Mavuso chaos fans face 1-yr stadium ban

MBABANE – They will not be let off the hook.

These are the fans who have been identified as the instigators of the Mavuso Sports Centre mayhem that occurred during the Ingwenyama Cup Last 16 match played a month ago. The game between Mbabane Highlanders and Nsingizini Hotspurs was abandoned during injury time as chaos erupted on Sunday, February 22, after the latter scored a goal. Spectators, mainly occupying the ‘Bull’s stand, descended onto the pitch with about two minutes remaining on the clock, throwing objects as match officials were assaulted. Police were forced to use minimum force to restore order. One fan, Elijah ‘Yellow Man’ Mavimbela was hit in the thigh by a rubber bullet on a day that will go down in local football history as one of its darkest.

Police on the day later on arrested some fans and formal charges were laid against them; two of the accused subsequently paid E2 000 fine. These are Lucky Fortunes and Mgcini Mdluli. This trend of stadium violence and the assault of match officials also escalated to regional leagues. Five individuals were recently arrested under the Manzini Regional Football Association (MRFA), consisting of three players, a coach and an official from Maliyaduma Community FC. In a separate incident under the Hhohho Regional Football Association (HRFA), two players were also arrested for assaulting a referee. The duo was fined E500 each and set to return before the same court in a date yet to be announced. However, the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) has dropped a bombshell, stating those implicated in the violence in games under its jurisdiction will soon face the music. Speaking during the NATCOM Cup 2026 launch on Wednesday, PLE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pat ‘Kungumusa’ Vilakati thanked the police service for its commitment to providing stadium security, noting that improvements have already been noted.

“We shall soon be visiting the Manzini Police Station to seek assistance with the names of those arrested in connection with the violence we saw at Mavuso Sports Centre. We want them to face the consequences of their behaviour, which may include a six-month or even a one-year suspension from stadiums,” Vilakati said.

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