KHAMA Billiat was nine, Ovidy Karuru was 10, and Edward Sadomba was 16 years old when the National Sports Stadium was turned into a bloodbath on July 9 2000.
Thirteen people were crushed to death at the giant stadium when police fired teargas at the crowd in a bid to quell disturbances during the World Cup qualifier between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Disgraced Bafana Bafana striker Delron Buckley ignited the mayhem when he pulled his middle finger at the fans as he celebrated his side’s 2-0 win over the hosts with 10 minutes before the final whistle.
The agitated Warriors fans reacted by raining missiles onto the field of play and the police reacted by firing teargas canisters into crowd and, in the ensuing rush to escape the choking smoke, 13 fans were crushed to death while scores were injured.
Eularia Made, Tawanda Gwanzura, Patrick Mpariwa, Killian Madondo, George Chin’anga, Sam Mavhuro, Enock Chimombe, Joyce Chimbamba, Benhilda Magadu, Ronald Kufakunesu, Tonderai Jeke, T Makonese and Alec Fidesi lost their lives in the stampede.
The youngest victim was Fidesi, who was just six years old. He could have been 17 years old today when Billiat, now 21, and company troop into the National Sports Stadium as the new generation of the Warriors aim to qualify for the Nations Cup.
The Mugomba tragedy is one of the worst football disasters to strike domestic football. As the Warriors go for the crunch Nations Cup match we hope they will remember to honour the 13 who perished at the stadium.
The Warriors/Liberia match is an emotional match particularly for the families of those who perished at the stadium as it comes 57 days after they were quietly remembered by their relatives.
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It is 11 years now since those 13 lives flickered and were blown away like candles in the wind. Continental football has been littered with some of the worst football disasters. The National Sports Stadium disaster had been one of the worst in Africa until 43 people were killed and 155 injured as fans tried to push into an overcrowded Ellis Park Stadium in South Africa during a match pitting Orlando Pirates and Kaizers Chiefs on April 11 2001.
Then the continent’s worst football disaster happened in Accra, Ghana on May 9, 2001 when 127 people died in a stampede after police fired teargas during the match between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.
The home side scored two late goals to defeat Kotoko 2-1, which led to disappointed Kotoko fans to throw plastic seats and bottles onto the pitch. The response to this crowd disturbance from the police was to fire teargas into the crowd. Panic ensued and a resulting stampede led to the deaths.
There is something sad about the football stadium tragedies in Africa. The annoyed football fans throw missiles into the pitch when their team is down and the police react by firing teargas and in the rush scores of people are crushed to death. This should stop.
We hope that there is a new generation of supporters that do not throw missiles into the pitch like those of 11 years ago. We also hope that there is a new generation of supporters that do not mock players and women. We also pray and hope that there is a new generation of police — one that is not trigger-happy. It can be a consolation that today ends with no ugly incident. Go Warriors go!Feedback: [email protected] mobile 00263 772498512.
BY FANUEL VHIRIRI
