HARARE – The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash between Highlanders and Dynamos has been postponed for a third consecutive week, sources say at the say-so of the paranoid Zanu PF government which fears it could snowball into a protest against President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who just controversially won the race for President.

Matches featuring Highlanders and Dynamos are the biggest on the PSL calendar, with over 20,000 fans expected to be at the match at Barbourfields Stadium.

But fears of an outbreak of violence at that particular match sees it postponed once more, although seven other fixtures will go ahead.

PSL spokesperson Kudzai Bare said the directive to postpone the Highlanders/Dynamos match had come from their “superiors”.

“The match was cancelled for logistical reasons, I can’t comment further than that,” she said.

Mnangagwa was declared winner of the Presidential Election on August 3, two days after protests against delays in announcing the results ended with seven people dead after the army opened fire at marchers on the streets of Harare.

Highlanders CEO Nhlanhla Dube said the postponement came at a financial cost to the club.

“We have certain financial obligations every month, and these require us to be playing because our income is gate takings,” he said. “We have payment plans with ZIMRA, NSSA and so on that every month we must pay so much, but it becomes really difficult to maintain that when you don’t play in three weeks, which is what we are approaching now.”

Dube said they had not been given reasons for the postponement.

Bulawayo City will host champions FC Platinum on Saturday while their closest challengers Ngezi Platinum host Nichrut at Baobab on the same day.

Chicken Inn are on the road to Shabanie Mine on Sunday.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Fixtures

Friday: Harare City v Mutare City Rovers (Rufaro)

Saturday: Chapungu v Bulawayo Chiefs (Ascot), Caps United v Black Rhinos (Rufaro), Bulawayo City v FC Platinum (Barbourfields), ZPC Kariba v Triangle United (Nyamhunga), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Nichrut (Baobab)

Sunday: Yadah v Herentals (Rufaro), Shabanie Mine v Chicken Inn (Maglas), Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields — Postponed)