Moroka Swallows’ return has sparked frustration among supporters who spent nearly two years campaigning to revive the club, after their steering committee said it was not consulted before Walter Mokoena announced the initiative.
Mokoena unveiled the re-establishment of Moroka Swallows last Friday, but the Dube Birds Supporters and Shareholders Steering Committee subsequently distanced itself from the announcement, saying it had been caught off guard.
Committee chairperson Thulani Mayekiso said supporters welcomed the prospect of seeing their club return but were disappointed that their efforts had not been acknowledged through prior engagement.
“No one can be aggrieved with the return of The Birds because this is what we were all working towards, but the bottom line for us is (that) we should not have found out the way we did, particularly given the effort we have put in for almost two years on our own as supporters,” Mayekiso said.
He said the committee had expected consultation before the plans were made public, particularly because supporters assumed they were involved after receiving congratulatory calls and messages following Mokoena’s announcement.
“There was this excitement and people were thinking that we’re involved and we were explaining at the same time that had it been us, the supporters would have known beforehand because we speak to them first before we speak to the outside world,” he added.
Strained relations over communication
Mayekiso also pointed to previous assurances from the management associated with former chairman David Mogashoa that supporters would be informed of significant developments concerning the club.
“This is what actually brought us crossed lines with the David Mogashoa management, the fact that we were given an assurance and we were promised on more than one occasion by the then management to say, ‘There is no development, whether positive or negative, that will ever be undertaken without the supporters knowing’,” he said.
The committee’s reaction has raised questions about how the new initiative will engage with supporters who have campaigned to restore the club’s identity and future.
In a subsequent report, former Swallows player Steve Sekano said Mokoena did not recognise the steering committee’s claim to a role in the revival, indicating that the two sides had differing views on how the project should proceed.
Moroka Swallows, which sold its Premier Soccer League status to Marumo Gallants in 2024 amid financial difficulties, has now returned to competition at regional level under the name Moroka Swallows Sports Club.
The immediate challenge is to establish clarity over the new organisation’s structure and how its relationship with the club’s long-standing supporters will develop.
