Vuvuzelas face South Africa ban
Reuters - Friday 22 October 2010, 10:13
JOHANNESBURG - Vuvuzelas could be banned
in South African football grounds unless fans of the country's
most popular club, Kaizer Chiefs, improve their behaviour,
officials have warned.
Kaizer Chiefs were given a record fine of 500,000 rand
($72,130) - suspended for 12 months - and their chairman was
ordered to make a public apology after supporters threw two
vuvuzelas and a cabbage on to the pitch during a recent cup game
against Moroka Swallows.
"Should vuvuzelas continue to be used as missiles they could
be banned from PSL (Premier Soccer League) matches," the
league's prosecutor Zola Majavu told a news conference.
"If a Chiefs fan so much as throws a piece of bread on to
the pitch, Chiefs will forfeit the 500,000 rand."
The club, whose fans have taken credit for making the noisy
plastic vuvuzela trumpets a popular part of South African
football culture, were ordered to pay costs of 21,000 rand for
the disciplinary hearing and told to hold a news conference to
denounce spectator misbehaviour.
"We call upon (fans) to help identify rogue elements intent
on causing disruption. Once (they are) identified we intend to
blacklist theses individuals," club chairman Kaizer Motaung told
the news conference on Thursday.
In recent years, South African fans have started taking
loaves of bread and raw cabbages to games, eating them in front
of television cameras to symbolise 'eating' their opponents.