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| National |
| Soccer violence sends government into action |
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by
Oris Chimenya, 18 October 2004
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08:44:09
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Shocked and concerned with the mob violence which fans resorted to after the Saturday’s Bakili Bullets 1-1 draw with Nigeria’s Enyimba, President Bingu wa Mutharika has ordered the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to institute a task force to look into the matter.
Briefing journalists at the Sports Council secretariat in Blantyre Sunday morning, Sports Minister Henry Chimunthu-Banda said when he called Mutharika Saturday night and told him about the violence, the President was concerned that even innocent people were victimised.
“The State President was very much shocked to learn about the barbaric acts and he has asked us to track down the perpetrators so that we should not have a recurrence of this barbaric acts again. I know it is not easy to track them down but with the task force, we will make sure that we track down these hooligans and have the law act upon them,” said Chimunthu-Banda.
The minister, who did not watch the match himself, said he had information from the Police that they have received 29 cases of violence right from the vicinity of the stadium to such far away places as Che Mussa located five to six kilometres from Kamuzu Stadium.
“Previously, the violence was restricted to the stadium but now, if the people go to places like Soche to break innocent people’s cars, then the violence is wearing a new face,” said Chimunthu-Banda.
He said the composition of the task force will include journalists, Blantyre City residents, the Police and Fam “but the final list of the people will be out when a few heads meet”.
Chimunthu-Banda also said the names of people in the task force will be announced in the course of this week and that its findings will have to be found well before the Bakili Bullets MTL Wanderers match which is slated for October 30.
Fam public relations and marketing officer Isabel Maziya said the task force idea is welcome because the perpetrators do not know the consequences of the violence they engage in.
“Apart from that, these people also need civic education. As Fam, we have been working with the Police. We have pre-match meetings where we brainstorm on issues to do with security, but the task force will help us a lot,” she said.
According to Chimunthu-Banda, the task force will also look into the violence that resulted after the Flames drew 2-2 against Tunisia on October 9, 2004.
Unlike in the October 9 incident when the Police fired tear-gas to disperse fans, the law enforcers did not do the same on Saturday but the hooligans went on to stone cars as far as Mbayani and Limbe.
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