Pietermaritzburg’s soccer fraternity has suffered another blow after the city’s only team competing in the Motsepe Foundation Championship (National First Division), Midlands Wanderers FC, announced it will move its home matches to Durban, citing poor maintenance at Harry Gwala Stadium and venue hire fees of nearly R40 000 per game. After a prolonged battle to keep Midlands Wanderers FC based in Pietermaritzburg, the club’s owner and head coach, Vincent “Masenti” Myeni, confirmed the move this week. While the team will continue to train in Pietermaritzburg, all home games will now be played in eThekwini.
In 2024, Maritzburg United changed its name to Durban City and left the provincial capital. The move followed a saga in which the club lost its home ground, Harry Gwala Stadium, to Royal AM after relegation from the Betway Premiership. Msunduzi Municipality committed to a R27 million sponsorship deal with Royal AM, which was later declared unlawful.
The team, owned by controversial businesswoman Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize, was expelled from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and placed under curatorship by the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Msunduzi municipal manager Felani Mndebele said the municipality manages public facilities in line with legislation, council-approved policies and tariff structures. Previous arrangements allowing Maritzburg United and Royal AM to use municipal facilities without charge were based on a specific council resolution to sponsor PSL clubs.
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“At present, there is no council resolution that allows for the sponsorship of football clubs or the blanket waiver of stadium hire fees,” Mndebele said. He added that formal communication on the fees, adjusted according to approved tariffs, was sent to all clubs using the stadium, and Midlands Wanderers FC was not singled out.
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