Security paramount as Soweto giants face up

The recent spate of fans rioting or invading the pitch is bothersome. My worry is that if not curbed completely, we will one day witness something we don’t wish to, like people dying in a place where they should be having a good time.

We have seen property being damaged, including very expensive camera equipment. I don’t think our security is taken seriously. In the last Soweto derby I was sitting with the fans and just next to me was this huge camera and the guy operating it was guarded by just one unarmed security guard.

He was being harassed by some fans who were obviously inebriated and demanding he show them on TV. There was nothing the guard could do. I felt the guy was unsafe and was happy when three police officers in police uniform arrived and sat down next to him. That is when the chaos thankfully stopped.

I think we overlook the minor issues when we deal with security. I am no security expert but after what had transpired at Moses Mabhida in April I would make sure that all equipment is guarded and safe at all times. I could not help but wonder what would happen should a riot start. Those fans would have caused untold damage to that camera and its operator.

This fear was reawakened when it was announced that the

Sibongiseni Gumbi

Telkom Knockout semifinals match between Chiefs and Pirates was going to Moses Mabhida.

Yes, it is the next best thing after the FNB Stadium but there have been too many security breaches there that one can’t help but worry. I don’t remember a big game that ended without fans invading the pitch there – although on many occasions it was in celebration.

Remember this is a highly emotional game. I remember when Pirates won the Absa Premiership a few years ago and the fans invaded the pitch. It was all fun for them but the safety of players and other personnel, especially the referees, cannot be guaranteed under such situations.

The positive though is that the police have been good in updating us on the status of the cases against those who were arrested in April after the Chiefs supporters decided to behave like hooligans and destroy anything in sight. I believe four of them are awaiting sentence after they were found guilty in court and that is something to applaud.

I am hoping that today all the necessary measures have been taken to avoid another disaster. This is a highly anticipated game and that is why the tickets were sold out within two hours of going on sale. There have already been idiots who tried to sell fake tickets being arrested earlier this week. There might be some who will try the same trick again today and I hope the police will again be on hand to deal with them.

We don’t want off-the-field incidents to overshadow the beautiful football that we expect to witness on the field today. These teams owe each other so much and will really go for it because there has to be a winner who will then advance to the final at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.