Soweto Derby Tragedy: Death of soccer fans an own goal for administrators

On Monday Gauteng Health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa visited the survivors and the families of those who died in Saturday’s stampede at the FNB Stadium. It was not the first time a health minister or MEC visited with survivors of a stampede at a soccer match.

In 2001, at least 43 people died and scores of others were injured in a stampede at the Ellis Park Stadium during a game between the same two teams.

Back then, many South Africans and the international football fraternity criticised the Premier Soccer League for not doing enough to ensure the safety of spectators and players. At the time it was reported that thousands of spectators were trying to get into an already packed stadium and poorly trained security guards, in a botched attempt at crowd control, fired tear gas into the crowd, resulting in the stampede.

Sixteen years later it seems South Africa’s football authorities are yet to realise how lax security at the country’s stadiums is.

Speaking to Daily Maverick on Monday, a Chiefs fan, Simbongile Faku, said  security at stadiums was a huge concern. “They let people without tickets too close to the stadium. This should not be the case ... it is made clear that tickets to that particular match have been sold out days before the game. The PSL and stadium management make a lot of money from stadium revenue. The best they could use this money is by ensuring the safety of fans and players,” Faku said.

One of the main issues that saw fans converge on the stadium was ticket touts who bought tickets in advance so that they could sell them at an inflated price on match day. And according to a Stadium Management South Africa statement this seems to have played a role in Saturday’s stampede.

Faku said this needed to be prevented because it was the main source of chaos before big games.

Echoing Faku’s words, his friend Sivuyile Dodovu said people should not be allowed anywhere near the stadium because they linger at the gates until they accumulate into a big crowd. “This is how the disaster normally builds up.”

“Soccer fans should shoulder some of the responsibility. They should not encourage the chaos by purchasing tickets from fellow fans who want to make money,” Faku said.

Daily Maverick asked Premier Soccer League spokesperson, Lux September, what had been done since the Ellis Park disaster but was yet to get answer.

The PSL has, however, launched an inquiry into the deaths of the two fans.

On Monday, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates held a joint media briefing during which they expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased, whose names were yet to be formally released.

Speaking at the briefing, Pirates chairperson Irvin Khoza downplayed criticism levelled at the PSL and the teams for continuing with the match despite the stampede, saying: “The game was not stopped because we had to abide by safety and security regulations. The only person on the pitch is the ref who can stop the game.”

Stadium Management South Africa, in a statement released on Sunday afternoon, expressed shock at the incident.

It said that the logistics for Saturday’s match were done in terms of the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act and that the event had been categorised by the police as a “medium risk event”.

“No less than seven (7) ESSPC safety and security planning meetings and a series of, amongst others, ESSPC security and transport management sub-committee meetings were held, under the chairmanship and direction of the ESSPC chairperson, in the lead-up to (the) event. A properly and comprehensively documented ESSPC event safety and security plan was prepared for the event,” it said, adding that an inquest docket had been opened. DM

Photo: Irvin Khoza, Chairman of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Motaung, Chairman of Kaizer Chiefs during 2017 Carling Black Label Cup Fatalities Press Conference at PSL Offices, Johannesburg South Africa on 31 July 2017 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix