MPS DEMAND CHANGE IN LOCAL FOOTBALL

LOBAMBA – “Why are people from 1960 still running football in Eswatini?” This question was asked by Mhlume MP Victor Malambe, who asked the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, to seriously look into the administration of football in the country because it was run by the same people.

MP Malambe said the same administration was changing the rules as they pleased so that it would suit their own interests.
“They do not allow new people from outside, with fresh ideas, to try and change the system or improve our football and the same person has been tied to one position for so long,” he said.

The MP said the ministry needed to seriously reconsider the rules of electing people into football administration positions.
Meanwhile, Nkwene MP Vulimpompi Nhleko asked the minister if those in charge of football in the country were still carrying out their mandate correctly.

address

Nhleko said the minister also needed to address the Eswatini Football Association concerning the SRFA. This is an acronym for Shiselweni Regional Football Association.
He said an interim committee was appointed in 2017, but to date there was no change.  He was referring to the normalising committee that was put in place after the ousting of the Mashumi Shongwe-chaired Board. Elections are set for June this year.

“Kukahhalala nje lapha,” he said in vernacular meaning that everyone did as they pleased in that office.
Nhleko said teams from the Shiselweni Region had written petitions about the matter, but nothing had been done.

“Sponsors in the Shiselweni Region used to be 12, but they have since dropped to seven,” said Nhleko.
He said just last week, the region hosted the Ingwenyama Cup, but there were no officials to meet the minister and his delegation and they found themselves running around doing other people’s duties.

He said the economy could be boosted through football, but lamented that the ratings were too low.
Further on the administration of football, Khubutha MP Mlamuli Mabuza said a soccer Indaba must be held in all the four regions.

He complained that things were not going well under the Manzini FA especially because they were getting no grants from the national body.
Mabuza said under the Manzini Region, each club was forced to part with E6 800. He said in total, all the teams contributed E108 000 and of that he forked out E45 000 personally to assist.

complained

A majority of the MPs complained that nothing was coming from the FA to assist football at the grassroots level. Timpisini MP Nelson Mamba said there were absolutely no sponsors for football and that it was only MPs who bothered to sponsor football without any assistance from the ministry.
Mhlangatane MP Madala Mhlanga said the burden to promote football now fell on them as they not only sponsored with E50 000, but also had to cater for equipment and soccer kits for the football players.

Ndzingeni MP Lutfo Dlamini also said the league in his constituency was sponsored to the tune of E70 000, but there was no mention of it in the ministry’s report. On another note, Motshane MP Robert Magango asked why the fines imposed on local teams were too high.

He said, for example, the penalty for a team where a supporter slapped a person was E150 000. He wondered where the money would come from because a few teams made that money unless they were playing Mbabane Swallows Football Club.

Magongo said as much as they condemned the violence during matches, it did not make sense to mete out such high fines.

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