Thanda boss admits his newly promoted side's future remains uncertain

Thanda Royal Zulu had just started their celebrations in earnest‚ after they were presented with the National First Division trophy‚ when news of the club’s uncertain future broke.

Amabhubesi chairman Pierre Delvaux insists that the club isn’t up for sale but if they don’t get enough financial support‚ then he could be forced to put the newly promoted side on the market.

The announcement comes at an awkward time for the club.

They are busy trying to tie down some of the players who were with them on loan.

The uncertainty has clouded that process.

But Delvaux argues that such talks shouldn’t give the players sleepless nights.

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“The players have nothing to worry about‚” Delvaux said.

“Even in this club’s darkest hour we have never paid our players late. Never!

"The players are used to our struggles.

"In fact they should be happy with my honesty because at the end of the day this is to protect them.

"I want to reiterate this‚ the club is not for sale.

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"But if we don’t get enough financial support to be financially viable in the PSL then we will have no choice but to sell it.

"The reality is that the model in the NFD doesn’t allow you to be financially sustaitanable if you don’t have a sponsor.

"The municipality has supported us but we also need corporates to step in.

"We will be playing with the big boys next season.

"We have to be realistic.”

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Thanda’s promotion to the elite league ends an eight-year stay in the first division.

Those eight years hit the club hard financially.

“In the first eight months after we were relegated‚ we were losing R1-million a month‚” Delvaux said.

“I am still settling the debt that we incurred from that.

"Our relegation came at a considerable prize.

"A setback in the NFD can cost you a couple of hundred thousands but a setback in the PSL could lead to you being bankrupt.

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"That’s why we have to make sure that we are financially viable.”

The animated chairman spoke passionately about Thanda‚ admitting that there was a point where he was scared to show his face to King Goodwill Zwelithini when the club was struggling to return to the elite league.

But that changed after this promotion‚ with the King among the people who congratulated him and the club.

“I had what you call achiever’s depressesion after the club gained promotion to the PSL‚” Delvaux said.

“It’s something that I had dreamed about for many years but when it was here‚ I struggled to deal with it.

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"I remembered all the times we narrowly lost it‚ from when we lost in the play-offs‚ to finishing a point out of the play-offs spot after leading for the most part of the season.

"Last season we needed to win our last game to avoid relegation.

"All of that overwhelmed me after hearing the good news.

"I kept thinking that this is a dream and someone would wake me up from it.”

Delvaux and company now have to ensure that this dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare for people of Richards Bay by ensuring that their club remains in the region and they campaign in the Premier Division.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport