DC ORDERS ‘BULL’, ‘BIRDS’ REPLAY!

MBABANE – After all has been said and done, arch-rivals Mbabane Highlanders and Mbabane Swallows will replay their abandoned game.

The National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) Disciplinary Committee ruled in favour of Highlanders in the protracted derby mayhem case which has dragged for about two months. This transpired when the matter was heard by the Vusi Maziya-chaired DC at Sigwaca House in Mbabane yesterday. Highlanders were facing charges of causing the abandonment of the league match played at Somhlolo National Stadium on December 7 last year but they had argued that they had no case to answer on grounds that the evidence in Match Commissioner Dumisani Hadebe and referee Mbongiseni Fakudze’s reports were contradictory on events that unfolded on the fateful day.

There was much needed relief for the black and white ensemble’s faithful when the DC found the evidence contradictory as per the arguments of the defence.
“In totality the evidence submitted by the PLS does not show or prove a case against Mbabane Highlanders. So Highlanders stand to benefit on all the counts. We, therefore, order a replay,” reads the judgment.

One of Highlanders’ representatives, Zakhele Dlamini, who was obviously relieved on the outcome, welcomed the verdict with warm hands. The referees’ report had revealed that supporters had thrown missiles with no mentioning of the direction while the match commissioner reported that trouble began in the VIP box where officials of both teams were seen being separated by the police.

“We had insisted that we had no case to answer and the DC ruled in our favour.”

Highlanders were initially found guilty by the Melusi Lukhele-chaired DC and sentenced to E103 000 fine, forfeited the match to their opponents and further suspended for a month, which was wholly suspended for a year. The Appeals Board set aside the verdict and sentence after discovering that there were a lot of irregularities that the DC committed when handling the matter.

The DC then accused itself and NFAS Chief Executive Officer Frederick Mngomezulu presented a new committee that heard the matter for the first time last Friday.  It was during the same hearing that Highlanders moved that the case be dismissed.

“It is clear who started the fire but we are not told as to whose team are the fans who spilled onto the field of play, resulting in the suspension of the game by the referee. It is common cause that the standard of proof in such cases ought to be beyond reasonable doubt,” reads the ruling in part.

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