CONTROVERSIAL Royal AM owner Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize has issued an apology to Bloemfontein Celtic fans for the dissolution of the historic football team when she bought it’s status in 2021.
In 2021, MaMkhize purchased the team that was based in Bloemfontein, and she rebranded it to Royal AM and relocated it to KwaZulu-Natal – leaving the passionate Siwelele fans heartbroken and clubless.
In 2025 Royal AM were expelled from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) midway through the 2024/25 season due to failure to play their matches.
Recently the Pretoria High Court ruled that the the PSL had actually long been at at liberty to expel Royal AM even before last season’s inability to honour their fixtures.
That because the court found out that Royal AM had provided incorrect information in there PSL membership application, and underwent unauthorised transfer of shares.
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On Saturday, MaMkhize was announced as the new president of the Eswatini team, Mbabane Highlanders.
The team will now be known as Mbabane Highlanders AM FC, and its previous black and white colours have been changed to black with golden accents.
MaMkhize expressed a desire to honour the legacy of the team, which was founded in 1969, during her takeover.
“I think Bloemfontein Celtic suffered due to difficult circumstances. I sincerely apologise to its supporters for the name change; I could have done better. I could have done as I did now, as I told myself that I would not change the name of the team that was founded in 1952,” MaMkhize said in an interview with Sports Amplified on Metro FM.
“When you look at Mbabane Highlanders, it is structured similarly to Bloemfontein Celtic. The team has committees, a history, and a large fanbase. I felt it was inappropriate to break their hearts.
“I’m just putting something in place that will represent me and my son, but that will still allow the people who love Mbabane Highlanders to continue seeing it as the team they know.”
MaMkhize went on to say that she does not see her son, Andile, continuing to play for the Highlanders as he did at Thwihli Thwahla, where he wore the number 10 jersey.
“Andile wants to get more involved in the management of the team now. Even when Royal AM was still around, he was starting to focus on team management issues.
“I think what he wanted was to play at a higher level, which he has now tasted. At the moment, I see that he prefers to be part of the team management,” MaMkhize said.
Last season, the Highlanders finished in eighth place in the Swazi MTN Premier League.
Mkhize’s intentions to buy Highlanders, though, still remains questionable as to whether she is driven by passion to remain involved in football or it is merely just a show off of resistance.
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