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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Acting Sports Editor

THE beleaguered Zifa Referees Committee is planning a shocking but brutal purge on its members that will see a number of suspensions on referees and even members of the committee suspected to have raised the red flag on the sexual abuse as well as the match fixing allegations.

The Committee was recently plunged into an embarrassing sex for promotion and game time scandal involving a number of female referees some of whom are married while top referee, Allen Basvi raised damaging match fixing allegations against a named member of the Zimbabwe Referee Committee. It has since emerged that four other referees, besides Basvi were also contacted to throw games in favour of certain teams and all the calls were made by the same ZRC member.

The sexual abuse and harassment as well as match fixing allegations have since landed in the corridors of Fifa who said they were already investigating the matter with suspensions looming for all the accused persons including those found to be complicity who were informed but chose to do nothing.

Highly placed sources within the ZRC and referees told Chronicle Sport that the plan was to first hold the fitness test course at the end of this month then immediately after that, suspension letters on crooked up charges will be sent to all suspected officials. This is despite the fact that Zifa, who asked for all the victims to write to the chief executive officer about the alleged offences, have not even bothered to set up a tribunal to investigate the allegations.

“We are aware that soon after the fitness test they are going to suspend, through Zifa, referees who are suspected to have raised sexual abuse claims as well as match fixing allegations. The whole issue is about why the matter came out in the press. The question is how could this have been raised with either Zifa or the referees’ committee when it’s the same people being accused of all this? Verified information at hand is that for now they are also busy trying to come up with baseless charges against one of their own whom they accused of inciting the female referees to come out in the open but what these people must know is that even if they suspend us, we will go with a very clear conscience than working with these uncouth people who should not have a place in football,” said a source.