For the umpteenth time in SA football, chaotic scenes erupted after a football match, this time the Nedbank Cup fixture between Kaizer Chiefs and Free State Stars at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
This time the violence resulted in a security guard named Sabela Maziba being kicked unconscious – the savage assault on him by out-of-control fans was captured in a video shared virally by horrified South Africans.
Although first reports referred to the assaulted guard as female, the sex of the security guard has been confirmed as a male.
The 32-year-old victim, who was named by PSL chairman Irvin Khoza on Monday, has been treated for head injuries and has since been discharged from the hospital.
Khoza said that the Premier Soccer League's [PSL's] main sponsor will issue a statement today, in which it will reveal what help it will be giving Maziba and other victims, with regard to the expenses they incurred during the Moses Mabhida Stadium outrage.
During his speech, Khoza apologised to the South African public, tournament organisers, Nedbank and broadcasters SuperSport and SABC, whose equipment was damaged by the fans. He revealed that the PSL will work alongside government to address the disturbing trend of violence in football. Additionally, he indicated that the PSL has brought in extra professional help to aid with a security-enhancement project.
Khoza also addressed the "fake" stories that were doing the rounds on social media, stating that the security guard was a female, and that "she" had died. Khoza confirmed there were no casualties, and that no women were injured in Saturday's hooliganism.
He added that those involved in the violent crimes should face criminal charges, because the minority were harming the image of the PSL and enjoyment of the fans.
According to News24, police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed on Sunday that two people had been arrested and were due to appear in court on Monday on charges of public violence and malicious damage to property.