Coaches not paid since August
While most people have been spending and holidaying during this festive season, it is all misery for Flames coaches Young Chimodzi and Jack Chamangwana as they remain unpaid five months after signing their one-year contracts.
“It was a quiet Christmas for me. I was just home with my family, which was good. Since August, we have not been paid. FAM was helping us with allowances when the Flames were playing games, but in the absence of matches now, we are struggling. We have families to look after, but we did not want to sound like we are making excuses,” said Chamangwana hoping to get paid by the end of this January.
The deputy coach said FAM executive committee’s delay to endorse and forward their contracts to government led to the mess they were in.
Separately, Chimodzi yesterday said his family had to cope with hardships. He, however, said there is nothing they can do, but to wait for end of January when government has assured them of the pay.
“They depend on me to provide for the family and they had to deprive themselves of things. It’s hard going, but we can only wait for government procedures. These are the things we need to look into as a country if we want success. Keeping someone for three months without pay is inhuman,” noted Chimodzi.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu on Wednesday clarified that the contracts for the coaches were for a year after government, due to challenges with previous contracts, resolved to shorten them.
“It is a very worrisome situation as they have taken loans from FAM in excess of K2 million. The matter is beyond our control.
“Their contracts are between government and the coaches, but we feel duty bound to give a helping hand,” said Nyamilandu.
On November 23, FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda told The Nation that the association was paying the coaches “with the hope of recovering the money when their contracts are up and running.”
In reaction in the same edition, Sports Ministry Principal Secretary Justin Saidi absolved the ministry of blame, saying FAM executive’s delayed assessment of the coaches contributed to the mess.
“So, we as government are not to blame for the situation in which the coaches find themselves in,” Saidi told The Nation.
