Govt yet to honour pledge on netball coach
Despite pledges from former Sports ministers Symon Vuwa Kaunda and Enock Chihana that government will be paying coaches for the national netball team, nothing has been done.
Lack of action on the part of government has forced the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) to reengage new Sports Minister Grace Chiumia on the issue.
In an interview on Tuesday, NAM president Rosy Chinunda said they have not given up on government, but rather started the process to engage the minister.
“It all started with Hon Vuwa Kaunda, promising us that government will be paying our coaches on monthly basis, but nothing came out. Hon Chihana too took up the issue, but just like his predecessor nothing came of it. We are courting Chiumia to assist us,” she said.
Chinunda said the arrangement was that the coaches will be on government payroll, but attached to either Ministry of Sports or Malawi National Council of Sports.
She said a decade ago they used to have a national coach in the name of Grace Sithole who was on government payroll attached to the council.
“She [Sithole] was influential in development of the national team as she dedicated her time to national team activities. If we can have a national coach fully employed by government just as it is with football it will be good for the national team,” said Chinunda.
She said the current scenario is that national coaches for netball are involved in other lines of work to sustain their families and the result is the focus on national duties is only when the team is preparing for international tournaments. The team is now coached by Mary Waya.
