The football hooligan that invaded the pitch during April’s draw between Kaizer Chiefs and Golden Arrows has found guilty of invading the pitch and assaulting a match official, as well as breaching the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act. 

Referee, Lwandile Mfiki, was attacked with a vuvuzela during the game in Durban earlier this year and was lucky to escape with no serious injury.

Velaphi Mkhwanazi, the man sentenced by Durban Magistrate Court, was handed a R2,500 fine or 60 days in prison for common assault, and a R1,000 fine or 30 days in prison for breaching the safety act.

Meanwhile, Zenzele Zikhali, the second accused, was also found guilty of pitch invasion. He was sentenced to a R1,000 fine or 30 days in prison, and R2,000 or 60 days in prison for also  contravening the safety act.

The PSL’s acting CEO, Cambridge Mokonyane, has welcomed the decision. In a statement he said, “The message from these convictions is clear; we do not play lip service when individuals disrupt a football game with acts of hooliganism. This is a positive step towards the right direction. As the PSL, we welcome the news,” Mokanyane said.

Meanwhile, the PSL’s General Manager of Safety and Security, Phillip Masimong, also applauded the police for their work. In the same statement he said, “I would like to thank SAPS for their work in this matter. We are determined to root out all elements of hooliganism at our stadiums. We don’t just talk, we also act to ensure that people are safe at our stadiums.”