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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
SOUTHERN Region Division One championship contenders ZRP Bulawayo received a reprieve when the Zifa Southern Region disciplinary committee reversed a decision to award their unfulfilled fixture against ZPC Hwange to the power company and rescheduled the game.

ZRP Bulawayo took aim at the Zifa Southern Region leadership for trying to force them to fulfil a Division One League fixture on Independence Day when their players, who are serving police officers, were on national duty as per their mandate.

ZRP Bulawayo did not travel to Hwange resulting in Zifa awarding the game to the power generators on a 3-0 walkover score line and fining the police side $500 in accordance with Article 9.4 of its rules and regulations.

ZRP Bulawayo appealed against that decision and on Monday the Southern Region’s disciplinary committee decided that the match be played on another date.

“The disciplinary committee has ordered a replay and ZRP Bulawayo will cover the costs for match officials, ground hire and security. If ZPC Hwange feel the decision is not good for them, then they can appeal,” said Musa Mandaza, Zifa Southern Region chairman.

The disciplinary committee’s verdict has been met with mixed feelings.

An official from ZRP Bulawayo said the league blundered by not postponing the fixture by a day to April 19 yet they knew that the police side was involved in national duties.

The official felt Zifa Southern Region is trying to push the blame to clubs.

“Surely how can we be made to pay when we asked for the game to be moved by a day? We wrote to them (Zifa Southern Region) seeking a postponement and they told us to negotiate with ZPC Hwange for the change of date, which is not proper because Zifa Southern Region are custodians of the league.

Unfortunately, the guys from ZPC Hwange said the decision makers were on holiday and as such they couldn’t decide.

“We went back to Zifa and told them that we had hit a brick wall, but they did nothing. So to punish us by saying we cater for the costs because of Zifa’s blunder is not good at all,” said the official.

ZRP Bulawayo also indicated that precedence was set last year when ZRP Hwange failed to travel to Bulawayo for a match against Bantu Rovers because of civil unrest. Zifa Southern Region ordered a replay and covered the referees as well as ground rental costs. The game was replayed at Fairbridge.

An official from ZPC Hwange said the club will comment after meeting their legal advisers.

“It’s unfortunate because we paid camping allowance to the players, paid for the camping facility and even gave the players bonuses as we did everything to have the game played. Who then will fund our camping related costs? However, we will know the club’s position after the holiday,” said a ZPC Hwange official.

@ZililoR