Sello Insists Swallows Sale Agreement Remains on Track
Marumo Gallants chairman Abram Sello has insisted there is no crisis surrounding the club’s purchase of Moroka Swallows, maintaining that the sale of the Betway Premiership status remains on track despite the ongoing legal dispute and continued speculation over the transaction.
Gallants purchased Swallows’ Betway Premiership status ahead of the 2024/25 season in a deal worth R40 million, but the agreement has since come under scrutiny.
Earlier this year, Swallows chairman David Magashoa approached the Johannesburg High Court seeking an order that would allow the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Executive Committee to cancel the sale of the club’s top-flight status to Gallants.
According to SABC Sport, the R40 million deal was structured into three payments. Gallants paid R20 million upfront in cash, while a further R10 million was earmarked to settle Swallows’ outstanding SARS tax debt.
However, that amount remains unpaid and has reportedly increased to approximately R13 million due to penalties and interest. The remaining R10 million was intended to settle player and technical staff debts, with only a portion of that amount having been paid through deductions from PSL grant payments.
Despite the legal proceedings and reports surrounding the transaction, Sello insisted there is no reason for concern, saying Gallants remain committed to the original agreement reached between the two clubs.
“We are aware of that, but the terms were agreed upon from the beginning when we entered into the sale agreement,” Sello said.
“So there is nothing strange, nothing difficult and nothing to suggest that the parties will be revising the agreement.
“To your surprise, we had to sit around the table to sort out what we believed were differences, but we still stuck to the contract. So there is nothing more I can say now.
“We placed the matter in the hands of the legal teams so that everything could be handled properly. We sat together with Swallows’ management, our management and both legal teams to resolve the matter.
“There is nothing unusual about how people have presented it in the media. We are exactly where we agreed we would be from the beginning.”
Sello also confirmed that Gallants continue to honour their financial obligations under the agreement, explaining that payments are still being made as outstanding debts linked to Swallows are settled.
“It is a continuous payment,” he added.
“For example, I’ll give you a very simple example. Swallows had some judgments against them.
“There were settlements that had to be paid, but by the time those debts were identified, they had not yet been settled. We then had to pay them on their behalf.
“You know, it is a binding agreement, and there is no way you can run away from your debts. You have to continue paying those debts.
“Even the other day, I had to make another payment. I won’t tell you the amount I paid.
“So it is an ongoing process until everything has been settled, whether it ends up costing me more or less. That is something I have to accept. But in terms of payment, I have no complaints. Everything is being addressed.”
