Hlungwani: Chiefs and Pirates’ ‘muti’ left me struggling in Soweto Derby

Former referee Victor Hlungwani says the “muti” used by Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates affected him during a Soweto Derby, leaving him unable to run as he normally would.

Hlungwani was speaking in an account of life behind the referees’ dressing-room doors during his 20-year professional career. He officially retired from refereeing at the end of June 2022.

He recalled the final match of Thulani Hlatshwayo’s career, when Chiefs faced Pirates in the Soweto Derby. Khama Billiat was “untouchable” that day, while Chiefs’ second goal came from a penalty after Olisa Ndah brought down the forward.

Hlungwani said he had earlier made the mistake of entering both teams’ heavily guarded dressing rooms.

“In one of the dressing rooms, they hit me with a speed trap,” he said.

“I couldn’t run that day. These two clubs’ muti harmed me.”

He warned officials appointed to future meetings between the Soweto rivals to stay away from the teams’ dressing rooms.

“Don’t dare get into the Chiefs and Pirates dressing rooms during the Derby because kugadiwe, kune speed trap,” he said.

Hlungwani was positioned on the halfway line when he awarded the penalty. Despite his difficulty moving, he said he had a clear view of Ndah bringing down Billiat.

Life behind the referees’ doors

Looking back on his career, Hlungwani said he was pleased with how it developed and with everything he learned along the way.

He described the referees’ dressing room as an unusual environment, where male officials sometimes changed alongside female referees. He also joked about referees who did not wear jockeys, saying they claimed the officials’ shorts were the same size.

“You must be a real man to survive in the referees’ dressing room,” Hlungwani said.

He remembered one assistant referee making a joke while they were showering. As an employee of Rand Water, Hlungwani was told he should have known better than to waste water.

His standout achievement was officiating three of the five cup finals played between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

Hlungwani also recalled the difference between earlier generations of officials and those who followed. He worked with Walter Mochumela and Petrus Mathabela, senior figures who insisted there was no excuse for arriving late for a match.

However, he once had to wait for two younger officials who were still at the airport.

Muti and referee fitness

Asked whether referees used muti in their dressing room, Hlungwani said the main thing he had noticed was the amount of oil officials rubbed over their bodies, particularly during fitness testing.

“Slow-Mag fizzies is our referees’ favourite medicine,” he joked, although he said some still failed the tests because they did not train beforehand.

He added that team rituals could affect referees, recalling Jomo Cosmos’ dressing room with the warning: “Uzophuma ukhohlola uze ubambelele.”