National Sports tragedy as fan killed after being run over by police water cannon truck

The police truck with cannon working heads to Gate 2 entrance which was being overrun by fans desperate to get inside

HARARE – A fan died at the National Sports Stadium on Monday evening after being run over by a police crowd-control truck as Zimbabwe’s Africa Cup of Nations tie against the Democratic Republic of Congo kicked off.

Police said they had launched “swift and comprehensive investigations” into the “fatal incident involving a police public order vehicle and a pedestrian”.

The incident happened at about 6.30PM at Gate 2 where ticketed fans were growing impatient owing to tighter security measures with President Emmerson Mnangagwa also at the stadium.

National police spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the fan’s death occurred “during a stampede.”

The vehicle involved is an Israeli-made riot-control truck fitted with a water cannon, according to video seen by ZimLive.

The video shows the vehicle moving rapidly towards Gate 2, where a group of people appeared to force their way in. In the crush that followed, one person fell and was run over by the vehicle.

Such vehicles are designed to disperse crowds using high-pressure water rather than physical contact. In this case, the video appears to show the vehicle being driven towards the crowd as the water cannon was deployed.

Police said the Commissioner-General of Police Stephen Mutamba had offered “profound condolences” to the victim’s family and ordered “objective and comprehensive investigations to find out exactly what transpired.”

Zimbabwe lost 2-1 to the DRC in their first match at the National Sports Stadium in five years after the venue had been banned by FIFA. The ban was lifted following extensive renovations at the stadium.