Times Of Swaziland: PLE REPORT EXPOSES LOCAL CURSE

PLE REPORT EXPOSES LOCAL CURSE
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Mhlonishwa Motsa on 21/08/2022 14:30:00


MBABANE – Unfair, unsportsmanlike and a cancer that kills local football.
The above assertion summarises pages 31 to 33 of the Premier League of Eswatini
(PLE) 2021/2022 Annual Report. The subject of the three pages is muti (loosely
translated to ‘a belief in the supernatural in order to win or to make another
lose games’) and the PLE was short of categorising it as the biggest curse to
football in the country. The report was presented to members of the topflight
football organisation on Saturday, August 13, 2022, and never had the
organisation dedicated so much space and time to such a subject before.
The PLE reported that the muti scourge in the country had grown to the extent of
being practiced in broad daylight by the teams. The report states that the clubs
were observed in the past season engaging in a variety of misconducts such as
pouring of liquids, sprinkling of powders and salt, and other actions supposedly
for invoking supernatural forces. According to the PLE, the practice of muti
stunts breaks all 10 tenets of FIFA Fair Play. The FIFA tenets are the code of
belief for the football body and they include; play to win, play fair, accept
defeat, observe laws of the game, respect, promote interest of football, and
resist corrupting pressures. Other tenets include rejecting corruption,
denouncing those who discredit football and honour those who defend it.
“Muti introduces an unfair element where the result is determined elsewhere
and muti is inherently not fair. Losing to a team that you believe used muti
against you leaves a bitter taste and does not enhance the friendship that
football is known for. Muti users engage in a variety of unsportsmanlike conduct
from pouring liquids, salt, black powders and other substances. It is
disrespectful and endangers opponents, referees, officials and spectators,”
reads the report.
Sponsors
The PLE further indicated in the report that the use of muti was a threat to
sponsors and investors in football. They said muti had become a serious problem
that needed the attention of the sporting fraternity. “The financial state of
the game is somewhat precarious in some countries, and there might be outside
pressures that could damage the game. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep
corruption out of the game. Muti introduces a corrupt element into our football;
please help us keep it out. “Let each one practise whatever they believe away
from the stadium. Let us denounce those who use muti at football games and let
us honour everyone that supports a clean, free and fair football league in
Eswatini,” said the PLE. The elite teams’ governing body further lamented
the use of muti by club marshals who were allowed to the mixed zones of the
stadium. PLE said such acts spoil the game for everyone and drive away sponsors
and other partners.
The office further proposed to suspend, ban or fine any person, whether he or
she was a supporter or an official, found practising muti anywhere in the
stadium. “We propose to increase the fine, especially for those who use
foreign substances during games and also consider docking points for serial
offenders. To curb the misconduct, member clubs are requested to introduce
measures to educate, control and discipline their supporters and fans,” said
the PLE. The main sponsors of the PLE, MTN Eswatini, requested not to comment on
the matter, at least not before they appraised themselves with the report tabled
by the PLE. The PLE is made up of 16 teams in the Premier League and 14 teams in
the First Division League.