Civil Sporting fans demand exco dismissal

TNM Super League side Civil Sporting Club supporters committee has petitioned the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), demanding the dismissal of the side’s executive committee members “over poor management”.

Those mentioned include club chairperson Osman Fatchi, vice-chairperson Owen Malijani and general secretary Ronald Chiwaula.

OPC director of administration and Sporting board secretary Rashid Ntelera yesterday confirmed receiving the petition which, among other things, alleges that the executive committee is fond of selling their best players without making proper replacements.

In an interview yesterday, the Lilongwe-based club’s supporters’ committee vice-chairperson Chipiliro Kanguwe said they petitioned the OPC to avoid a previous experience when they were relegated but returned into the top-flight league in 2017 after buying the franchise of the now-defunct Epac FC.

“Our good players such as Righteous Banda and Gomezgani Chirwa have been sold to Nyasa Big Bullets yet the executive committee fails to find their suitable replacements,” he said.

“We fear that if this continues, we will end up being relegated and we do not want go through that horrible experience again. We believe that the expulsion of the executive committee, especially the chairperson and the general secretary would be ideal for this purpose.”

Chiwaula said he would not comment on the allegations until the OPC conducts its thorough investigations.

“Let us cross the bridge when we get there; it is good to keep silent on these allegations until investigations are complete,” he said.

While admitting receiving the petition from the supporters committee, Ntelera said they would not act on the supporters’ allegations until they conduct proper investigations.

“In their petition, the supporters committee included some serious allegations that need to be thoroughly investigated before we can take any other action. We will institute an investigation into the matter,” he said.