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Kondi resigns

  • Fans storm Bullets office, grab trophies, office equipment

Amid the storm that has been pounding Big Bullets FC’s stricken ship, club chairperson Kondi Msungama yesterday bowed down to calls from a section of supporters that he resigns.

Msungama: I have regrettably accept the call
Msungama: I have regrettably accept the call

Msungama’s resignation came in the wake of main supporters committee chairperson Stone Mwamadi’s move to give the executive board 12 hours from Sunday evening to throw in the towel.

As if that was not enough, in a scene plucked from a Hollywood movie, some Bullets fans reportedly invaded the club’s office twice yesterday and broke windows before forcing their way in and grabbed some office equipment, trophies and unspecified foreign currency belonging to Msungama from a diary.

The development is likely to throw the People’s Team preparations for Sunday’s CAF Champions League first round second-leg tie against Sudanese outfit Al Hilal into turmoil.

Msungama, sounding ice-cool, told The Nation that he had bowed down to some of the supporters’ call to step down.

“The writing is on the wall. If a chairperson of the main supporters committee demands your resignation in public then it translates to a vote of no confidence and for the betterment of the team, I have regrettably accepted the call to resign, we just can’t go on like this.

“I believe no one is bigger than the team and the focus now should be on the crucial game coming up against Al Hilal other than waste time on internal squabbles. So, a decision has been made that we should go, so be it,” said Msungama.

The flamboyant official said he is bowing out a happy man having achieved most of his goals.

“When I was elected into office, I made a promise to end the league title drought, win a cup and join the CAF Champions League and when I look back I feel proud to have achieved that feat although it was not easy,” he said.

However, Msungama admitted that there were other areas in which he could have done better.

“I think failure to secure sponsorship and the divisions that rocked the team’s leadership were notable shortfalls.”

In his parting shot, Msungama said he wishes the team well and that he will be available for advice if needed.

“I hold no grudge against anyone. Bullets is an institution and there are bound to be internal politics. When I declared interest to vie for the position of chairman, others were not interested to vie for the hot seat, but I am now happy that so many people now want to run the team,” he said.

Mwamadi yesterday expressed gratitude to Msungama for heeding the call to step down, saying he expects the rest of the executive board to follow suit.

“There was nothing personal, but we just felt things were getting out of hand. Players have not been paid for two months now and the club was operating on katapila which was just not right.

“The club was also being run by a few individuals and they had become untouchable. The board of trustees will take over the operations of the team until such time that we meet to map the way forward,” said Mwamadi.

Asked if the decision will not affect the team’s preparations for the Al Hilal game, Mwamadi confidently said: “Ayise, there are lots of people that are ready and willing to assist Bullets. As I said, we have the trustees who for now will take over the show, it will be business as usual.”

He also claimed that he was not aware that some fans had ransacked the team’s offices.

“I am not aware of that incident, neither has it been brought to my attention, but we will launch investigations into that. But it just shows how fed up and angry the supporters were with the current leadership,”  said Mwamadi.

However, the club’s GS Harold Fote yesterday insisted that he will stay put, saying: “Status quo remains.”

Bullets’ board of trustees secretary Jim Kalua said they were yet to get formal communication from Msungama and the main supporters committee.

“It is unfortunate that things have reached this point, things have not been going on well for sometime and that is why at one point we tried to call for an AGM [annual general meeting], unfortunately some people within the executive were adamant.

“The way forward now is that we will seek clarification from the main supporters committee as to whether the call for resignation was for the entire executive committee or particular individuals,” said Kalua.

The club’s vice-captain Pilirani Zonda yesterday said he was not aware of Msungama’s resignation.

“However, as players we are aware that there is a lot that has been going on behind the scenes. For now I cannot comment much until we meet at the training venue. I only hope the internal wrangles will not affect our preparations for the game against Al Hilal,” said Zonda. n

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