No guns allowed in Moses Mabhida Stadium, not even for VIP bodyguards

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has fired off a warning shot to football spectators, including VIPs, that carrying weapons will not be tolerated at the stadium during this weekend’s highly anticipated Soweto derby.

“Regardless of status, no-one is permitted to bring firearms and other dangerous weapons into the stadium. A caution is given to those who call themselves VIPs and drive around with security guards: in KwaZulu-Natal they must obey the law because they might hear about the results of the match from behind bars,” he said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium will host the Nedbank Cup final on Saturday between arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, two of the country’s most popular teams.

With the event expected to attract many travellers to the province, Mkhwanazi asked that they abide by the law, including the rules of the road. He said drunken driving and driving without number plates will not be tolerated.

“We have a planning team to safeguard spectators, players and officials. We are urging them to be on their best behaviour when they enter this province, especially eThekwini. We have a duty to deliver a safe and secure major event, as prescribed by the law.”

The build-up to the final got off to a chaotic start when Open Tickets, the ticketing service provider on behalf of Computicket, battled with demand, causing its system to break down several times on Monday. This left thousands of fans furious, including many who queued for hours to buy tickets at Checkers/Shoprite without success.

Mkhwanazi said fans could explore the city and its beaches but warned they should “not run the risk of coming to the stadium” if they did not have tickets on the day.

Meanwhile, eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba said the municipality and the stadium were not responsible for administering ticket sales. He said the city has experience in hosting what is commonly called as “the biggest match on the South African football calendar” and will be ready.

“This will not be the first game hosted at Moses Mabhida where the two Soweto giants face off. We have never disappointed fans and we want to reassure spectators that we will deliver a safe and memorable cup final,” he said.

eThekwini's head of stadiums and facilities Vusi Mazibuko said the 2010 World Cup facility is used to hosting high-profile events without problems and affirmed that the ongoing upgrades will not affect the stadium’s operations and safety.

“The stadium is structurally sound and continues to host major events while repairs and maintenance are under way. The upgrades and maintenance run concurrently with events,” said Mazibuko, adding that the stadium had hosted other football matches and music festivals during the revamp, which were all incident-free.

Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said a safety and security plan encompassing all enforcement agencies was in place to ensure the safety of spectators in and around the stadium.

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