Children of Ellis park disaster victims arrive in Ghana to mark May 9

With the help of City Press in South Africa, two children of the victims of the 2001 Ellis Park stadium disaster of 2001 were identified and have joined the President of Ghana Rugby Association, Mr Herbert Mensah and the May 9th Remembered organising team for the 2016 remembrance activities in Kumasi.

The two, Ntlakanipho Zulu and Mmakgomo Tshetlo, arrived in Accra on a historic visit to Ghana via South African Airways flight SAA 57.

Ntlakanipho Zulu who lost both his parents in the worst sporting tragedy in South African history is now 23 years old. According to him, it was difficult to watch football matches, particularly the much-loved derbies between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

In an interview with City Press Zulu said: “My mother was a Chiefs fan. My dad was just there to support her. He was a Sundown’s fan himself.”

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 on the East Rand.

Today he’s 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.

Mmakgomo Matshidiso Tshetlo, who is now 28 years old, saw her dad the last time during the first school holidays of the year in which he passed away that tragic day on 11 April 2001.

According to her, she had a strange and perhaps predictive dream that father had passed on from a shooting incident which was reported on in the City Press. She shared the horrifying details of the dream with her mother and aunt not knowing that in few weeks to follow the dream would become a reality.

The 15th remembrance activities in Kumasi will include a massive street march, visits to the mosque and a church and a special May 9th football match between teams from Accra and Kumasi.

Since that tragic day on 9 May 2001 a group of people in Ghana led by Mr. Herbert Mensah who was then Chairman of Asante Kotoko, have religiously remembered the day with activities and events in both Accra and Kumasi.