MATSAPHA – Mbabane Highlanders Public Relations Officer Lington Gule has publicly paid tribute to the club’s former Managing Director, Bheki ‘Rubber’ Simelane, following his abrupt resignation last week. Simelane stepped down citing concerns for his safety.
Gule took to Facebook to express his support, describing Simelane as a saviour who came to the club’s aid when no one else would. He credited Simelane with rescuing the team from relegation and investing financially out of passion rather than profit.
“He stepped in at a time when no one wanted to touch the club,” wrote Gule. “He funded a project that brought him no returns—only because of his love for Highlanders.”
While Gule praised the section of supporters who backed Simelane during his tenure, he took a swipe at those he accused of sabotaging progress. He called them “enemies of progress” and warned that he would name them if necessary, although he noted that siSwati culture discourages such confrontations.
“May history judge you, may you know no peace, may God remember you,” he wrote, quoting a siSwati saying about unresolved matters being fixed by death.
Responding to questions about the role of patrons in football, Gule argued that the patron structure is outdated under current CAF regulations. He said patrons were once necessary in community clubs but are no longer recognised under modern club licensing systems that require teams to be registered as companies.
Gule concluded by confirming that South African businesswoman Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize is currently the only known candidate being considered to replace Simelane. Mkhize is a former owner of Royal AM, a club recently expelled from South Africa’s Betway Premiership due to non-compliance with tax obligations.
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