GOVT PROBES COVID-19 RULES FLOUTING

MBABANE – Government has acted swiftly.

The Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs is already investigating relevant bodies following reports that Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) teams were allegedly breaching stipulated COVID-19 regulations to play under the new ‘normal’. Yesterday, this publication reported that the PLE and match commissioners are at loggerheads as some teams are flouting the COVID-19 regulations openly. Sources confided in this publication that several cases have been fingered where team players and officials who do not have COVID-19 results have been allowed to enter restricted areas inside the stadiums. According to highly-placed sources, PLE and match commissioners are at loggerheads as the latter are enforcing the COVID-19 rules as per the competition rules and regulations.

Secretly

The sources claimed PLE COVID-19 Compliance Officers and teams COVID-19 Compliance Officers allegedly secretly agree to allow players and officials who either do not have COVID-19 results or results suspected not to be authentic to enter the stadium and go to the first and second zones where other players and officials might be exposed. When reached for comment on Monday, PLE Chief Operations Officer (COO) Pat Vilakati refuted these allegations and said, “It is not true, and there is no report of such incidents we have received in the office so far.”

The Times Sports Desk has been made aware that soon after learning of these reports, the Sports Ministry, under the leadership of Mbabane East Member of Parliament (MP) Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, immediately launched an investigation to ascertain truths in this matter. Communications Officer at the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Sibongiseni Zondi, said they were concerned to learn of such reports and an investigation had already been launched. “The ministry is very concerned with such reports at a time when the country and the world are still faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse effects.

Swiftly

“We have swiftly contacted the relevant bodies to ascertain the truth of these reports and to get assurance that all laid down COVID-19 protocols are followed without fail in all sanctioned games,” read a statement from Zondi. Meanwhile, the 2020/21 MTN Premier League rules and regulations now provide for playing under the COVID-19 era which is expected that all involved parties complied.

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