Nkana should be sanctioned, vandals arrested
IT IS regrettable that unruly Nkana Football Club fans vandalised the US$68 million Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola during what was supposed to be an exciting Kitwe derby. The violence and senseless vandalism marred the match between arch rivals Power Dynamos and Nkana Football Club.
It is unfortunate that some rowdy fans tore plastic seats off the concrete stands, causing damage to a stadium that was constructed at great cost with the help of the friendly people of China through an interest-free loan. Under the Zambian law, this was outright vandalism, malicious damage to property, which is a crime for which the offenders should face consequences.
It is worrisome that whenever Nkana supporters disagree with the referees’ decision, they resort to illegal means to voice their grievances. They do that in their typical obscene, violent and disorderly manner. But this time around, they went too far!
Nkana FC and its supporters obviously don’t learn from their past mistakes. In June of the 2023–2024 season, the disciplinary committee of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) banned this same club from using Nkana Stadium for their home games. Nkana FC was banned because of crowd trouble during the team’s 2-0 loss to the same rivals, Power Dynamos, in the Kitwe derby at Arthur Davies Stadium. The game was stopped for 15 minutes when a police officer and a female match official, Nancy Kashitu, were stoned and hurt.
The fracas resulted in Nkana playing the rest of their home matches of the 2023/24 season at the REIZ Arena (formerly Woodlands Stadium) in Lusaka. Subsequently, Nkana management cracked the whip by banning four individuals from attending the club’s home and away matches for the 2023–24 season.
The club’s management later stated that it had taken a decision in collaboration with the its fan structure to restore order, curb hooliganism and enhance the reputation of its supporters.
George Santayana said: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Thomas S Monson also wrote: “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” Clearly, Nkana FC needs inspiration from these scholars and learn from its past mistakes.
We agree with FAZ president Andrew Kamanga that the culprits should not walk scot-free as ugly scenes from the match would attract heavy sanctions.
“Let the spirit of Easter reinvigorate our game…scenes from Levy [Levy Mwanawasa Stadium] will attract heavy sanction. While it is too early to provide a conclusive picture of what measures will be taken, I can definitely confirm that this behaviour will be heavily punished,” Kamanga said.
Nkana president Joseph Silwamba said in as much as the club executive acknowledged the passion of the fans, they condemned strongly the damage done to the seats in the stadium.
He said the club deeply regretted the violence and would do everything to bring culprits to book.
“While the team celebrated taking the lead in the 64th minute, an alleged controversial penalty awarded in extra time caused significant unrest among players and supporters…While we may not agree with the referee’s decision, we respect the game and the spirit of sportsmanship,” he said.
There is clear video evidence of rowdy fans with identifiable faces smashing seats at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium. We expect the Zambia Police Service and its spokesperson, Rae Hamoonga, to act swiftly to arrest the offenders, just as they have been doing with opposition leaders and those with divergent views.
This is in light of the fact that a crime was committed in real time on video and that the government will probably have to spend a significant amount of money to fix the damage. Zambians should be aware that Levy Mwanawasa Stadium is the only FIFA-approved venue available for all the national football teams to use for their international assignments.
Since the current steps Nkana FC is taking to handle crowd unrest are obviously ineffective, they should come up with new ways to cope with their rowdy supporters. Nkana FC should use a multifaceted approach that includes proactive security, preventative measures and a well-defined incident management plan.
As the most successful team in Zambia with 13 league titles, Nkana should improve its ability to handle rowdy supporters by setting clear guidelines and objectives, giving employees the right training, fostering a secure atmosphere and putting in place a reporting system. Come on Kalampa, you can do better than this!
