The message is clear for all the Kaizer Chiefs supporters: be calm and be on your best behaviour at football matches or face the full might of the law.
And that is the message from the Amakhosi media and communications officer, Alpheus ‘Vina’ Maphosa, who spoke on behalf of the club hierarchy on Thursday at the Chiefs Village.
Silent protest
Maphosa read out a lengthy statement just moments before co-coach Cedric Kaze could get his turn to vent during a press conference, to address the recent incident where a handful of disgruntled supporters staged a protest at the club’s headquarters.
The ‘silent protest’ was led by a gentleman called Diakanya Makgato, who, amongst several other things, delivered a memorandum to the club management which stated the dismissal of the current co-coaches, Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef.
Zero tolerance on violence
According to Maphosa, Makgato did several radio interviews post the protest and allegedly threatened that there would be violence and unrest at the stadium should they lose or drop points against Durban City at the FNB Stadium on Sunday.
“While we express the right of fans to voice their concerns, we strongly condemn, in no uncertain terms, the actions that followed the protest, organised by Makgota and those accompanied by him,” Maphosa said in a statement.
“Amongst those, we figured out that some were intoxicated, which posed a danger and created some chaos in the proceedings. The threats of violence and ultimatums, directed at the club through various interviews conducted by Makgota after the protest, are unacceptable and will not to be tolerated at Chiefs.”
Call for calm
“We call for calm and best behaviour at matches as we have been doing in the past, and we inform the public and those planning to cause violence at stadiums that we have handed the interviews that Diakanya Makgato has done to the police so that he can account, should there be any acts of violence and destructive behaviour, Maphosa said.
The Glamour Boys will be more than desperate to return to winning ways, as they have been enduring a tough four-match winless run.
