MBABANE (30 JULY 2025): The MaMkhize deal to take over national soccer icons, Mbabane Highlanders has misfired. Highlanders is going into the 2025-26 season under the leadership of its president, Bheki “Rubber” Simelane.
This is because MaMkhize has not been able to pay Simelane off for the remainder of his 18-month contract to run the club.
“At the moment the team hasn’t changed its ownership and name. The expected new owner Mss Shauwn Khize and the old director, Bheki Simelane were supposed to sign handover papers to register Mkhize as the new owner , Miss Mkhize and the old director Bheki Simelane were supposed to sign handover papers to register Mkhize as the new owner. But that didn’t happen, and the closing date was Monday 21 July 2025, Vilakati told the South African soccer publication, Laduma on Monday.
“As a League, we understand that Mkhize was supposed to pay Simelane a compensation for because he had an 18-month contract with Mbabane Highlanders FC which we believe Mkhize hasn’t yet paid,” Vilakati added. “Simelane can’t hand over the ownership without that compensation; that’s the snag in registering her as the new owner. So, for now, it’s still under Bheki Simelane’s name.”
Mbabane Highlanders which had already rebranded to Mbabane Highlanders AM to honour MaMkhize’s son Andile Mpisane who was announced to be the new Highlanders director, will now proceed into the new season as Mbabane Highlanders FC as before.
“As for now, that’s how things will be. They could not change the directorship so in our books its still the same old name with old directors as we prepare to start the new season.”
“Until we receive a letter from Mr. Simelane indicating that we can change the name, then it will remain Mbabane Highlanders. Mind you, the deadline for the name change was last Monday 21 July 2025.”
The South African businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize but famously known as MaMkhize has been the flavour of the town since she announced a partnership with Mbabane Highlanders elders to splash millions into Inkunzemnyama with intentions of taking it to the pinnacle of domestic and regional soccer.
The deal, announced with great fanfare on the 12th July earlier this month, overlooked one detail. The mandate for running the club is currently assigned to its longstanding stalwart, Bheki “Rubber” Simelane. When MaMkhize learnt about this, she quickly arranged for a meeting with Rubber at the Royal Villas. Details of that meeting had been kept under wraps but clearly, nothing came of it.
Rubber is Mbabane Highlanders trusted “go-to” guy of last resort. He always comes through to rescue Highlanders whenever it falls into the doldrums. Years back, he came in when all else had failed, and fished the multi-decorated Mbabane giants out of the First Division League where they had been relegated. He nursed the bruised side back to health, and back to the Premier League.
Highlanders has a new fixation with South Africans. In 2019 it secured Pretoria based businessman Ali Kgomogwe. But it soon found itself in familiar dire straits after its untidy internal politics edged out their Director. Kgomogwe picked his toys and stalked back to Pretoria, leaving the team dithering mid-stream, and sliding dangerously into the relegation zone. Again, Rubber emerged and pushed the club back up into the top 8.
Rubber’s term as President still had at least a year to go when the club elders fell in love with MaMkhize.
MaMkhize who had become a regular feature of League games last season and kept regular company with Moneni Pirates, and to all intents and purposes, appeared to be angling for a role in the Manzini side.
Ironically, at the launch of the 8Bet E2.5 million cup on Monday, a week after it became known that the deal had fallen through, for now, the League went ahead and fixtured Mbabane Highlanders AM, not Mbabane Highlanders FC. The colours were black and gold, not the black and white of Mbabane Highlanders.
But Mbabane Highlanders controversies are proving to be even more complicated. Kgomongwe has now emerged and claims that he, not Simelane or MaMkhize, is the owner of Mbabane Highlanders FC.
“I see that there is confusion as to who really owns Mbabane Highlanders FC. I am the rightful owner of that club. I don’t even know how the Eswatini Premier Soccer League (EPSL) changed the directorship from myself to Bheki Rubber Simelane. I own 80% of the club shares,” Kgomongwe told Laduma, providing documents to support his ownership claim.
“If there is supposed to be a change of ownership of Mbabane Highlanders I am the only one with the rights and power to decide who I can give the club to. They should talk to me. It’s my team. Even if Mbabane Highlanders can win the CAF Champions League or any trophy, the prize money won’t go to Rubber Simelane, but it will come to me because I am the rightful owner and director of Mbabane Highlanders,” Kgomongwe added.
Jm/today/30.07.2025
