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Ministry jolts NAM

Ministry of Youth and Sports has asked Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) to speed up the process of hiring Malawi Queens permanent coaches so that its officials Mary Waya and Joseph Mazaza can revert to their core duties.

Waya, who is the ministry’s deputy director responsible for school sport, is the co-coach while Mazaza, who is the chief sports officer, is the technical director (TD) in the current Malawi National Netball Team technical panel.

Gubuduza: It was an interim arrangement. | Nation

The issue was raised during the meeting the ministry had with NAM on Thursday in Lilongwe.

The ministry’s spokesperson Macmillan Mwale confirmed in an interview that the matter was tabled during the meeting.

“NAM was urged to find a long-term solution on the engagement of national team coaches so that the government officers helping the national team can revert to their core duties,” he said.

“It was just a mere reminder that these officials are there temporarily and they need to swiftly plan for the future. Otherwise, they went there with our full blessings on NAM’s request.”

Asked if the two officials’ absence has created a vacuum, Mwale said: “Not necessarily because they only go there when the Queens have engagements like now because the team is in camp preparing for the Quad Series.”

NAM president Vitumbiko  Gubuduza said in an interview that they are committed to handling the issue as guided by the ministry which aligns with their plans.

“We advised the ministry that the engagement of TD and head coach from the ministry was interim and part-time appointment with an expiry date of July 2025 until a substantive and full-time appointment is made,” she said.

Gubuduza further said that during the meeting, they engaged the Minister of Youth and Sports Uchizi Mkandawire for funding in the 2025 NAM budget for the hiring of a permanent coach.

She said: “The interim appointments were made to pave the way for funding for a full-time coach while ensuring that we fully utilise the expertise held in our own ministry as an interim measure.*

“We will ensure that a substantive appointment process is implemented as soon as the proposal for a full-time coach is accepted.”

NAM hired the current technical panel, which has Waya and Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa as co-coaches, in November last year.

The ministry’s other deputy director responsible for community sport Kinnah Phiri is also in the Flames interim technical panel as technical adviser.

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