Even in his first press conference after Monday’s disaster at the Stade Olembé in which eight fans died, Patrice Motsepe, the president of the Confederation of African Football, was looking to shift the blame. He convened a commission to investigate the causes – it was expected to report on Friday, but is yet to do so – but the avoidance of corporate responsibility had begun already.
There was the gate that was “inexplicably” shut. And that, almost certainly, was the direct cause of the buildup of people and the surge towards the open gate that knocked down a temporary barrier and led to people being trampled on. Whoever didn’t open that shut gate will take the blame.
