Malawians demand national day of mourning for stadium victims
Malawians have taken up on social media to express their shock and anger over the stampede at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe that killed eight people and injured 62 more.
On Twitter, WhatsApp chat groups and Facebook social media platforms, some Malawians wonder why the government did not cancel the football match in honour of the dead people, seven of whom were children under the age of 10.
It has also transpired that the police suggested to the independence celebrations committee to open the stadium gates at 6am but this was rejected by the committee which ordered the gates open at 10am.
Malawians also wonder why the police used teargas to disperse the people which led to the stampede.
According to information gathered by Nyasa Times, most of the dead would be buried on Friday.
President Peter Mutharika on Thursday blamed the police for the stampede, saying the crowd control tactics left a lot to be desired.
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which malawians are these?who caused the stampede? who is to blame? was call for celebration wrong? has national mourning ever held in malawi and yet there have been loss of lives eg during road accidents, lake malawi drowning? what do you want to achieve? cheap politics
The police officers on duty have to be arrested and answer charges if justice is to prevail. Other wise we are not supposed to start joking on the issues yet our innocent children have lost their lives. That’s not a celebration but a blood shading ivent. And I even wonder as to how those so called big figurers enjoyed watching soccer while other are mourning. This is really lack of umunthu. Mudzimvere chisoni ndithu umunthu uzikupezani osamango kondwera ndi allowance chonsecho ndalamazo ndi tax payers money the very same people akupondedwa mkumafawo. Ngati ndatukwana wina ayankhe mopusa otherwise sindingapepese popoza palibe cholakwa ndalemba koma chilungamo.
What fabout the more eight deaths in bus accidents. at Chingeni?Think!!!!!
The Police brutality in crowd control have led to the deaths and therefore whoever ordered to tear gas the crowd must be fired and tried for causing deaths. Mutharika should be seen working sometimes please not just blame and no further action. Whoever is responsible must be fired and tried in a court of law and be punished accordingly to set and give a lesson to the brutal Malawi police who use tear gas every time even when there was no need.
A PM Is wrong why is he afraid of firing Ning’anga and Mwandidya? The police are just being used as scapegoats. They were in place by 6.30 am whereas Ministry of Labour officials arrived well after 9 am. Please please let us be fair
l dont know what these police offices are trned at there cumps they have dificuites in controling the croud.
Which Malawians R U Talking About You Better Say Some PLz
What is needed is not blame here but an enquiry as to what went wrong then following that what steps will taken to make sure it does not happen again and then put that into practice. As a Malawian I want to know why tear gas was used on my fellow Malawians? Was the officer who ordered that being irresponsible? If that is the case there ought to be some punitive measures taken towards that officer!
We need answers and change effected not blame!
A NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING
NOT ONLY FOR THE VICTIMS OF STADIUM
INCLUDE THOSE OF LAKE
DISASTER
ROAD DISASTER
CHASOWA
MATAFALE
AND OTHERS
In the old days gates at Kamuzu Stadium used to open as early as 6am to enable peaceful flow of people inside. Yes why were the gates not opened that early this time? Something just does not add up. Unfortunately innocent Malawians lost their lives. May those who lost their lives RIP.
Malawi police are Un professional. They are the ones to blame. They are very easy to use teargas. I dont know how is their education and course teach them. Organiser also have to be blame. Malawians dont or have not understood system of que. I have experienced that at Shoprite old town wherre We leave our things. They like to push in. Its again fult of shoprite management. If They put a sign que people will stand in lines and get used to system.
This only shows that we need another police reform, glad HE has also noted that our police force has got poor cloud control tactics, and this is not the first time, July 20 where we lost 20 in demonstrations is yet another testimony.
We know the chairperson of that committee.
He is one of the cabinet ministers.
If he is human enough, we demand that he comes out and apoogise to the Malawi nation.
Do not take Malawians passive attitude for granted that you can give the bereaved families 100,000.00 kwachas and the government thinks it has helped them.
One day the blood of these innocent souls will haunt that person who made that decision. Its my prayer!!!!!!!!!!!
So the committee wanted peole to scramble when entering.
This is the result.
The chairperson of the committee should be held responsible.
This issue should not die just like that.
Someone MUST be taken to task.
And those people who were in the committee must have been there during the Kamuzu era.
Did they see the Kamuzu Stadium being opened at 10.00 am on 6th July.
And we wonder why Maalwi is backward in everything. Our leaders have backward thinking.
It is paining meeeee
So the committee wanted peole to scramble when entering.
This is the result.
The chairperson of the committee should be held responsible.
This issue should not die just like that.
Someone MUST be taken to task.
And those people who were in the committee must have been there during the Kamuzu era.
Did they see the Kamuzu Stadium being opened at 10.00 am on 6th July.
And we wonder why Maalwi is backward in everything. Our leaders have backward thinking.
It is paining meeeee
RIP
Countrymen,
This is a sad episode and it will go into the annals of our history as one of the biggest tragedies to have happened on such an important day. I know that it is easy for us to start pointing fingers to one another. Being someone who was not present when events unfolded at BNS I am reluctant to categorically say who was wrong. And from the look of things, it would not have been easy for leaders including the police to make right wise decisions when the swelling crowd began to push. I find it logical, however, to blame those who refused the police’s advise to open the gate at 6.00 a.m. because I feel that it was this bottleneck that made the crowd to swell and feel frenzied with impatience that resulted into the push that turned into the shove that resulted in the stampede. I, however, feel that the situation would have been worst had the police failed to use teargas or had government decided to cancel the game since the crowd would have engaged the police in running battles that would have claimed more lives. I, therefore, have no problem with the decisions made by those in place of authority when events were unfolding. My opinion may be wrong but these are my honest views. I, therefore, thank the police and the Ministry responsible for public events for using their tactics to reduce the number of victims. Let me thank the State President and his Vice for being where suffering was during this trying time. I support those who feel that in future we should be more careful how we plan these events. I particularly get concerned when I see efforts to politicise such events. If I may ask, why did DPP use party colors for a national event like this? Is there any connection between DPP or Peter Mutharika with 6th July celebrations apart from the fact that they are both Malawian? Why did the committee decide to omit all figures and parties that are directly linked to 6 July, 1964? Was DPP not going to score political points if it had made the function neutral? I personally feel that history is holy ground and, therefore, no matter what one does to it Just my thoughts.
Good day,
Kent Y.G. Mphepo – Blantyre
Koma winawu ndi ulesi amalawi! Chonchi umphawi udzatha ndi maganizo ake amenewa? Shyeeee dxina lake lidzakhala chani? Kkkkkkk tiye nazoni!