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Politics takes back seat in soccer-mad Zimbabwe
ZimOnline
January 27, 2006

http://www.zimonline.co.za/headdetail.asp?ID=11517

HARARE - A group of about 20 young men are engaged in a fierce debate as they offload some bricks from a truck at a construction site in Harare's Willowvale industrial area.

In high-pitched voices, the group continues to feverishly argue whether Zimbabwe's national soccer team, the Warriors, have any chance in hell to make an impact at the ongoing African Cup of Nations (ACON) tournament in Egypt.

For a change, it looks like the subject of politics, which dominates public discourse in crisis-weary Zimbabwe, has for now been pushed to the back seat. In its place is the beautiful game, as Brazilian legend Pele would put it.

Zimbabweans, it appears, have all momentarily forgotten about their normal daily woes of food shortages, long queues at supermarkets and lack of jobs.

Even the rival supporters of President Robert Mugabe and main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai seem to have buried the hatchet - at least for now - as a collective euphoria grips the nation.

"It appears as if even the government is not under constant scrutiny at the moment. They can get away with anything at present as the nation has gone to sleep," said Tinashe Chamunorwa, a banker in Harare.

The Warriors are making their second consecutive appearance at the Nations Cup finals, itself a cause for celebration by Zimbabweans who had waited for 24 years to see their national squad making it to Africa's premier soccer tournament.

A 2-0 mauling by Senegal in their opening game could not even deflate the palpable euphoria with many Zimbabweans somehow hoping the Warriors will perform better against Nigeria in their second game tonight. This, despite the fact that Nigeria's Super Eagles are tougher opponents than Senegal.

"The talk would normally be about the food shortages, where to find sugar, bread or maize meal but not these days," said Memory Chibasa, a sales assistant with a leading clothing retail chain in Harare.

"These days we are all living, talking and dreaming soccer," she added and as if to prove her point quickly began recounting how her younger brother would not eat his supper on Monday night after Zimbabwe's defeat by Senegal.

Jethro Mpofu, a social commentator in Zimbabwe's second biggest city of Bulawayo said after six years of a severe economic crisis it was not surprising that Zimbabweans would cling at anything that would make them forget their worries even if the relief is only temporary.

"While watching the Nations Cup finals is the preserve of an embarrassing percentage of the population who own television sets, the games can only provide a psychological escape route in these trying times," said Mpofu.

Zimbabwe's economic crisis, the worst the country has faced in more than two decades of independence from Britain, has spawned shortages of nearly every basic survival commodity. Food, fuel, electricity and essential medical drugs are all in short supply while inflation is pegged at 585.8 percent with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe predicting the key rate to shoot to between 700 and 800 percent by March.

But within this crisis, Zimbabweans say they have found some peace and hope in sport, particularly soccer, the dominant sport among the country's black majority.

And Mugabe's government, held responsible by critics for Zimbabwe's economic crisis, has been quick to exploit the opportunity to use sport for propaganda purposes.

Through the Ministry of Sport, the government has in the past openly hijacked the national soccer team raising billions of dollars to pay for incentives and other needs for the Warriors' at the soccer tournament, in what political analysts say is a bid to win the hearts of soccer-loving Zimbabweans.

But to some Zimbabweans the fact that the government could devote so much energy to raising resources for soccer when hospitals were going without drugs and millions face starvation only saves to show how misplaced its priorities are.

As 35-year old mother of two Tsitsi Chizambi summed it: "Why can't the government demonstrate the same spirit of compassion to help the hungry given the manner in which it raised billions of dollars to meet the Warriors' expenses at the tournament?"

It remains to be seen whether the government's robust backing for the Warriors will pay off politically. But for now Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF party can afford to take a nap as the attention of a hungry and angry Zimbabwe is momentarily focused elsewhere - on the tournament in Egypt. - ZimOnline

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