. Namukonde

By NDINAWE SIMPELWE  –
A sombre atmosphere characterised the burial of female referee and football administrator Leah Namukonde, who was put to rest at Milemu Cemetery in Luanshya.
Namukonde died on Wednesday after she failed to recover from serious injuries sustained in a road traffic accident on Saturday last week.
Apart from having been a football referee, Namukonde was also a board member of the National Olympics Committee, Taekwando Zambia secretary and a United Church of Zambia girl’s brigade officer as well as an aerobics instructor.
Sports administrators led by Ministry of Sports representative Raphael Mulenga took turns in paying tribute to the late Namukonde at the UCZ town congregation.
“We have lost Leah Namukonde at the time she was most needed. She leaves behind a legacy that the whole country should be proud of and will be very difficult to match. This is a lady who used to run sport as an administrator and a technical person. It’s not easy” said Mulenga, who is also Sports Council of Zambia acting general secretary.
Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda proposed that the district needed to start honouring gallant sports men and women while they were still alive and added that his office was open to name a street after Namukonde.
Zambia Sports Fans Association (ZASPOFA) band led by patron Peter Makembo was also at hand to pay their last respect in their special way by playing sombre tunes.
Makembo said he had to abandon his role to cheering the Zambia women national team, who played Ghana in a friendly match, to ensure he was available to burry a soldier in Zambian football.
“We are still in shock because her death came as a surprise to many of us, she died at a time the country needed more female referees. The onus is on the female referees to emulate Namukonde by upholding the standards of the game,” he said.
Fellow female referee Gladys Lengwe, who had difficulties to hold back tears as she was being comforted by other mourners, said she had lost a sister.
She described the death of Namukonde as an offside as she was destined to achieve a lot of things in her career.
Among those that found time to be part of the funeral procession included Power Dynamos chairperson Bbennkele Hachitwe and his secretary Happie Munkondia, Buildcon secretary Ricky Mamfunda, Nkana secretary Charles Chakataziya and FAZ referees manager Welly Chikuka.
Others include Zesco United officials, Tenant Chembo, Dickson Makwaza as well teachers from different schools within and outside Luanshya..