Blame game in Malawi gate collections fraud

While Malawi Government, Sulom, Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers and fans of the two clubs agree that there is a syndicate of people that thrives on gate collections at Kamuzu Stadium, none of them is honest enough to own the syndicate.

And a claim has been made that the situation may not be as bad as it is being portrayed because unlike Lilongwe fans where most people pay as individuals, most Blantyre fans pay in pairs for one ticket.

Again some quarters fear that while executive committee members of the two clubs may be willing to end the rot, they are, in protection of their positions, powerless over so-called influential that earn a living from the vice.

In the light of all that, questions one might ask are: Whose clever idea is it to allow fans to buy tickets in pairs and how does that fraud escape the eyes of the rest of others who man the gates if it is not a syndicate?

The single ticket cost-sharing revelation was made by none other than one Big Bullets Southern Region supporters committee executive member [name with held], who also said it is not easy to match revenue with the crowds because Kamuzu Stadium is too big and has many loopholes for any system to succeed in having everyone pay.

“In most cases, two people will contribute K250 each for a K500 ticket and we allow them to enter. As a result, most people enter the stadium for free,” said the supporters’ official.

Apparently, revenue from games involving the two clubs at Kamuzu Stadium does not often tally with the crowds and the trend has led to clubs losing millions of kwacha.

Gate charges

A recent Super League game between Big Bullets and Silver Strikers played before a full Kamuzu Stadium, which seats 25 000 people, raised K1.2 million with charges being K500 for the open stands, which take most fans, and K2 000 for covered stands.

In contrast, another Super League encounter between Silver Strikers and Mighty Wanderers played at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe, which seats 15 000 people, raised K6.2 million while a Wanderers and Red Lions game at Kamuzu Stadium grossed K800 000, but when the two teams played at Balaka Stadium, K3.6 million was made.

In an interview on Wednesday, Kamuzu Stadium owners [government] said they are not to blame because they gave FAM and Sulom mandate to be responsible for gate collections.

Director in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Jameson Ndalama said the agreement with FAM was that they would outsource, but as owners of the facility, government will still get 25 percent from the revenue.

“Actually, we are surprised that the system is still porous. We are not to blame for continued mismanagement of gate collections and we cannot intervene as that is the responsibility of FAM and Sulom,” said Ndalama.

FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said clubs’ concerns are real but he cannot answer for Sulom as to why it is failing to stop the problem.

“As FAM [for international games] we outsource to G4 Security and other firms and that is why our revenue is higher than that of Super League games. We have also asked government to let us hire the stadium so we could manage the gate collections system, but we are yet to get a response,” he said. Wanderers general secretary David Kanyenda said he is aware of ‘a cartel’ that thrives on gate collections, but said, as a club, they are helpless since they do not have mandate to control the system.

“It is the responsibility of FAM to introduce a gate system that can do away with this syndicate,” said Kanyenda. He dodged the question why he is not reporting the so-called cartel which is doing Malawi football more harm than good to police, insisting there is no need to inform the police because they are there at the gates when the fraud happens.

Curbing fraud

While agreeing with Nyamilandu that Sulom are the ones who should act stop this fraud, Kanyenda equally blamed FAM for allowing the syndicate to thrive.

“Should we say they are not aware of the rot? If not, then they have no business to manage football. As clubs, we have made it clear that we favour e-ticketing system to get rid of fraud,” he said.

Bullets general secretary Higger Mkandawire blamed the fraud on government cashiers who man the gates.

“The system is rotten right at the gates and in the end, it is clubs that suffer,” said Mkandawire.

He said the solution lies in allowing either Bullets or Wanderers to manage the system during games involving the two teams.

Kamuzu Stadium manager Charles Mhango said all stakeholders are to blame for the rot.

“Those that man the gates include government cashiers, representatives of clubs, police and stewards and counting of the money is done under FAM and Sulom supervision.

“The leaking in the gate collection happens at the gate, not at the point of counting the money because tickets supplied and the collections often tally,” said Mhango.

He blamed Wanderers and Bullets fans of sabotaging improvement by refusing the proposal to outsource the system.

“We had an incident when Mr. Mkandawire was nearly beaten up by his fans after we tried outsourcing. It is unfortunate that today Mr. Mkandawire is blaming us as being the weak link in the system,” said Mhango.

Mkandawire insisted that they are against outsourcing the exercise because it has weaknesses, but he could not mention the weaknesses.

Sulom treasurer Tiya Somba-Banda confirmed that Blantyre teams are resistant to outsourcing the gate-collection system.

“We have met resistance from Blantyre-based teams, but outsourcing has worked in the Central Region. Unless we outsource, there will be no end to the problem,” said Banda.

On his part, chairperson of Wanderers supporters Yona Malunga said they are equally worried that they raise more money elsewhere than at Kamuzu Stadium. He said, as fans, they are for the outsourcing system because they have seen the results in Lilongwe.

Another prominent Wanderers supporter who spoke on condition of anonymity, admitted that there are some sections of “very violent supporters” in Blantyre who are responsible for the fraud.

“They act without the consent of the executive. If an executive member interferes, they are threatened with beating,” he said.

A senior police officer who did not want to be named said they are there to provide security and not to be involved in gate collections.