Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze recently at CHAHWANDA, Kwekwe
TO understand the excitement that had been generated around the Premiership newboys Hardrock and Dynamos fixture at the weekend, one needed to only catch a glimpse of a packed Chahwanda.
Temperatures were modest on the day, quite sunny and movement in Kwekwe seemed to be largely flowing in one direction. Heavy traffic decorated the roads, as private vehicles and commuter omnibuses ferrying fans found their way to Chahwanda. Then, there was the chaos.
For more than 10 minutes, there was chaos on the field with a few security details later emerging, without police dogs or accessories to tame the violence. Where there enough police officers at the stadium? It’s a question worth asking. What is the minimum number of security details required by PSL for such big games?
If there were enough police officers, why was there this slow reaction? If there were not enough police officers, why did the PSL and their match commissioner Ruzive Ruzive allow for the match to go ahead? Despite all this chaos, injuries and trauma, after the pitch had been cleared and injured fans ferried to the hospital, both teams were still willing to continue with the match. But, it was clear that the damage had already been done.
Was this a police function? Why do people rush to talk about police officers in football games that degenerate into chaos? Who doesn’t know that Dynamos and Highlanders supporters are known for hooliganism? This was all about players and football fans. Why even ask where police officers were as if you were dealing with hoads of criminals? This kind of approach to hooliganism is the problem. Modern stadia should always be constructed in such a way that fans find it hard to get close to the playing field or difficult to throw missiles onto the field. We can say whatever we want about security but police were not to blame. Their role should always be minor in football. Clubs must be held accountable for their supporters, not the police.