Yours truly has been following with disgust comments aired on social media that has led to a chorus of discontent amongst football followers, mostly self-confessed football pundits.
Sadly, those who claim to love the game with all their bodies and soul have made it their sole province to tribally ridicule each other at the slightest provocation.
The bone of contention is the country’s elite football league, the MTC Namibia Premiership {NPL} apparent “untimely” announcement to reveal the identity of the three bottom teams to be relegated at the end of the just ended season.
Without beating about the bush, let me put it this way, the practice of tribalism is worse, disgusting and more hurting than racism because it carries potentially dangerous consequences of inviting far reaching repercussions for the true spirit of unity and nation building, going forward.
Let us all join hands and advocate for the immediate introduction of hard and fast rules if we are to prevent this prevailing unfortunate evil of society “TRIBALISM” so loosely and shamelessly laid bare on social media.
If racism is gazetted as a serious act of violation of human rights, why should tribalism be spared the rod?.
Its common knowledge that while the pattern of behavior amongst human beings can be regulated, unfortunately, same cannot be said about attitudes, people can only change and adopt their outlook on issues of human interest to avoid unwanted conflicts.
It has become fashionable of late that once you share different views treated from others, the argument takes a different shape with tribal attachment becoming the center of attraction.
My learned colleagues on social media have developed a grave weakness in providing reasonable arguments and would rather choose to attack the character of the person with whom they are arguing – a move traditionally known as arguing “ad hominem”.
Getting personal in most cases, using the tribal card is a deliberate technique of rhetoric, because discrediting the source of an argument usually leaves the argument itself intact.
Coming back to the hot topic under discussion, let’s take a quick look at the hotly debated relegation/promotion debacle that threatens to delay the kick off of activities in our flagship football league {NPL}.
Strangely, the route taken by disgruntled teams is a serious cause of concern, so to speak. As it stands, the arguments advanced is that the trio of Orlando Pirates, Civics and Young African should be reinstated in the absence of their potential successors.
HELLO !! So, one is entitled to dug your heels in the sand, refusing point blankly to move an inch if your longtime lover or sidekick ends the relationship until such time the identity of your replacement is made know to you?
This is despite written prior agreement that none performance would ultimately lead to the termination of the relationship? I’m just wondering.
It’s absolutely none of the relegated teams’ business as to who fill the void left open by their failure to muster enough points to avoid the drop to the lower tier league.
NFA, don’t attempt to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
It has since emerged that the country’s football governing body {NFA} is flexing her harmless muscles, threatening the NPL with expulsion should they not toe the line and forget about relegating teams.
This kind of autocratic leadership and arrogance will not take our football anywhere. This is exactly the primary reason why we are now saddled with a Normalization Committee {NC}.
The game of football is governed by rules and regulations inked in simple lingo but those entrusted to administer to game have developed a different interpretation of justice. Strangely, nobody is advocating for Plan B, blatantly ignoring the plight of the permanently suffering lower division teams. Why should teams in the lower divisions be unfairly punished and denied their rightful platform to compete for promotion via play offs.
Just seat around the table for a dialogue with all the affected parties and seek an affordable easy methodology to get the league completed within a short period.
If we genuinely claim to have the interest of football at heart, let us not be blinded by loyalty, greed, hatred and shameless “chomie skaap” do the right thing, work out a new model, and get the national division one streams in motion.
Let us bring closure to this unpleasant episode unless there are sinister moves to avoid any discussion about promotion. I rest my case.