Students riot, destroy property over Spanish league game

Ntchisi Secondary School students on Saturday evening went on rampage destroying school property in protest against the administration’s decision to bar them from watching a Spanish La Liga game between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The school authorities estimate the damaged property at K5.8 million.

Boarding master Sobhuza Mgawa told The Nation in a telephone interview yesterday that the football-loving students approached him, requesting access to the entertainment hall to watch an English Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea.

He said the administration granted the students their wish and they watched the game.

Said Mgawa: “But in the evening, we were surprised to see the students mobilising themselves and throwing stones in all directions, resulting in massive damage to school property.”

“The damage is very huge. It is estimated at K5.8 million.” Mgawa added that the school management “is currently meeting to map the way forward.”

However, he did not confirm if the students were indeed angered by the decision by the administration to deny them access to watch the second game of the day between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Ntchisi Police Station spokesperosn Gladson M’bumpha said at the time of the interview that the police had not yet made arrests in relation to the matter.

He could also not commit himself on the number of students suspected to have taken part in the incident.

“We are locked in a meeting with the school administration and police to map the way forward. The number of students [involved] not yet known, but hopefully ringleaders will be identified as investigations are underway,” he explained.