Uthongathi FC has been sold to KwaZulu-Natal ABC Motsepe League side owners Milford FC, iDiski Times can confirm.
However, Milford will trade under the Uthongathi FC name this coming season and will use Milford gears because the Motsepe Foundation Championship has already met the PSL demands required on 30 June.
On top of that, Uthongathi chairperson Numpumelelo Nhlumane has allegedly fired coach Papi Zothwane along with his technical team.
“Yes, Uthongathi has been sold to Milford, but Milford this season will still play as Uthongathi FC but in their Milford colours,” a source told the iDiski Times.
“On Saturday, the club chairperson called the coaches and the players that still have contracts and she dismissed the coaches, saying she doesn’t have money to pay them and that was it.
“The players who have contracts she told them that they have to go to Richards Bay at the clubhouse of Milford, where they will train at but the club will be playing in Durban.
“What is still unclear is [the future of] staff like team manager, the kit managers, admin, safety officer – they haven’t got an indication what is going to happen about them.
“But the players were told they are going to train in Richards Bay.
“Things like the submission that the PSL demands by 30 June were submitted. I can definitely say the club has been sold but I don’t know what is going to happen to the other shareholders of the team.
“We are not sure whether the chairperson sold is going to pay them out or what. But she can’t sell the club without them getting anything or even being advised about it.
“Otherwise they can boycott like they did when Shauwn Mkhize was interested in buying the club a few seasons ago by blocking the sale via the court.”
A source from Milford, in fear of being victimised, said they have bought the club, adding “let’s wait and see for the announcement.”
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Milford owner Xanti Pupuma was reluctant to speak to this publication.
Uthongathi’s sale move doesn’t come as a surprise. Previously, MaMkhize was interested in buying the club before buying Real Kings ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Since the sad passing of Cane Cutters chairman Nicholas Mkhize, who was shot dead in 2018, things have never been the same. Players and the technical team have gone for months of not being paid as it was reportedly recently by this publication.
