In a development that might snowball into a constitutional crisis, regional football teams have pressed the panic button over uncertainty surrounding their affiliation to their respective regional committees.
The teams are battling for their affiliate status as draft constitutions for Southern and Central region associations have suggested replacement of the teams with district committees as new affiliates.
In the Northern only 10 and five Premier Division and Division One teams, respectively, have been earmarked for affiliation status, whereas all district committees are affiliates.
The regional associations are so important that they— alongside other affiliates—vote during Football Association of Malawi (Fam) elections.
Fam provided the regional associations with templates on the drafts which the mother body will scrutinise before ratification by the associations’ annual general meetings scheduled for November.
The recent merger of the regional football leagues with their respective football committees paved the way for the draft constitutions.
In view of this, Southern Region teams have ganged up against the Southern Region Football Association (SFRA), demanding clarity on the teams’ status, the clubs’ representative, Adam Gondwe, confirmed.
“The structure is not clear because the association looks after district committees, but the league comprises teams from the whole region. Our concern is that our league is being managed by an association, when the association is supposed to be a mere overseer of a committee running the league,” Gondwe said.
SRFA chairperson, Raphael Humba, recently confirmed the suggested amendments to the association’s status, but referred Malawi News to Fam legal adviser, Jabbar Alide.
Alide declined to comment. Fam general secretary, Suzgo Nyirenda, on Thursday insisted that the regional associations’ AGMs will have a final say on affiliation status.
Central Region Football Association general secretary, Benard Chiwiriwiri Harawa, recently said the current draft constitution needs correction.
“There are certain loopholes. We omitted the clubs. I believe this was made in a hurry. My opinion is that the teams’ status should be maintained,” Harawa said, stressing that he was speaking in personal capacity.
Northern Region Football Associations chairperson, Lameck Khonje, admitted under the new draft constitution, district committees are automatic affiliates while a few teams will be affiliates.
“Previously, it was a league and members were only teams. Now we are using another template encompassing the district committees and teams. A decision will be made at our AGM. At the end of the day, we will go by Fam’s final decision,” Khonje explained.
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