Nametso Bogopa, the young woman who lost her life in a stampede at the Gaborone International Music and Culture (GIMC) Festival on Saturday, will be buried this weekend in Ratholo.
The 22-year old was found dead at the entrance gate of the National Stadium where the festival was held. The University of Botswana (UB) third year Business Management student believed to have been stamped upon by other revelers in a stampede caused by the fight to gain entry into the festival venue. After she was found, she was rushed to hospital where she was certified dead.
The down-to-earth lass grew up in Selebi Phikwe where news of her sudden death reached her family. The University of Botswana staff and students gathered Wednesday for a memorial service of the jolly student ahead of her burial on Saturday in Ratholo. The memorial service included a march to the scene where her lifeless body was found by the stadium entrance, where mourners laid flowers in tribute.
Her untimely death attracted wide criticism from all quarters with many attributing her death to the failure of the festival organisers to pay attention to security detail. Following her death, President Ian Khama issued a directive to bring to an end music festivals that are held at stadiums and other public places. The directive has instructed local authorities never to issue permits for such festivals.
One of the event’s organisers has since posted an apology to the public, saying, “Our team is working with the relevant authorities to investigate a fatal stampede that occurred as a result of people trying to force their way into the stadium. We offer condolences to the family of the deceased. We request that we be allowed time to exhaust the necessary options to deal with this matter. It is worth noting that the risk management plan kicked in as soon as we saw signs of safety risks.” The police say they are still investigating the incident and could not reveal more except to confirm it.
The late Nametso Bogopa’s memorial service ended up at the national stadium entrance where her body was found
