The annual Sinthumule Kutama Easter Tournament was marked by some controversial incidents this year and came under severe scrutiny from some team managers. A resident of Muraleni village, Mr Seani Tshifura, is one of the managers who are not happy with the way his team was treated.

According to him, the team which they played against in the quarterfinal stage of the tournament, Ravele FC, fielded a defaulter. According to the rules of the competition, only players who reside at a particular village are eligible to play for that village. In a strongly worded letter which Mr Tshifura wrote to Mirror, he argues that Ravele FC fielded a player who allegedly stays at Tshikota Township.

Mr Tshifura further indicates that although they lodged a protest during the game, their protest was never heard. He said that after realising that the organisers were not requesting them to appear before the disciplinary committee, they were prompted to demand a refund of their R1 000 affiliation fee and a protest fee of R100.

He further states that it was only after they were refunded that they were told that they had been banned from the tournament for five years or had to pay a fine of R5 000. Mr Tshifura states that what the organisers did to them amounts to “imprisonment without trial”. He further indicates that they are still willing to participate in the tournament in the coming years, provided the organisers lift the sanction.

When responding to Mr Tshifura’s allegations, the chairman of the organising committee, Mr Maungedzo Nthabalala, described what Mr Tshifura says as a bunch of lies. According to him, Mr Tshifura was part of the three-man delegation from Muraleni that attended the disciplinary committee hearing. He said that the committee had proved beyond doubt to Mr Tshifura and his entourage that the player in question was a bona fide resident of Ravele village.

The semi-final and final matches were staged at the Vhuilafuri Stadium on Sunday, March 31. The champions of the tournament, Madabani FC, took home a cash prize of R8 000, a floating trophy and soccer kit. The runners-up, Ravele FC, were presented with a cash prize of R3 000 and a soccer kit, while the third- and fourth-placed teams, Maebane FC and Tshiozwi FC, each collected R1 500.

Teams booted out of the tournament in the quarterfinal stage were each given a consolation prize of R750. Some of the businesses which sponsored this year’s tournament include Premjee Wholesalers, Postnet, Riashuma Wedding and Decorations, Coca-Cola Fortune, Mphaphuli Attorneys and Xolani Business Enterprise.