Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA Referees’ Committee chairman Bryton Malandule has said the new referees’ match fees rejected by the Premier Soccer League will be effective from October 1.
Malandule said they had erred by not giving the PSL sufficient notice and initially backdating the effective date to September 1.
The new fees increased by over 100 percent and the PSL vowed that clubs will continue paying the old fees because they were not consulted over the new structure which will worsen their financial burden as clubs are already struggling.
Zifa informed the PSL that referees’ match fees had been upped from $270 to $700 for centre officials and match commissioners, $600 for assistant referees and fourth officials from $240.
The proposed fees will see clubs forking out $3 200 in officials’ fees per match.
“We will give them a reasonable notice. It was quite an error to say fees are effective September 1 so we have moved the date to October 1. I am not 100 percent sure what they (PSL) mean when they say they are not accepting the new fees because the fees are determined by the association. It is not the respective leagues that decide the fees,” said Malandule.
Asked what would happen in the event the PSL insists on not paying the new fees, Malandule declined to comment.
He however said it was surprising that PSL was refusing to pay the proposed new fees when it increased gate charges from $3 to $10 for the rest of the ground which is more than 200 percent.
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