Women football committees give up on regional polls’ protest
Central Region women football district committees that petitioned FAM to cancel last weekend’s regional elections have discontinued the case after National Women Football Association (NWFA) went ahead with the polls.
Four of the region’s six district committees requested Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to cancel the polls unless the NWFA rescinded its decision to introduce quota system on the number of male candidates required to be elected into regional committees.
However, FAM referred the matter to the NWFA, saying it was the appropriate institution to handle the issue.
But NWFA proceeded with the polls that saw Central and Southern regional associations electing their new committees on Saturday. The North was expected to hold its elections yesterday as we went to press.
One of the signatories to the petition, Linda Kasenda, who is Lilongwe District Women Football Association (LDWFA) chairperson, said they have now given up and are ready to work with the newly-elected regional committee.
“Although the elections went ahead before taking our concerns into consideration, we will still move forward and work with the new regional committee because our mission is to develop the sport.
“Nevertheless, we have to admit that we have accepted this with a pinch of salt,” she said.
NWFA chairperson Suzgo Ngwira yesterday said they proceeded with the elections after noting that the reasons the four district committees advanced for demanding the cancellation of the polls were “baseless”.
This was also explained in a letter that NWFA wrote in response to the committees’ concerns prior to the polls.
The letter, dated July 16 2020 and signed by NWFA general secretary Lina Mtegha, reads in part: “NWFA finds your [the committees] allegations, calling for cancellation of Regional elections, to be baseless and not legally supported.”
During the Central Region elections at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe, former LDWFA general secretary Ivy Zimba, Caroline Phiri, Bertha Kawanga, Chikondi Ndalama and Shambashe Kadzamira went in unopposed as vice-chairperson, general secretary, vice-general secretary and treasurer, respectively. Precious Ngaiyaye, Alefa Banda, Coreta Lonjani and Saidi Black (the only male in the committee) were elected committee members.
In the South at Balaka Stadium, all seats were obtained unopposed. Lucita Gondwe won the hot seat while Ruth Gulula-Kayange got the vice-chairperson post. Thoko Mchesi is the general secretary, Catherine Longwe vice-general secretary and Grace Khupala treasurer. Committee members are Margaret Maluwa,Chinsisi Kandani and male individuals John Nkhwazi and Kondwani kantchere.
