Thanda must stay in uMhlathuze
City leaders say they will do all they can to keep Thanda.
THE City of uMhlathuze is taking a proactive stance to keep Thanda Royal Zulu Football Club firmly based in the City.
The municipal leadership confirmed on Tuesday that they would be liaising with local corporates and businesses to lobby support for the club.
Earlier this month, the club announced they would consider selling up the franchise and moving away from Richards Bay if they did not receive better financial and resource support particularly from the local municipalities.
Current major sponsor Bell Equipment, who have carried the club for the past few years, have already been in talks with other corporates with a view to share the sponsorship load.
However, City Mayor Elphas Mbatha told the Zululand Observer they were looking at their budget to assist the club even it meant conducting much-needed improvements at the stadium over two years.
‘We want to improve the stadium to get other clubs to play here. We are talking to businesses to see if they can also do their bit to support Thanda. It would be a huge loss if the club is no longer here,’ said Mbatha.
A major concern is the fact that the uMhlathuze Stadium does not meet the Premier Soccer League (PSL) standard.
This includes the lack of floodlighting and limited seating, which poses a safety risk especially when hosting ‘big guns’ such as Kaiser Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns.
City Municipal Manager, Dr NJ Sibeko said a consultant would assess the compliance requirements needed to meet PSL standards.
‘Thanda did approach us in terms of their sponsorship needs,’ said Sibeko.
‘I forwarded this request to the political leadership of the municipality to set up meetings with corporates. We want to keep Thanda in uMhlathuze.
‘It is good for the economy of the region and we do not want to see our residents travelling to Durban every weekend. It is an added value to keep Thanda here.’
The MM said they were looking for direct injection into Thanda so that the club could run their own affairs as well as cover real expenses including maintenance costs, the purchase of floodlights and improvement of the grand stand.
‘Through football, people have a reason to come to uMhlathuze,’ said Sibeko.
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