AAM seeks world athletics body’s intervention on dissolution 

Beleagured Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) leadership has sought the intervention of the International Athletics Federation (IAF) following its dissolution and subsequent appointment of a caretaker committee by the Malawi National Council of Sports.

The development could lead to Malawi being banned from participating in international events.

Sports Council announced the dissolution of the AAM executive over its failure to finalise amendments to the constitution and hold elections.

But the ousted committee’s general secretary Frank Chitembeya said in an interview yesterday that they sought the international athletics body’s intervention because Sports Council was not cooperative and did not give them a chance to be heard.

He said: “We did not want this issue to go this far as we felt there could be an amicable settlement, but it appears Sports Council is adamant and we were left with no choice, but to seek the IAF intervention.

“We have sent them all the correspondence leading to Sports Council’s decision, including our roadmap towards holding elections and we are awaiting their feedback.

“The consequences are that Malawi risks a ban from all international events. We have a case in point whereby Sports Council dissolved the AAM executive in 1995 which was then led by MathewsKambale, but IAF ordered the executive committee’s immediate reinstatement or risk a ban and they were reinstated.”

But reacting to the development, Sports Council outgoing board chairpersonSunduzwayo Madise wondered in what capacity the committee took up the issue with IAF when their mandate expired last October.

He said: “They have reported as who since their mandate expired in October last year? They no longer have jurisdiction. Is that so difficult to understand?

“They were a stand-in caretaker committee. Let them demonstrate the mandate they have from their electorate if they can. The mandate they had came from council. It is baffling to hear a person who was given temporary mandate to claim when that mandate is subsequently removed. The maxim is ‘he who has the power to appoint also has the power to remove’.

“At first they said it was ‘political’ interference and now they say ‘government’ interference. Last time I checked, council was neither a political entity nor government.”

“They should not try to bring in politics or government in matters that are purely governance in nature and where council has jurisdiction and control.”

Madise, who teaches law at the University of Malawi, said he is certain that no ban can be effected without first asking council to explain what happened.

“This idea of using ‘threats of banning’ is old school, nzotopetsa. People should not run away from being accountable by hiding behind international federations. AAM basically runs on taxpayers money. I know for a fact that council deliberated on this before making its resolution.  So, maybe tiwone m’mene ziyendere [let’s see how it goes].”