Kaizer Chiefs Football Club says while it accepts criticism against the team’s poor performance, it has condemned threats made against the club and players.
Chiefs remarks follow some of the comments made by last weekend’s march organiser to the club’s headquarters in Naturena, Diakanya Ronald Makgato, where a memorandum of demands was submitted to the club.
According to Amakhosi, it noted and condemned some of the verbal comments made by Makgato directed against supporters, name calling and violence directed at branch members.
As Kaizer Chiefs, we value and respect our supporters deeply and recognise their passion for the Club over the last 56 years.
It is a fanbase that almost every other club envies, which is one of the reasons why we cherish them so much.
“While we acknowledge the right of fans to voice their concerns, we strongly condemn the actions that followed the protest.
The ultimatums and threats of violence directed at the Club through various interviews conducted by Makgato after the protest are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
While we accept that not all people belong to branches, we also strongly condemn verbal attacks directed at disciplined Kaizer Chiefs supporters who belong to organised structures or branches recognised by the Club,” read a statement from Chiefs.
Chiefs have since opened a case against Makgato, and provided the police with recordings of the remarks that he made during his recent interviews.
The club also stressed that it will not tolerate insults and threats of violence directed at branch members.
“We note with concern that certain falsehoods have been spread by Makgato, which did not appear in the document that he and the few individuals who accompanied him to the Village handed to our representatives.
These spurious claims serve to sow discord among supporters.
Transparency and honesty are vital, and we urge our fans to engage constructively rather than through destructive misinformation,” explained the statement.
Chiefs, who lie sixth in the Betway Premiership and were knocked out in all domestic competitions, however acknowledged the team’s recent poor performance.
“As such, we acknowledge that recent performances on the pitch have been challenging, fuelling a sense of disquiet among some sectors of our fans, and as a collective, we are working tirelessly to turn the situation around.
The Club remains committed to improving results on the pitch.
We are focused on working harder and ensuring that our supporters can be proud of our performances,” remarked the club.
Furthermore, Chiefs appealed to the media to take steps to ascertain the veracity of the information before publishing inaccurate information and the promotion of violence in football.
“We appeal to our fans to continue supporting the team in a positive and respectful manner, and these tough times too shall pass, and the days of glory will return,” concluded the statement.
