Stadium Management South Africa CEO Bertie Grobbelaar has welcomed the intervention of PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza, who voiced his concern and displeasure at the chaos that erupted once again at the Soweto derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium last Saturday.

In recent years, the Soweto derby, one of the biggest sporting events on the African continent, has been marred by disorder, unsavoury scenes and fake tickets holders creating turmoil.

On Saturday, October 31, thousands of supporters, including some who had legitimate tickets, were locked outside after it was decided to lock the gates for safety reasons and to prevent overcrowding. This was after about 88 000 fans, some with fake tickets, had entered the stadium.

On Monday, Khoza called on the Soweto derby organisers and all parties involved to account for the chaos that unfolded. The “Iron Duke” also threatened to yank the derby away from FNB Stadium and take it to Durban.

Said Khoza: “We went to Durban for the Nedbank Cup final between Chiefs and Pirates, and nothing happened. Pirates and [Mamelodi] Sundowns met in the final recently, and nothing happened. So, why here? There are certain role players that are not playing their part ... I have asked for a briefing to make sure that if they do not act, then we’ll name and shame them.”

Grobbelaar responded to Khoza’s concerns: “In the week leading up to the derby, I raised the point of accountability for all role players on the Event Safety and Security Planning Committee (ESSPC). I therefore fully agree with the chairman’s sentiment, and I am extremely pleased that he has raised the principle of accountability and of consequences for role players who do not play their part.

“The ESSPC ... is made up of a number of role players. Each of them has an obligation to execute the approved operational plan in its own field. The safety of a derby depends on every one of those plans being executed by the responsible entity, not on one party alone,” he added.

“History has shown that at every derby around 10 000 individuals gather in the precinct with the aim of gaining access by force. The ESSPC identified this risk, and the operational plan included measures to address it. In my assessment, those measures were not effectively implemented on event day.

“As a result, this group was not kept away from the access points, and some of them forced their way in after the gates were closed, in some instances by physically breaking access gates. This remains the single biggest security risk. Until these individuals are arrested and face consequences, the problem will not go away.”