Central SA
Celtic snub Macufe and calls it insensitive, disrespectful and hurtful─── LUCKY NKUYANE 11:23 Sun, 25 Sep 2022
The supporters of the former Bloemfontein Celtic Football Club (FC), which sold its status to the KwaZulu-Natal-based Royal Andile Mpisane (AM) in 2021, have organised a Siwelele picnic day snubbing the Mangaung African Cultural Festival (Macufe).
A series of events, including football, is expected to kick off on Sunday 25 September 2022.
ALSO READ: Celtic supporters set to snub Macufe Cup
According to Celtic supporters' national chairman, Pule Mabena, the decision to bring one of the Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs and KwaZulu-Natal's flamboyant Royal AM to play at Macufe is insensitive, disrespectful and hurtful.
He says supporters are still reeling from the sale of Bloemfontein Celtic, affectionately known as Siwelele to its thousands of supporters and across football fans in the country.
He says no one from the provincial government ever bothered to invite Celtic supporters given the circumstances to try and solicit support for the football event.
ALSO READ: No clarity over Celtic's PSL status yet
Mabane says it is wasteful for supporters to go and support the two clubs which are from outside the province.
“We are saying keep your money. Just go buy a 10kg of [maize meal] with your money and come to the stadium and watch for free when we are actually entertaining ourselves as the people of the Free State.
"The other thing that was annoying us is the very same Macufe person took some of the supporters to go and talk on behalf of Celtic supporters and to encourage the people to the stadium...” he adds.
Mabena says three months ago they made several engagements with the provincial government, but to date, nothing has come out of those attempts.
ALSO READ: WATCH: #BloemfonteinCeltic supporters protest outside of court
The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture is yet to comment on OFM News’s inquiry.
In 2019, supporters of the then Bloemfontein Celtic Football Club staged a protest at the city's Magistrate's Court in support of arrested fellow club supporters who were arrested for contravening the Sasria Act.
The nine arrested supporters were facing charges after they disrupted the match between Cape Town City and Celtics at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium, following administrative issues at the club before it was sold to KwaZulu-Natal-based businesswoman, Shawn Mkhize. The Thwihli Thwahla boss bought Bloemfontein Celtic from the then club owner, Max Tshabalala.
In August 2021, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) confirmed the sale of Bloemfontein Celtic to Mkhize, who bought the club from Tshabalala for R50 million.
