Silver Strikers FC have been ordered to explore the possibility of venturing into e-ticketing system—at their home ground Silver Stadium —by their sponsors Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM).
The development comes in the wake of an audit by the central bank on the club’s finances, which revealed irregularities on how gate collections from the stadium are handled.
RBM spokesperson Ralph Tseka said: “I can indeed confirm that the executive management [of the bank] noted that Silver Stadium was not generating enough revenue.
“Therefore, it was decided that in order to improve on revenue, entry tickets to the stadium will be pre-purchased, they will be pre-sold at designated places. The holder of the ticket will just have to swipe the ticket and then the gate will open.”
He said this has been done to enhance revenue collection, address fraud and reduce manpower.
Asked when RBM plans to roll out the exercise, Tseka said: “Right now it is at suggestion level. Our management is looking at the procurement process.”
The club’s chairperson Dr. McDonald Mafuta-Mwale said during the audit that was conducted recently by RBM, it was established that one of the things that they are not doing right on is gate-collection management, in particular distribution.
“The sponsor’s view was that to ensure proper accounting procedures, we should be banking revenue from gate collections, but we told them that it would be difficult considering the distribution system that is in place, which entails that other stakeholders should get their share there and then,” said Mafuta-Mwale.
He said it was at this point that RBM proposed the e-ticketing system.
“They mandated the [club’s] board of trustees to meet Sulom and FAM to see if we can introduce the e-ticketing system at our stadium. They want it as soon as possible, but it will depend on the outcome of the meeting with the other stakeholders such as Sulom and FAM,” he said.
He said a committee will be put in place to manage the exercise.
Mafuta-Mwale also said as the owners of the stadium, RBM are expected to meet the costs of installing the facility.
Sulom president Innocent Bottomani hailed the proposal, saying it would play a big role in addressing fraud.
“However, it is an issue that requires the involvement of stakeholders as it will be new in the country,” said Bottomani.
FAM commercial manager Casper Jangale also described the move as commendable.
“In the modern age, that is the route we are supposed to take so that clubs can benefit more and smile all the way to the bank by reducing manpower and controlling fraud because football has a lot of demands,” said Jangale, who also suggested that it is high time other stadium owners took the same route.
