Ntuthuko Maphumulo
In the space of two months, Africa has experienced four soccer tragedies. The latest occurred in Ghana on Wednesday, when more than 130 soccer fans were killed in a stampede at the Accra stadium.
Five minutes before the end of the match between Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko, with Hearts leading 2-1, fans threw bottles and chairs on to the field.
Police attempts to subdue the crowd by firing tear gas had the opposite effect as thousands of people panicked and rushed towards the closed exit gates.
The military hospital in Ghana reported that most of those killed had suffocated.
Ghana’s Minister of Presidential Affairs Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has announced that a commission of enquiry will investigate the tragedy.
Soccer’s governing body Fifa has reacted with shock to the tragedy. “We are devastated,” said Fifa representative Andreas Herren. He said that Fifa would consider stiff sanctions against federations who violated security measures during matches, including suspension from international competitions.
The spate of soccer tragedies began in South Africa last month when 43 fans were killed in a stampede during a match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Ellis Park. A second stampede occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 10 people were killed and 51 injured. The third occurred in Cte d’Ivoire, where one person was killed and 39 injured.