Over 10 Eswatini refs promoted

MBABANE – Over 10 referees have earned promotion to upper divisions from the four regions.

This was revealed during the recent Eswatini Referees Association (ERA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Sigwaca House.

Secretary Mbongeni Shongwe announced this list before a packed venue with fellow counterparts warmly welcoming the newly-promoted officials.

Among the promoted referees are Simphiwe ‘Ngisi’ Hlandze, who doubles as a journalist, Sihawu Mabuza, Thokozani Hlandze and Veliswa Steenkamp, among others.

The promotion is timely, with the MTN Premier League expected to resume its new season this coming weekend. It will now be up to the Referees Committee (RC) whether they delegate these individuals under elite league or MulaSport National First Division weekly.

“At the beginning of the past season, we saw a pool of young and energetic referees being promoted to the Elite League. They were promoted after they met the criteria and requirements. They were taken from all four regions of the country,”Shongwe said.

Their first test will likely be at the upcoming Southern Africa Inter-Municipal Sports Association (SAIMSA) Games.

SAIMSA Spokesperson Colile Zwane was recently quoted disclosing that Somhlolo National Stadium and Mavuso Sports Centre will headline the list of venues.

The pair will host some of the flagship events, including football matches and athletics disciplines such as track and field and the marathon.

The Games, which run from September 20 to 25, will bring together municipal teams from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia.

Elsewhere, Shongwe stressed that ERA membership renewal has become a challenge.

“Membership renewal has become a great challenge as members are pushed to renew their membership. This has been happening for a while. Members need to be responsible when it comes to the issue of membership renewal,” he lamented.

This happens amid a growing concern of attacks on referees following numerous incidents last season.

However, as per ERA Chairman Mbongiseni Fakudze, the PLE has promised to ensure the safety of officials this season.

“As an ExCo, we had an opportunity to meet with the PLE chairman and EFA CEO to address the issue of physical abuse of our members during their games.

They both acknowledged the concern and assured us that going forward, security will be provided at the highest standard at all times during their games,” he remarked.

Fakudze further condemned the actions of violence against referees.

“As a summary of the year under spotlight, I would like to touch on a few challenges we encountered during the course of the season; our members were subjected to attacks from all sides, verbally, emotionally and in some instances physical confrontations.

“We get insulted, threatened, intimidated and blamed for decisions made in the course of performing their duties. Such conduct is unacceptable and must not be normalised in our football.

“This situation affects the safety, moral and retention of referees. We therefore call upon all stake holders to take stronger action against violence and ensure that match officials can perform their duties in a safe and respectful environment,” he added.

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