DYNAMOS have expressed disappointment with match commissioner Ruzive Ruzive’s conduct following Sunday’s abandoned Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Hardrock at Chahwanda Stadium.
The match, the first-ever meeting between the two sides, was abandoned after violent clashes between supporters erupted at the Kwekwe venue, forcing players and match officials, led by referee Mhaka Magara, to retreat to the changing rooms.
According to eyewitness accounts, the violence began in the stands when supporters clashed.
Some Dynamos supporters then moved onto the pitch ostensibly to safety, but Hardrock fans allegedly pursued them onto the field, using stones and physical force in the continued clashes.
Hardrock CEO Kudzanayi Hove was captured on video stomping a Dynamos supporter already on the ground.
Hove is understood to have been summoned by the police for questioning yesterday.
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Several supporters were injured, some seriously, before police intervened more than 10 minutes after the violence began.
With the stadium cleared and players confined to the dressing rooms, match commissioner Ruzive was tasked with determining the way forward.
Initially, the former referee wanted the match to resume from the 81st minute.
However, darkness was already setting in, given that the game’s original kickoff time had been delayed by 30 minutes to allow a massive backlog of fans outside the stadium to enter.
Dynamos executive members sought clarity on the situation, but Ruzive is said to have refused to entertain them.
Instead, he was seen repeatedly pulling Hardrock chairperson Wellington Mpandare aside for private discussions. Subsequently, referee Magara was called out to officially blow the final whistle.
The drama continued to unfold in front of the police and members of the media, as Ruzive and Mpandare moved around the venue. Long after the Dynamos executives and their team had departed, the pair allegedly went into a private meeting for unclear reasons.
Dynamos said they will file a formal complaint with the Zifa Referees Committee, questioning the commissioner’s neutrality and conduct.
The club has also submitted its official match report to the Premier Soccer League (PSL), while Hardrock is expected to do the same. The PSL Disciplinary Committee will determine the outcome of the abandoned fixture.
A member of the Dynamos leadership condemned the violent conduct that led to the abandonment of the match.
“We condemn all forms of violence in football. It’s unfortunate when it is the CEO of a rival club who is involved in beating another team’s fans,” the executive said.
“Furthermore, the conduct of match commissioner Ruzive Ruzive left a lot to be desired. We were uncomfortable seeing him with Hardrock chairperson Wellington Mpandare at every turn, holding seemingly endless meetings. You wonder why and how that should be the case after such unfortunate circumstances led to the premature end of a match.”
The violence at Chahwanda Stadium has caught the attention of the government. The Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture expressed deep concern over the incident, noting that such actions threaten the safety of stakeholders and undermine ongoing efforts to bring international football back into Zimbabwe.
“We commend both Zifa and PSL for their prompt response and support their ongoing efforts to promote discipline, safety, and respect in football,” it said in a statement.
“It is vital that all stakeholders — clubs, fans, security agencies, and the community — work together to foster a culture of dialogue and collective ownership of our sporting infrastructure. Sporting infrastructure is capital-intensive and a result of huge sacrifices on the part of the investors, both public and private players alike. Accordingly, we must guard jealously against any form of vandalism of these facilities for the benefit of current and future generations.”
The ministry said the government is currently awaiting a comprehensive report on the matter, trusting that the PSL and Zifa will ensure such an incident is never repeated.