The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
GREEDY match officials are seizing every opportunity to make an extra dollar from financially struggling clubs in the Eastern Region Division One League where some are now demanding more than US$300 for ‘transport fees’ only.
Sources told Post Sport that the ‘transport fee’ is actually a formal demand for a bribe to sway results in favour of the hosting club.
The Eastern Region covers three provinces – Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland East – making a mockery of the referees’ exorbitant charge for transport, given that even if match officials travel from Murehwa to officiate in Masvingo, the US$300 is hardly justifiable.
Apart from the costs of travelling, hosting clubs in the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One League also meet the match officials’ allowances of US$60 (for centre referee), US$50 each for match commissioner and the two assistant referees, respectively.
This gives a total of US$210 excluding transport refunds.
The US$300 transport refund is abnormal, given that a cursory research by this newspaper revealed that even those officiating in Castle Lager Premiership are not getting that obscene amount for transport.
In fact, on average, most clubs in the Eastern Region Division One are paying US$15 for each match official for transport.
This issue came to light during the ZIFA Eastern Region Annual General Meeting held in Masvingo last Saturday.
ZIFA Eastern Region chairman, Davison Muchena said: “There are issues with our referees and teams are not happy with decisions made during matches and on their cost of transport.
“We resolved to have a dialogue with the referees’ association’s leadership regarding the quality of their work. It simply has to improve. The referees’ coordinator is to avail transport costs every Thursday to us so that we can share with the teams.
“The coordinator is expected to have checked and approved the charges to help our teams. Referees were making a killing on their claim of transport costs per match. Some claimed US$300 from Lowveld FC.
“We want the cost of transport to be known to us by Thursday, well before the match. The referees will have to get their cost approved by the coordinator first,” said Muchena.
Sadly, most of the match officials have been a disgrace as they literally play for teams that can meet the exorbitant ‘transport fee’ to sway results in their favour.
The Eastern Region Division One League is taking a month long mid-season break and will resume their matches during the weekend of June 17.
Premiership hopefuls, GreenFuel will go into the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One mid-season break carrying a four-point lead over nearest rivals, Mutare City Rovers after the last round of matches a fortnight ago.
Undefeated GreenFuel kept their foot on the pedal for promotion with a 2-0 victory at home over seasoned campaigners, Masvingo United.
They remain in first position with 38 points, four ahead of Mutare City Rovers who were held to a 0-0 stalemate by JM Busha 54 at Sakubva Stadium.
