It is understood that Beast has received a lucrative offer from The Lions that is going to be virtually impossible to turn down.
In Sharks country it is already being said that he is heading for Johannesburg, but Brian van Zyl, the executive head of the Sharks, said on Tuesday that the Beast signed a contract for another three years with the Durban-based team in October, and that he will be forced to honour it.
"We won't let him go just like that, although we are aware of him being contacted by the Lions," says Van Zyl.
Informed sources say the Sharks have apparently also made it clear to Mtawarira that they were the union to have fetched him in Zimbabwe, and to have given him a chance to get a foothold in South African rugby.
This emotional appeal, which is now issued by team bosses in Durban, is meant to counter the massive amount that the Lions' new owners are apparently willing to pay for Mtawarira.
It is no secret that the Sharks are deeply disappointed by the possibility that he may be lost to them and could be seeking greener pastures.
There are even some who say openly that he could definitely be lost to the team and that his marketing involvement with the team has already been curtailed.
