R40m Swallows row explodes as Gallants fight back


The dispute between the two parties has escalated after it emerged that Sello allegedly failed to settle the balance of a R40-million agreement concluded in May 2024 for the sale of the franchise. 

Mogashoa approached the High Court earlier this year, seeking to have the transaction set aside on the basis that only half of the agreed purchase price had been paid. 

In his court application, Mogashoa argues he exhausted all avenues to secure payment, maintaining that Sello remains in breach of the agreement. 

Following the public broadcaster’s initial report on the matter, Gallants acknowledged the dispute in a statement but did not outline their position in detail. 

READ: Swallows-Gallants saga deepens as legal battle intensifies

That position has now been clarified in Sello’s answering affidavit, which has been prepared in response to Mogashoa’s application and is expected to form part of the court record when the matter is formally argued. 

In it, Sello challenges both the substance of Mogashoa’s claim and the legal route taken to pursue it. 

He contends that Mogashoa was not entitled to approach the High Court in the first instance, arguing that the dispute falls within the jurisdiction of the Premier Soccer League’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), with any escalation thereafter to be handled through the SAFA arbitration structures. 

Central to his defence is the assertion that he is not in breach of the agreement. 

Sello disputes the allegation of non-payment, instead arguing that Mogashoa has misinterpreted the structure of the deal following the initial R20-million payment made upon signature. 

He further rejects the attempt to terminate the agreement, describing the relief sought as “incompetent and bad in law” and maintains that Gallants remain in the process of settling what he characterises as outstanding obligations under the transaction. 

Mogashoa also publicly suggested the franchise was undervalued at R40-million, claiming its true worth was closer to R80-million – a point that adds further tension to an already contested deal. 

With the matter heading for full argument – and questions around jurisdiction still unresolved – it appears increasingly unlikely that the dispute will be settled before the end of the 2025/26 season, particularly given the protracted negotiations that preceded the current impasse.