Derby stampede victims’ families unhappy with PSL
Acting CEO won’t shoulder blame for league’s no-show
Premier Soccer League’s acting chief executive Mato Madlala has refused to shoulder blame for the league’s no-show at yesterday’s commemoration of the Ellis Park disaster.
Some families of the victims of the 2001 stadium disaster, which killed 43 people, registered their disappointment in the PSL for not joining them for a remembrance. The PSL later ordered a minute’s silence in last night’s games.
“It must be the teams who must request to have moment of silence. The PSL has not received any request. We cannot change our policies because of this issue,” said Madlala. “Previously, we have had moments of silence in our games because teams have asked us.”
It’s unclear if Bloemfontein Celtic had made such a request for a moment of silence to be observed for the club’s late life president, Dr Petrus Molemela.
Yesterday marked 16 years since 43 people perished in a stampede in a clash between Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Two victims’ families gathered at the Ellis Park Stadium yesterday, but no local football authorities were present.
Beauty Maribe, aunt of one of stampede victims Mduduzi Thomo, pleaded with the SA Football Association and the PSL to respect their deceased family members.
“Whenever there is a match between Pirates and Chiefs, there should be a moment of silent to honour our family members who died in 2001.
“We are not happy because the PSL acts like it has forgotten about our people. If it was not for the Soweto derby, our family members would still be alive,” Maribe said.
Annette Nation, the mother of the youngest casualty, Rosswin from Ennerdale who was 11 years old at the time, feels that local football organisations have not done justice to the families and the late victims of the tragedy.
“I get sad when this time [remembrance] comes, not because of losing my son but because all the promises we were promised by the PSL, Safa, Pirates and Chiefs were never kept,” a sombre Nation said.
Safa, meanwhile, said the families hardly communicate with them. “These people have been liaising with the PSL. Safa cannot do anything because it is the PSL who are dealing with such issues. Even for the remembrance, we were told at the 11th hour but managed to send our people,” claimed Safa’s spokesman Dominic Chimhavi.
But Sowetan hardly spotted any Safa representative at the stadium yesterday.
Safa cannot do anything because the PSL are dealing with such issue. Dominic Chimhavi SAFA’S SPOKESMAN