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Makhosini Hlongwane

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
SPORT and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane has summoned the Zifa and Highlanders’ leadership to a meeting in Harare today in an effort to find a lasting solution to a worrying trend of crowd trouble at Bosso matches.

Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa is expected to represent the national association, while Highlanders will be represented by acting chairman Modern Ngwenya and chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube.

Ngwenya would not shed any light on the meeting, only telling Chronicle Sport that “I will be in Harare with our chief executive officer on a business trip”, but Chiyangwa confirmed that they will be meeting with Hlongwane over “violence”.

The latest skirmishes occurred towards the end of a Castle Lager Premiership encounter between FC Platinum and Highlanders at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane on Sunday. Police fired tear gas onto the pitch after some Bosso fans threw missiles when the home side equalised in the 93rd minute from a hotly disputed penalty.

The police action sparked a near stampede and eventual abandonment of the game, as the referee and players scampered for cover from the tear smoke.

This was the second match to be abandoned involving Highlanders inside a month.

“A meeting has been called by the Minister of Sport and Recreation and it will be attended by Zifa, who will be represented by its president Chiyangwa and Highlanders, who I understand will be represented by Ngwenya and Dube.

“The disturbances at matches are clearly worrying to the Government and Minister Hlongwane wants some explanations, which hopefully will see action being taken for the good of the game,” said a source.

Highlanders have publicly condemned football hooliganism and called on their supporters to respect all decisions made by match officials.

They have also been summoned to appear before the PSL’s disciplinary committee to answer charges of violating Order 31 of the league’s rules and regulations.

It would appear FC Platinum were not cited in the match commissioner’s report despite video evidence showing their supporters invading the pitch.

The PSL only makes decisions based on reports by the referee and match commissioner, and if the match commissioner on the day Masimba Chihohwa did not include pitch invasion by FC Platinum fans in his report, the PSL can’t summon the home team.

Bosso are set to appear before the disciplinary committee on June 6.

Chihohwa is a current Zifa councillor, who was demoted as a Zifa panel referee to an ordinary Class One referee in 2012 for poor officiating and never made it back to the elite panel.

An ordinary Class One referee can only officiate in Division One and other lower tier league matches.

@skhumoyo2000