Army General should take action on military teams

The media has reported so much about several unsportmanship conduct of Malawi Defence Force football teams. They have no respect over civilians –whether fellow players or any other stakeholder that is in their way.

Earlier this season, a young civilian lost his life after been  allegedly beaten by some soldiers following some fracas that happened at Kamuzu Stadium. It was reported that the young man had nothing to do with what happened at Kamuzu Stadium when fans stonned and smashed Red Lions bus.

In retaliation to what the fans did to that bus, soldiers who were on duty at Chichiri camp came out and started beating up anybody they encountered around the Chichiri area.

The young kid’s family was in grief and asked for justice but up to now nothing has been done.

On Sunday, a TNM Super League encounter between two MDF teams, Moyale Barracks and Mafco ended prematurely at Mzuzu Stadium after because of ugly scenes in which Mafco players and officials are reported to have assaulted referee Alfred Aziz Nyirenda and journalist Madalitso Phiri.

It is reported that what was considered to be as a penalty for the Salima-based soldiers was not given by the ref  and one Mafco player, Joseph Dosa, attacked the ref and when Aziz Nyirenda rose up and issued a red card, Mafco players and officials protested the marching orders.

Journalist, Madalitso Phiri, a member of the Sports Writers Association of Malawi (SWAM), was taking pictures of the incident but Mafco officials and players charged at him, beating him heavily and telling him to delete the pictures he had taken and in the process, breaking his Samsung mobile phone.

He was fortunately rescued by some stewards but after being heavily beaten. The game was eventually called off.

Just recently, Mafco were involved in another act of violence a day before their game against Nyasa Big Bullets. An action was taken against them but the team appealed from which the harsh verdict earlier given was reviewed and reduced.

We all thought Mafco had learnt a lesson but it seems they have not after what has happened on Sunday. Over all the years, MDF teams have always misbehaved in unsportsmanship conduct and they go scot free and that’s why they repeat their offences.

It is because the MDF teams go into the field of play with a mindset that they are soldiers and they can behave in any way they see fit. The public is not happy with MDF teams’ behaviour. It comes too often and somehow they want to be treated as soldiers and not as sportsmen.

It’s high time the MDF commander took action before things will get out of hand. It looks like the soldiers have no respect of civilians and they ought to just participate in their own tournament — away from civilians.

As a journalist with so many years of experience, I can vouch that we are always intimidated to interview MDF teams especially when they lose.

When we write about it like I have just done, they take it personal and they make sure they intimidate the journalists.

I ask the MDF commandern to take action on what is happening because, if truth be told, the public is not comfortable with army teams playing in civilians’ tournaments because of these negative attitudes by the soldiers.

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