The appointment of Mfanano Majola as the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) national safety and security head earlier this year was supposed to waft a breeze of change through professional football.
Yet the former policeman this week lashed out at his bosses for failing to implement his suggestions and lacking vision in tackling and curbing crowd violence. He also accused the PSL of not giving him the support personnel he needs to carry out his job. This does not augur well as South Africa prepares for the 2010 World Cup.
An angry Majola gave vent to his frustrations after the Chiefs/Pirates derby, played at FNB stadium last weekend, was again marred by overcrowding — with fans allowed to sit in the aisles — and objects were thrown on to the pitch.
Despite a massive police presence, referee Ace Ncobo was forced to move his assistant, Geronimo Piedt, to the opposite touchline after missiles were hurled at the linesman by Pirates supporters.
The men in blue ”still go to the stadiums as little more than spectators”, fumed Majola.
In August Chiefs fans tore out seats and set them alight at FNB stadium when their team lost to Bloemfontein Celtic. Lack of proper security arrangements was cited among the reasons for the chaos that day.
At half time last weekend, I ran into five fans who had been refused entry because stewards told them the stadium was full. They were eventually allowed in.
Elsewhere, fans threatened to pull down a fence to get out. ”We can’t see the game as there are people blocking our vision. We might as well go home — what is the point of being here if you can’t see?” asked one.
Majola said PSL chief Trevor Phillips was dragging his feet on employing permanent security support staff. ”I have to rely on casual staff, people I see only on the day of the match. For me to succeed in this business I need structures on the ground and dedicated full-time personnel I can train on a regular basis,” Majola said.
He said that nine months after assuming his position he still did not even have a ”lieutenant”. The crowd management strategist insisted his office needed 50 people to be effective.
In an interview with KickOff magazine in March, Majola pointed out that the biggest security problem in South African football was that ”roles in the past were not clearly defined. For example, we have had ushers doing security, security doing policing and the police just watching.” He spoke of the need to take action, saying: ”We have to start implementing things soon.”
Little has changed. Once again on Saturday there were more people in the stadium than the number of tickets claimed to have been sold.
Majola identified the ticketing system that allows people to sit anywhere as the problem. ”FNB seats are colour coded. Why not colour-code tickets to prevent people flooding certain areas? At the moment we rely on unqualified people telling us that the stadium is full,” he said.
He believes his talents are being wasted because he is being used for crisis management, when he should be developing strategies and instructing others on how to manage the crowd. ”I am not doing what I am employed to do; instead I am running around solving problems everywhere. I need lieutenants to do the job on the ground. At the moment I come to a stadium and all I do the whole day is shout and shout — that is not my job.”
Majola said the PSL had to realise that safety was paramount. He claimed to have made numerous proposals and appeals to Phillips, but the answer from the chief executive had always been: ”We are looking into the matter.”
Despite minimal assistance and resources, Majola said he tried to make a difference. However, ”if the PSL does not come to the party we will still have the same problems. I am not here just to get a salary, I am here to work and make a difference. But I am all by myself.”
When asked for comment, Phillips said: ”Are you sure that this is what a member of my staff said? Someone I employ? I don’t have support structures to run professional football myself but I do a whole range of things. You have to work with what you have.”