THE decision by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to proceed with last weekend's Chibuku Super Cup matches as business as usual was deeply disappointing.

Zimbabwe was mourning a tragedy of devastating proportions after the Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized on Lake Kariba on August 11, killing scores of people and leaving families desperately awaiting news of their loved ones.

By the time the matches were played, 44 bodies had been recovered and 77 survivors rescued. The death toll has since climbed to 93, according to police, making it the deadliest maritime accident in Zimbabwe's history.

The ferry, carrying far more people than its authorised capacity of 90, capsized in rough conditions en route from Kariba to nearby communities and fishing camps. Survivors described passengers pleading for the vessel to turn back as water poured in.

This was not an ordinary accident. It was a national tragedy.

Yet on football pitches around the country, there was no official moment of silence, no black armbands and no visible gesture from the football authorities acknowledging a nation in mourning. That is difficult to understand.

Keep Reading

Football is a business, entertainment and a livelihood for thousands. But before all that, it is part of society. Players, coaches, administrators, supporters and referees are citizens who live in the same communities and are affected by national tragedies like everyone else. The scale of the Kariba disaster surely warrants a gesture of solidarity.

The case of ZPC Kariba makes the decision harder to justify. Here was a team representing a community directly affected by the tragedy, asked to travel to Baobab Stadium to face Ngezi Platinum Stars while Kariba was still in grief.

To their credit, ZPC Kariba won and veteran coach Expense Chitukutuku dedicated the victory to those who lost their lives and the families affected — a touching gesture from a football man who understood the occasion was about more than football.

But should ZPC Kariba have played at all? The club may have requested a postponement. At the very least, the match could have opened with a minute's silence and players wearing black armbands in solidarity with Kariba.

Most likely some players, coaches and officials within our football family lost relatives, friends or neighbours in this tragedy. Footballers do not exist in a vacuum simply because they're expected to perform on the pitch — which is exactly why leadership matters here.

Zifa and PSL have a chance to show that football understands its responsibility to society. A directive for black armbands, a minute's silence or a coordinated tribute tells grieving families their pain has not gone unnoticed — and teaches young footballers that sport is about humanity and solidarity, not just winning and losing.

It is not too late. Midweek fixtures remain — Dynamos face Scottland at Rufaro and Highlanders play Chicken Inn at Barbourfields — with a full league programme expected this weekend. The football authorities should use these occasions to honour the victims.

A minute of silence cannot bring back a life. A black armband cannot heal a grieving family. But these small acts matter — they acknowledge loss, show respect and remind grieving communities they are not alone.

Zimbabwean football must pause, look beyond the touchline and recognise the pain of the nation. The game must never become so consuming that it forgets the society in which it exists.