Sulom accused of not serving clubs’ interests
Some Super League teams’ officials are lobbying for the formation of a committee to represent the interests of the league’s clubs, saying the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) no longer protects their interests.
Be Forward Wanderers general secretary Mike Butao yesterday said they already held a preliminary meeting which was also attended by his Silver Strikers counterpart Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda and Nyasa Big Bullets finance committee chairperson Fleetwood Haiya.
“We are already lobbying for this. To that effect, we had a preliminary discussion that involved myself, Thabo and Fleetwood.
“We will formalise this grouping by including others to join so that our voices can now be heard. We feel we have been taken for granted for far too long,” said Butao.
He cited the way Sulom handled the issue of Beta TV broadcasting rights and the body’s failure to push for the review of gate collection shares as good examples.
Asked whether the development is, in a way a vote of no confidence in the top-flight league runners, Butao was rather elusive, saying: “Sulom have forgotten whom they represent. Look at the issue of broadcasting rights, as clubs we do not know how much we have made from radio rights or when we will receive the proceeds.
“We do not even have a clue on what is contained in the contract with Beta TV and yet the deal is supposed to benefit us as clubs. We are also blank on when we will get the proceeds and what amounts to breach as stipulated in the contract. Yet we elected them [Sulom] to represent us.”
The Nomads GS added: “We mourn about the many entities partaking from the Super League match-day revenue, but Sulom has never attempted to talk to these entities on our behalf or reduce their own cut to set an example.”
He said the clubs have now become cash cows “and there is no protection whatsoever from our mother body and that is why we need to protect ourselves”.
Chakaka-Nyirenda confirmed the meeting in a separate interview yesterday, saying: “That is correct, we indeed discussed this.”
However, Sulom general secretary Williams Banda accused some of the officials of eyeing positions.
“Those who want positions should wait for 2019. We will also have a vacancy this Saturday,” he said.
Banda also said the Super League teams’ officials are aware that Beta TV is yet to honour payment.
“Actually, some of the [clubs] officials are in the TV marketing rights committee and Butao is the chairperson.”n
