HARARE – The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has barred Harare City Parking officials from operating at the National Sports Stadium as authorities seek...
HARARE – The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has barred Harare City Parking officials from operating at the National Sports Stadium as authorities seek to improve crowd movement following Monday night’s fatal incident at the venue.
The decision means motorists attending events at the stadium will not be charged parking fees by Harare City Parking for the latest fixture, according to a report by NewsDay.
The move comes after a supporter died during a stampede at Gate 2 of the stadium on Monday evening as Zimbabwe played the Democratic Republic of Congo in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed that one person died during the incident and said the death involved a police public-order vehicle and a pedestrian. Police said investigations were under way to establish exactly what happened.
The incident occurred at about 6:30pm, shortly after the match began. Reports from the scene said supporters had experienced delays entering the stadium, with large numbers of fans gathering around Gate 2.
The reported parking charges had already generated complaints among supporters before the match. A separate report said fans were being charged US$5 to park at the National Sports Stadium on Monday. (iHarare News)
The decision by Zifa to stop City Parking operations is aimed at reducing potential delays around the stadium and allowing supporters to enter and leave the venue more freely.
City Parking normally operates parking facilities and on-street parking services in Harare. Its official website says parking fees are used to regulate parking and support council infrastructure, while its current on-street parking charge is listed as the equivalent of US$1 per hour at the official exchange rate.
However, the National Sports Stadium match-day arrangement has come under scrutiny following Monday’s events.
Reports indicate that congestion was worsened by security checks and difficulties at entry points, while some ticket holders reportedly experienced problems with electronic ticket scanning. The resulting queues contributed to a large crowd gathering outside the stadium.
Zifa’s latest move comes as authorities prepare for further football events at the stadium and seek to ensure that supporters can access the venue without similar congestion.
The National Sports Stadium recently returned to international football after extensive renovations following a FIFA ban on the venue. The Zimbabwe-DRC match was one of the first major international fixtures played at the stadium after the restrictions were lifted.
Zimbabwe lost the match 2-1 to DR Congo, but the result was overshadowed by the death outside the stadium.
Police have not yet publicly established responsibility for the death. Commissioner Paul Nyathi said a detailed investigation would determine what transpired between the public-order vehicle and the pedestrian during the stampede.
The incident has also raised questions about match-day planning, including ticket verification, security searches, parking arrangements, entry points and the deployment of crowd-control vehicles.
For the immediate fixture, Zifa’s decision to remove Harare City Parking from the stadium is intended to simplify access arrangements and avoid another build-up of vehicles and supporters around the venue.
Further measures may be announced as authorities review what happened on Monday and determine how crowd management can be improved at the National Sports Stadium.
