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Nyoni is pleading not guilty to criminal defamation and told the court that the statement attributed to him in the press reports was a true and correct version of what he said and would remain part of his defence.
Appearing before Bulawayo magistrate Sophie Matimba, Nyoni said he was saddened that Banda and suspended vice chairperson of the Zifa referee’s committee Samukeliso Silengane had taken an oath in court and lied against him. Nyoni maintained he had been invited into Silengane’s office where she told him “some bosses were interested in the matches”.
He said Silengane approached him on 8 October and invited him to her office and when he went there in the afternoon, she told him to organise officials for a fixture in the Central Region.
He alleges that he enquired as to why it was necessary for him to make appointments for the Central Region, which had its own structures, and was reportedly told that the matches were sensitive because Banda had interests in Hardbody winning while Hokonya’s interests were on making the Gweru team fail to make it into the Premier Soccer League.
However, Nyoni later told the court that after the match, Hokonya phoned him saying he was happy and impressed by the result. He alleges that he later met Silengane who also commented on the results indicating that they were not good.
Nyoni, who is represented by Brighton Ndove of Marondedze, Mukuku and Ndove Legal Practitioners, informed the court that he was mostly in contact with Silengane and not Banda or Hokonya.
He said he had asked why one Milton Moyo was being excluded Silengane informed him she was going to handle the fixtures herself because of their sensitivity and he himself was supposed to get three sets of referees for them whereupon Silengane would allegedly find some people to oversee them.
Nyoni told the court that prior to the travelling to the Midlands, he was told to meet the referees at the Zifa offices at 9am.
While there, he alleges he was then informed that all the referees travelling to Midlands had insisted on travelling in one vehicle, which was Silengane’s because they wanted to discuss some issues.
He said because he was not travelling with the referees he wanted to give them instructions and their transport money and was told to phone one Mike Mpofu.
He told the court he paid those going to officiate in Kwekwe $90 each and those going to Gweru $70 each but there were requests for him to add more money and he gave them $10 more.
Nyoni alleges that although he briefed the referees about the instructions he had been given, he advised them to make their own decisions whether to follow the instructions or stick to rules, they handled the matches professionally.
The State led by Robin Mukura will continue with cross-examining Nyoni today.
derick.khumalo