Roy Moodley buys Royal AM Durban businessman and politician Roy Moodley has reportedly purchased embattled KwaZulu-Natal club Royal AM. The club was previously owned by Shauwn Mkhize, who was forced into a sale to recoup R40 million she owes the South African Revenue Service. Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix and Tumi Pakkies/Independent Newspapers
Image: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix and Tumi Pakkies/Independent Newspapers
Royal AM players have reportedly returned to training after a Durban businessman won the bid to buy Shauwn Mkhize’s embattled club.
The businessman has been named by Sportswire as Roy Moodley, leader of the African Movement Congress and a close ally of former president Jacob Zuma.
Thwihli Thwahla have been in limbo since January, and have not played a single game in 2025 following news that the club had been taken over by a SARS curator due to the R40 million Mkhize owes in taxes.
After a bidding process that saw bids from Mkhonto weSizwe MP David “Mazolman” Skhosana and a foreign investor linked to sports minister Gayton McKenzie, Moodley won the right to take ownership of the club, according to SABC Sport.
The club’s new ownership is subject to approval by the Premier Soccer League’s executive committee. The club is also set to remain in KZN, although, it’s unclear if they will play their home games at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg or move their base to Durban.
With the club facing almost certain relegation having picked up just eight points from their 11 matches, Moodley has reportedly promised to reward the players handsomely if the club can avoid relegation.
The club have to catch up in terms of games played. Most teams in the Betway Premiership have played twice as many games. How the team makes up for lost time is expected to announced by the PSL when they confirm the approval of the club’s new owners.
Royal AM are still under a global FIFA transfer ban due to monies owed to Serbian striker Samir Nurkovic and Brazilian defender Ricardo Nascimento.
IOL Sport