South Africa: Mamkhize Says Sorry for Taking Away Bloemfontein Celtic

17 July 2025
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Dylan Bettencourt
  • MaMkhize admits she should have handled the Bloemfontein Celtic name change better and apologises to loyal Siwelele supporters.
  • After Royal AM's PSL exit, she is now the club president of Mbabane Highlanders AM FC in Eswatini, but says she won't change the historic club's name.

Three years after breaking the hearts of Bloemfontein Celtic fans, Shauwn "MaMkhize" Mkhize has finally apologised.

Speaking on Metro FM's Sports Amplified, MaMkhize said she now understands the damage she caused when she bought Celtic's top-flight status in 2021, renamed the club Royal AM and moved it to KwaZulu-Natal.

"I sincerely apologise to its supporters for the name change. I could have done better," she said.

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The apology comes just weeks after Royal AM was kicked out of the Premier Soccer League. A Pretoria High Court ruling also revealed that the club gave false information in its application and illegally transferred shares.

While her South African football dreams have crumbled, MaMkhize has found a new home in Eswatini. She has taken over as president of Mbabane Highlanders and renamed the team Mbabane Highlanders AM FC.

Although she added her initials, she promised not to erase the club's legacy.

"I told myself I wouldn't change the name of a team founded in 1969. I'm just putting something in place that will represent me and my son, but still allow the fans to recognise their team," she said.

Her son Andile Mpisane won't be playing for the Highlanders. MaMkhize says he's now focusing on football management.

Just recently, luxury cars linked to Royal AM, including a Bentley and a Mercedes-Benz Maybach bus, were auctioned off for R8.2-million to cover part of the club's massive R37-million tax debt.

This came shortly before the Gauteng High Court ruled that Royal AM could not return to the PSL. The judge also exposed MaMkhize's attempt to sneak back in as a club director, breaking a court order.

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