Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
The Government has intensified investigations into a fatal incident involving a police public order vehicle and a pedestrian at the National Sports Stadium on Monday evening, where one person died during a stampede at the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Police recently said the tragedy occurred at Gate Number Two and it involved a police public order vehicle.
In a statement this Wednesday, Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, (Rtd Lt Gen) Anselem Sanyatwe said the main objective of the investigation was to establish the facts and to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated again in any sporting venues.
“It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that I learnt of the unfortunate and untimely passing on of a passionate football fan, following an incident at the National Sports Stadium where fans broke down a gate in an attempt to gain access to the stadium through unauthorised means, resulting in efforts to disperse the crowd, leading to the unfortunate incident,” he said.
“On behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, the entire sporting fraternity and on my own behalf, I wish to convey our deepest and most sincere condolences to the bereaved family, relatives, friends and the entire Warriors family on this painful loss. We share in your grief during this extremely difficult time.
“The loss of a life in the pursuit of supporting our beloved game is a tragedy that has shaken us all.”
He said he had also been informed that some fans sustained injuries during the incident.
” I wish them a speedy and full recovery and assure the nation that Government is monitoring their condition closely,” he said.
“The Government of Zimbabwe is working flat out with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Sports and Recreation Commission and ZIFA to ensure that this incident is fully and thoroughly investigated to establish the cause of this unfortunate incident.
“Our objective is clear; to establish the facts and to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated again in any of our sporting venues. The safety and security of fans, players and officials at all sporting events remains a top priority for Government.
“We will review and strengthen crowd management protocols, access control measures and emergency response systems across all our facilities. Furthermore, I wish to announce that Government processes are already in progress to ensure that our departed Warriors’ fan is accorded a decent burial.”
The Commissioner General of Police, Stephen Mutamba, recently assured the public of objective and comprehensive investigations to find out exactly what transpired.
