SPORTS MINISTRY ROPES IN COPS

MBABANE – The Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Ministry has come out with guns blazing over last Wednesday’s abandoned MTN Premier League fixture between Royal Leopard and Mbabane Swallows at Somhlolo National Stadium.

Following fans’ violent behaviour after the abandonment caused by floodlights failure after the power switch appeared to have been tampered with, it can be revealed that police are currently investigating a reported damage to government property, being the main gate.

“The Ministry of Sports reported a case of damage to government property which was broken on the night of the game,” confirmed Police Deputy PRO Inspector Khulani Mamba.
Mamba said they were investigating the matter but no arrests had been made yet while saying the ministry had most of the details about the incident. Director of Sports Sipho Magagula also confirmed the matter.
“First of all the stadium had not been booked for the game such that I only got calls late from the stadium staff saying there were so many people there and wanted to know what was happening. Then the gate at the main entry was broken, could not close for days as it was fixed last Friday, hence police were involved,” he said.

He said the PLS which runs the MTN League had not booked the stadium and Royal Leopard who were the host team had also not booked Mavuso Sports Centre until late in the afternoon.
“We had to use our discretion to let them use the venue but surprisingly they were also announcing the replay to be this Wednesday at the venue when we’ve not heard from the PLS since then,” he said.

He said it had to be understood that they were all stakeholders in sports, hence respecting the other was essential. He said the PLS knew the procedure for stadium booking, hence such behaviour was not expected from them.
“The gate was fixed last Friday as one of the representatives Johannes ‘Ace’ Siboza was cooperative to understand government procedure and had it fixed. But that doesn’t change anything with the police case as it could happen again,” he said.

Meanwhile, PLS COO John Mazibuko said he could not comment on the issue.
“There’s currently a lot being done about that game’s events that make me not want to say much right now,” he said.

Asked on the stadium not being booked for the game and not reporting to the ministry the damaged gate, he said “maybe that’s one of the reasons I can’t comment because some of us may be asking how the stadium was not booked”.
Meanwhile, the game was abandoned after a floodlights failure in which the padlock to  the switch was broken and fans became violent demanding a refund.

Leopard netted E26 000 from the abandoned fixture.

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