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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS have apportioned the blame on Zimbabwe Republic Police for the chaos that led to the abandonment of their Castle Lager Premiership football match against FC Platinum at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
Bosso said in a statement that they were not happy with the heavy-handed response by the police who threw tear gas and made the situation worse after a section of supporters had invaded the pitch in protest against a late penalty awarded to the hosts.
The statement from Bosso used strong words against the police on duty labelling their actions as “violent and thuggish behavior”.
“Highlanders Football Club would like to condemn in the strongest sense, the conduct of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers who were entrusted with the responsibility to provide security during a Premier Soccer League match between FC Platinum and Highlanders at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
“The club understands ZRP to be a stakeholder of the game whose mandate is to provide security for players, officials, and the fans. The violent and thuggish behaviour by ZRP towards fans and players cannot be tolerated as it brings our football into disrepute.
“Whilst the club does not condone pitch invasion and missile throwing by a section of football fans it was unnecessary for ZRP to throw tear smoke towards fans as this behaviour ended up affecting players, officials, and some innocent fans.
“The act was against the basic principles of crowd management and as a result, the victims were players and officials who ZRP purported to protect.
“As if that was not enough, ZRP further went on a rampage, assaulting innocent fans outside the stadium and in some instances beating up vehicles they perceived to be belonging to, and ferrying Highlanders fans.
“The club takes this opportunity to assume its members, fans, and all other stakeholders of its commitment to its values of Ubuntu, which encompasses such ethics as respect for self and respect for others, hence further commitment to engage all other stakeholders, ZRP involved, in trying to bring to end hooliganism and violence in this stadia.
“We further take this opportunity to empathize with all the innocent victims of yesterday’s acts of violence and condemn a few individuals who were involved in the acts of pitch invasion and missile throwing,” read the statement.
The Premier Soccer League are expected to make their own statement on the incident and it is likely that Highlanders will be fined for the mayhem caused by their supporters at Mandava.
Online Reporter