Refs down whistle in Swaziland

A solution is expected soon

The MTN league games have been thrown into disarray after Premier League referees downed their whistles due to unpaid allowances.

The men in black have flashed a ‘yellow card’ to the Premier League of Swaziland (PLS) and National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) for failure to pay them allowances for the MTN premier league, first division, FixedFone Cup and ZTE Cup games.

But the PLS say the NFAS did not have all their ducks in a row, on an administration side of things, to start with.

In a letter MTNfootball.com has in its possession addressed to the NFAS CEO Frederick Mngomezulu, the National Referees Association (NRA) secretary, Henry Mmema wrote: “We have engaged the PLS CEO about this matter but his response has not been convincing to us (referees).”

Interviewed by MTNfootball.com, Mmema said they have run out of patience with the PLS.

“We have not received our allowances for the MTN league, FixedFone Cup and ZTE knockout. This has made it hard for our members to attend games, hence the decision to stay away from the games if we are not paid tomorrow,” he said.

PLS CEO, Zwelonkhe ‘Sport’ Dlamini confirmed receipt of the letter from the referees, but he stressed that the delay was caused by the fact that his office closed early for the festive holidays.

He says, in defence of the PLS, that the claims were not coming in simultaneously hence they were finding it hard to process them.

The PLS/FA were yesterday locked in a meeting with the NRA Executive Committee in a bid to resolve the matter.

By Lwazi Dlamini