SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
Unconfirmed reports say at least four ZANU PF supporters died and at least 20 people were injured after a stampede broke out at President Robert Mugabe’s star rally at Chibuku Stadium in Chitungwiza on Tuesday.
ZANU PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo confirmed to SW Radio Africa that there was a stampede and some people were injured, although he could not confirm the deaths.
“I did get a report that quite a number of people were injured and that one lady might have been stepped on. But she has gone to hospital so I don’t know whether she died or not. When that incident happened I was not yet in. The crowd was so large that anything of that nature could have happened,” Gumbo said.
Eyewitnesses said the stadium doors were locked to prevent more people from entering as there was already a massive crowd inside. However people tried to force their way in when one of the doors was opened to allow an ambulance to leave. One of the sources said: “People stampeded, and apparently four people were killed and many, many injured.”
A carer, who only wanted to be identified as Tendai for security reasons, said he attended to some of the injured at South Med hospital in Chitungwiza.
“They (injured) said they wanted to gain access into the stadium but it was full. So when they went to the gate that is when the other guys started falling and they were stepped on by other people who were trying to force their way into the stadium as well.
“So far we managed to treat 20 people. They were injured during the stampede but most of them had minor injuries,” Tendai said.
It’s also reported that a truck carrying ZANU PF supporters crashed on the way to the stadium. There were no details on the injuries.
The ZANU PF spokesman claims there were more than 10,000 people who thronged Chibuku Stadium to hear Mugabe’s address.
He said the organisers did not anticipate such a large crowd and it is for that reason that Mugabe’s next star rally in Mashonaland West on Thursday will be held in the open, as the stadium in Chinhoyi can’t accommodate the huge crowds being seen at these rallies.
Both MDC leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube have also been attracting huge crowds at their rallies as the campaigning hots up ahead of the July 31st polls.