FNB Stadium tragedy: Action is needed
The Carling Black Label Champion Cup match was marred by the death of two people. This has to come to an end.
Darren, Benedict, and Sky weigh in on the FNB Stadium tragedy. Listen to the podcast and read more in the blog below.
The Soweto derby between Orlando Prates and Kaizer Chiefs was supposed to be a showpiece occasion on Saturday, but things turned sour outside the stadium when two people lost their lives and 17 sustained injuries.
This was allegedly due to a stampede caused by the fans who were trying to force their way into the stadium with fake tickets.
Heavily congested roads in Gauteng also caused a lot of pushing and shoving, and I remember how the match commissioner had to postpone the kick-off time of the 2011 Carling Black Label Champion Cup match because people were still trying to get into the stadium.
Whether this was due to negligence by fans, the sale of fake tickets or officials not doing their jobs properly, it has to be dealt with accordingly.
One question that keeps popping up is why was the game not stopped? PSL Chairman Dr Irvin Khoza has made it very clear that the match commissioner has to appoint a chairperson who will take care of safety issues both inside and outside of the stadium.
A strong message must also be sent out to fans because fake ticket sellers and pitch invaders haven't been harshly punished, to be honest.
(File photo)