Nomads vice-chair roughed up
Winds of chaos have returned to the Nomads’ shores after a period of calm and quiet.
Be Forward Wanderers first vice-chairperson Alex Machila and main supporters committee secretary Paul Mphepo were roughed up at Wanderers Club in Blantyre on Saturday by unidentified persons for allegedly plotting the ouster of the team’s current leadership.
The incident happened soon after the Nomads’ TNM Super League match against Blue Eagles at Kamuzu Stadium which ended in a two-all draw.
Machila could not be reached for comment, but Mphepo confirmed the incident in an interview yesterday.
“It is true, I was in a meeting with Mr.Machila on issues related to administration when suddenly a group of ‘roughnecks’ stormed the office in which we were meeting and started beating us. They accused us of having sinister plans of orchestrating the current executive committee’s ouster.
“Mr.Machila and I had to flee the clubhouse premises by jumping the perimeter wall fence for our safety. It was a scary incident and we reported it to Soche Police,” said Mphepo.
He also claimed that one of the club’s top official (name withheld) hired the roughnecks, saying: “He is fond of doing that whenever he has a bone to chew with anyone.
“But it is not us who are demanding the team leadership’s removal, it is the supporters because they are frustrated with the team’s poor results.”
Meanwhile, some of the team’s zonal committee members on Saturday wrote a letter to the club’s general secretary (GS), declaring that they had dissolved both the executive and main supporters committee.
The letter, purpotedly signed by 50 zonal members, states that an interim committee would be announced by yesterday.
However, Wanderers general secretary Mike Butao expressed ignorance on the fracas, saying: “It’s news to me, I haven’t heard anything yet.”
Commenting on the vote of no confidence, the Wanderers GS said: “I am not aware of that either, but, personally, I do not have a problem quitting. We brought in sponsorship, quality players, quality coaches. I do not know what else we were supposed to do, coach the players ourselves?”
He, however, wondered why the supporters are signing a petition instead of asking the team’s board of trustees to call for an AGM [annual general meeting].
“Isn’t that the constitutional way to do things? Do they seriously believe the sponsorship will be handed over to and renegotiated with a group of people with no legal mandate?,” wondered Butao.
