It was one of the cringiest moments we have witnessed on an SA sports pitch and we may take years to get over the shame of it all. We are a proud nation that has seen its fair share of embarrassing episodes over the years, and now we have to contend with an attention-seeking soccer club, Royal AM, seemingly determined to come up with new ways to show up the game with each passing week.
On a weekend when the Springboks had us walking with an extra spring in our step after beating the All Blacks, the Royal AM owners — businesswoman and socialite Shauwn Mkhize and her son Andile Mpisane — figured they couldn’t allow us to enjoy the proud moment for too long and proceeded to roll out a spectacle that will live forever on the internet.
It was moments after the premiership club had beaten KwaZulu-Natal rivals Maritzburg United 2-1 in a league match at Chatsworth that Mpisane decided in his infinite wisdom to produce bags filled with wads of hard cash. The two sides were still on the pitch and trying to absorb the outcome of the match when a pile of R200 notes that would have been more at home in a casino were shoved in the faces of some of the Royal players.
This money was apparently a bonus for winning the game and the whole spectacle played out in the full glare of the television cameras.
Some of the players protested and asked why this was being done on a soccer pitch in front of the cameras and in such an embarrassing manner.
The protests fell on deaf ears and it felt as if we were all unwilling participants in an embarrassing episode of a poorly directed reality TV show.
It was a publicity stunt carefully designed to attract attention. Based on numerous videos of the incident circulating on social media, it achieved its purpose. Imagine a Lionel Messi or a Cristiano Ronaldo being awarded their bonuses in hard cash, smack in the middle of the pitch and in front of the cameras.
The pained looks on some of the Royal players’ faces summed up the feelings of many as this debacle played out, and you have to wonder if the club owners gave much thought to the consequences of their action.
We live in a country with high unemployment and this part of the world is still grappling with crippling poverty. Yet someone decided it would be a good idea to flash wads of cash on live TV as if it meant nothing.
The thing is, the club owners have bodyguards who will have ensured they got home safely after the dust had settled at Chatsworth stadium. But what about the safety of the players awarded these piles of cash? Was there any thought given to their safety and wellbeing?
Furthermore, we live in a crime-riddled country and given that Shauwn and Andile have now inadvertently alerted thugs to the piles of cash they seemingly travel with in their cars, what happens at their next game? Who do they blame if they attract the attention of the thugs?
It’s bad enough that there are reports of players still owed money by this very club.
A little birdie told me the tax people at the SA Revenue Service took a dim view of the events and will be investigating the episode with a little more than passing interest.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) is also interested in getting an explanation but has allowed the prosecution department to take the lead in getting to the bottom of it.
Royal AM have been pulling stunts since their ascent to the premiership a few weeks ago and it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore those who believe they spend a considerable amount of time trying to dream up new ways to attract attention.
The PSL needs to nip this mess in the bud before it gets out of hand.
The league has spent years trying to transform the brand into a professional entity, but at this rate all the hard work is going to go down the drain faster than you can say “royal flush”.
SA football will be the biggest loser in the long run if strong action is not taken urgently. While we may eventually get over the shame and embarrassment of it all, the nauseating stench will take longer to get rid of.
• Follow Ntloko on Twitter at @ntlokom
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