Sulom apologises for AGM scuffle
Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has apologised for the scuffle that happened at their annual general meeting (AGM) in Mangoch where some club officials were assaulted.
In a press release signed by general secretary Williams Banda, Sulom says it is investigating the matter so that the perpetrators are brought to book.
“Sulom strongly condemns the intimidation, abuse and harassment of Be Forward Wanderers and Civil Sporting Club general secretaries on Saturday, April 7 2018 at the body’s AGM in Mangochi. It has been noted with regret that, the general secretaries of Civil Sporting Club and Be Forward Wanderers, messers Ronald Chiwaula and Mike Butao, respectively were harassed by supporters upon arrival at the venue of the meeting.
“Sulom would like to remind soccer-loving Malawians that every person is entitled to his/her own opinion and if people are having different views, intimidation and harassment is not a solution.
“As Sulom, we condemn the acts and would like to assure the clubs and all stakeholders of a non-reoccurrence of the same as officials and players’ security will not be compromised at any Sulom organised activity going forward. We sincerely apologise to the club officials and we will get to the root of what inspired the club supporters to act the way they did on the said officials.”
The incident happened just before the AGM as the supporters targeted the two officials for their role in a plot to oust the Innocent Bottoman-led executive committee.
Bottoman also apologised for the incident during the AGM.
But Butao in response to the statement, trashed the apology, saying Sulom was behind the attack and need to take responsibility.
He said: “This is the most unapologetic and demeaning apology I have ever seen and I am sure you know that this letter only serves to insult the intelligence of the clubs and raise emotions even higher. Sulom invited three delegates from each club.
“Sulom never asked clubs to bring supporters. Sulom asked for names of club representatives in advance. No club list included those people Sulom deployed at the gate. Sulom assigned those people duties both inside and outside the meeting hall, meaning Sulom officially recognised their presence. Those people could not have worked for free. Some of those people rode top Sulom officials’ vehicles when leaving.”
“So to call them club supporters when they were there on Sulom duty, when they were given special anti-football duties by Sulom and for Sulom to say they will ‘ask the club supporters what inspired them to assault club representatives is an insult to us and worse than the assaults we were subjected to.” n
