Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has summoned Super League of Malawi (Sulom) to a disciplinary hearing, in a move analysts feel is a step towards suspending or removing the affiliate at the forthcoming annual general meeting (AGM) set for Sunbird Livingstonia in Salima, on June 27.
According to an agenda which FAM general secretary (GS) Abdulrahman Chiwalo has sent to affiliates, item (f) is on “suspension or expulsion of a member” while item (p) is on ‘dismissal of a member of a body’.
FAM statute Article 14 states that the FAM executive committee may suspend or remove an affiliate due to a violation of its obligations, but such a move may only be confirmed by the general assembly by a two-thirds majority vote.
The association has since set in motion the process by summoning Sulom to a disciplinary hearing following its decision to proceed with the organisation of FDH Bank Premiership launch match between Mighty Wanderers and Karonga United at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre despite FAM declaring the venue unfit for elite football matches.
According to a notice of disciplinary proceedings from the FAM GS, Sulom will appear before a disciplinary hearing on June 20 at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi ro answer five counts.
Sulom is accused of failure to take appropriate steps to prevent infringements of FAM statutes, directives and decisions contrary to Article 3(1) of the Sulom Constitution; failure to comply fully with duties arising from statutes, regulations and decisions of FAM contrary to Article 16(p) of the FAM Statutes; failure to support FAM in the prevention of all methods or practices which might jeopardise the integrity of matches or competitions or give rise to the abuse of association football contrary to Article 3(j) of the FAM Statutes.
The league runners are also accused of willful and deliberate disregard of a lawful directive, statutes and regulations of FAM contrary to Articles 10 and 16 as well as conduct bringing the game of football into disrepute contrary to Articles 3(j), 10 and 16.
The development comes two weeks after FAM president Fleetwood Haiya denied any plans for the assembly to discuss the possible removal of an affiliate.
Sulom general secretary Williams Banda, in an interview yesterday, confirmed receiving the agenda from FAM as well as the notice of the disciplinary proceedings.
He said: “We acknowledge receipt of the letter and agenda from FAM. It’s a standard statutory and constitutional agenda template. On the disciplinary proceedings, we will not comment until after the hearing.”
FAM operations director Gomezgani Zakazaka in an interview yesterday confirmed the development.
However, he said the inclusion of the agenda item f and p does not necessarily mean the association is targeting Sulom.
He said: “That’s a generic agenda for an ordinary AGM. It is always there.”
But Zakazaka confirmed that once found guilty of the five offences, Sulom will be “sanctioned as stipulated in the FAM statutes’ Disciplinary Code”.
Meanwhile, football analysts have described the move as an attempt to suppress diverse views.
Dootball analyst George Chiusiwa said: “There should be a semblance of honesty, credibility, integrity and justice in the application of the rules and regulations with respect to the administration of discipline when contraventions to the regulatory dictates occur.
“If members of FAM are deemed to have deviated from the rules and regulations, there should not be any politicisation of the disciplinary machinery when dealing with any errant conduct.”
Chiusiwa noted that Sulom may have been declared guilty before being heard.
He said: “Football justice means that procedures should be followed to the letter and focus should also be on the progressive transformation of the systems and institutions and not utterly targeting particular individuals.
“It is unfortunate that certain issues surrounding the membership of FAM, as a body, and the handling of disciplinary matters affecting some members have seemingly been laden with electioneering and politicking. This is retrogressive.
“There is need to promote participatory football governance, the absence of which has affected intra-body relationships at FAM. This would be avoided. It appears there has been more focus on political games than on football games in the national administration and management of the sport.”
Another football analyst Twaha Chimuka said FAM leadership lacks tolerance.
He said: “It is like FAM is now a political entity and not a sports administrating organisation, where each and every member who is seen to be against or who is seen to make independent decisions is subject to removal, which is not good.
“It’s something that is going to affect football in Malawi because you can’t have member associations whom you expect to always nod to your call. That is wrong. You always have to look at people who are going to give you genuine opinions and provide checks and balances.
“But if you choose to silence everyone, if you choose to have people who do not object to what you say, and if they do, they are subjected to dismissals, then it’s bad governance and it’s killing the game. If you want to be a good leader, you have to listen to what those having different views and those having similar views are saying.”
Last year, three former affiliates, National Football Coaches Association, National Football Referees Association and National Youth Football Association were also removed at an AGM, but the coaches body is contesting its expulsion.
