Its like a wound that is left to dry without inspecting the root of the problem.
This takes me to the legal saga playing itself out between Royal AM and PSL on the promotional matter that is before court.
The KZN side was initially promoted to the PSL league for 2021/22 football season after finishing top of the GladAfrica league and not Sekhukhune United.
Sekhukhune finished top of the first division after being awarded three points, condemning Royal to second place.
As a result, Royal AM interdicted the outcome through court.
Last Friday night, Gauteng High Court deputy judge president Roland Sutherland dismissed Royal AM’s application to have his initial order, which he gave last week on Saturday, reviewed in the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Immediately after that, the law firm representing Royal AM, Mabuza Attorneys, issued a notification letter to the PSL, indicating they will now appeal against Sutherland’s order via section 17 (2) (b) of the Superior Courts Act and they have now appealed.
Royal AM owned by the famous and controversial Mpisane family, has and will not honour the play-offs which is against Chippa United on Tuesday.
According to the club’s CEO Sinki Mnisi, they‘re taking their dispute with the PSL over the promotion playoffs to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.
Royal’s saw their application to interdict the playoffs dismissed by the Johannesburg High Court at the weekend, paving way for Chippa and Richards Bay to open the round-robin with a match in Gqeberha on Saturday.
Chippa won 2-1 against Bay, and were set to face Royal on Tuesday but the KZN side insists they won’t be playing, citing the pending petition to the Supreme Court.
“No, we are not playing based on the court order,” Mnisi told Sowetanlive.
“That’s all. PSL can’t insist on us playing.
“Our legal stance is that we are not playing simple. We don’t even want to comment. Royal AM is not playing based on AJ Nyathi’s court order that’s it. If you need more, get our attorney [Eric] Mabuza, he is in the position to elaborate more.”
Sowetanlive contacted PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala to find out what will happen should AM not honour the fixture.
“I don’t know, you spoke to Sinky. I didn’t speak to him,” Madlala responded.
“I cannot think about what will happen tomorrow. I won’t answer you. You spoke to him, I didn’t and I can’t prejudge what will happen.”
This back and forth does not augur well for football in SA and the sponsors, as top legal minds such as Adv Mpofu and Mabuza’s are brought in to decide the fate- from a pitch to a court room…really?
SAFA and PSL should be on the same page in future to avoid such school-boy errors that continue to plague our football every end of the season, finish and klaar!
Its a well known fact that the Mpisane’s are financially loaded and can take anyone head-on. Oh, and having Mnisi on as the CEO sums it up…
Image (Deep pockets. Royal AM founders -Andile and mother Shaun are taking PSL to court over promotion saga.
