Football must ban GBV offenders for life – not two weeks

Where is the accountability?Former Orlando Pirates attacker Thembinkosi Lorch was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend two years ago. Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix Former Orlando Pirates attacker Thembinkosi Lorch was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend two years ago. Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix South African football must take a far tougher stance on players found guilty ofgender-based violence– including lifetime bans from the game – if the sport truly intends to stand against abuse.

The case involvingThembinkosi Lorch, who nowplays for Libyan giants Al-Ittihad SC, should have been a watershed moment. In 2023, the thenOrlando Piratesattacker was convicted of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against his former girlfriend andreceived a three-year prison sentence suspended for five years. However, the football consequences were minimal.Orlando Pirates suspended him for just two weeks after the court ruling– a punishment that many felt trivialised the seriousness of the offence.

Other countries have demonstrated that public figures can face meaningful consequences for gender-based violence.Former Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hoggwas stripped of his MBE this week after being found guilty of domestic abuse. In England,former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood was suspended indefinitely by the club in 2022andlost major sponsorship dealsafter widely circulated evidence of domestic abuse emerged. The response in both countries sent a clear message that success on the field does not excuse behaviour off it.

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The problem is not only about one player or one club. It is about the message the sport sends to millions of supporters. Footballers occupy a powerful cultural space in South Africa.

For many young people – particularly boys – professional players are role models whose behaviour sets a standard for what success and masculinity look like. When someone convicted of assault can resume his career almost immediately, the implicit message is clear: talent can outweigh accountability. That is a dangerous precedent in a country already battling one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world.

Some argue that clubs must respect labour law or avoid “double punishment” once the courts have ruled. But football has never been purely about employment. It is also about representation.

Players represent clubs, communities and, in some cases, the nation. With that privilege comes responsibility. A lifetime ban from professional football for players convicted of gender-based violence would send an unmistakable message: the game values human dignity more than goals, assists or trophies.

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