Bidvest Wits, one of South Africa's most prominent football organisations, is apparently not anymore.
The PSL Limpopo club that was founded in Johannesburg in 1921 is now in the midst of a rare situation. This weekend, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, a National First Division (NFD, South Africa's second division) side that is based in Limpopo, has announced the purchase of the Bidvest Wits' PSL status.
It is not the first time that Tshakhuma, often referred to as TTM F.C., is part of such business interaction. In 2017, they purchased the NFD division status of Milano United. In the club's recent announcement in social media, it was also claimed the TTM is to retain all the players that were, or still are under Bidvest Wits disposal. Yet, in different reports, it said that the new club wouldn't retain the services of Bidvest's coach, Gavin Hunt and his staff.
According to different reports, the move was 'in the air' in the past couple of months, but the timing of the deal, in the middle of a PSL season that is on hold due to coronavirus pandemic, creates a slightly bizarre situation. Bidvest Wits is currently in 6th place with 38 points.
"We only learnt about it in the media. So it's shocking", said Mxolisi Macuphu, former Wits' star to kickoff.com. "Nobody has engaged us. We are still waiting for that".
Bidvest Wits themselves are yet to provide an official comment on the matter, as the PSL still need to approve the move.
