This comes after Bloemfontein’s pride, joy, and the most loved club in the PSL, Bloemfontein Celtic, was sold to KZN-based owners because of its financial conundrum. On Tuesday 17 August 2021, PSL chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza, confirmed that the owner of Bloemfontein Celtic, Max Tshabalala, sold the club to the businesswomen Shauwn Mkhize in a deal worth R50 million. This left a bitter pill to swallow for Bloemfontein Celtic supporters, who regarded the club as part of their culture.

The department expressed that it was saddened by the sale of the club, as it dampened the spirit of supporters in the Free State community and the provincial government. According to a statement issued by the department, the provincial government did everything possible to ensure the thriving of sport in general and soccer in particular, and strived to ensure the success of the club as it was the pride of the Free State province. However, the government could not interfere in the club’s affairs as it is a private enterprise.

The department stated that it invested R5 million in the last financial year to support various professional sport clubs, such as Bloemfontein Celtic, Free State Stars, Free State Cheetahs, Free State Knights, as well as the Netball Federation

and Boxing in a Bubble Tournament, as it is cognizant of the tourism value of sport in the province. The department further stated that the province has a limited budget because it is one of the small and rural provinces.

The department vowed to continue to be actively involved at community level in terms of the promotion of sport but the government cannot undertake this task alone with all the competing priorities. History has unfortunately shown that this could not be sustained with support from the government only.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi