News / National
Journalist Zimbwa takes a swipe at PSL
08 May 2016 at 10:53hrs | Views
Sports journalists Thandazani Zimbwa has lashed out at the Premier Soccer League officials for what he calls unfair treatment meted on him.
Recently, Zimbwa was manhandled filming a soccer match at Barbourfields.
Zimbwa would post match highlights on his YouTube platform, and that attracted many viewers.
PSL officials said he was voilating a deal they have with SuperSports.
SuperSports has sole rights to broadcast all local football matches.
Below is Zimbwa's lengthy take on PSL seen by Bulawayo24.com
I want to say that i enjoyed it whilst it lasted.
I gave it all that i can whilst i could, but most of all i want to thank your support and that which i got and still get from the Highlanders Executive and family for the You Tube Posts and Facebook. I m disappointed though that some senior PSL officials can rush into claiming that i m making a lot of money depriving Supersport of utility.
Thereafter they unleash the ZRP on me and attempt to get me arrested so as to send a message on how Zimbabwe can protect foreign interests at the expense of local initiative for games that Supersport is so far unable to cover. All that done in front of the football public so as to embarrass me. Instead of engaging privately to solve a matter that can be handled through dialogue the PSL chose to be confrontational eventually bringing the game into disrepute and because i believe the PSL was at fault its understandable that no disciplinary has been called because it was surely going to embarrass the league. If i may ask, which law on the Zimbabwe constitution had i broken? Goodness me. Institute an inquiry and inform the public of the results on how much i have made from the You Tube posts at the expense of Supersport. When it has been investigated please advise the public of how much it costs to produce a single insert that i produced and advise too on how much i was paid.
At the same time demonstrate how the local football community has been deprived of benefit by my contribution to the You Tube post as opposed to the promise to make local football better by bringing Supersport to Zimbabwe. I know to some PSL officials Thandazani is a softer spot and an easier target to deal with so regardless of who contracts him, target the POOR GUY trying to create employment not just for himself but a host of other young men and women that have approached him and believe that he can assist them in their media ambitions. If you send him to jail then our new found friends at Randburg will congratulate us for a job well done. To be honest i dont think things like those are possible in our society. Maybe one day we shall wake up to abuse each other like that but so far its not possible that s why i love my Zimbabwe.
I have made a living for more than a decade through contracts with local football teams, some of them in Harare and some in South Africa, as well as in the DRC. To wake up and suggest thet Supersport is not happy with the quality of my work in social media is an insult not just to myself but also to local production standards. If there s an argument on that further evidence shall follow. When a hooligan from the Vietnam end in a Dynamos game or the Soweto end in a Highlanders game throws a missile onto the pitch its the clubs that are fined. When Thandazani is contracted by a club to film a match its not the club but Thandazani that risks arrest. Some way of applying the law. The problem we have nowadays in the local PSL is that when football officials want to abuse office and take advantage of the system they claim that Supersport will not be happy. Happy about what? How about Zimbabweans, i and many others included, trying to make an honest living through a product within their immediate community. I was asked to apply to Supersport for permission to film PSL matches. When i suggested that i thought it was proper to seek local permission with the PSL i was advised that the rights were with Supersport. THAT to me is perplexing and please advise if i m lost because i m always ready to learn. I a Zimbabwean individual have to apply to a foreign institution to cover a PSL match? I am not going to dwell on ZIMASSET but i know on that matter the PSL is distinctly at variance. Long as the PSL Supersport agreement is kept a secret, for reasons better known by the signatories then dont cry foul when those ignorant of its terms flout the unknown.
All we are asking for and i know its not much to ask for, is FOR THE AUTHORITIES TO ALLOW THE CLUBS AND THOSE THAT THEY CONTRACT TO CAPTURE THE MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN CREATING A HISTORY THAT MAY NEVER BE RECORDED AGAIN AS LONG AS BIG BROTHER SUPERSPORT is UNable as in the recent past to cover other matches. We are even ready to give Supersport any of the footage if they are willing to accept it. This year Highlanders celebrates its 90th anniversary. That may not matter elsewhere but to the club, its supporters both in Zimbabwe and the diaspora and even some of us Zimbabweans its an occasion to be followed throughout the year and i dont believe that some application that takes forever to be approved will bring back uncaptured memories whilst some dude sits in an office in Randburg contemplating on whether or not to allow us to record our history. If its about Thandazani then fine, excuse me and recommend someone else to do the job. I believe this is a bigger matter than denying a football society from recording their memorable history simply because you dislike an individual or simply because until you do it yourself no one else should do it. NO WAYS.
Recently, Zimbwa was manhandled filming a soccer match at Barbourfields.
Zimbwa would post match highlights on his YouTube platform, and that attracted many viewers.
PSL officials said he was voilating a deal they have with SuperSports.
SuperSports has sole rights to broadcast all local football matches.
Below is Zimbwa's lengthy take on PSL seen by Bulawayo24.com
I want to say that i enjoyed it whilst it lasted.
I gave it all that i can whilst i could, but most of all i want to thank your support and that which i got and still get from the Highlanders Executive and family for the You Tube Posts and Facebook. I m disappointed though that some senior PSL officials can rush into claiming that i m making a lot of money depriving Supersport of utility.
Thereafter they unleash the ZRP on me and attempt to get me arrested so as to send a message on how Zimbabwe can protect foreign interests at the expense of local initiative for games that Supersport is so far unable to cover. All that done in front of the football public so as to embarrass me. Instead of engaging privately to solve a matter that can be handled through dialogue the PSL chose to be confrontational eventually bringing the game into disrepute and because i believe the PSL was at fault its understandable that no disciplinary has been called because it was surely going to embarrass the league. If i may ask, which law on the Zimbabwe constitution had i broken? Goodness me. Institute an inquiry and inform the public of the results on how much i have made from the You Tube posts at the expense of Supersport. When it has been investigated please advise the public of how much it costs to produce a single insert that i produced and advise too on how much i was paid.
At the same time demonstrate how the local football community has been deprived of benefit by my contribution to the You Tube post as opposed to the promise to make local football better by bringing Supersport to Zimbabwe. I know to some PSL officials Thandazani is a softer spot and an easier target to deal with so regardless of who contracts him, target the POOR GUY trying to create employment not just for himself but a host of other young men and women that have approached him and believe that he can assist them in their media ambitions. If you send him to jail then our new found friends at Randburg will congratulate us for a job well done. To be honest i dont think things like those are possible in our society. Maybe one day we shall wake up to abuse each other like that but so far its not possible that s why i love my Zimbabwe.
I have made a living for more than a decade through contracts with local football teams, some of them in Harare and some in South Africa, as well as in the DRC. To wake up and suggest thet Supersport is not happy with the quality of my work in social media is an insult not just to myself but also to local production standards. If there s an argument on that further evidence shall follow. When a hooligan from the Vietnam end in a Dynamos game or the Soweto end in a Highlanders game throws a missile onto the pitch its the clubs that are fined. When Thandazani is contracted by a club to film a match its not the club but Thandazani that risks arrest. Some way of applying the law. The problem we have nowadays in the local PSL is that when football officials want to abuse office and take advantage of the system they claim that Supersport will not be happy. Happy about what? How about Zimbabweans, i and many others included, trying to make an honest living through a product within their immediate community. I was asked to apply to Supersport for permission to film PSL matches. When i suggested that i thought it was proper to seek local permission with the PSL i was advised that the rights were with Supersport. THAT to me is perplexing and please advise if i m lost because i m always ready to learn. I a Zimbabwean individual have to apply to a foreign institution to cover a PSL match? I am not going to dwell on ZIMASSET but i know on that matter the PSL is distinctly at variance. Long as the PSL Supersport agreement is kept a secret, for reasons better known by the signatories then dont cry foul when those ignorant of its terms flout the unknown.
All we are asking for and i know its not much to ask for, is FOR THE AUTHORITIES TO ALLOW THE CLUBS AND THOSE THAT THEY CONTRACT TO CAPTURE THE MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN CREATING A HISTORY THAT MAY NEVER BE RECORDED AGAIN AS LONG AS BIG BROTHER SUPERSPORT is UNable as in the recent past to cover other matches. We are even ready to give Supersport any of the footage if they are willing to accept it. This year Highlanders celebrates its 90th anniversary. That may not matter elsewhere but to the club, its supporters both in Zimbabwe and the diaspora and even some of us Zimbabweans its an occasion to be followed throughout the year and i dont believe that some application that takes forever to be approved will bring back uncaptured memories whilst some dude sits in an office in Randburg contemplating on whether or not to allow us to record our history. If its about Thandazani then fine, excuse me and recommend someone else to do the job. I believe this is a bigger matter than denying a football society from recording their memorable history simply because you dislike an individual or simply because until you do it yourself no one else should do it. NO WAYS.
Source - Byo24News
