Zim soccer referees boycott online courses over sexual harassment claims

The Zimbabwe Referees Committee (ZRC) is reportedly facing resistance from the country’s match officials who are reportedly boycotting refresher courses conducted virtually demanding that the committee addresses sexual harassment issues rocking the board managing the match officials.

According to reports, some female referees raised sexual harassment allegations against two referees’ principals and the soccer governing Zifa has acknowledged that complaints have been lodged with the association’s chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse and investigations were underway.

A source told the state media that the ZRC has been running online courses to keep referees abreast of the latest trends, but since the sexual harassment allegations, those sessions have not been the same.

“Right now only five or six referees compared to 82 when we started are actively participating. The rest are saying the committee must either be disbanded or those accused step down. The (referees) WhatsApp group used to be very respectable, but now people say whatever they want, arguing that they can’t be respectful when those in leadership positions haven’t cleared their names from these embarrassing accusations,” said one referee.

Zifa communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela said the association has not received any official complaint from the referees.

“We haven’t received complaints to that effect,” said Gwesela.

state media