Mwawi saga rages on, minister to meet Queens, NAM

Sports Minister Grace Chiumia will this week meet Queens’ players and the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) on the allowances saga that led to a stand-off between the association and the country’s sole netball export Mwawi Kumwenda.

Chiumia told The Nation yesterday that the meetings are a start to a thorough investigation to be done on the matter by an independent commission of inquiry.

Mwawi, who has just returned to her New Zealand club EasiYo Tactix, was not part of the Queens at the 2014 Fast5 World Netball Series in New Zealand in protest to NAM’s failure to pay Queens players’ allowances amounting to K100 000 to each player.

She was also left out from the squad that participated in test matches in England last month.

“I already heard Mwawi’s side of the story, but I would also like to know what the Queens and NAM would say. We have already set up an independent commission of inquiry to find out who was at fault. This is a big issue that requires thorough investigations,” Chiumia said.

She added that her meeting with Queens also aims at discussing the possibility of finding something to do for the players to gain income apart from depending on playing netball.

Chiumia’s sentiments come in the wake of an open letter that Southern Region Netball League (SRNL) vice-chairperson Isaac Chimwala has wrote, in his personal capacity, to the minister through Sports Council, urging her to set up an independent inquiry into the saga.

In an interview yesterday, council administration manager Henry Mereka confirmed receiving Chimwala’s letter to the minister. The letter is copied to council board chairperson James Chuma, his executive secretary George Jana and NAM.

Chiumia said she is yet to get the letter, but she insisted that they are taking necessary steps to sort out the matter.

“The decision to meet the Queens and come up with the independent inquiry was made some weeks ago, but we delayed because most of the people involved were on holiday,” said Chiumia.

According to Chimwala, NAM has “a reputation of tactfully and clinically” frustrating talented players who dare criticise the association on mismanagement of netballers’ allowances. He argues that Mwawi would get an unfair judgment if NAM officials are left to handle the matter.

“During the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, players were deducted K30 000 as cost of sneakers, yet all along this was freely provided to them as part of the national team uniform. The matter is still outstanding and the players have not received their dues,” writes Chimwala in the letter.

“The best NAM did was to clinically convince the nation that these senior players had overaged and would not be able to play for the national team. This meant that Peace [Chawinga-Kalua], Mary [Waya] and Sylvia [Mtetemera] could no longer represent their country and NAM could be saved from the players’ persistent search for answers. This was how these names were erased from the national team,” further reads the letter.

NAM president Rosy Chinunda said she has not yet received the letter and she refused to comment on the matter.