SOWETO DERBY
Mihlali Baleka|Published
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has sent a stern warning to the organisers of the Soweto Derby – particularly Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) – saying that if they don't get their house in order for the upcoming clash later this month, there’ll be a huge price to pay.
Recent derbies have devolved into chaos for spectators, as clips have gone viral showing overcrowding and stampedes inside FNB Stadium when the venue was filled beyond its 90,000-seater capacity for the clash between Orlando Pirates and arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs.
This didn’t just put the game and teams at risk, but more importantly, the lives of the supporters, especially those who bought legitimate tickets to be inside the venue.
In their bid to curb overcrowding, the sale of counterfeit tickets, and prevent the loss of life – such as during the Ellis Park and Orkney incidents, the two deadliest stadium disasters in South African football history – SMSA made the ticketing system digital for the last two derbies.
They also ensured that they deployed enough checkpoints, support personnel, and security staff inside and around the precinct. However, that didn’t quite work.
McKenzie has noted all the shortcomings, stating that his office has been in contact with SMSA, and the office of the Minister of Police, led by the acting Prof Firoz Cachalia, demanding smooth operations come October 31 at the Calabash, which was sold out on Wednesday afternoon.
“At the FNB Stadium, whenever there’s a derby, there’s chaos,” McKenzie said. “We are in discussion with Stadium Management – that can’t happen, and it won’t happen in the next derby. I told them to get their act together.
“I have reported this to the police, because there was a low police presence in the last derby, and it can’t be. I wrote a letter to the Minister of Police and highlighted all the mistakes that were there.”
McKenzie is concerned about how the Springboks were able to hold their penultimate Greatest Rivalry series match against arch-rivals the All Blacks at the same venue, with the same capacity, whereas trouble ensues during football matches.
“How do you go to a rugby match with your children, and they can go buy a drink on their own, and they come back and nobody has sat in their seats?” McKenzie said. “In football, you struggle. You might even be stabbed if you tell people ‘I am sitting here with kids’ because there are people with no tickets: tsotsis (thugs), who intimidate people with tickets.”
Without painting the football fraternity with the same brush, McKenzie further stated that it’s up to SMSA to ensure that they plan the event to the tee, without any hurdles – or else, there'll be major repercussions.
“I told Stadium Management I will lock them up. I will have them arrested if they can’t keep our people safe. I want to make that clear,” McKenzie said. “How do you have the same people in a rugby and football game, but there’s chaos in the football game?
“Football fans are not barbarians. Let’s not create an impression that they are.”
SMSA hosted the Scorpion Kings Live Concert after the rugby match, and that too was a success before, during, and after proceedings. This is why McKenzie is justified in suggesting that the Soweto derby should be no different.