Some analysts have cautioned Football Association of Malawi (FAM) leadership over the continued departure of key management staff, saying it could affect the association’s operations.
Since the new leadership was ushered in at Mpira Village in December 2023, at least five senior managers have left the association, the latest being general secretary (GS) Alfred Gunda, whose contract expires at the end of the month and will not be renewed.
He has since proceeded on leave pending the expiry of his contract.
Former commercial and marketing director Limbani Matola and technical director Benjaminin Kumwenda were also not offered new deals following the expiry of their contracts.
Former finance and administration director Christopher Mdolo opted to retire after being offered an outright contract last year.
Marketing and broadcasting manager Tulipo Mwenelupembe also tendered in his resignation recently while club licensing and compliance manager Casper Jangale also threw in the towel last year.
Football analysts Humphreys Mvula, George Chiusiwa and Parry Chinyama said in separate interviews yesterday apart from institutional memory, the development could also affect continuity.
Said Mvula: “The rate at which key staff is leaving FAM secretariat is worrying.
“FAM has political leadership which is elected and elected leadership comes and goes while the important dependent valuable is the administrative or operations’ structure and this comprises individuals that have been highly trained by the association itself.
“The association has invested in training these individuals in specialised areas. There are no tertiary institutions that offer such specific training and no one can just casually walk in from Ndirande or Chilobwe and expect them to deliver.”
He said FAM leadership can only redefine the staff’s mandate on how they want them to perform, “but not to dismantle the secretariat by not renewing key staff members’ contracts”.
Added Mvula: “They [FAM] should not politicise the association, they should not
touch them unless the individuals are incapable until we have got enough of such trained personnel.
“Technocrats should not be affected by politicians at FAM. Previously, there was Walter [Nyamilandu] as president and now there is [Fleetwood] Haiya. But people should not suffer because they served certain individuals.
“Don’t hate somebody because they were hired by people that you don’t like.
“Be it technical or management structure, you cannot dismantle it, you can only improve it.
“Additionally, in terms of maintaining the governance of the institution it is important because if you remove most of the senior members, you lose institutional history and the world of football governance at large would be suspicious.”
On his part, Chiusiwa said: “The mass exodus of management at FAM begs many questions for this is not only irregular, but also unhealthy for the smooth operations of the association’s functions with respect to tradition and continuity.”
He added that football is an institution that needs proper organisational apparatus for it to thrive, saying continuity of football programming is, therefore, essential.
“It is apparent that the change of the political leadership at FAM is the genesis of the departure of key management officers owing to political expediency considerations.
professionalism. | Courtesy of FAM
“This notwithstanding, there is a need to balance the larger interests of the game and the political interests when assessing the performance of management as a good working environment at FAM is crucial to the smooth functioning of the association and this will ultimately benefit the domestic game.
“A toxic work and institutional environment for the secretariat is inimical to the growth and development of the Malawi football as the secretariat is the engine to effectively managing and administering the game.”
Chiusiwa said as a quasi-public agency, FAM is duty bound to be transparent and accountable to the football public in its day-to-day management of affairs.
“This, thus, calls for FAM’s political leadership to appraise the football public on the underlying and structural issues leading to the mass exodus of management staff at the association,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chinyama faulted FAM on the departure of the key managers.
He said: “It’s not healthy for our football because as an institution, FAM needs these individuals for continuity and institutional memory.
“When I heard that the GS’ contract will not be renewed, I felt this could be what we call football politics and that they are trying to get rid rid of everyone they found, but this is not good for our football because we cannot have complete new brooms.
“Unless they have a certain agenda, the association still needs the old brooms because they know all the corners of the house.”
But in an interview earlier this week, Haiya said: “I believe matters relating to contracts are private and confidential.
At an appropriate time, the Football Association of Malawi will communicate accordingly.
“In the meantime, FAM remains committed to upholding professionalism, transparency, and accountability in all our undertakings.
