Royal AM owner Shauwn Mkhize is planning a last-ditch appeal to prevent the PSL from terminating the club’s membership, according to information obtained by Sportswire.

However, the precise legal avenues available to her remain unclear, as the PSL’s decision to cancel the membership was based on its own rules, bypassing the PSL Disciplinary Committee.

“MaMkhize held a meeting with the players on Wednesday to discuss the PSL’s membership cancellation,” a player, speaking anonymously to Sportswire, revealed. “She informed us that she intends to appeal the decision within five days. We were also told that we are scheduled to play next week.”

Another club official corroborated this, stating to Sportswire that they expect to play next week and cautioned against underestimating MaMkhize’s resolve.

On Wednesday, the PSL confirmed that the club’s membership would be terminated at the Board of Governors (BOG) meeting, scheduled for next Thursday at the Sandton Convention Centre. The PSL is invoking its NSL rules, citing Royal AM’s inability to fulfill its league obligations.

The club, which has not played a match in 2025, has 19 remaining fixtures.

This decision stems from the curator, Jaco Venter, appointed by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), being unable to secure a buyer for the club. A potential sale to Durban businessman Roy Moodlely fell through after he failed to meet the stipulated deposit deadline.

The curator subsequently informed the PSL that the funds had not been received, resulting in SARS losing the opportunity to recover owed taxes through the club’s sale.

Royal AM’s financial troubles began in November when SARS seized Mkhize’s assets due to alleged unpaid taxes amounting to nearly R40 million.

The asset seizure and frozen accounts prevented the club from paying player salaries, with December’s wages only being disbursed in January.

Consequently, the PSL suspended its monthly grant payments to the club and headline sponsor Betway’s lack of brand exposure. Royal AM was subsequently excluded from the Nedbank Cup round of 32 and saw its league matches suspended indefinitely.

Royal AM’s last match was on 29 December, a 3-1 loss to TS Galaxy. They currently occupy the bottom position in the Betway Premiership table, with eight points from 11 matches.

The cancellation of their PSL membership effectively relegates the KwaZulu-Natal club. However, unlike a typical relegation scenario, Royal AM will not be eligible to fill a spot in the Motsepe Foundation Championship next season, as they will no longer hold PSL membership.