Royal AM on the brink: Shauwn Mkhize fights to save club amid SARS curatorship

As the Royal AM saga reaches a dramatic climax, the famous quote by American statesman Benjamin Franklin, "Nothing is certain except death and taxes," rings true.

All signs point to the end of the road for Royal AM under its flamboyant and controversial owner, Shauwn 'MaMkhize' Mkhize. Barring a miracle, which seems highly unlikely, she is set to lose ownership of the club as it prepares to change hands. SARS will recover the outstanding debts she owes — an outcome she cannot avoid.

However, while the odds are stacked against Mkhize, she won’t go down without a fight. Since purchasing the First Division franchise of Real Kings FC and renaming it Royal AM, she has challenged football authorities at every turn. After failing to secure automatic promotion to the Premiership, the club pursued multiple legal avenues but was ultimately unsuccessful.

Mkhize later had the last laugh when she acquired Bloemfontein Celtic’s franchise, securing Royal AM's place in the Premiership. However, the club soon ran into trouble on multiple fronts. The PSL expelled Royal AM’s reserve team from the Diski League, suspended all their matches since December 2024, and Fifa banned them from registering new players.

SARS later placed the club under curatorship, ordering its sale to recover tax debts. While this case appears dead and buried, expect Mkhize to fight tooth and nail to save her club. She has already taken the PSL, SARS, and the appointed curator to court — albeit without success.

In sports-legal battles, unexpected outcomes have occurred before, and Mkhize may be banking on this. Perhaps she has taken note of the recent controversy surrounding Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner, who, despite winning two Grand Slams, received only a three-month ban for a doping offense — far lighter than the usual two-year suspension. Following widespread backlash, the doping agency is now reconsidering the case.

Similarly, Royal AM may seek to scrutinize the actions of the PSL, SARS, and the curator, questioning whether they acted within the law.

Could South African football be on the verge of another landmark legal ruling, akin to the famous Coetzee case?

Time will tell.