News / National
Beer smuggling rife at BF
21 Jul 2023 at 01:31hrs | Views
USING a rope measuring over 20 metres, a black satchel is hoisted to the top of Soweto in a matter of seconds at Barbourfields Stadium.
When police details and marshals are not in sight, the rope is lowered by a man who is already in the stadium to a colleague loitering in the parking area near Soweto stand.
The one end of the rope is quickly tied to a satchel stuffed with illegal alcohol commonly known as njengu and the satchel is pulled up.
While officials manning the gates at Barbourfields Stadium search every fan for alcohol, the illicit brew finds its way right under their noses.
B-Metro Sport reporters and other journalists have witnessed the same operatus morandi used countless times to smuggle alcohol in the stadium.
The death of a Dynamos fan, who was said to have been last seen drinking strong distilled liquor, is just another example that proves enormous amounts of alcohol are consumed at the stadium.
"I have been selling alcohol here at Barbourfields Stadium for over 10 years and we always find ways of smuggling it into the stadium. Some guys use ropes, others stuff it in buckets with roasted peanuts and others simply bribe the police and officials at the gate.
They (authorities) can try all they want to stop us from selling alcohol in the stadium but we will always find ways to get it inside," said a middle aged man who sells alcohol at Barbourfields Stadium.
After the death of the Dynamos fan last week, police said:"On July 17, at around 7am, a Bulawayo City Council general hand was doing her cleaning duties at Barbourfields Stadium.
When she approached Mpilo End bay she saw a body of the now deceased lying on the steps leading to the terraces. A police report was made.
"Investigations were carried out and it was revealed that the now deceased was one of the fans who were at Barbourfields Stadium during the Dynamos and Chicken Inn match and was drinking some hot stuff (strong distilled liquor) with his friends."
PSL spokesperson Kudzai Bare was unreachable for comment while acting police spokeswoman Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said the onus was on clubs to request more officers to tighten security at stadiums.
When police details and marshals are not in sight, the rope is lowered by a man who is already in the stadium to a colleague loitering in the parking area near Soweto stand.
The one end of the rope is quickly tied to a satchel stuffed with illegal alcohol commonly known as njengu and the satchel is pulled up.
While officials manning the gates at Barbourfields Stadium search every fan for alcohol, the illicit brew finds its way right under their noses.
B-Metro Sport reporters and other journalists have witnessed the same operatus morandi used countless times to smuggle alcohol in the stadium.
The death of a Dynamos fan, who was said to have been last seen drinking strong distilled liquor, is just another example that proves enormous amounts of alcohol are consumed at the stadium.
They (authorities) can try all they want to stop us from selling alcohol in the stadium but we will always find ways to get it inside," said a middle aged man who sells alcohol at Barbourfields Stadium.
After the death of the Dynamos fan last week, police said:"On July 17, at around 7am, a Bulawayo City Council general hand was doing her cleaning duties at Barbourfields Stadium.
When she approached Mpilo End bay she saw a body of the now deceased lying on the steps leading to the terraces. A police report was made.
"Investigations were carried out and it was revealed that the now deceased was one of the fans who were at Barbourfields Stadium during the Dynamos and Chicken Inn match and was drinking some hot stuff (strong distilled liquor) with his friends."
PSL spokesperson Kudzai Bare was unreachable for comment while acting police spokeswoman Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said the onus was on clubs to request more officers to tighten security at stadiums.
Source - B-Metro
