Who bribes referees?

All over the entire previous footballing season, the referees have been in the news, mostly for the negative reason. Recently, some audio clips made rounds on a  WhatsApp forum  I am part of  purporting negotiations between a certain referee (location withheld) and a team official asking to influence a game in their favour.

We all know that these incidents happen worldwide and have been happening since the advent of football, the only worry is match fixing evidence in most cases never surfaces.
We saw it a few weeks ago where the former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the former UEAFA president Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges following a six-year investigation.
In eastern Uganda where I report from, I witnessed a section of fans and club managers pile accusations on football federation chairpersons for being subjective.

I have watched many matches in the 5th, 4th and 3rd (regional) divisions where referees physical fight club officials and/or players over the vice of match fixing, countless games have ended prematurely over the same.

But the big question is, if the referees we keep accusing are that bad, then who pays them such money to inflict on matches?

Yes, I also agree that some of our referees may need attending refresher courses, but I still put the big blame to the club officials. They are the ones spoiling the big game.

These fans complaining about the poor officiations are the same people whose clubs are buying off games to go their way. Thus, the problem is not the referees but clubs that pay them. For the good reason of developing football in the eastern region, we all need to sit down before the resumption of the next footballing season and discuss the issue of sabotaging each other through referees.
As clubs, there's need to agree for football to be decided on the pitch- not boardroom. 

Aaron Okotel
[email protected]

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Mao is flexible, understanding

I would like to add my voice to the many differing shades of public opinion about Democratic Party (DP)president-general,  Norbert Mao’s  recent appointment as Uganda’s minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. 
While this appointment may have surprised, scorned, provoked, excited, or whatever it did to many people, I am not the least surprised- and for a reason. 
Moreover, I also want to believe that this appointment was long overdue ( Refer to “ I have observed Mao’s leadership qualities for long- Museveni: Daily Monitor, July 27”). 
 If I have not known Mao very closely, whether in politics or in private life, at least I had been his supporter during his bitterly contested guild presidential elections at Makerere, where he had bravely weathered the rough tides to defend poor students against the insidious Amanya Mushega/ Senteza Kajubi’s driven cost-sharing scheme. Mao had also been mutually close to some of my most understanding, respectable colleagues during our youthful school days.
At one time, and after I had graduated with my bachelor’s degree and was jobless, I received a very brief note from Mao, through another friend of mine altogether, advising me to get in touch with a named person about a seemingly unpolitical job offer in the NRM administration.
 To the best of my understanding, Mao was only aware of this opportunity that was being availed to individuals who were willing and suitable for the job, yet he did not ascribe to the NRM. 
I never talked with Mao about the job and I never went to the person of reference. In this one instance, if I did not canvass for the said job opportunity, I formed the opinion that Mao was supple, considerate and accommodating. 
At a personal level, he demonstrated respect for our individual choices, tolerance for our differences and autonomy, and the ability to promote harmonious but diverse interests and goals. For those who are scorned about the appointment, ignore Mao and forge on with your individual or collective interests and goals because the future is all ours.
Robson Wonkuc
[email protected]
Halifax City