'Football fans, we want you to be safe': KZN police take extra precautions

KwaZulu-Natal law enforcement authorities say they will not allow any disruptions around the venue of the Nedbank Cup final, amid social media threats in the wake of a ticketing snafu.

A technical problem resulted in the over-issue of more than 10,000 tickets for the much-anticipated soccer match between Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. While this was swiftly corrected and refunds were promised, some fans had already made travel and accommodation arrangements to travel to Durban from Gauteng and elsewhere.

Maj-Gen Phumelele Makhoba, the deputy provincial police commissioner, said law enforcement had received intelligence that some people were “peddling inflammatory messages” and recruiting people to stage protests in the vicinity of the stadium or vowing to force their way inside the stadium without tickets.

Among the misinformation spread on social media was that no one in KZN had been able to get tickets, a notion Makhoba said was dispelled by the PSL which advised police that 33% of tickets were sold to people in the province.

She warned those inciting violence that lawlessness would not be tolerated. “We do not take any threat lightly. Our intelligence officers are at work identifying those individuals who are hell-bent on creating chaos on the day of the match,” she said.

“We urge those that are planning either protests or disruptions to refrain from doing such or to rethink their plan because we will have our forces on the ground to deal with it and we are going to deal with it decisively.”

All necessary safety and security measures are in place to ensure public safety, Makhoba said. Valid ticket holders have been urged to make their way to the stadium early as there will be strict access control measures.

“It’s not our intention to clash with football lovers. We want the event to go ahead as peacefully as possible.

“Police will provide tight security to ensure that only those with valid tickets access the stadium. The stadium precinct is practically a red zone and no one without a valid match-day ticket must come close to the stadium. Anyone found selling tickets, whether fake or authentic, will be arrested and locked up.”

Supporters are urged to make use of the park-and-ride facilities. “To beef up security in and around the stadium, certain routes which were going to be partially closed will now be fully closed, with plans in place not to cause heavy traffic congestion.”

The Durban metro police will close the two main roads adjacent to the stadium:

• Masabalala Yengwa Avenue between Sandile Thusi Road and Smiso Nkwanyana Road; and
• Isaiah Ntshangase Road between Umgeni Road and Masabalala Yengwa Avenue.

These will start as “soft” closures from midnight, then “hard” closures as the day progresses.

Law enforcement has also beefed up its air capacity, which will be crucial in identifying areas of concern from the sky.

Makhoba urged those without tickets to use the public viewing areas the municipality has made available. She confirmed there are also operational plans in place to ensure safety in those spaces.

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