Witch-hunt at referees committee over sexual harassment reports

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

FISSURES have surfaced in the Zimbabwe Referees Committee, with reports emerging that a committee member has accused a fellow member of inciting female referees to make the sexual harassment allegations against some bosses public.

Some female referees raised sexual harassment charges against two referees’ bosses (names supplied).

The two officials are accused of demanding sexual favorite from female referees, promising them promotion or more games.

A source revealed that accusations and counter accusations were now the order of the day within the referees’ committee.

“This guy (name supplied) is now saying the committee now has a ‘witch’ who must be dealt with decisively. Serious fissures have emerged, but what is clear is that the newspaper articles really shook them and it’s no longer business as usual,” said the source.

Last week one of the complainants was mugged outside her residence in the morning while awaiting transport to go to work.

Only her cellphone was taken in the robbery in what she suspects is part of attempts to conceal evidence against the alleged perpetrators.

Topflight referee Allen Basvi also soiled the referee’ committee by making damaging match fixing allegations against one of the two accused officials.

Basvi said the official would call him on the eve of a match and instruct him to ensure a certain named team wins at all costs.

When Basvi, a member of the Zimbabwe National Army, refused, he suffered the wrath of the official, who then struck him off the list of PSL referees for 2020.

He was only reinstated after confronting the official and threatening to expose the match manipulation antics.

Meanwhile, Fifa has begun its own investigations into the allegations and will be interviewing a number of people before making its determination.

Afghan football association president Keramuddin Keram was last year handed a life ban by the Fifa Ethics Committee for sexually abusing female national team players over a five-year period.

He was charged with violating Article 23 and 25 of the Code.

Other members who failed to take action despite being informed by the complainants, were also handed five-year bans from football.

Fifa took action after the players made anonymous reports through the newspapers.

 

 

 

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