Bullets in another crisis

• Operating without elected executive
• Supporters illegally co-opted Chilunga

Nyasa Big Bullets are violating their constitution by operating without an elected executive board and letting their supporters’ committee co-opt members into the board, a situation that puts the club’s credibility at risk.

Article 5.8 (i) of Bullets’ constitution stipulates that “the management of the club shall be entrusted to an executive board consisting of chairperson, vice-chairperson, general secretary, vice-general secretary, treasurer and vice-treasurer elected at an annual general meeting and shall hold office for a period of three years.”

Sub-section (v) of the same article states that “if a vacancy shall occur in the board, then, the (elected) board shall have the power to appoint one of themselves to do the duties of the office so vacated or to co-opt a member as they deem proper.”

The chairperson, vice-chairperson, general secretary, vice-general secretary, treasurer and vice-treasurer elected at an annual general meeting are the ones who have the mandate to co-opt members.

In the current executive board it is only vice-treasurer Grace Chenda-Mkandawire was elected. The other board members resigned due to pressure from the supporters and their new sponsors Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC), who insisted that their K500 million five-year sponsorship will be maintained if Sam Chilunga remained the club’s executive committee chairperson.

Chilunga and the current vice-general secretary Kelvin Moyo, were ‘illegally’ co-opted into the board in May last year by the club’s supporters committee, and not the elected executive board, as per requirements of the constitution.

Chilunga replaced Kondi Msungama while Moyo replaced Titha Mandiza who was elevated to general secretary after Harold Fote was fired by the supporters alongside the chairperson.

The executive still has elected second vice-chairperson Austin Kasito, second vice-general secretary McDonald Mwamadi and committee members Lewis Mwamulenga, Bizzy Kalozeni and Joe Twaibu. But they have no constitutional powers to co-opt executive members.

Bullets board of trustees general secretary Jim Kalua told Nation on Sunday on Wednesday that they are aware of the situation and they soon issue a press statement on what they are doing to sort out the problems.

However, he could not clearly state how soon the constitutional crisis will be solved.

“An AGM [annual general meeting] will be called very soon. But currently, there is no need for panic,” Kalua explained.

He added that they had a meeting with the elected executive committee members that resigned to hear about their views on the way forward and “we will come back at an appropriate time to explain what we have agreed.”

Meanwhile, NMC managing director Demo Kalaitzis said they are comfortable working with the ‘illegal’ Chilunga-led executive committee due to its acquaintance of their sponsorship concept.

However, Kalaitzis said they are ready to accept new leadership at Bullets if Chilunga’s resignation is done on his own will and not as a result of some infighting in the Bullets camp.

“We insisted for Chilunga’s continued stay as Bullets chairperson because he was instrumental in getting the sponsorship. Moreover, at the time he initially decided to quit his post due to the infighting, the sponsorship was just few months old and we felt it was too early to part ways with someone who understood better our sponsorship concept and we were closely working with in terms of making sure our partnership runs smoothly,” he said.

“Once everything is on the right track, we can ably let him leave the stage. Nevertheless, it will depend on what grounds he will be calling it quits. If it is due to infighting, we will not accept or trust anyone that takes up his place.”