The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Referees Committee has announced that its members will no longer officiate any Northern Region Division One league matches involving the former Premier Soccer League side, Black Rhinos.
This decision follows an incident on June 16 at Mhangura Stadium, where referee Pride Benhura was attacked by the Black Rhinos technical team after awarding a penalty to CC Lee Mhangura.
The altercation occurred after Benhura’s decision to award a penalty to Mhangura, which led to an immediate and violent reaction from the Black Rhinos team, who felt the penalty was undeserved. In response, ZIFA communicated their stance in a letter to the Northern Region Division One league administration, stating, “We are hereby informing you that the Referees Committee has decided to withdraw their services from all matches involving Black Rhinos Football Club. This decision applies to both home and away matches.”
This incident is part of a broader issue of referee safety in Zimbabwe. In April, a Premier Soccer League match between FC Platinum and CAPS United was abandoned after fans invaded the pitch to protest a referee’s decision. A similar situation occurred during a match between Chegutu Pirates and Dynamos in the same month.
The Referees Committee has issued an ultimatum to the Northern Region Division One administrators, demanding concrete measures to ensure the safety of match officials in any game involving Black Rhinos. “To ensure the safety of match officials, we insist that concrete steps be taken before, during, and after matches involving Black Rhinos. Until such measures are implemented, the withdrawal of referee services will remain in effect,” the letter further reads.
The ZIFA Referees Committee’s firm stance highlights the urgent need for enhanced security protocols to protect referees and maintain the integrity of the sport in Zimbabwe.
