On a hot Sunday afternoon in a suburb of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, two unlikely football teams run out on to a dusty pitch.
As in Sunday soccer everywhere, the players are mostly middle-aged, pot-bellied and, to be honest, pretty useless. But an enthusiastic crowd that can number more than 2 000 cheers them on each week.
This is not your average boozers’ league. The matches pit officials and supporters of the ruling Zanu-PF against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) — with each team decked out in their party colours — a development unimaginable in the immediate aftermath of the controversial March election.
The matches represent a real attempt to bridge a political divide in the polarised country. At stake at the end of 90 minutes is not political power or a constituency seat — just team pride and Z$500 000 (about R500) in prize money.
The football games are the brainchild of two men: Job Sikhala, the burly MDC parliamentarian for St Marys — who doubles as coach and substitute for the opposition — and Last Chiyangwa, a popular musician who supports the ruling party.
“We believe that the people of Zimbabwe need to go through a process of healing — these challenge soccer matches are a way of promoting peace and stability in the area. As residents and leaders in the community, we cannot sit back and watch people beating each other up,” said Sikhala as he prepared to make a tactical change by going on himself.
“We should create a culture whereby we respect the political opinions of others and are still able to live in harmony together.”
Chiyangwa, in between bellowing instructions from the Zanu-PF bench, concurred. “A large number of supporters watching this match are wearing political regalia of their choice, but that harmony does not exist in some parts of the country, and we hope what is happening here can spread throughout the country.”
The comedy of errors on the football pitch certainly had the crowd laughing in unison, and after each match both camps share mugs of traditional beer bought with the prize money. — Irin