Moses Mabhida

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – APRIL 21:ICrowd violence during the Nedbank Cup Semi Final match between Kaizer Chiefs and Free State Stars at Moses Mabhida Stadium on April 21, 2018 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images)

Kaizer Chiefs Nedbank Cup drama: Can we have some answers please?

Passing the buck is what we do best, it seems.

Moses Mabhida

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – APRIL 21:ICrowd violence during the Nedbank Cup Semi Final match between Kaizer Chiefs and Free State Stars at Moses Mabhida Stadium on April 21, 2018 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images)

A security guard – widely reported as female, but whose gender has not been confirmed – is fighting to live after being assaulted by Kaizer Chiefs fans following jarring violence after Saturday night’s Nedbank Cup defeat to Free State Stars.

And yet, the biggest football club in South Africa is yet to acknowledge the horror that unfolded at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night when Chiefs fans went on the rampage, destroying all before them, injuring fellow spectators and causing damage worth millions.

And all this because they were knocked out of the Nedbank Cup by Free State Stars at the last-four stage.

All we’ve heard is that Kaizer Chiefs is ‘disappointed’ by what unfolded and that processes need to be followed before any further action is taken. Blah, blah, blah.

It’s all very well to confirm that coach Steve Komphela has indeed resigned but when are we as a nation, who had to witness the atrocities live on television, going to receive any further updates as promised in the tweet posted by the club at 23:00 on Saturday?

Nevermind the poor family of the guard who was repeatedly kicked in the head as she helplessly crawled around on all-fours receiving blow after blow.

And while the Kaizer Chiefs, PSL, Sports Ministry and SAPS bigwigs spend Sunday morning in talks and discussions, there is a growing call for answers as videos of what transpired on Saturday night go viral.

While we wait with bated breath for any kind of news, here’s just some of what was said in the aftermath.

Vina Maphosa, Kaizer Chiefs spokesperson:

We are not about violence. We institute it on the basis of love and peace, and we believe that it is not only about football which is emotive. It is about lifestyle, it’s about entertaining people and as it panned out, it became the opposite last night. And for that, we are very disappointed and we are asking supporters to restrain themselves under the circumstances.

Since we are playing a match in Durban on Tuesday, further communication will follow as soon as we get back to Joburg. But not unless we are able to have other processes unfolding. We’ll get back to the media to report to the public.

Luxolo September, PSL spokesperson:

I think what happened on Saturday is very bad. We’ve condemned the hooliganism and violence in the strongest possible terms. It’s bad for the country, it’s something that is not a good reflection of our society. We are working very closely with all the relevant stakeholders and law enforcement agencies so that we can get to the bottom of what happened.

Vuyo Mhaga, Sports Ministry spokesperson:

The minister (Tokozile Xasa) strongly condemns what happened at Moses Mabhida. You must understand that we’ve been trying to get South Africans to go as a family, to go to the stadiums. Now how do we justify that these families must go and watch the football so the kids can grow up loving the sport. It’s no use complaining about empty stadia when we can’t protect the spectators.