This day in history: Remember the #EllisPark43
Today marks 16 years following the Ellis Park stampede that led to 42 people who died at the stadium. Various people and different organisations including Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates gathered at the stadium to commemorate.
Today the country and the football fraternity remembers the 43 football fans that died at Ellis Park Stadium in 2001 between the Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates clash. Today marks 16 years after the tragic stampede.
250 were injured as supporters poured into a stadium that was already full to capacity. Another 29 fans died inside the stadium and an additional 14 died outside.
Most deaths occurred when the waiting crowd rushed to the gate. According to South African History Online, fans who were interviewed after the tragedy condemned the clubs’ attitude to safety at the time, accusing them of being more interested in tickets than safety of the spectators. Police were also blamed for not keeping order outside the stadium.
15 years ago, today, eight-year-old Ntlakanipho Zulu lost both his parents on that day.
He is now 23 years of age, and says that for many years it was difficult for him to watch football matches, particularly the much-loved derbies between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
Now he enjoys football like any normal South African, and is even a Bucs fan – but there is one thing he will not do, and that is attend a Soweto derby. His friends have, but he cannot.
“My mother was a Chiefs fan. My dad was just there to support her. He was a Sundowns fan himself,” said Zulu in a report.
His mother, Selina Maphanga, died at 25. His father, Nhlanhla Zulu, was 30. Young Ntlakanipho was left an orphan, and his half-brother and half-sister had also lost a father. He was raised by his grandparents in Duduza township in the East Rand.
Today he is studying at Wits towards his honours in international relations and hopes to enter the diplomatic service, with his big dream being able to work at the United Nations in New York.
