Stars sale tinged by controversy
De Sa tries to allay fears of club move
Johannesburg-based Rawat Petroleum is the company behind the consortium who have bought Platinum Stars from Royal Bafokeng Holdings for R22.5-million‚ the club revealed yesterday.
In a controversy-tinged press conference at the team’s base at Royal Marang Hotel that was open to the public‚ coach Roger de Sa revealed that he is part of the four-man consortium. Two of the other members are based in Cape Town‚ De Sa said‚ and one in Johannesburg.
Emotional community leaders who attended the briefing alleged that there had been a rival offer of R33-million by Thabo Mokgatle, a businessman from Phokeng, where Stars are based. However‚ Royal Bafokeng representative Kgosana Rapetsana denied any knowledge of such a bid.
The sale of Stars‚ currently in last place in the Absa Premiership‚ went through on Thursday.
“Yes‚ we are a consortium. The club will not be moving from here. The colours are the same‚ the name is the same‚” De Sa said.
“We’re not looking to do anything drastic right now. More important is our position in the league‚ and that’s the main focus‚ and to try and get out of the position we are in.”
De Sa said the other members of the consortium were “private people” who did not want their identities revealed.
Chairman Cliff Ramoroa‚ who it was revealed this week was at the centre of 35 charges of money laundering‚ corruption and fraud being investigated against Stars’ board members by the Hawks‚ said his position at the club ended yesterday.
The investigation was opened after allegations made to the Hawks by Mokgatle.
De Sa said he will take over some administration of the club‚ surrounded by their existing staff members.
He said it will be a similar arrangement to “when I was at Wits”‚ referring to when De Sa once performed a coaching and administrative role at Bidvest Wits.
De Sa was pressed by the sceptical community leaders on whether the new owners’ intentions to not move the club were for just the near future‚ or long-term too.
“We don’t have intentions of moving. We have got a contract in place with the Royal Bafokeng that we are going to be staying here‚” he said.