Father to sue Malawi army over son’s wrongful death: Football fan’s burial Sunday in Kasungu

Police senior superintendent Stanley Mwale , father of the late soccer fan Geoffrey Mwale who died in the wee hours of Friday in Blantyre says he will file a wrongful-death lawsuit agaist Malawi Defence Force (MDF) for for the death of his son over football violence.

The late Godfrey Mwale's father paying their respects at College of Medicine Mortuary (CoM).
The late Godfrey Mwale’s father paying their respects at College of Medicine Mortuary (CoM).

Mwale, who has been lying unconscious at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre since May 10, succumbed to serious head injuries he sustained during the incident that occurred after a league match between Red Lions and Surestream at Kamuzu Stadium.

His father said on Friday that he will seek justice for the death of his 24-year-old son, saying it is clear that the soldiers assaulted the deceased .

“This is a wrongful death caused by solders of MDF who brutally attacked my son using TATA truck only used in Malawi by the military. It is not over until it is over,” said grieving Mwale.

Police failed to make any arrest in connection with the beating of Mwale with Police spokeswoman Rhoda Manjolo saying in usual statement “ investigations are underway.”

Messages seeking comment from MDF spokesperson Lieutenant Paul Chiphwanya and Red Lions chairman , were not immediately returned

However, MDF chief of training Brigadier General Paul Phiri recently told Nyasa Times that they are doing their own investigation into the matter and will take appropriate action if their officers are found to be in the wrong.

“All we have is hearsay and we are making our own investigations before taking any course of action. We know football authorities did their investigations and punished our team but we also need to know the root cause of what happened on that day,” Phiri told Nyasa Times.

“ Discipline is the corner stone of the military job and if we find that some members on our side were in the wrong, we will take action. Similarly, we expected football authorities to act on those that provoked the situation.”

Godfrey Mwale has become a second soccer fan to lose life to violence at a domestic football match within a space of just over a year. Lemiyasi Josita died in similar circumstances during a game between Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers at Balaka Stadium in December 2013.

He is expected to be buried on Sunday at his home village Chiwengo in the area of Traditional Authority Chilowamatambe in Kasungu.

Following the violence that erupted at Kamuzu Stadium, Sulom fined Red Lions a total of K3.6 million and banned eight players from the military side from taking part in Sulom activities for a maximum period of one year. The players in question were found guilty of assaulting referee Boniface Chapinga after the game.

Chapinga had denied Red Lions three goals apart from awarding two penalties to Surestream, who managed a two-all draw against the soldiers- courtesy of the two penalty kicks.

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Achalume
8 years ago

Kukhala ku fellowship ma comment onsewa ndikanati Halleluaaaaaaaah ndipo inu nonse mwalemba ma comment mukanafuwula kuti Ameeeeeeeeeeeeen.Army woyeeeeeee.

Chikuni
8 years ago

phanani ndinu asilikali nokhanokha.

Dido
8 years ago

Iwe ninkhuuzeni kaya ukuti kachiani ndiwe galu wa mchira. Inu mission yake iti yomwe munapita inu? Kapena yomweyi yokamenya macivilliani kumipirayi? Missioooooniii, mumaidziwa inu mission?

Kulibe kantu
Kulibe kantu
8 years ago

IT IS ONLY IN MALAWI WHERE SOLDIERS ARE SHIELDED FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. AT LEAST WE CAN BE PROUD OF THE POLICE THAT WE ARE SEEING CRIMINAL POLICE OFFICERS BEING ARRESTED AND STANDING TRIAL.

Ismael mdala
8 years ago

How can soccer be butful like this.very sad.

pasimaro
8 years ago

Mulungu akulangeni, anthu okonda akazi weni

chikoya
8 years ago

exercising usoja on civilians? shame. zitsiruzi zikungolipidwa popanda ntchito yomwe zikugwira.

Tatopa
Tatopa
8 years ago

Bwana Phiri akufuna root cause yomwe ichite justify the killing chitsilu iwe galu iwe mphaka iwe ukutanthauza kuti sukudziwa kuti no matter what kumenya ref ndiye chopusisisa padziko lapansi ngakhale zitalakwika. Mbalame ina ikuti tizawafuna asilikali kuti atani? Apite ku Tz akaone agalu amenewa

Abuwawa
Abuwawa
8 years ago

May his soul rest in internal peace. Bambo mwale give them tough time mpaka mulandire compasation

Taweni
Taweni
8 years ago

Let us have only one team from the Army in the country. The issue of having multiple teams does not help sports in this country. The soldiers have shown that they are dangerous and may not be controlled by the police.
Observe them when entering and exiting the field of play and they do not show orderly behaviour of lining up and moving in single file like fellow soldiers do elsewhere.

Citizen

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