The deaths of two fans at the Carling Black Label Champions Cup clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium on Saturday have caused much introspection in the local game amid disbelief that the lessons have the past have not been adequately heeded.
The supporters were reportedly crushed in a stampede at one of the gates to the cavernous 94,500-seater venue that played host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.
South Africa is no stranger to stadium disasters, and the local league has a chequered past that, some might say, is yet to be adequately dealt with.
The question now is whether this latest incident at what was supposed to be a modern, safe venue, will drive fans away from a domestic league already losing supporters at an alarming rate.
Empty stands are now the norm at most Premier Soccer League games, bar those involving the so-called big clubs, with the cost of tickets and travel to the game prohibitively high in a country that is in a recession, and the product on the pitch at times desperately poor.
There is now also greater opportunity to watch matches on television, a double-edged sword for the league.
However, this weekend's incident is likely to have some fans thinking twice, especially for clashes that involve a combination of Chiefs, Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, the three big draws.
Fans seeking entertainment and the opportunity to get behind their team should not fear for their lives.
The PSL had tried to present itself as a 'family show', an opportunity for fans of all ages to attend, but surely parents will now think twice.
The chairmen of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, Irvin Khoza and Kaizer Motaung respectively, held a joint press conference on Monday where they promised a full investigation, but then threw a 'dummy pass' to the league and said they must handle it.
This is questionable given that the match was a pre-season friendly effectively arranged by the two clubs, for which they were paid handsomely by sponsors, and had nothing to do with the league as an organisation.
"Nobody goes to a soccer match to die. It is a tragic that we must try and ensure is never repeated," said Khoza, echoing sentiments that were uttered by officials when 42 people died at the Oppenheimer Stadium in 1991 and 43 lost their lives at Ellis Park in 2001 - both during Soweto Derby games.
"As the two chairmen we have sat down to deliberate on this matter and have decided that we will serve a letter to the CEO of the league," he added. "Nothing that we do or say can bring back the supporters that died and the impact that this will have on their families.
"With circumstances like this it is imperative that we do everything possible to make sure that we understand precisely what happened. Whether there were any illegals or other shortcomings at the event that led to the tragic death of supporters or whether there were any additional steps that could have been taken to avoid what happened.
"It is important that we take all the necessary steps to establish the facts immediately before time passes and evidence and witnesses are lost or memories fade.
"Both Pirates and Chiefs are determined to ensure that this is done effectively and properly. We do not believe it will be appropriate for one of those clubs to arrange or conduct the investigations," Khoza continued. "It must be clear that the investigation will be independent and impartial."
That last sentence is dripping with irony.
Motuang and Khoza have referred the investigation to a league in which the former is a major influence and the latter the all-powerful chairman.
If they wanted to, they could steer an investigation by the league in any direction they choose, and certainly away from their respective clubs.
The police must be allowed to conduct a criminal investigation and take the necessary action from there.
Only once people begin to be held accountable by the law, might we see stricter implementation of the security measures that are meant to keep fans safe at stadia.