adminmatches has stirred a hornet’s nest but the association insisted their move was done in the best interests of the game.
There has reportedly been an outcry from local referees and their leadership who felt the Zifa board’s decision was tantamount to a slap in the face for their members and their ability to professionally handle matches.
But Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede and the association’s board member competitions Benedict “Grinder” Moyo dug in on their position. The duo claimed the mounting allegations against the conduct of the referees had left them with no option but to hire South Africans and Zambians to take charge of the Mbada Diamonds Cup semi-final matches.
A set of South African referees will handle the explosive semi-final showdown between Premiership title-chasing rivals Dynamos and FC Platinum at Barbourfields tomorrow while those from Zambia will be in charge of the clash between Motor Action and Zimbabwe Saints at Sakubva on the same day.
Gumede said he had not been surprised by the mixed reaction they had received since Zifa president Cuthbert Dube announced on Thursday the board’s decision to bring in foreign match officials.
The Zifa vice-president was also last week tasked with heading the referees’ committee in an interim capacity after the board noted the numerous complaints against referees handling the Premiership and Division One games. As Zifa hired foreign officials for the Mbada Diamonds Cup, a storm is also brewing in the Central Region where serious allegations of corruption have been levelled against the referees and has prompted the association to suspend Division One League fixtures there.
“We should unequivocally state that this decision has nothing to do with the competence of some of our referees and hinges a lot on the serious allegations of graft that are coming through to us that clubs are approaching our referees and seeking to influence them to give favourable results.
“We are on an exercise to try and investigate all the allegations that are coming out against the concerned referees and the big question we have at the moment is who is innocent?
“We are coming from a period where we were a forbidden game and we were beginning to mellow and people who want to assist our football were beginning to come in.
“Companies do not want to come in where there is chaos and where there are scams and we have to do something to cleanse our game,” Gumede said.
Gumede also challenged the local referees to stop complaining against the Zifa decision and instead take a critical look at their conduct.
“Our referees must introspectively review their performance. The culprits are known by the referees themselves and sadly it’s not involving three or so people but is a chain that involves the source, intermediaries to the targeted referees,” Gumede said.
The Zifa vice-president said although he had noted that the economic environment had remained tough and sympathised with the referees and any other professionals on issues of remuneration, he felt that could not be used as an excuse.
“Our economic situation hasn’t really changed and when referees are paid US$100 and clubs give their players US$1 000 it makes them susceptible to such corrupt machinations.
“But we are saying they should just execute their duties as professionally as possible because they cannot match what players get”.
Gumede also revealed that he had met with the leadership of the referees association and the referees committee over the allegations being levelled against their members.
“I met with the referees association, the referees committee and their members . . . some have asked whether we are aware that there could be serious repercussions on the actions that we have taken in that however, logical the decision, it may be perceived by our referees as a slap in the face.
“Others said it is not all referees that are corrupt but I have retorted that tell me the ones that are not corrupt and the ones that are corrupt.
“But what is clear is that there is an element of corruption involving our top referees and I have told the referees leadership that they ought to urgently address that.
“We wouldn’t want our entire Fifa panel losing their places on the Fifa list or Fifa instituting an inquiry into the conduct of our match officials,” Gumede said.
Moyo, who is also the acting board member development, said the complaints were also rife against match officials handling the lower leagues.
“It is a fact that there is a lot of rot and sadly it’s starting from the top ranked referees that are influencing the lower class referees.
“We are not surprised at the resistance we are facing from some quarters because we experience the same when began the Asiagate investigations. There are referees who are willing to blow the
whistle and we have noticed that the defence of those that are involved is that you cannot prove it.
“But we must not be afraid to take football decisions if we are in leadership and we believe this a football decision that we have taken,” Moyo said.
Online Reporter