Polokwane residents and football supporters were left unsettled after a water outage at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday meant both teams and match officials departed the venue without being able to shower, local match sources said.
Outage persisted through full match as temperatures neared 30°C
The interruption lasted for the duration of the Betway Premiership fixture that ended 1-1 between Polokwane City and Kaizer Chiefs, according to matchroom and team accounts. Organisers and club staff scrambled to find solutions when there was no running water before kick-off, and supporters called on club officials to intervene as the situation unfolded under hot conditions — temperatures approached 30°C in the Limpopo capital on Saturday.
Kaizer Chiefs’ communications manager, Vina Maphosa, said the team discovered there was no running water before the game and were told the interruption would be brief. She described the lack of water as an impediment to basic pre-match preparations and said the club became concerned about hygiene as supporters sought assistance.
“Before the game, we realised that there was no running water at the stadium… During the period of pre-match we got inconvenienced because there was discomfort in the dressing room since there was no running water, which is obviously a basic necessity in the dressing room,” Maphosa said.
According to Maphosa, water drums were delivered during halftime but this did not resolve the immediate problem of players and officials leaving the stadium without proper bathing facilities.
Wider questions over stadium maintenance
Club sources and spectators observed that the episode highlighted persistent maintenance challenges at local stadia more than 16 years after South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup. Some venues have required last-minute venue changes during the current PSL season because of infrastructure problems, they said.
Ronnie Schloss, chief operating officer of the Premier Soccer League (PSL), told reporters the league had not been aware of the water interruption and that the PSL would investigate the matter.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Polokwane City 1–1 Kaizer Chiefs (Betway Premiership) |
| Venue | Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane |
| Problem | No running water for the duration of the match |
| Temporary relief | Water drums delivered at halftime |
| Temperature | Nearly 30°C on matchday |
- Players and officials left without showers, raising hygiene concerns.
- Supporters contacted club officials during the match seeking assistance.
- PSL promised an investigation after being informed of the incident.
Local stakeholders — including club administrators, stadium operators and the municipality — will be under pressure to explain what caused the interruption and why contingency measures did not prevent the inconvenience. The incident also renews debate about ongoing investment and upkeep of stadia built or upgraded for the 2010 World Cup.
For many in Polokwane the matter is practical: teams require reliable basic services such as running water to prepare safely and hygienically, and supporters want assurance that matchday environments will not present health or safety risks. The delivery of water drums at halftime, while a stop-gap measure, did not address immediate needs for post-match recovery and hygiene.
The PSL’s commitment to investigate will be watched closely by local authorities and club officials. Pending that inquiry, affected parties may request clearer contingency planning from venue managers and more robust maintenance commitments from responsible government entities so that future fixtures in Polokwane proceed without similar interruptions.
Match details and statements were provided by team and league representatives present at the stadium, while supporters’ accounts came from event observations at the ground.
