the failure of Moodley’s bid, Skosana could very well make another attempt to buy the club. The door could also be open to the foreign investor linked with sports minister Gayton McKenzie who is interested in moving the club back to the Free State to revive Bloemfontein Celtic.
When Royal AM's ownership is finally resolved, the club will have to catch up with the league's fixture list. As things stand, they are stone last in the Betway Premiership having played just 11 games. The majority of teams in the league have played twice as many.
The new owner will also have to deal with the matter of the R15 million owed to former striker Samir Nurkovic that has seen the club being handed a transfer ban by world football governing body FIFA.
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