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Silver effect changes: No more elections, Secretariat to run the club

 

Having turned into a limited company, Silver Strikers FC have started effecting changes which include an imminent abolition of the executive committee.

The club’s board of trustees spokesperson Chiku Kalilombe on Tuesday told The Nation in an interview that with the approval of sponsors Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), it will hire staff which will be responsible for running the operations of the club.

silver-stricker
Silver players celebrating one of their significant triumphs

“The club is now a limited liability [company] and is such, it will be run as a commercial entity and thus the executive committee will cease to exist. We will set up a secretariat with staff on full employment which is also in line with FAM requirement of club licensing,” he said.

Silver is now a limited company by guarantee, comprising of 10 subscribed directors namely RBM deputy governor Meg Kajiyanike, Kelvin M’mangisa, Macdonald Mafuta-Mwale, Rodrick Chatayika, Paul Chimimba, Nasser Tayub, Steven Msamala, Mario Antoine, Gaulphine Nyirenda, and Kalilombe.

However, Kalilombe said in the meantime, the current executive committee will continue to manage the club until new management staff is hired.

“What we have agreed as a board, with consent from the sponsors, is that the current executive committee will continue managing the team in this transit period until such a time that a secretariat is put in place,” he said.

Kalilombe also said the board felt that elections brought about enmity and divisions within the club which was not a healthy situation.

“Elections created blocks within the club and this led to divisions and unnecessary tension. The losing block would always oppose the wining camp until the day of next elections. At no time did the two blocks work in harmony. This resulted into bad publicity for the sponsors RBM. We believe with the employment of a full time secretariat the club will be run professionally.”

He said as a company, they will be involved in sale of merchandise, maximising on gate collections through e-ticketing and sale of players.

RBM spokesperson Mbane Ngwira said plans have always been there to have a permanent secretariat to run the club with a view of making it professional entity and that only the process had delayed.

“As sponsors we believe with a permanent secretariat, things at the club will run in a professional and orderly manner unlike is the current situation. The objective is to make the club run as a commercial entity,” said Ngwira in an interview on Wednesday.

He said as RBM their interest in the club is to promote football and financial inclusion and, as such, they will continue to use the team as a tool advance such causes.

“RBM has guidelines as in which companies to have shares or invest, but as of now our interest in Silver Strikers FC, is to promote sports. Unless guided otherwise in future,” said Ngwira.

The club’s general secretary Chimwemwe Nkhwimba concurred with Kalilombe, but added that he is surprised that some people are calling for elections yet the current executive term is not yet over.

“At the last election which were presided by FAM, it was agreed that the term of office for executive committee will be extended to four years instead of two.

“[Therefore], the current executive has a year to go before its term expires. But there is a process to employ secretariat staff which will be running the club and the sponsors are ready to for that transition,” said Nkhwimba.

Sliver Strikers main supporters committee chairperson King Malaya confirmed being briefed on the creation of a permanent secretariat to replace the executive committee.

“We were briefed on that, but as supporters committee we are yet to meet and form an opinion, only then will I be able to tell you our position. It is true that there has been hatred whenever a certain camp loses elections, but I believe it is time to learn that at every election there is a winner and a loser.

“But like I said, once we meet as supporters, I will come back to you. As of now I cannot say much,” said Malaya.

He, however, did acknowledge that there is indeed need for the club to take a professional approach in its operations.

The Bankers bask in the glory of being one of the most successful teams on the local scene having won several cups and Super League honours since the mid 1980’s. n

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One Comment

  1. I, for one, are behind the sponsor’s (RBM) move to abolish executive committee elections. The changes would bring desirable changes. It is quite a true observation that losing camps having been holding grudges on end rather than accepting the electoral defeat and helping the winning team in positive ways. Some have deployed dirty tricks in the playbook just to frustrate the winning team in the hope calls for new elections would be necessary to “save” the team!.

    Again, I would like to appeal to the sponsor to cast the net wide so that sanity is brought to the main supporters committee. Primitive ways of running club affairs are in abundance in the committee!

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