The silence from the host club Orlando Pirates, the PSL and the visiting team Kaizer Chiefs in this instance is deafening after events of last week at the Soweto derby at the FNB Stadium.
After major traffic jams and fans pushing gates, security officers and storming into some sections of the stadium, the match was delayed for 45 minutes for safety and security reasons to avoid another disaster in the form of a stampede.
It is business as usual, as if everything were as smooth as butter, and everything is left to Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) to answer and be responsible for all the aspects that went wrong. They are the only ones who have bothered to say something and communicate their point of view.
For the rest of the parties, it has passed, and nobody was hurt. They will see in the coming derbies in the new season. Why should they bother about a disaster that has not happened yet? After all, they have been playing in Soweto derbies since 1969, when Chiefs was formed. Why all the fuss all of a sudden?
It may have been 21 years ago when the Ellis Park tragedy befell SA diski and 43 supporters, young and old, were crushed to death – but for someone who was there at that match on April 11, 2001, the memories are still fresh, and for those families who lost their loved ones, the emotional scars will never go away.
In the last couple of seasons, the appetite for the derby has grown immensely; the demand for tickets and to be part of the spectacle is higher than a backstreet junkie’s. This has resulted in the derby becoming a death trap and a ticking time bomb.
The problem starts on the highways, and I think there must be a total ban on private cars at the derby. I covered the 2010 World Cup opening game and the final, both at FNB. There were no private cars at the venue, but it was full to capacity (95 000). Only the vehicles of Fifa officials, dignitaries, stakeholders, workers, working media and others were allowed in.
Without a valid ticket, you could not get close to the stadium. People left their homes early to catch buses at schools, parks, in Sandton and at some malls and Park Station – the same when the Springboks or Lions play at Ellis Park.
They always fill the 60 000 capacity stadium to the rafters, and there are never issues, especially when the stadium is plonked in the hustle and bustle of the Jozi CBD. Durban got it right when the two clubs played in the final of the Nedbank Cup last season. What is the problem with Gauteng supporters?
After the Sunday mess, SMSA came out boldly, saying, “The operational challenges encountered were largely driven by unlawful and non-compliant spectator conduct. The event underscores the urgent need for shared accountability across all stakeholders, including spectators,” adds the statement.
The SMSA and its Event Safety and Security Planning Committee (ESSPC) say that public accountability must be balanced, fact-based, and reflective of the full context within which these events are planned and executed.
They say that it is important to place on record that this event was underpinned by extensive, multi-agency planning, incorporating detailed safety, security, traffic management, and access control measures.
According to them, these plans were properly assessed, coordinated and approved through established ESSPC processes, with the primary objective of ensuring spectator safety and preventing any risk of overcapacity.
In any environment, the default is chaos, but order is enforced through rules and enforcers so that lawfulness prevails… Shifting this responsibility to fans and SMSA won’t solve the problem because fans will always try tricks for a benefit no matter how much education is given to them. Fans and people, especially, don’t naturally just follow rules… the first point of call for most is to make a system ungovernable.
- The Soweto derby at FNB Stadium last week was marked by significant incidents.
- There has been a notable silence from Orlando Pirates, the PSL, and Kaizer Chiefs regarding these events.
- The lack of official statements or responses is drawing public attention.
- The article discussing the full details is available in the e-edition of Sunday World.
- Readers are encouraged to purchase the e-edition for an in-depth account of the situation.
After major traffic jams and fans pushing gates, security officers and storming into some sections of the stadium, the match was delayed for 45 minutes for safety and security reasons to avoid another disaster in the form of a stampede.
It is business as usual, as if everything were as smooth as butter, and everything is left to Stadium Management
For the rest of the parties, it has passed, and nobody was hurt.
It may have been 21 years ago when the Ellis Park tragedy befell SA diski and 43 supporters, young and old, were crushed to death – but for someone who was there at that match on April 11, 2001, the memories are still fresh, and for those families who lost their loved ones, the emotional scars will never go away.
In the last couple of seasons, the appetite for the derby has grown immensely; the demand for tickets and to be part of the spectacle is higher than a backstreet junkie’s.
After the
In any environment, the default is chaos, but order is enforced through rules and enforcers so that lawfulness prevails...
