Referee’s committee assures members

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sport Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Referees Committee (ZRC) has assured its topflight members that Zifa was in the process of disbursing the promised $2 000 bailout as part of measures to assist them during the national lockdown due to the Covid-10 pandemic.

Early this month, Zifa announced that it had resolved to pay $2 000 to its top 80 referees as well as the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) levy on behalf of its 24 500 registered athletes and officials.

However, more than two weeks after the announcement, the officials are yet to receive the money amid fears it will have been wiped by inflation by the time its paid out.

A number of referees expressed disappointment at the delay in disbursing the money, with some wondering if they will ever receive it.

“We are heading into a full month now since we heard about this bailout. It’s something that we welcomed in all honesty, but now the silence is leaving us with lingering doubts, worse still the value of the money keeps eroding,” said one referee.

ZRC chairperson Bryton Malandule said all was in place and their members need not panic, indicating that deposits should be made anytime this week.

“It’s work in progress. I checked with our office guys who assured us that anytime the referees will start receiving the payout.

“We haven’t forgotten about that pledge, which is unprecedented by the way, but we just felt that since some of our referees were not gainfully employed and with the game in limbo it would be humane and prudent to assist them.

“We are also running online courses to keep the referees abreast and they will need to buy data for all these things so I can assure them that all is in order,” said Malandule, who is also a member of the Zifa executive committee.