The Chairman has openly expressed disappointment over the conduct of some sectors of our supporters that turned our games into mockery after the recent missile throwing both in Johannesburg and Durban.

He has even warned against trivializing such acts but challenged us to look into this pandemic as a serious social ill that reflects on the violent society into which we have degenerated. To date the Amakhosi Management and the legal team are at pains to prepare for another embarrassing disciplinary process following the postponement of our case the previous week. This unfortunate spell has obviously captured news headlines given that the memory of the previous year’s Supa 8 tournament against Celtic still lingers in the background.

I had hoped that the Amakhosi faithful would have learnt their lessons after being barred from the Black Leopards match and being fined heavily by the PSL in the previous season, but alas! we seem to have turned the wheel into our disfavour again by allowing a moment of carelessness to overcome our thinking.

Whilst I am struggling to fathom the pending penalty of the Disciplinary hearing, I pray for a lasting remedy to heal the horror of the riotous expression of anger and frustration of our supporters every time odds seemed stacked against us. Following these experiences, one has deduced that there is some education needed to challenge the mindset around what the simple meaning of “support” is.

Without scrambling for the Oxford Dictionary, may I reflect on some practical examples drawn from the reaction of some of our supporters during the recent Wits and later, the Swallows games. In doing so I hope to establish if our supporters have redefined the meaning of the word “support” to be different from its simple tenets and application.

Firstly, I am not sure if our “supporters” are aware of the psychological effect of their booing on players every time the Technical Team makes a substitution. To the outgoing player the booing and the gestures of arm swerving may mean that it has failed to deliver whilst to the incoming player it may mean that supporters do not have any confidence in his contribution. This may therefore carry a distorted meaning when such expression seeks to destroy rather than strengthen the contribution of a new fresh pair of legs in a game.

Secondly, the subsequent missile throwing may mean that our “supporters” are effectively communicating disturbing statements of being bad losers who can turn around and physically harm and hurt those that they are supposed to encourage when odds are against them. This is a typical “kick-me-when-I-am-down” reaction that often makes one wonder if any practical application of “support" holds the intention to lift and sustain one’s spirit when the competitive heat calls for redemption.

Thirdly, our expression of anger presents us at Kaizer Chiefs, as brave to lay our souls naked for the enemy to ridicule and laugh at us as we successfully attain an identity that mocks our love and peace mantra. These and many messages and images are most likely to haunt and dent our assertion of being a professional and respected powerhouse in South African soccer and sports.

Granted, our history boasts a rapid succession of wining before we succumb to an odd loss somewhere in the middle of the league but nothing justifies such destructive reaction every time the other team gains an upper hand. Whilst this spells disaster to some supporters, truth is that there has never been a season that we completed by staging a faultless campaign to the league championship.

I cannot recall any team that attained such a feat in international football for that matter! Worst still, there has been a season that we finished outside the top eight although we had good material on display. This obviously proves that the elite competitor cannot adjudge sports in its entirety to be a one way win-all stream but it is a discipline whereat every competitor has a chance of overcoming its biggest and more cherished rival.

It is therefore important for Amakhosi supporters to first acknowledge this principle, internalise its understanding and apply such to demonstrate their patriotic love for the team regardless of any result. Believe me, there are such supporters who may never raise their frustration with the slump in performance but they would rather accept defeat and phone to encourage our players not to lose hope.

In our case it has become obvious that the start of this season is not that easy but nothing embarrasses like the pain of standing before a disciplinary hearing to account for some misdemeanour of people that are essentially identified as “supporters”.

One wonders if such a term has been defined to fit only when the team is on a high and winning, but assume another identity when the opposing team proves its mettle better than us to salvage its pride. I am not sure if our supporters expect the opposition to fold their arms or enter the football pitch with a mentality of the vanquished even before the middleman signals the start of the game.

Whilst this is the case I believe real supporters are those that steadfastly believe that our current slump is just but one of those temporary challenges that we can and we shall overcome. These are supporters who assure management not to panic by expressing positive and encouraging words to our technical team and players. They even suggest establishing a trust fund to help the club meet the anticipated financial implications of the criminal acts during both games. Now this is “support” in action and there is no other term that best defines such under the circumstances.

I however do not know what to make of those “supporters” whose expression of anger blots their reason and throws them into destructive tantrums that we saw displayed. There is no doubt that the destruction to property is likely to fleece our pockets once the PSL disciplinary process gets underway.

“Supporters” should also notice that besides the judgement of the PSL DC, their unsavoury actions may cost our sponsors and permanently tarnish our business and corporate image. I shudder to think of the impact of such destruction on hosting the 2010 World Cup.

Be that as it may, I am looking forward to the coming games; all twenty-four (24) of them to complete the 2006/7 season. By the way, we have adopted a perfect slogan “welcome to the family” to demonstrate our obligation of turning every game into a perfect family outing.

You will notice that in recent matches we have recognised and rewarded numerous families that brought their children along. We are working very hard to embark on a season-long campaign to re-educate our supporters and hopefully rid ourselves off those individuals whose idea of fun totally negates our slogan of love and peace!

Let me express my hearty appreciation of those supporters who openly admonished their fellows for their unwanted behaviour! After all, a KHOSI 4 LIFE means an expression of undying support for Kaizer Chiefs through dark and empty days!

Thebe Mohatle


Communications Manager/PRO


Khosi 4 Life!