Has the law really and truly become an ass?

I have it on good authority, that the PSL Prosecutor has been praying very hard to the heavens for the last 15 months since a section of Orlando Pirates supporters behaved like hooligans, ripping out TV cables and causing untold damage to both property and broadcast equipment.

That was on that fateful month of February during 2016, when they could no longer count the number of goals their goalkeeper had to fetch from behind his net as Mamelodi Sundowns went on the rampage. And as the case landed on his desk the following day, the Prosecutor started praying.

He prayed for divine intervention, because he did not seem to know how he would punish the marauding and thuggish behaving black and white clad supporters. He was mindful of the fact that a few weeks previously, the Buccaneers had also lost 6-0 to SuperSport United and he did not want to be seen to be rubbing their festering wounds.

Yet at the same time he knew he had to do his job. And his job entailed handing down judgement to errant clubs and their supporters without fear or favour. He applied his legal mind to the matter at hand, postponed the outcome for 14-months and continued praying.

He prayed for a sign, any sign. “They are all here Lord, I mean the entire media, ranging from print, electronic and television and they are all watching and waiting with bated breadths for my decision. Please Give me a sign Lord, I do not want to be accused of favouritism.”

Then in a moment of inspiration, the PSL Prosecutor reached a decision and decided that for ripping out the Loftus Stadium seats, causing untold damage to both property and broadcast equipment which interrupted the live broadcast of the match, he would suspend the Pirates supporters from attending two home matches!

Yes, he rubbed his hands with glee and explained that he has seen the light and received the sign from the heavens above, and rather that punish the Pirates supporters any further, he would prevent them from watching the club’s last two matches at home.

Now getting in his element, he felt perhaps two matches would be too harsh and to hell with those who proclaim that we are all equal in front of the law and instead, he would go rogue and impose only a one match ban from watching the club at Orlando Stadium and the other match that was supposed to be also watched behind closed doors, he would suspend that decision for 24 months!

I am really tempted to call the law an ass. How the PSL Prosecutor reached this laughable verdict is beyond me. Is he saying that it is okay to rip out stadium seats, rip TV broadcast cables from camera sockets and throw missiles onto the pitch at every moving object ranging from players to officials and for this heinous misdemeanour, you only get barred from watching your team in ONE match!

I give up.

Then for good measure, Kaizer Chiefs get fined R250 000 of which R200 000 is suspended for two years, on condition that their supporters do not lose their heads again during that period, after they had also taken the law into their hands and pelted their players and coach Steve Komphela with missiles following an embarrassing 3-0 loss at home to Chippa United.

Yes, I agree that football is an emotional game and while experts would make us believe that you either win or lose and whatever the result, you got to accept the outcome, one gets the distinct impression however, that for certain clubs, it is win at all cost and woe unto everybody should their club lose.

I honestly and sincerely cannot teach the PSL Prosecutor how to perform his duties. But firstly, it is rather disappointing that it took him 14-months before he could collect enough evidence and finally handed down judgement against the errant Pirates supporters.

But it worries me that same fellow or another arm of the PSL law enforcement entity has horribly dropped the ball in the Tendai Ndoro affair. How did they allow this matter to degenerate into this mess where their pitiful attempt to shift responsibility to FIFA has now back-fired?

Is it asking too much of the PSL Prosecutor to request him to deal with acts of misconduct the next day and hand down judgement before the week is out, like Zola Majavu used to do?