No guns allowed in Moses Mabhida Stadium, not even for VIP bodyguards

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has fired off a warning shot to football spectators, including VIPs, that carrying weapons will not be tolerated at the stadium during this weekend’s highly anticipated Soweto derby.

“Regardless of status, no-one is permitted to bring firearms and other dangerous weapons into the stadium. A caution is given to those who call themselves VIPs and drive around with security guards: in KwaZulu-Natal they must obey the law because they might hear about the results of the match from behind bars,” he said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium will host the Nedbank Cup final on Saturday between arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, two of the country’s most popular teams.

With the event expected to attract many travellers to the province, Mkhwanazi asked that they abide by the law, including the rules of the road. He said drunken driving and driving without number plates will not be tolerated.

“We have a planning team to safeguard spectators, players and officials. We are urging them to be on their best behaviour when they enter this province, especially eThekwini. We have a duty to deliver a safe and secure major event, as prescribed by the law.”

The build-up to the final got off to a chaotic start when Open Tickets, the ticketing service provider on behalf of Computicket, battled with demand, causing its system to break down several times on Monday. This left thousands of fans furious, including many who queued for hours to buy tickets at Checkers/Shoprite without success.