In the wake of the 21st Gabon disaster memorial Diana Makinka (on the right) has let out the deep frustrations of the families of the 18 players, coaching staff and crew members that perished off the coast of Libreville.
Diana, who was three years old when her father died in 1993, revealed she hates football because of the pain it invokes in her in the absence of information of what really killed her father.
Diana told the BBC Focus on Africa programme that the families would have hoped that FAZ President having been a friend to the deceased may have helped pile pressure for the release of the report.
“A day like today reminds us once again what we have lost and it hits home again that we do not know why our father died. Why are we still waiting for the report? Why is the government not giving us that report?” she said.
“It seems to us the families that the government appears to hope that if we do not make enough noise, if we do not talk about it, then it will just fade away but 21 years on does not make them any less dead.”
Simataa-Gumbo
Football administrator Simataa Simataa (left) and Winston Gumbo (in black) with soccer fans at the 21st Gabon memorial. Picture by SYDNEY MUNGALA
She added: “Last year I graduated at my university at Middlesex and the only thing I could think of was that my father was not there. I was angry and still angry why are we not getting this report? If it is not their fault, if they played no part in it why are they not telling us?
“Why are they not releasing that report? We need to know, that is the only way we are going to get closure.”
On whether having a FAZ leader who was closer to the deceased had helped in their call for a report.
“You would think that with him (Kalusha Bwalya) having lost friends on that plan, that maybe you would get answers faster, that maybe he would push for us but that is not happening. We are no closer now than we were 21 years ago to know what happened,” she said.
On whether Zambia winning the Africa Cup had eased the pain, Diana said, “I was crying because to answer your question I hate football.
It is a reminder of what we lost and I do not even want to think about it. Watching them win was just a painful reminder for us that our father is not here and that we still don’t know why he is not here with us.”
Diana said, “I would have fallen in love with football if I knew why my father died. I cannot think of the game without thinking what it cost us and that for me is just enough to never just want to think about football.”
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