After last week’s chaotic Soweto derby, Minister of Sports, Arts Gayton McKenzie has requested a full post-event report through the relevant structures, including the event safety and security planning committee, to establish exactly what happened, what worked, and where the gaps were.
From the Johannesburg Metro Police Department side, chief of police, commissioner Patrick Jaca is also perturbed and says that if he had his way, the derby would go according to the 2010 Fifa World Cup model, whereby there was order, no fake tickets, park and ride efficiency and more boots on the ground.
The highly charged-up match between Mzansi’s two biggest clubs Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs ended in a 1-1 after 90 minutes of entertaining football, but sadly, the same cannot be said about events outside the FNB Stadium.
There were huge traffic jams on the roads and the match was delayed for 45 minutes for safety and security reasons to allow supporters to enter the stadium. The new digital ticketing system had a few glitches and the frustration resulted in some of the fans pushing and storming in the stadium without tickets. Fake and counterfeit tickets merchants were also on the prowl, leading to the stadium being over the capacity.
There are worries that the derby is no longer adhering to Judge Bernard Ngoepe Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations. The commission was instigated after the April 11 2001 Ellis Park Disaster, where 43 fans were crushed to death during a stampede between a Chiefs and Pirates match.
“The scenes we all saw around the Soweto Derby are a matter of serious concern,” McKenzie exclusively spoke to Sunday World. “The safety of supporters must always come first, and any indication of overcrowding, congestion, or breakdowns in access control must be treated with
urgency and honesty.
“The reference to the Ngoepe commission is an important one. The core lesson from Ellis Park is that crowd management failures have real and tragic consequences. That is precisely why we must remain vigilant, continuously improve our systems, and ensure that accountability is properly enforced where required,” he added.
McKenzie says that supporters must also play their part. A lot of blame has been put on supporters who are notorious for arriving at the derby late.
“No system can function safely if large numbers of people attempt to enter without valid tickets or do not comply with safety instructions.”
McKenzie explained further: “The Soweto Derby is one of the biggest sporting events on the continent. It brings with it very high demand, and unfortunately also the persistent challenge of large numbers of people arriving at the venue without valid tickets.
“I have requested a full post-event report through the relevant structures. It is important that we do not speculate or assign blame before that process is completed.”
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- Minister of Sports, Arts Gayton McKenzie has called for a comprehensive post-event report on last week’s chaotic Soweto derby.
- The report will be compiled through relevant structures, including the event safety and security planning committee.
- The aim is to thoroughly understand what transpired during the event.
- The investigation seeks to identify what measures worked effectively.
- It also aims to pinpoint gaps and shortcomings in the event's security and safety management.
After last week’s chaotic Soweto derby, Minister of Sports, Arts Gayton McKenzie has requested a full post-event report through the relevant structures, including the event safety and security planning committee, to establish exactly what happened, what worked, and where the gaps were.
From the Johannesburg Metro Police Department side, chief of police, commissioner Patrick Jaca is also perturbed and says that if he had his way, the derby would go according to the 2010 Fifa World Cup model, whereby there was order, no fake tickets, park and ride efficiency and more boots on the ground.
“
urgency and honesty.
“
McKenzie says that supporters must also play their part. A lot of blame has been put on supporters who are notorious for arriving at the derby late.
“No system can function safely if large numbers of people attempt to enter without valid tickets or do not comply with safety instructions.”
McKenzie explained further: “
“I have requested a full post-event report through the relevant structures. It is important that we do not speculate or assign blame before that process is completed.”
Visit SW YouTube Channel for our video content
