BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Super League of Malawi (SULOM) has announced entering into a partnership with Kwezy buses to provide transport for referees.
According to a joint statement by two parties, in the partnership, Kwezy buses will be ferrying match officials ( referees, match commissioners and referees’ assessors) to matches during intercity assignments between Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.
Kwezy busses
Commenting on the partnership, SULOM President Tiya Somba Banda said the agreement would improve the quality of officiation in the league and also reduce complaints that teams have on officiation as issues of familiarity will be significantly reduced since referees will be assigned games across the regions at no cost.
‘ This is the first of its kind in the country and makes Kwezy Buses the official SULOM referees transport partner.
” Every season, we spend a lot of money on travel costs for referees, with this agreement, Kwezy will be ferrying the referees at no cost,” said Banda.
On his part, Kwezy Buses Managing Partner Ben Vitsitsi said, they decided to partner with SULOM as one way of contributing to the professionalization of the Super League and also to improve the quality and standards of refereeing in country.
” We have done this to help SULOM save what it has been losing through travel costs of the referees and we hope this is very helpful initiative ,” said Vitsitsi.
The agreement is annual but subject to renewal at the end of 2023 season.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The saying teaches that, ‘What Goes around comes around” even local vernacular language Chichewa echoes that “Ungabisale bwanji la 40 limakwana”.
This has been proven to be correct at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Saturday, April 16, 2022 Malawi Police arrested four people for allegedly stealing gate collections money amounting to MK437,000 during the match between Mighty and and Sable Farming.
Wanderers defeated rookies Sable Farming with three goals to one scored by Vincent Nyangulu a brace and Yamikani Chester while Taniel Mhango scored for the debutants in the TNM Super League.
Arrested for stadium gate collection theft
The four suspects including Chiyembekezo Buffalo aged 22 from Dwaleti Village, Traditional Authority (T.A) Maseya, Chikwawa District, Tingo Fungulani 22 years old from Chilobwe,T.A Kapeni Blantyre, Prince Ndalama 19 years of age, Simoni Village, T.A Ntingala and Gladys Meja, 23, from Chinthembwe,T.A Thomas Thyolo District.
The suspects were hired by Super League of Malawi (SULOM) under Unity Gate Management System Company to collect cash from the gate on the said match and they were placed in all gates of the stadium.
SULOM did not hire only the cash firm but also Police officers from Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D) namely B1127 Detective Sub Inspector Eliyasi Lusiyano, B5495 Seargent Mathews Shumbah and 4266 Seargent Sunganani Namate.
As law enforcers were executing their duties they noticed that the said suspects had hidden something inside their pants since their pelvic regions looked swelling.
At this time the officers left matter to their chest until the game ended that thereafter they plucked courage and searched the suspects whom were found with money amounting to MK437,000 hidden under their parts.
The four were later taken to Soche Police Sub-Station for interrogation where were charged for theft that are expected to appear before court of law.
The arrest of the four comes after there has been general outcry over gate revenues from the football matches for decades now in the country.
Teams have been suffering badly failing to pay players allowances, salaries and game bonuses yet they witness their games being patronized in full capacity of the stadia.
But total gross by the end of the day comes out like from a person who was selling vegetables at the market.
All this long, the blames have been heaped on FAM and SULOM for not being vigilant enough when managing the tickets and others have blamed our system of collecting the money from the gates.
Others even preferred the pre- sale of the tickets and E-Ticketing but all these strategies proven futile as still people have been reportedly found with fake tickets in some of the selling outlets while for E-Ticketing infrastructures hinder the nation to exercise the same.
What has brought an eye opener after decades is the current statistics of the gate revenues from Blantyre Derby where they realized MK10 million in a game which the 20,000 capacity was almost fully parked.
A game between the current league leaders Blue Eagles FC and the defending Champions Nyasa Big Bullets FC played at Nankhaka last week which produced MK10 million and the match between Dedza Dynamos and Nyasa Big Bullets FC played at the Balaka Stadium which grossed about MK12 million which the capacity of the stadia are almost five times smaller than that of Kamuzu Stadium.
Sports fraternity and analysts have been suspecting a foul being played and blamed football governing bodies in the country for negligence which has lead teams to be suffering greatly for years.
Gate revenues are the only big source of funds for local clubs unlike other countries where they rely much on TV rights, broadcasting rights and of course sales from their merchandised materials.
Charles Nyirenda one of the renown sports analysts in the country believes it is possible to reduce the malpractice to a level that does not harm teams.
“I have been insisting may be more than most,that there was theft taking place at football grounds and stadia on a grand scale.When doing commentaries I have deliberately given estimates of patronage to give hint on what the public must expect on the total fess haul at the turnstiles. Now am vindicated.
“Irrefutable evidence has given testimony of the filth we have in the game.With vigilance it’s possible to reduce this nasty practice to a level that doesn’t harm teams”, Nyirenda said.
Now that theft curtain of the revenue collection temple has been torn apart, what people are expecting is the truth to come out.
The public expect the four suspects to reveal further who is behind the malpractice as signs are rife that the act started way back.
But were the suspects acting lonely or it is a deep system which security system need to investigate further? The answer to this question from many sports fraternity in the country will obviously be yes.
Therefore, Bravo to law enforcers for the job well done while they be encouraged and supported in continuing with the investigations until the truth of these malpractices are brought to open and let the real culprits face the music.
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