SA Football motherbody, SAFA, have stamped their authority on the referee who was recently accused of soliciting a bribe, banning him for life.
As FARPost reported earlier this month, Percy Murei was placed on suspension alongside his two assistant referees for allegedly soliciting an R 1800 bribe.
The trio allegedly approached a club official and asked him to pay each of them R600 to help him win a match. An accusation that Murei denied to this publication.
“I picked up my fellow match officials at a local garage to the match. The cellphone of my assistant Vhuhwavho kept on ringing while we were on the way and he was communicating with a person only known to him,” he narrated at the time.
“It was only later on that he asked me to go and meet a person inside a Ford Ranger. He asked me to pack outside the road. He requested that we park next to that specific car. But I refused and he got out of the car and spent 10 minutes there.
“The owner of the club then walked into my car. He asked me how much he should pay me to manipulate the results.”
LOCAL REFEREE BANNED FOR LIFE BY THE FOOTBALL MOTHERBODY
SAFA Vhembe’s Disciplinary Committee has since issued varying sanctions to several match officials during the Association’s recent Disciplinary hearings.
In a statement issued by the association’s regional secretary Sam Matodzi on Thursday, the three officials are among the five who have been punished for various acts of misconduct. The other official is Refelwe Molepo who has been suspended for one season.
[Molepo is suspended for] testifying as a witness against the league in a matter involving Napoli FC and Shonisani FC,” SAFA Vhembe said in a statement.
“Mr Mashudu Matshipi is suspended for the next soccer season 2024/2025. His suspension is also for testifying as a witness against the league in a matter involving Napoli and Shonisani.
SAFA IN VHEMBE LAYS DOWN THE LAW AGAINST MATCH OFFICIALS
Assistant referee Vhuhwavho Mathuli has been suspended for two seasons [2024/2025 and 2025/2026]. For his participation in match-fixing and or solicitation of bribes prior to the match between Vuwani United Academy and Masakona Real Citizens. Another assistant referee, Malima Rivhathihi, was also given a two-season suspension for the same offence.
Unlike Rivhathihi and Mathuli, Murei received a harsher punishment for the offence he is alleged to have committed.
“Banned for his lifetime from participating in any football activity under the auspices of SAFA. As either a referee or Assistant Referee,” said SAFA.
Recently, the region has been marred with controversy, with some officials seeking intervention from FIFA.
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