The Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa who was said to be on the verge of buying SuperSport United a few days ago has spoken out.
Exactly a day after Matsatsantsa management denied there was any talks to sell, Masiyiwa has also cleared the air.
Here’s what the London-based businessman posted on his official Facebook page:
“Over the last few weeks there has apparently been a lot of social media chatter started by an article by a South African journalist, claiming that I have made a bid to buy a South African sports team called SuperSport United.
“With all due respect to the club and its fans, I had actually never heard of them. I’m sure they must be a great club but this is not my business. I don’t go round trying to buy sports teams. Even if you offered me the best sports team for $10, I would still not buy it because I don’t believe in buying businesses one knows nothing about.
“Sports is a serious business just like telecoms or mining or fashion; only I’m not into the business of sport. And anyone who has been on this platform knows that. What surprised and saddened me however, was that a self-respecting “journalist” [I won’t mention the name] would imagine a story and simply proceed to write about it as though it were real.
“He did not check it out or speak to anyone in my organisation. Why let something like facts and truth get in the way of a fake story? That is just so scary and a complete disgrace to this very important profession of journalism.
“Let’s be serious now.”
Meanwhile, the club on Tuesday circulated a memo among players before dismissing the rumours. “SuperSport United has been made aware of the old repeated rumours and speculation regarding the potential sale of the club.
“Please note that these rumours are completely untrue. As stated when these false rumours started in 2019, the club is not for sale. The club is seeking legal advise on the publications or persons involved in continually issuing these false statements,” the SuperSport statement read.
Club chairman Khulu Sibiya further rubbished the reports on Thursday saying everyone at the club was caught by surprise. “To me and to everybody who is involved at SuperSport United, this also came as a big surprise to all of us,” Sibiya told the media.
“Nobody, I mean nobody, has ever approached us. Nobody has ever approached me in regard to the sale of the club or in buying the club. It came as a big, big, big surprise to all of us. This is just to tell the world and our supporters in particular and everybody who is associated with the club that the club is definitely not for sale.
“The club is up and running, and no one has ever approached us to say that they are interested in buying the club. So, I don’t allow the kind of journalism that we have today. Whether this is the standard way of doing things, as a former journalist myself, I would never write a story of this nature. Unless I speak to all the relevant people,” he added.
“Nobody has ever spoken to us, in fact, even the article never even spoke or quoted somebody who seems to be interested in buying the club.”
