CORRUPTION, money laundering and fraud!
Damning accusations of unholy conduct were the order of the day in Rustenburg yesterday during a “new Platinum Stars in waiting” media briefing by businessman Thabo Mokgatlhe.
Mokgatlhe stepped into the limelight last week following a Daily Sun report that he had shown an interest in buying Platinum Stars from the Royal Bafokeng Development Trust.
The multimillionaire says he initially wanted to go solo in purchasing the club but was convinced by his “fellow-comrades” in Phokeng that they needed to form a consortium to buy the club.
Making accusations without providing proof about the Absa Premiership team could jeopardise Mokgatlhe’s chances of owning Dikwena, a club he claims is dear to his heart.
The director of the Machipa Legacy Foundation said yesterday that the club was embroiled in acts of dishonesty and that he wanted to expose it all – as it could be why it became necessary to find a business model to dispose of the team.
Many assumed that Mokgatlhe would be announcing his purchase of the club yesterday, but instead he told SunSport that he was still waiting for the terms of reference from Royal Bafokeng Holdings.
The 50-year-old businessman admits to having put forward a proposal to buy Stars with his consortium.
“The situation the club finds itself in is diabolical – because of a mismanagement of funds,” he alleges.
“It’s all looking good, that I will take over the club soon. But the problem we have now is to investigate the mismanagement of funds. I can assure you that a criminal case will be opened and someone will go to jail.
“The club administrators think Rustenburg and North West people are stupid. We are not! And we will show them.
“People running the team have no interest in the club but a vested interest in making money and pushing corruption.”
- Elaborating on the money laundering allegations, Mokgatlhe said: “They get kickbacks for bringing players and coaches to the club. We were against the signing of Peter Butler as coach, but they went through with it anyway, because they would benefit.
“Registered Platinum Stars players join other clubs for free. Why is that? We suspect they get money in return.”
- Elaborating on the fraud allegation, Mokgatlhe said: “National Lotteries (Lotto) does not have a deal with Platinum Stars. This is fraud, we will expose it and report it too. There is no such contract.”
Mokgatlhe further warned Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, that he would not be allowed to buy Stars and change their name to Moroka Swallows.
He said: “This club is going nowhere. We know they want to benefit from the sale of the team – it won’t happen. Panyaza must just forget about buying this team.
“This team will remain in Rustenburg. It is not going to KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Gauteng or anywhere.”
Mokgatlhe also revealed that he already got five local sponsors on board who are willing to support the team when he takes over its ownership.
“Who said North West people don’t have money?” he asked. “We have a sponsor so far who wants to give us R50 million a year.”
Stars bosses did not respond to the allegations despite SunSport’s efforts to obtain comment from the club.
