By Mwewa Senkwe
So, over the weekend, we saw political chants at two stadia on the Copperbelt. I personally don’t find such behaviour appropriate at a football stadium. Football should remain football. But whatever rules apply must apply equally to everyone.
But is this the first time we are seeing political gestures at stadia in Zambia? Certainly not.
What I find interesting is that football players have been doing the “salt sana” gesture for some time now. Nobody was yapping. Nobody seemed particularly bothered. Now that some soccer fans are chanting opposition slogans, as always, the powers that be are up in arms. The impression being created is that when people chant slogans in support of the ruling party, everything is fine, but when they chant something supporting the opposition, it suddenly becomes intolerable.
While I find the behaviour by some football fans inappropriate, I find the reaction from some sections of the ruling party even more worrying.
If political slogans and gestures are prohibited at football matches, then let the rule apply to everyone – ruling party, opposition, players and supporters alike. We cannot have one standard when the political message favours us and suddenly discover the law when the message is against us.
Dear Red Team, it is a fact that you can never be loved by the whole country.
In a functioning democracy, disagreement should not automatically be treated as hostility. People must be free to express their political opinions within the confines of the law. And when they break the law, let the law deal with them – not political intimidation, threats or selective outrage.
If the fans broke the law, let the law deal with them. If they breached football regulations, let the competent football authorities’ deal with them. What should concern us is when political power attempts to substitute itself for either process.
Somehow, I think it is the duty of patriotic Zambians to continuously school our political parties and politicians on the fundamental principles of democracy. I say this because no political party in Zambia can honestly claim to be fundamentally democratic. They are all, to a large extent, owner-led, and too often tolerance for opposing views disappears once political power is at stake.
So, colleagues, allow people to express themselves freely, of course within the confines of the law. Where the law has been broken, let the law take its course. Where no law has been broken, let people speak, even when what they are saying makes those in power uncomfortable.
Allow the rule of law to prevail, not political convenience.
22