HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) – President Robert Mugabe accused political opponents of provoking the stampede that left 13 soccer fans dead in the nation’s worst sports tragedy. Mugabe said Monday that agitators had been planted at National Sports Stadium to shout
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) – President Robert Mugabe accused political opponents of
provoking the stampede that left 13 soccer fans dead in the nation’s worst
sports tragedy.
Mugabe said Monday that agitators had been planted at
National Sports Stadium to shout slogans and display opposition party symbols
before throwing bottles and other things on the field, Zimbabwe’s official news
agency reported.
“Sport should never turn into warfare,” Mugabe
said.
Welshman Ncube, the third ranking official in the main opposition
party, assailed Mugabe for attempting to defend “criminal overreaction” by
police on Sunday.
“Even if people shouted slogans, it was spontaneous and
this was clearly unjustifiable action by the police,” he said.
Police fired
tear gas at unruly soccer fans during a World Cup qualifying game between
Zimbabwe and South Africa, triggering a stadium stampede.
Tear gas was
fired “not at just where the trouble was, but everywhere,” said Obert Muranga,
a spectator.
Twelve fans were killed Sunday and another died the following
day, hospital authorities said. Players from both teams choked and writhed on
the field as tear gas spread.
British soccer star John Fashanu, a
commentator at the game and a U.N. goodwill ambassador, will advise the police
in its investigation.
“Let the nation be assured nothing is going to be
swept under the carpet,” police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said
Monday.
FIFA, soccer governing body, also said it would look into the
violence, which began when fans tossed bottles following South Africa’s second
goal late in the game.
The game was stopped 10 minutes early, and South
Africa’s 2-0 lead was declared official.
FIFA expressed its “sincere
condolences to the bereaved families.”
The Zimbabwe Football Association
will report on the tragedy to FIFA on Tuesday. The Zimbabwe group is led by
Mugabe’s nephew, Leo Mugabe.
Witnesses said many of the 50,000 in the crowd
made the opposition party’s salute during the national anthem and throughout
the game. The Movement for Democratic Change slogan “chinja,” or “change,” was
heard throughout the stadium.
Fans say police first fired tear gas at those
in the crowd who raised the open-hand salute.
The opposition party made
sweeping gains in parliamentary elections in June, posing the biggest challenge
to Mugabe’s hold on power since he led the nation to independence in
1980.
During campaigning, the opposition used soccer-style slogans in
criticizing Mugabe. Violence during the campaign left at least 31 people dead,
most of them opposition supporters.
Witnesses said fans’ taunts Sunday were
directed against Leo Mugabe. Fans demanded change in the association and the
management of the national team, which has repeatedly failed to qualify for
recent international and African soccer tournaments.
The association has
been accused of mismanagement and graft under Leo Mugabe. Similar accusations
have plagued his uncle’s government.
