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Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]

MARTHA Mlalazi was shocked when three men stormed into her living room in Mzilikazi suburb, sweating profusely and panting. Her house is a stone’s throw from Barbourfields Stadium.

Mlalazi says before she could even ask the men, all clad in football jerseys, what they were doing in her house, it dawned on her that the unthinkable had happened; the much talked about Dynamos versus Highlanders match had turned violent.

The granny did not know whether to be angry at herself for being sloppy or to feel sorry for the unwanted guests in her living room who were clearly frightened and did not show any signs of leaving anytime soon.

“I was angry at myself for being sloppy, I had not locked the gate and closed the doors like we always do when these two teams play here at Barbourfields Stadium. Normally I lock the gate around 4.30pm when the match is about to end, that’s when the violence usually starts and the supporters run in different directions chased by the police or beating one another.

“I have lived in this same house with my late husband since the 1970s so nothing surprises me, especially the violence that follows when those two teams play. But in recent years it’s getting worse, it’s like they only play so that the supporters have a chance to beat each other up. We never used to witness this kind of violence in the 1980s and 90s, I don’t know what is happening to our children,” Mlalazi said.

Several people were injured including four police officers who were on duty as fans of both sides ran amok following a pitch invasion by Bosso fans from the Soweto End.

Hooliganism reared its ugly head in the 38th minute when play was stopped as fans threw plastic bottles onto the field protesting alleged biased officiating by referee Allen Bhasvi.

The situation eventually turned nasty as Soweto appeared to be descending on the police officers forcing them to retreat in what many believe saved the day. Dynamos fans eventually joined the fray as their Highlanders counterparts retreated with police behind them but a wave turned back and engaged in fights with the cops outnumbered.

In the aftermath of the violent clashes, six people were initially arrested but the number grew days later with police stating that another 19 suspects had been nabbed for the disturbances. A couple was arrested for smuggling a gun into the stadium. What the couple intended to use the firearm for is still unclear.

As police investigations intensify to bring more suspects into custody, Mzilikazi residents are apprehensive about talking to strangers for fear of being accused of providing information to the police.

At nearby Mzilikazi Primary School where some fans sought refuge as the running battles with police continued, this reporter saw broken classroom windows. It’s not unclear if the destruction was caused by rioting fans or not. A grounds man at the school said the proximity of the school to Barbourfields Stadium makes the educational institution a victim of collateral damage whenever violence breaks out.

“We expected to find worse damage than just broken windows. The perimeter wall doesn’t stop them from entering the school yard when violence breaks out,” said the grounds man.

At shops near the swimming pool end of the stadium, commonly known as Soweto, owners and attendants closed their establishments in fear of incidents of looting that could have been fuelled by the violent running battles.

Both teams are set to appear before the Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee on 26 September. Highlanders’ defender Peter Muduhwa has been summoned in his own capacity to the same hearing to answer to his alleged role in fanning crowd unrest.

According to a statement issued by the PSL, Highlanders have been “charged for causing the abandonment of the match, missile throwing, pitch invasion, acts of violence, and malicious damage to property”.

Muduhwa is being accused of “inciting violence and improper behaviour which brings the league into disrepute”. Dynamos have also been charged for “pitch invasion, missile throwing and acts of violence”. Highlanders issued an apology this week over its fans’ behaviour while PSL also condemned the acts and apologised to football stakeholders over scenes that have tainted the domestic game.

It is not the first time in just over a year that the two sides have seen crowd trouble cause the abandonment of their clash.

In May last year, the game was also abandoned at Barbourfields when both sets of fans invaded the pitch soon after Highlanders had broken the deadlock through a Washington Navaya strike late into the match.