Wamey Panky
5 May 2008
A free-for-all fight prematurely ended Labour Day celebrations in Nkambe, Donga-Mantung Division recently.
The occasion, which was presided at by the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Donga-Mantung, Godlove Mboke Ntua, began on a good note until the fight broke out.
The fighting started from a tug of war between the Nkambe Butchers' Union and the workers of SODEPA Dumbo in Misaje Subdivision.
During the first half of the tug of war, SODEPA workers won. The butchers were seemingly winning in the second half when the referee stopped the competition insisting there was a fault.
This triggered arguments with a certain Ardo Awalo of SODEPA springing out from the crowd and landing a heavy blow on one of the butchers.Before the latter could trace the origin of the blow, the crowd had seized Awalo with murderous blows and kicks.
In the twinkle of an eye, a free-for-all fight erupted. Anyone wearing a SODAPA T-shirt came under attack. Some SODEPA workers, especially those of Mbororo origin, who were armed with knives, started using them on whoever crossed their path.
A gendarme officer, who was struggling to calm the situation, was hurt in the process. Another victim also received a deep knife cut on the head.Although the troublemakers defied the SDO, policemen and gendarme officers, over six SODEPA workers were arrested and detained at the Nkambe Gendarmerie.
Administration Reacts
Talking to the press shortly after the incident, Donga-Mantung SDO said he was shocked.
He expressed regret as well as sympathy especially to the innocent people who sustained dagger wounds or were stampeded on.
On the fate of the arrested perpetrators, contrary to public expectations, the SDO said "they will be treated like children in the house without invoking legal sanctions, especially if it is proven beyond doubt that the act was not pre-meditated but an on the spot provocation."
A depressed Divisional Delegate of Labour and Social Security, Manasseh Timah Mbah, differed with the SDO on the ground that the tug of war would henceforth be suspended.
He argued that the tug of war was just like any other sporting game which often generates on-the-spot provocation especially from spectators.
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