Exclusive: Reign of terror in Malawi Queens

Discarded goal-shooter Linda Magombo-Munthali has, in what may vindicate Mwawi Kumwenda’s boycott, revealed how Malawi Queens players are suffering in silence in fear of the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) iron-fisted reign.

Munthali said the Rosy Chinunda-led NAM clique has created a system that cracks down on players who speak out; taking advantage of their desperation for national team call-ups that earn better at around K2 000 daily training allowance and for $50 (K24 000) daily foreign trip stipend compared to K50 000 ($100) monthly perks for clubs.

“The players have no other source of income, so they opt to suffer in silence fearing they will be dropped. When called up for the 2013 Africa Netball Championship, I told NAM that I first needed my 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games dues. I wrote the former Sports minister, Sports Council and the Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) on the same, but no one responded. I have never been called up again,” said Munthali.

While she earns an income elsewhere, Magombo-Munthali said for most of the players, Queens call-ups are their only hope of survival.

Justifying her boycott of the Queens trip to New Zealand last November, Mwawi said: “It pains so much that my colleagues are suffering in silence for fear of being dropped from the squad.”

The New Delhi allowances were only paid three years later, in January 2014, at a 2010 exchange rate. The players did not get $500 each for 10 days as agreed, but NAM deducted K29 000 (around $60 ) from each for shoes the association bought, but were rejected by the players because they were inappropriate.

“I am not afraid to speak out because I speak the truth. These people can even impose players on coaches. That is why they cannot hire someone like Peace [Chawinga Kalua] who stands her ground,” she said.

The Nation

has seen a letter Munthali wrote to NAM and the Ministry of Sports on December 28 2013, demanding New Delhi allowances after meeting NAM, MOC and ministry officials at Capital Hill the previous day when it was agreed that allowances should be paid by January 10 2014 by MOC.

“The mistakes of MOC for buying inappropriate shoes despite specifications provided by NAM should not be transferred to the players. We should not be victimised at all on this, as the inappropriate shoes were returned in 2010. We hope this will be resolved as soon as possible without either party having to seek legal redress on the issue,” part of the letter read.

No player could even utter a ‘no comment’ response when The Nation contacted them. Even some club officials and coaches contacted feared granting interviews, saying: “Akangomva athana nafe.”

—Nowhere to complain—

NAM has amassed so much power after changing the constitution to restrict voting to its executive committees, dormant netball committee chairpersons—even when netball in such areas barely exists, a source traced the root of the problem. Players and coaches, who bear the brunt, do not vote.

“Players have nowhere to complain. Linda [Magombo] was dropped for fighting for the others and now it is Mwawi. The association puts its senior officials as team managers, who instead of relaying issues of players concerns, gag them right in camp. They are like spies as they report players as being trouble-makers,” said another former player.

Article 14 of the NAM constitution says: “Each regional netball committee, the National Coaches Committee and the National Umpires Committee shall be represented at the association’s general meeting by the chairperson and secretary or their representatives appointed by their respective committees, and each shall be a voting delegate.”

That the Mwawi issue remains unresolved despite Youth and Sports Minister Grace Chiumia promising to intervene is, according to Munthali, the fact that government, Sports Council and the Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) side with NAM; hence, the association has no one to hold it accountable.

Sports Council executive secretary George Jana on Monday insisted that issues of players are under respective associations, adding: “It may seem that council and government side with sports associations and I think it is only fair that this is so. As you may appreciate, these are organisations that operate on the basis of policies which the teams are also governed through.”

—NAM arrogance—

In Mwawi’s absence, Queens have gone on an eight-game losing streak, but Jana insisted that the Queens “have not really declined in standards, rather we have not improved either”.

On return from test series in England last month, Chinunda insisted that Queens will move on without Mwawi, adding that there are other factors contributing to the team’s slump such as inadequate preparations.

When asked about Magombo’s claims on Monda , Chinunda said: “All issues you are raising are not true. Our players are at liberty to, as long as they have facts, even talk to reporters. No one can be dropped for speaking out. After all, how many times does the national team travel? It is for this reason that we encourage our clubs to improve on incentives. When in camp, players can channel their grievances through captain, vice-captain and second vice-captain.”

She claimed that Munthali was not dropped from the Queens, but that she is busy with her well-paying job. However, Munthali still plays for Complex Tigresses.

The NAM boss could not explain why the ongoing cases have not been referred to the association’s national disciplinary committee as stipulated in Article 15 of its constitution.

Acting chairperson of the NAM disciplinary committee, Daud Mtanthiko, insisted that while they serve interest of all netball stakeholders, their role is more of advisory and reactive, adding that going out to sniff at possible cases would be overstepping their mandate and be like “micro-managing NAM”.

With NAM and government refusing to see something wrong with the Queens, there are fears that Mwawi issues, which Munthali has backed, will remain unresolved and the players will continue to honour call-ups out of desperation. At stake is the Queens fifth place in the world and number one in Africa going to the 2015 World Cup this August in Australia.