Nomads trustees reject interim committee

In a new twist to the turmoil that has rocked Be Forward Wanderers camp, the team’s board of trustees has nullified some supporters’ zonal committees’ decision to fire the current executive and main supporters committees and replace them with interim ones.

The zonal supporters committee meeting held at Wanderers Club in Blantyre on Sunday resolved to dissolve the two committees due to what they described as administrative lapses.

And instead, appointed interim executive committee headed by the club’s former general secretary Chipiliro Mpinganjira as chairperson and maintained Mike Butao as general secretary while Madalitso Kuyera was appointed treasurer.

However, trustees secretary Patrick Jumbe faulted the supporters’ move, describing it as both unprocedural and unconstitutional.

“While we understand that there are internal problems, but we should guard against being influenced by emotions. Our position as trustees is that the first step would have been for the supporters to meet us and raise their concerns.

“Procedurally, both committees can only be removed at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). They were elected in a transparent and fair manner and their tenure runs up to March next year. After all, we only have about five games to wind up the season, so I would urge the fans to exercise patience,” said Jumbe.

The Nomads trustees also feared that the move could affect sponsorship.

“Not that we are saying sponsorship should be used as a shield by the current leadership, but all we are saying is that even sponsors would be reluctant to hand over and renegotiate sponsorship with a committee which was not legally put in place. This is a delicate issue and we could end up losing the hard-earned sponsorship,” he cautioned.

Mpinganjira yesterday said he had accepted his appointment, but Butao rebuffed his, saying: “I belong to the legally appointed executive committee. I never use short cuts to get into a position.

“The problem with Wanderers is that there is a group of people who pretend to love the team, but do not really wish the team well, they only wish themselves well and when these people are not in committees, they will do anything to sabotage the people running the club and make them fail so that they come in.”

But Madani Somanje, who was appointed interim main supporters committee chairperson, claimed to have raised their concerns with the trustees before dissolving the committees.

“And the mandate that we have given to the interim committee is not to talk to the sponsors, that will be done by the elected committee,” said Somanje.

When asked whether the zonal supporters committees have the powers to fire the executive committee, Somanje said: “The team belongs to the supporters, they are the ones who choose leaders and if they feel like the executive committee is not performing then they have the right to remove them.”

Meanwhile, Melvin Nkunika, who was appointed first vice-chairperson in the interim supporters committee, has also turned down his appointment. Apparently Nkunika also holds a similar position in the elected supporters committee.