Family to sue MDF over son’s death
The family of the late soccer fan Geoffrey Mwale who died in the wee hours of today says it will sue Malawi Defence Force (MDF) for the death of their son.
Stanley Mwale, father of late Geoffrey says after the burial of his son he will file murder charges against MDF whose soldiers allegedly beat the 24-year-old unconscious last month.
“I will go ahead to sue the MDF for murder. It is not an allegation that it was the soldiers who beat my son but a fact,” Mwale said, who is a Police senior superintendent.
“In this country, it is only the MDF who use Tata branded trucks and the people who brutally attacked my son arrived on the scene in such a vehicle. It is not over until it is over.”
MDF spokesperson Lieutenant Paul Chiphwanya could not be reached for his comment after several attempts.
However, MDF chief of training Brigadier General Paul Phiri recently told online media that they are doing their own investigation into the matter and will take appropriate action if their officers are found to be in the wrong.
“All we have is hearsay and we are making our own investigations before taking any course of action. We know football authorities did their investigations and punished our team but we also need to know the root cause of what happened on that day,” Phiri was quoted as saying.
“Discipline is the corner stone of the military job and if we find that some members on our side were in the wrong, we will take action. Similarly, we expected football authorities to act on those that provoked the situation.”
Almost four weeks after the incident, the Police have not made any arrest in connection with the beating of the fallen soccer fan. Police publicist Rhoda Manjolo said investigations into the case are at advanced stage.
Super League of Malawi (Sulom) treasurer Tiya Somba-Banda, who acts as the body’s spokesperson, said the continued deaths due to football violence are painting a bad picture about Malawi soccer.
“We urge players and officials to be responsible on the pitch because mostly it is their action in the field of play that provoke such situation,” he said.
Youth Development and Sports Minister Grace Chiumia has described the loss of a second life to violence as a big shame for Malawi football.
“I am lost for words to describe the gravity of this sad news. As government, we are constrained in commenting on football matters but this is a shame. Nevertheless, we will sit down with football authorities after the burial ceremony to see what we can do,” Chiumia said.
Mwale, who has been lying unconscious at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre since May 10, succumbed to serious head injuries he sustained during the incident that occurred after a league match between Red Lions and Surestream at Kamuzu Stadium.
He has become a second soccer fan to lose life to violence at a domestic football match within a space of just over a year. Lemiyasi Josita died in similar circumstances during a game between Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers at Balaka Stadium in December 2013.
He is expected to be buried on Sunday at his home village Chiwengo in the area of Traditional Authority Chilowamatambe in Kasungu.
