Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act, 2010 (Act No. 2 of 2010)

Chapter 3

Part 1 : Measures to Ensure Safety and Security at Events

20. Spectator and vehicle access control

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(1)A controlling body, event organiser or stadium or venue owner, as the case may be, may appoint in writing—
(a)a security officer as an access control officer to be in charge of the control of access of persons and motor vehicles at an event; and
(b)peace officers to be in charge of searches and seizures at an event.

 

(2)A peace officer may search—
(a)a person who enters a stadium or venue; and
(b)a motor vehicle or container in the possession or under the control of a person who enters a stadium or venue,

for any prescribed prohibited or restricted object or substance and may seize such an object or substance found on such person, in or on such motor vehicle or container and deal with the seized object or substance in the prescribed manner.

 

(3)If an access control officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a person, motor vehicle or container found along a route is in possession of or carries a prescribed prohibited or restricted object or substance, the access control officer may request a police official at the event to search that person, motor vehicle or container and the police official may seize the prescribed prohibited object or substance and deal with the seized object or substance in the prescribed manner.

 

(4)In order to achieve the objects contemplated in subsection (2) or (3), a peace officer may request a person at the event who enters a stadium or venue or is found inside a stadium or venue or along a route to—
(a)produce and open for inspection any bag, container or item that the person takes into, or has in his or her possession inside, a stadium, venue or along a route;
(b)submit to being searched by a peace officer of the same gender;
(c)be screened by an electronic search and scanning device; or
(d)allow his or her belongings, including a motor vehicle, to be screened by physical or electronic scanning devices.

 

(5)An access control officer or a peace officer must have displayed on his or her person an accreditation card issued under section 18 certifying his or her appointment.

 

(6)An access control officer or peace officer may prevent a person from entering a stadium or venue, or request a person to leave a stadium or venue, if such person—
(a)refuses to comply with a request made under subsection (4); or
(b)appears to he intoxicated or under the influence of a prohibited substance.

 

(7)An access control officer may direct a person who is in a stadium, venue or along a route and who refuses to comply with a request made under subsection (4) to leave the stadium or venue or route.

 

(8)No person may take or have in his or her possession inside a stadium, venue or along a route any prescribed prohibited or restricted object or substance.

 

(9)The controlling body, event organiser, or the stadium or venue owner, as the case may be, must ensure that every entry point to a traffic-free zone is clearly identified and must indicate on a notice at such entry point that access to that zone is limited to a person and a motor vehicle specifically accredited to enter it.

 

(10)No person may drive a motor vehicle into or in a traffic-free zone unless he or she is in possession of an accreditation card authorising him or her and the motor vehicle to enter such zone.

 

(11)An access control officer who has reasonable grounds to believe that a motor vehicle found in a traffic-free zone is not accredited to enter that zone, may—
(a)if the owner or driver of the motor vehicle is readily available, order such owner or driver to remove the motor vehicle from the zone; or
(b)if the owner or driver of the motor vehicle is not readily available, request a police official or peace officer to remove the motor vehicle from the zone and impound the motor vehicle, and the owner shall bear the costs of such removal and impoundment.

 

(12)An access control officer may request a person who drives a motor vehicle into or in a traffic-free zone, to produce an accreditation card authorising such person and motor vehicle to enter that zone.

 

(13)An access control officer may refuse permission to a person to drive a motor vehicle into a traffic-free zone unless such person produces an accreditation card authorising him or her and the motor vehicle to enter such zone.

 

(14)An access control officer may direct a person, found in a motor vehicle in a traffic-free zone, to remove the vehicle from the zone if such person upon the request of the officer refuses or fails to produce an accreditation card authorising him or her and the motor vehicle to enter such zone.

 

(15)The Minister of Police, after consultation with the Minister, may prescribe measures necessary to control spectator and vehicle access at events.