Sunday’s Betway Premiership clash between Kaizer Chiefs and TS Galaxy at FNB Stadium might leave the Soweto giants with added pressure for a befitting result to honour fans who perished during the Ellis Park Stadium tragedy 25 years ago.
April 11, 2001, is a day that remains etched in South African football history. One of the game’s darkest days, 43 fans tragically died at Ellis Park due to a stampede during a Soweto Derby showdown between Chiefs and old foes Orlando Pirates.
A fully-packed Ellis Park was turned into a death field due to overcrowding, something authorities have been trying to avoid in this traditional fixture now staged at FNB Stadium. Just before the Soweto Derby at the end of February, Stadium Management made a chilling revelation.
Without stating the exact figures, Stadium Management chief executive officer Bertie Grobbelaar disclosed that the previous derby clash, which was the 2025 Nedbank Cup final, was overcrowded. This was after some fans illegally found their way into FNB Stadium.
Ticket touting saw some fake tickets circulating and being accessed by a huge number of fans, posing a dangerous situation inside the 2010 World Cup venue. Another Ellis Park catastrophe was brewing.
But the introduction of digital tickets has been one of the steps to curb the unscrupulous ticket sales. However, the Ellis Park disaster remains fresh in the memory of former Chiefs star Jabu Mahlangu, who was present on the fateful day.
‘SOME PEOPLE WHO PERISHED HAD COME TO WATCH ME’
“I was a young player promoted from the development team. As you know, the derby is one of the biggest games on the continent and it was an honour for me, as a 21-year-old, to participate in it,” said Mahlangu.
“Unfortunately, there were still people trying to get into the stadium after the game started and it got worse after Pirates equalised, as people were pushing and shoving in the stands.
“I was shocked by what happened, that 43 people came to watch Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates and lost their lives and I know that some of those people who perished came to watch me and, from the bottom of my heart, I extend my deepest condolences to all the families of the departed. I still think of you, and always will. May your loved ones rest in peace.”
Chiefs now prepare to face TS Galaxy at FNB Stadium on Sunday. Twenty-five years after the Ellis Park incident, Amakhosi cannot afford to lose the TS Galaxy clash.
They will be out to collect maximum points in memory of the fans who lost their lives on that fateful evening.
DIFFICULT TO ERASE FROM MEMORY FOR ANOTHER CHIEFS LEGEND
Former Amakhosi defender Nhlanhla Kubeka was also present that evening, which he says still haunts him when he thinks of it. Haunting images of dead bodies strewn across the Ellis Park turf are something Kubeka would never want to see again.
“That was a huge tragedy that took place that evening. Looking back, what I witnessed was beyond sad. Even after all these years, it is not something that can easily be described,” Kubeka said.
“It is not something you can leave behind and move on from, because what was meant to be a celebration of the beautiful game turned into something horrific. Supporters came with joy in their hearts and 43 of them didn’t make it back home. Still today, I feel pain in my soul when I think of that evening.”
“We are continuously reminded that the Khosi Nation is the heartbeat of this wonderful Club. Without supporters there is no football. Today we don’t just remember them; we honour them.
“We will continue to respect their memory and will never forget our brothers and sisters who passed on that evening. May their souls rest in eternal peace and may football never experience such pain and suffering again.”
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