COMMENT: Let us keep football a family sport

THERE is an Igbo proverb that says when one sees a toad jumping in broad daylight, then one knows that something is after its life. The philosophy behind the proverb refers to uncharacteristic behaviour, in fact an unusual and out-of-the-ordinary way of doing things. 

The wisdom behind the phrase fits seamlessly with the football Indaba organised by our publication on Friday at the Zimbabwe International Trade Exhibition Centre where we partnered with reputed security company, Nokel. It’s not everyday that the media, football stakeholders as well as ordinary people find themselves sharing a platform to discuss issues affecting the so much loved game.

The gathering drew football stakeholders from across the board, an indication that something was indeed after the soul of our football in this case violence that is fast becoming a cancer in our stadia. 

That violence is after the soul of our football is no longer in doubt, for football, described by the Brazil legend and icon, the late Pele as the world’s most beautiful game is not so beautiful here anymore. It has ceased to be a family sport what with the ugly scenes we are witnessing at our stadia. The Sunday News Indaba was held under the theme, “Tackling Football Violence To Ensure Social Cohesion.” 

Speakers at the historic meeting included PSL boss Kenny Ndebele, Sam Dzvimbu from the Sport and Recreation Commission, Zifa Normalisation Committee member Sikhumbuzo Ndebele, Highlanders vice-chairman Fiso Siziba and Fungai Mpfeka from women’s football. 

Football   fans,  club administrators, chapter representatives, residents of Barbourfields, referees’ representatives, a soccer fan with a disability Melusi Khumalo, the police and media were also in attendance. On the day all these groups of people who constitute a good picture of the soccer ecosystem spoke in unison that violence in football has no place just like in civilised society.

The Indaba was triggered  by the ugly scenes at Barbourfields Stadium where a match between the country’s biggest teams, Highlanders and Dynamos ended in just 38 minutes due to crowd trouble, sparking running battles between fans from both sides and the police.

It was through such an unsavoury experience that the country’s biggest and integrated media group Zimpapers, through Sunday News organised the ‘‘Indaba’’ with theme carefully crafted to dovetail with the big idea that sport should transcend all other boundaries and bring social cohesion and a family environment.

The approach to the Indaba was quite deliberate. The effort made was to include everyone mindful that violence is every member of the community’s enemy as even the perpetrator is vulnerable to injury or death.

Previous approaches have involved security agents, stadia owners and football administrators. The ordinary man in the street has often been left out yet his views are fundamental.

The approach was different, it was not the platform to apportion blame on anyone but an open forum where the soccer family proffered views on how soccer fans can co-exist and promote a situation where sport takes its role in nation building.

Fans have died while some have been injured in stadium violence. Innocent citizens living near the stadia have had to bear the brunt of having their properties damaged or strangers storming into their homes either  running away from law enforcement agents or other fans.

Residents spoke from the heart over how they end up drawn into the aftermath of what would have started at the stadium.

They asked perpetrators to think about people who are hospitalised at the nearby Mpilo Central Hospital, the new-borns and those in theatre, who are defenceless.

At the end of the Indaba there were resolutions arrived at that ways should be found to deal with  inflammatory language by the media, hate language and songs by fans, re-introduction of curtain-raisers as a draw card for the fans to come early into the stadium instead at the last minute when they stagger onto the terraces stone drunk.

There was also a suggestion that drones be used to monitor crowds.