UPUTCO Mafani, owayengumxhumanisi weKaizer Chiefs nabalandeli (PRO) eminyakeni edlule, ukholwa wukuthi ukuqhelelana phakathi kwabalandeli neqembu yikhona okubadalela intukuthelo.
UMafani wayekhona ngezikhathi zenjabulo kwiChiefs, aziwa ngokuhambela abalandeli nokudansa enkundleni. Ngaleso sikhathi yayiwina izindebe iphindelela. Abaningi basamkhumbula ngesiqubulo sakhe i-Operation Vat Alles (thatha zonke) ngesikhathi iChiefs iwina izindebe okubalwa iMandela Cup (Caf Confederation Cup), iBP Top 8 neCoca Cola Cup ngo-2001.
Kwabanye usahlezi ezinhliziyweni ngenxa yeculo aliqamba ngomgadli waseZambia, uCollins Mbesuma, elalithi “Mbesuma Bemlandela’’ ngenxa yokuqhulula kwakhe amagoli ngesizini ka-2004/2025. Ngaleyo sizini iChiefs yawina iligi.
UMafani wayehambela amagatsha abalandeli, ebafundisa ngokuziphatha nokubaluleka kokuba ngumlandeli waMakhosi, elalela nezikhalo zabo.
Nokho umsebenzi wokuzifikela ngqo kubalandeli wagcina ngoMafani kwiChiefs. Kukhona abalandeli abasakukhalela lokho ngoba kwakubanika inkundla yokuzwakalisa izikhalo eqenjini. Ukudinwa kwabo sebekuveza enkundleni ngokushaya abaqeqeshi nokuhhewula abadlali.
NgoLwesine iPremier Soccer League (PSL) iphinde yahlawulisa iChiefs ngesigameko sokuphosa izinto enkundleni esenzeke ngesikhathi ibhekene ne-Orlando Pirates, ngenyanga edlule.
“Ngizwa ubuhlungu njalo uma abalandeli benza lokho. Kufanele ngabe kulula manje ukuxhumana nabo ngoba sekunobuxhakaxhaka, nezinkundla zokuxhumana. Kodwa akufanele zithathe umsebenzi wabaxhumanisi babalandeli namaqembu. Kunalokho kufanele kuwenze ubengcono.
“Ukuphosa amabhodlela kwabalandeli kusho ukuthi kukhona ukuqhelelana phakathi kwabo neqembu. Ngebhadi ebholeni lesimanje eNingizimu Afrika, uyabona ukuthi abasayingeni eyama-PRO. Ngokwami kuyiphutha elikhulu ngoba kunezinto ezintathu empilweni yethu eNingizimu Afrika okuyipolitiki, ibhola, nenkolo ongeke uphumelele kuzona ngaphandle kokuzifikela kubantu ngqo.
“Nakuba unekhasi le-Facebook, nele-Tik Tok nokunye kodwa ungayeki ukuya kubona abalandeli, ukhulume nabo ngenhlonipho nozwelo ikakhulu uma iqembu lingenzi kahle,” kusho uMafani.
Ilukuluku lokulalelwa yiqembu kwabalandeli beChiefs labonakala ngo-2021 ngesikhathi bemashela eNaturena, nohlu lwezikhalo. Nakuba zikhona izinto abakhala ngazo kodwa uMafani ufongqe izigqoko kubona, ebacela ukuthi bangagudluki ezimisweni zeqembu okuwukuthula, noxolo.
“Isiqubulo esithi ‘love and peace, siyinto enkulu. Uma uphakamisa ibhodlela, ushaya umsizi kanompempe, ufana nomuntu okhumula ijezi alishise emlilweni. Kanti iqembu lakhiwe ngalezo zimiso zokuthula noxolo. Hhayi ngoba lalizowina kuwona wonke amasizini.
Uma siphakamisa uKuthula noXolo, siphakamisa abadlali, siphakamisa abaqeqeshi. Kodwa uma sikhombisa ukuthukuthela okuyisimanga, nabo sesiyabacindezela. Zikhona izimpawu zokuthi iqembu liyalunga, kunezimpawu zokuthi sisayinise abadlali beqophela, kunezimpawu zokuthi iChiefs izobuyela ekuwineni.
Ngiyacela kuMakhosi amahle ukuthi sihlale ngokuthula noxolo. Akumnandi ukudliwa emuva kokudliwa kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi kuzoba wukubekezela kwethu nokuthembeka okuzobuyisa iqembu.”