Fight over flames fundraising drive

There is a verbal war between Kasungu North legislator Mike Bango and FAM with Bango faulting the association for appointing a task force to mobilise resources for the Flames’ participation at the Africa Cup of Nations next January, days after he hinted on the same.

Bango, a former sports journalist, also said he is suspicious of Football Association of Malawi’s (FAM) move to set up the task force barely two days after his announcement that he would move a motion in Parliament to create a task force for the same cause.

In an interview yesterday, the parliamentarian said: “Of course, I was aware of their [FAM] plans to set up a task force, but they should have waited for the motion to be tabled in Parliament this Thursday.

“I am not amused with the association’s timing. The picture being portrayed is as if we are in competition. If the motive was good, they should have reached out to me to see how best we could go about it.

“I see it as a deliberate move to frustrate the initiative I took. If the motion passes, which I am very confident it will, it will work wonders because the task force will be created by the President [Lazarus Chakwera]. Maybe they don’t want the President to be in the forefront because it will be like he is stealing their show.”

Bango further said despite the association forming its own task force, he will proceed to move the motion on Thursday.

“If the motion passes, then the task force will work independently to that of FAM,” he said.

Last Thursday, Bango announced his intention to table a Private Member motion to move the President to mobilise resources for the Flames.

According to the private member motion, the legislator wants Chakwera to create a task force to mobilise resources for the Flames.

However, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu yesterday said the association hatched the plan to create a task force soon after the Flames qualified for Afcon and it was discussed and approved by the executive committee weeks later.

He said: “It is unfortunate that the honourable MP is seeing it that way. It should not be seen as if we are hijacking his initiative because the FAM executive committee made a resolution to form a task force at its meeting of May 8 and issued a press statement to this effect thereafter.

“Also important to note is that as an institution, we cannot be solely dependent on others to raise funds for us; hence, the self-initiative that we have undertaken to mobilise resources so that we are in control of the outcome.

“We welcome the motion by honourable Bango as we feel it is complementary to the initiative that has been launched by FAM. It is a good cause worth being considered by Parliament and we are in full support.”  

But football analyst George Kaudza Masina said: “FAM has been selfish by appointing a fundraising  task force after Bango had indicated the same with a motion to be put forward in Parliament.

“Chiwembe could have done better to wait for the outcome of this national cause by Bango.  It has to be appreciated that anything coming from Chiwembe concerning finances is looked at suspiciously and an independent fundraising task force with a political will could have been the way to go.

“Let Chiwembe swallow its pride and give Parliament a chance for the good of our beloved Flames and football in general.

“The task force should still incorporate those from the corporate world in the Jabber Alide committee and the secretariat minus the FAM executive members to make it more independent and credible, otherwise we can see this failing as has been their other initiatives which have been failing miserably.”