Deadlock: Nomads meet fails to resolve supporters committee’s fate

Be Forward Wanderers FC trustees resolution to fire the club’s main supporters committee was yesterday rejected by some of the supporters.

The resolution was adopted during a meeting which the trustees had earlier on at their club house in Blantyre.

The trustees had resolved to dissolve the Yamikani Kaliyapa-led supporters committee on the basis that it was failing to account for the 12 percent cut it gets from gate revenue share as well as failing to control the actions of its members.

In his remarks, trustees chairperson Rashid Gaffar also accused the committee of gross indiscipline, in particular failing to account for the gate collection share.

“This is the worst committee in the history of Wanderers and they have completely failed,” he said.

But the announcement met fierce opposition as supporters protested the decision while accusing the trustees and main executive committee of equally being incompetent.

“You have been trustees and main executive committee members for several years, yet the team has failed to win the Super League. The [current] supporters committee has only  been in office for a short period and you are accusing it of failing? It’s the executive and [you] trustees that have failed the club. Players are complaining of not being paid [salaries] and you blame the supporters committee?” wondered one of the supporters.

However,  a section of the supporters were in support of the move to  dissolve the committee.

And with no headway being made, tempers flared, prompting the trustees to postpone the meeting to Friday. After the postponement, the trustees secretary Patrick Jumbe spoke on the positives from the meeting despite the agenda being shot down.

“In everything there are positives and negatives. The meeting has not failed as such because the message that we wanted to pass on has been heard. Maybe we did not finish as planned, but we have gathered more information. The meeting will resume Friday, it will even be more fruitful,” he said.

Jumbe also observed that there is lack of communication among  stakeholders.

He said: “The biggest problem is communication. That’s why in the meeting we had yesterday [Monday] we stressed on the need for communication. The main committee needs to be communicating with the supporters. The players should also be communicated on what is happening.”

Commenting on what transpired Kaliyapa said he was shocked by the trustees approach.

“I am really disappointed with what happened. It seems the trustees had one-sided information. But I will not say much. We were not given a chance to speak. Our time will come on Friday when we will speak on everything that they have accused us of,” he said.

On the 12 percent gate collection share, Kaliyapa insisted that the amount was introduced by the main executive for a purpose.

“We get the money which is paid through a cheque signed by the treasurer Mr. Robert Mbeza. He has all the records of how much we get and how we use the money because we submit budgets and reports which he keeps,” he said.