The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has joined the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) in condemning the outbreak of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
TFF President Jamal Malinzi
Ahead of the 2015 COSAFA Cup to be hosted by South Africa, parts of the rainbow nation have seen attacks on foreign nationals as disgruntled locals call for them to leave the country.
Tanzania’s Taifa Stars are among twelve teams that have been lined up for the forthcoming COSAFA Cup scheduled between May 17 and 30 in the North West province, which has not been affected by the ongoing attacks by the locals on fellow Africans.
In a letter to COSAFA President Seketu Patel, copied to South Africa Football Association (SAFA) Dr Danny Jordan, TFF President Jamal Malinzi expressed his sadness on the violence that has badly dented the image of South Africa in the eyes of the international community.
Malinzi believes that Tanzania, in collaboration with fellow Southern African nations, can use the forthcoming COSAFA Cup tournament as a unifying factor among youth as well as a platform to sensitise the public on the evils of xenophobia.
COSAFA president Patel on Saturday led the condemnation of the attacks by the leadership of the organisation and offered support to SAFA.
“COSAFA is a zone of multicultural backgrounds and we fully condemn the shameful xenophobia we are seeing in South Africa,” he said.
“However, we stand firmly behind SAFA at this time and are looking forward to the COSAFA Cup 2015 as an opportunity for all countries in the region to come together in peace.”
Former Namibia Football Association president John Muinjo, who is now chairman of COSAFA’s Referees Committee and a senior member of the executive, is also hopeful the COSAFA Cup 2015 can build solidarity.
“In support of the decision taken by the South African government as well as SADC to condemn the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, I feel as COSAFA leaders we should also condemn the violence strongly,” he said.
“But football being a bridge-builder, we should in solidarity encourage SAFA and COSAFA to host the tournament in South Africa as planned and by doing so demonstrating that as Africans we are against those barbaric acts and that COSAFA is determined to assist normalising the situation.”
Muinjo believes any suggestions the tournament should be shelved would be counter productive. “By shelving the tournament we are not by any means going to solve the problem, but in fact running away from it.”
SAFA have already condemned the xenophobic attacks and called on the perpetrators to cease immediately. “What is happening in certain parts of the country whereby fellow Africans are being subjected to all sorts of hate and abuse is quite unacceptable,” said Jordaan.
“This is not what the 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy was all about. When we hosted the 2010 showpiece, it was an African World Cup, to unite the continent, speak and relate as a united family.
“We as SAFA are saying these barbaric actions must end; and end now. We fought against apartheid because it segregated society and xenophobia has the same apartheid tendencies.”
Tanzania and West African giants Ghana will compete in this year’s COSAFA Cup after being invited by the Southern Africa football governing body to take part in the tournament as guest teams.
Taifa Stars have been drawn in Group A of the championship and will face the threat of Namibia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe in their bid to make the quarter-finals.