Concern for Aluvha’s safety rises

Robson Sharuko in CAIRO, Egypt

SOUTH AFRICA’S most influential voice in sport punditry, Robert Marawa, has urged Zimbabwe’s daredevil football fan Alvin ‘’Aluvha’’ Zhakata to return to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where he could be helped to complete his mission to watch the 2019 AFCON finals.

Marawa has been very supportive of the expedition but concern for the safety of Aluvha, who last month embarked on an historic Cape to Cairo road adventure to watch the Nations Cup finals, has arisen in risen days.

Botha Msila, the other daredevil who also was part of that adventure, abandoned the mission after the duo were trapped at the Kenya/Ethiopia border for, at least, three nights because of visa challenges to enter the Horn of Africa.

Msila, the colourful Bloemfontein Celtic and Bafana Bafana fan, returned to Nairobi where he was helped by the South African authorities to finally fly to this country where he was part of the fans who watched the Warriors take on Egypt in the opening match of this tournament.

Aluvha – who received help from Zimbabwean authorities to get a visa and enter Ethiopia – insisted he would brave the elements to reach Egypt by road, despite concerns he could run into serious problems in Sudan, a country that has been best by political unrest in recent months.

He failed to arrive here for the match against Egypt although he promised he could be in town for the game against Uganda even, though, that now appears very unlikely.

With internet having been curtailed in Ethiopia, Aluvha has been struggling to update us with his whereabouts and progress and, after the suspected coup attempt yesterday in which the Ethiopian army chief of staff, General Seare Mekonnen, was said to have been killed by his bodyguard, concern has again been raised for his safety.

The BBC said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the General, and another officer, were killed while trying to prevent a coup attempt against the administration in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region.

The governor of the Amhara region, Ambachew Mekonnen, was also killed but the Government said the situation was now under control, after a number of arrests were made, and business could return to normal in the capital Addis Ababa tomorrow.

Marawa said it was probably safe for Aluvha to find a way back to Nairobi.

‘’He should attempt to return to Nairobi and from there we will look at options for both his safety and his ambitious journey,’’ Mawara tweeted.

‘’Either one we can achieve and fulfill.’’

The United States State department has warned its staff in Addis Ababa to stay inside.