PARLIAMENT, May (ANA) - Sports Minister Thokozile Xasa told MPs on Tuesday she requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute a judicial commission of inquiry into violence at soccer matches in South Africa.
Briefing a joint meeting of the portfolio committees of police and sport on the recent violence that erupted at the Moses Mabhida stadium which saw at least 18 people injured, Xasa said incidents such as this had the potential to tarnish South Africa's reputation.
"We have since requested the president for a judicial commission and we in fact by the time of the request for a judicial commission, it was before the Moses Mabhida incident," she said.
"At our submission, we sought also to include Moses Mabhida in the judicial commission but in the interim...we had to meet both Safa (South African Football Association) and the PSL [Premier Soccer Leagues] so we get to understand [what happened]. They have submitted an interim report."
Meanwhile, Deputy Police Minister, Bongani Mkongi, said soccer hooliganism was a threat to national security,
Briefing Parliament's portfolio committees on police and sport, Mkongi said it supported a request by Sports and Recreation Minister Thokozile Xasa to President Cyril Ramaphosa for a commission of inquiry into a trend of increasing amounts of violent incidents at soccer matches.
"The question of the growing hooliganism in South Africa in terms of soccer and other related sport is a national security threat
that we need to deal with because if we leave it...it can grow," Mkongi said.
At least 18 people were injured when hundreds of soccer fans stormed the pitch at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on April 21. Six people have been arrested so far for public violence.
- African News Agency (ANA)
