9 April 2019 – The South African Football Association (SAFA) has noted a new trend in which supporters of political parties attend football matches displaying and promoting political or religious t-shirts, flags and other regalia.
“Football is apolitical in its nature and we should all strive to promote a friendly, family atmosphere at the stadiums. It is for this reason that political regalia is among the list of prohibited items that are banned by CAF, FIFA and affiliated FAs,” said SAFA’s Acting CEO, Russell Paul.
“While we respect individuals’ right to associate himself/herself with the political party of his/her choice or to be affiliated to any religious sector of one’s choice, this should not be done openly within football environments as it is in violation of football governing bodies’ statutes. This has also the potential to raise tensions between supporters of different political parties and might lead to physical confrontations,” he added.
Paul said those that contravene this rule will either be ejected from the stadiums or have their regalia taken away from them.