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Match-fixing suspects charged

Sport
The South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) has charged eight individuals with match-fixing, but declined to reveal their names yesterday.

The South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) has charged eight individuals with match-fixing, but declined to reveal their names yesterday.

by Kevin Mapasure

Those charged will appear before a disciplinary committee next week, but they could also be taken for questioning by the police after a report by football authorities.

Unlike in Zimbabwe, South Africa has got specific laws against match-fixing such that those found guilty face jail terms.

Zifa was preparing its charge sheets for officials implicated by its witnesses and will dispatch letters inviting them to appear before a disciplinary hearing today.

The local mother body has not prepared charges for any player, it has been learnt, but will invite former Zifa chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya, suspended executive committee member Edzai Kasinauyo, former Warriors coach Ian Gorowa and current assistant coach Nation Dube.

In South Africa, Gorowa is likely to be charged as well together with Zimbabwean players Patson Jaure and George Chigova.

George Chigova
George Chigova

A statement from the South African PSL read: “As part of the ongoing investigation into allegations of match-fixing, the Premier Soccer League has filed charges against eight football officials and football players relating to contravention of the NSL Rule 53.1, 53.2 and 53.2.10.

The eight officials and players will appear before the PSL disciplinary committee on March 30, 2016 at 6pm. Due to the sensitive nature of the allegations and investigation, the PSL is withholding the names of the individuals concerned to ensure that the process runs without prejudice to the rights of the respondents. The PSL will, however, give detailed information after the PSL disciplinary committee has released its findings.The PSL will make no further comment on this matter.”

Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa, his lawyer Itai Ndudzo and the association’s chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze attended a meeting with their South African counterparts in Cape Town on Wednesday to discuss and share notes on the match-fixing investigations.

At the meeting, Zifa was informed that authorities were acting seriously on the report and had set in motion proceedings which could culminate in arrests.