The Sunday News
Sports Correspondent
ZIFA Southern region Division One side Ntabazinduna face the ignominy of being expelled from the league following a decision by the Zimbabwe Referees’ Committee-affiliated match officials to boycot their matches over outstanding fees amounting to $1 300.
The Agent Sawu-coached Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services side, which was at one stage a contender for promotion into the elite league, recently failed to fulfil a mid-week home fixture after referees insisted that they would not officiate at that match unless their dues were paid. The match was supposed to pit Ntabazinduna against visiting Mpumalanga. The latter was awarded the match on three points. Other clubs, however, were backing Ntabazinduna, saying referees fees were too exorbitant, stopping short of calling for a reduction.
Zifa Southern Region board member fixtures, Jabulani Chinyangarara confirmed ZRC wrote to them indicating they were owed $ 1300 by Ntabazinduna and that they had vowed that their referees would not officiate at the team’s home games until efforts were made to clear the arrears. Chinyangarara said Ntabazinduna risked being expelled from the league if they fail to fulfil three matches.
“Yes, referees wrote to us saying Ntabazinduna owes them $1 300 which is for match officiating fees and transport refunds hence their decision to boycott the team’s home matches. It seems the team is going through financial stress but unfortunately if they do not fulfill three fixtures, whether consecutively or not they will follow Old Nic Mine’s route of being expelled from the league. Although we sympathise with them we just have to follow the rules,” said Chinyangara.
Clubs reportedly fork out $265 to four match officials plus transport costs which depend on where the officials would be coming from. Ntabazinduna had been fixtured to play ZPC Hwange yesterday in the coal mining town. Efforts to get a comment from Ntabazinduna officials and their funders, ZPCS were fruitless.
However, sources said the club was getting little funding from their parent organisation which had greatly affected their operations. Ironically, Southern Region Division One clubs executive members who spoke to the Sunday News on condition of anonymity said fees charged by match officials in the league were prohibitive considering the league did not generate anything in terms of gate takings.
An official from one club said the league was only a cash cow for match officials who were “milking” clubs with nothing accruing to them (clubs).
“We raised the issue at the beginning of the year but nothing was done as the figures had already been set but they are a huge strain on the clubs and they should be revised next year because we are operating in a very difficult economic environment,” said the official.
Mpumalanga chairman Edward Museke said they sympathised with Ntabazinduna but rules had to be followed.
“We also have to pay police officers and it is a heavy burden, we do not know how they can alleviate us of this plight either through reducing the fees or being subsidised by Zifa,” said Museke.
Chinyangarara said while they appreciated the match officials’ fees were too high, the issue was out of their control as the figures were decided by the ZRC.
