Eagles can’t replace Ngwala at Sulom AGM

Audit firm Crowe J&W Malawi, who are overseeing Super League of Malawi (Sulom) elections, say Blue Eagles will not be allowed to change the three delegates it submitted for the elective annual general meeting following the removal of the club’s chairperson Alexander Ngwala.

The club’s owners Malawi Police Services on Monday fired Ngwala, four days before the Saturday elections set for Sunbird Nkopola in Mangochi,

A wireless communication to all commissioners of police, heads of branches, training institutions, mobile divisions, stations, posts and units, from the Inspector General Merlyne Yolamu’s office advises that Ngwala is no longer handling the club’s affairs.

The message reads: “Be informed that all Blue Eagles Football Club affairs be forwarded to the vice-chairperson Mr Ian Mwalungira.  (sic) treat (sic) matter (sic) important.”

The development came just some hours after Crowe J&W announced the list of delegates to the AGM where Ngwala, Superintendent Solomon Gomezgani Mchawi and Sub Inspector Phillip Masiye are to represent Blue Eagles.

Crowe J&W in a statement said clubs are not allowed to change the three delegates, according to Article 21 (2) of the Sulom constitution.

Reads the statement: “Pursuant to Article 21(2) of the Super League of Malawi Constitution, Crowe J&W, as retaining auditors and conferred with the powers to oversee the nomination process of the executive members to contest at an AGM and be elected into the Sulom executive committee hereby release the list of delegates appointed by the Super League teams.

“The closing date for receiving the list of delegates’ names was 18th February 2023 and the following are the representatives’ names. According to the rules governing the elections each team will have only three delegates who will be allowed to participate and as of 18th February 2023, we have since closed receiving names of delegates.”

Crowe J&W audit manager Chifundo Makande said in an interview yesterday the Sulom constitution is clear on submitting of the list of delegates.

He said: “No club that has submitted the three delegates will be allowed to change. If we allow this to happen, there will be chaos because every club will want to change. We will be defeating the very same purpose of having free and fair elections.”

Makande, however, said Civil Service United, Mafco, Kamuzu Barracks, Moyale Barracks and Nyasa Big Bullets, who submitted four delegates each, have been asked to pick three.

He said: “The Sulom constitution is very clear. Clubs are supposed to submit three names of delegates, not four. What we have done is that we have requested the teams to resubmit three from the four delegates. But those that submitted three will not be allowed to change.”

Ngwala said he was not sure if his firing is related to the list of Blue Eagles list of delegates to the Sulom elections.

He said: “I am not certain as to whether the reasons may be related to Sulom elections.

“The reasons may be furnished by the authors of the memo. But the development has happened very close to elections.”

National Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent  Peter Kalaya asked for more time before commenting on the matter.