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The initiative follows findings in Zimbabwe where over 100 players, coaches and administrators were suspended for alleged involvement in matches run by Asian betting syndicates. Botswana fired an employee following a trip by one of their teams to China where their national team lost dismally.
Five Zambians were implicated in Finland in a scandal which sucked in head match fixer Singaporean Raj Perumal who is now serving time in the European country after he was earlier this year convicted for the offence.
Fears are that a number of countries on the continent might have been affected by the betting syndicates which pay teams for pre-arranged results. Zimbabwe lost most of their matches in Asia as a result.
The country’s ranking in world football also plummeted.
The chairman of the Interpol, Integrity in Sport Steering Committee is facilitating the workshop.
Sue Destombes from the Cosafa office in Johannesburg confirmed that Faizel Sidat, an executive member of Cosafa and Fifa’s director of security Ralf Mutschke, would present papers specific to their roles.
Interpol and Cosafa have come together to try and educate members about the sport’s biggest threat which are betting syndicates. This has affected the values of Fair Play that Fifa is so keen on.
Zifa chief executive officer, Jonathan Mashingaidze, who was expected in Johannesburg last night, said the workshop had come at the right time when Zimbabwe was rounding up its investigations on 70 individuals who are yet to be cleared of match-fixing.
Four months ago an independent ethics committee headed by Justice Ahmed Ebrahim cleared 30 players of wrong doing.
Interviews have been going on with Benjani Mwaruwari, Zenzo Moyo and Methembe Ndlovu among those that came before the body last week.
Mwaruwari did not play in any of the games but the committee wanted clarification on whether he had indeed been phoned by then Zifa CEO Henrietta Rushwaya when the team failed to get appearance fees in Vietnam. It is alleged the former Manchester City forward transferred money to Rushwaya to pay the players.
Moyo on the other hand, travelled as an interpreter to Bulgaria in 2009 with an Under-20 side.
Ndlovu coached the Under-20 side and has been suspended from the Zifa board until he is cleared.
Mashingaidze said the workshop would provide them with an opportunity to share their experiences with neighbouring countries and they also stood to benefit from testimonies coming from other countries.
“We live in a global village, this war can be won if we all work together as the football family and ensure that Fair Play prevails.
“Zimbabwe has been exposed to lack of integrity through participating in those illegal trips that brought shame to the country. We welcome the holding of such a seminar, it is good for football,” said Mashingaidze.
The Zifa chief executive officer was due in Johannesburg last night in a delegation which includes Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, board member responsible for financial affairs Elliot Kasu, association lawyer Ralf Maganga and Kennedy Ndebele, the PSL chief executive officer.
Sport and Recreation Commission director-general Charles Nhemachena is expected to deliver a paper on the Zimbabwean match-fixing case.
It is hoped that by the end of the workshop, Southern Africa should be able to detect early signs of their teams playing for match-fixers.
Online Reporter