Putco Mafani‚ the then-Kaizer Chiefs PRO who manned the PA system trying to calm an out-of-control situation during the Ellis Park disaster on April 11‚ 2001‚ remains haunted by the tragedy.

Forty three people lost their lives when too many fans tried to cram into 60 000-seater Ellis Park during a Soweto derby between Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Mafani – in response to the muted response with which the 16-year commemoration was held on Tuesday‚ urged SA football never to forget the disaster.

“It would be sad for the Premier Soccer League to forget April 11‚” Mafani said.

The final phase of the Ellis Park disaster‚ for me‚ was when we had to attend the Judge Bernard Ngoepe Commission of Inquiry appointed by President Thabo Mbeki.”

“We went to the Johannesburg High Court every morning going through rigorous questioning.

“The recommendations of that commission are what make me say that it would be sad for the PSL to forget.

“Because should we forget April 11‚ we will repeat mistakes that led to April 11.”

Mafani said his memories remain crystal clear of the tragic evening of Wednesday‚ April 11‚ 2001.

“I have a thousand other good stories about my experience as a Kaizer Chiefs PRO. But this one experience dominates them all.

“I get a sense of a deep-seated sadness when I reminisce about that night.

“I was the MC of the proceedings‚ and it gave me an incredible amount of responsibility. And then this happens‚ and no-one can take over from me.

“Within a short space of time I had to make consultations with match commissioner Andrew Dipela‚ with the fourth official and the CEO of the league‚ Reverend Robin Petersen.

“And with the chairman of Kaizer Chiefs (Kaizer Motaung) and Orlando Pirates (Irvin Khoza).

“Those people and Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour only came to the field after we had agreed we were stopping the game.

“I could see that the security officials and volunteers were carrying bodies of people who were dead already onto the field‚ and those who needed resuscitation.

“I said to the fourth official‚ ‘We have got to stop the game’. At first he had this attitude of‚ ‘No‚ we can’t – people will kill us’. And I said‚ ‘People are already dying’.

“We went to the goalposts on the north-east side of the stadium. And we really saw dead people – their faces were covered.

“And what made me cry was to see an 11-year-old whose body was lying cold on the field.

“It was obvious that the game cannot continue. I ran back‚ grabbed the microphone and announced that we had a situation‚ that we had dead people already and people pushing from outside.

“And then I had to calm a crowd that was somehow annoyed. Because some of them‚ from where they were sitting‚ could not see the bodies on the field.

“I believe that night God had been watching the stampede from heaven‚ and when he decided somebody had to stand up‚ with the voice of reason‚ and bring everything to a stop‚ I think he appointed me to do that.”

Mafani said he is overcome by a feeling of sadness every April.

“When people are joyous because of April Fools’ my mind thinks that‚ ‘Here comes April‚ and April 11 will also come’‚” he said. - TMG Digital/TMG Sport