Premier Soccer League briefs Parliament on violence at Moses Mabhida Stadium

Committee on Sport resolves to invite PSL to brief it on violence at Moses Mabhida Stadium

The Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation has resolved to invite the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to provide clarity on the violence and vandalism committed by football spectators after last Saturday’s game at Moses Mabhida stadium in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Beauty Dlulane, said the committee wants clarity on some apparent grey areas in the provision of security at sporting events.

“The committee has taken note of all the statements and the pending investigations being proposed on this incident. At the end of the day, the committee has a responsibility to conduct oversight where the interest and lives of South Africans appear to be compromised,” Ms Dlulane said.

“The issue of security at events of that magnitude, where a club as big as Kaizer Chiefs is involved, needs to be a top priority. This incident also points to possible gaps in the system regarding the custodianship and administration of such events,” she said.

Kaizer Chiefs fans invaded the pitch following their club’s 2-0 loss to Free State Stars. They engaged in physical violence with other fans, while also vandalising the stadium and broadcasting equipment. The event was a quarter-final of a PSL sanctioned and administered tournament sponsored by Nedbank.

Ms Dlulane said the committee wanted to understand the motivations behind for the violence. “It would be better if we could understand the reasons for this spectator behaviour before events. The committee is also concerned about the frequency with which these incidents occur,” she said.

The committee is considering a visit to the stadium to assess the damage, subject to parliamentary approval and the committee programme.

For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Sibongile Maputi
Tel: 021 403 8041
Cell: 081 052 6060
E-mail: smaputi@parliament.gov.za

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