Failure by Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to push for electoral statutes amendments for its affiliates has led to confusion on eligibility of aspirants ahead of regional associations’ polls by December.
This follows the amendment of FAM constitution during last year’s elections to remove Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) as a minimum qualification.
While the Central Region Football Association (CRFA) and Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) executive committee aspirants will not be mandated to possess an (MSCE), the story is different for the Northern Region Football Association (NRFA).
In an interview yesterday, NFRA general secretary Masiya Nyasulu said aspiring candidates are required to have an MSCE as a minimum qualification.
“We haven’t amended the constitution so that requirement still stands even during the upcoming elections,” he said.
Nyasulu said the statutes may be amended after the elections as delegates to the meeting held over the weekend opposed the existence of the clause.
FAM amended its constitution to abolish MSCE as a minimum qualification for executive committee members of the association.
As per tradition, all FAM affiliates were supposed to amend their constitutions to be in line with the mother body’s.
CRFA and SRFA confirmed in separate interviews that the MSCE qualification is not a requirement for aspirants to contest.
“I think we have never had it because our association is about rural people most of whom do not possess such qualifications,” said SRFA chairperson Raphael Humba.
CRFA vice-general secretary Antonio Manda said: “It is not there in our statutes so we can’t implement it.”
Football analyst Brutus Ndhlovu faulted FAM for failing to bring sanity to address the issue.
“There are a lot of inconsistencies in the constitutions of associations and that of FAM. It is unfortunate because all these issues should have been sorted out long time ago,” he said.
Ndhlovu warned that the inconsistencies have the potential to bring chaos to elections and dissatisfaction among aspirants.
Meanwhile, lawyer Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda said that although FAM abolished the MSCE requirement, its constitution cannot override those of its affiliates such as NRFA.
“An aspirant has to comply with the rules of engagement in the association. Although FAM removed this requirement, there is no inconsistency between the FAM constitution and the NRFA constitution. The NRFA constitution remains binding on its members,” he explained.
FAM general secretary Alfred Gunda could not explain the reason they have not pushed associations to amend their constitutions.
He, however, said that they expect all associations to follow FAM’s steps.
“The issue of qualification in the respective statutes where there is a requirement requires revisiting with due respect of the statutory process that is followed for such. You will recall that FAM adopted revised statutes last year,” he said.
