The government, through the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, has condemned the violence that led to Sunday’s Premier Soccer League match between Hard Rock and Dynamos being abandoned at Chahwanda Stadium.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Secretary for the Ministry, Nicholas Moyo, said they are “concerned” by the 24 May incident, warning that such violence threatens the safety of players, officials and supporters and “undermines the integrity of our sport”.
“As Government, we deplore such incidents that undermine our efforts to bring international football back into the country,” the statement read. “We call upon soccer-loving Zimbabweans to focus on the bigger picture.”
The match, played on Sunday, 24 May 2026, was called off after crowd trouble erupted at the stadium.
Moyo commended ZIFA and the PSL for their “prompt response” and backed their ongoing work to promote discipline, safety and respect in football.
He urged clubs, fans, security agencies and the community to “work together to foster a culture of dialogue and collective ownership of our sporting infrastructure”.
“Sporting infrastructure is capital intensive and the result of huge sacrifice by both public and private investors,” the Ministry said. “We must guard jealously against any form of vandalism of these facilities for the benefit of current and future generations.”
Moyo said the government was awaiting a comprehensive report on the matter and “trusts that the PSL, working with ZIFA, will ensure this incident will never be repeated”.
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