By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

THE Zambia Volleyball Association (ZAVA) has started dismantling part of the debt that got them into trouble with the Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ).

ZAVA made cash payment of K24,000 to the Kalingalinga Youth Development Centre (KYRC) on Friday with the ‘dissolved’ executive committee remaining with a balance of K24,600 accrued from meals during the regional Zone-Six Championships played in Lusaka in November.

SCZ acting general secretary Man Muchimba confirmed the development in Lusaka yesterday saying the ZAVA executive committee made a cash payment to KYRC and that the centre availed a voucher acknowledging the part payment.

“The Kalingalinga Youth Resource Centre came to us yesterday (Friday) to inform us about the payment made by ZAVA and left us a copy of the voucher showing the part of the debt had been settled. They (ZAVA) went and paid K24,000 cash and that is half the amount they owe the centre and they still have the other half to settle,” Muchimba said.

ZAVA and the SCZ have hit headlines in the last few days after the legal and disciplinary committee slapped a five year ban on the association executive for bouncing a cheque worth K24,000 to the KYDC meant to settle part of the K48,600 debt.

After the five-year ban was announced, the ZAVA reacted sharply saying the SCZ was surpassing its mandate in banning them and that their cheque bounced because the initial cheque that came from council took extraordinarily long to clear resulting in their cheque, issued on the strength of the SCZ cheque, bouncing.

And Muchimba said the SCZ was too big an organisation to be seen embroiled in a wrangle with ZAVA.

He said the action taken by SCZ was purely disciplinary and nothing will sway it away from instilling discipline in order to protect the image of the sport.

He also said that the SCZ will now supervise ZAVA and call for a meeting this Tuesday to find a way forward for the association especially the immediate challenge at hand which is the men national team’s preparations for the World Cup qualifiers in Egypt this month.

“It is nonsensical to assume the Council is embroiled in a wrangle with its affiliate. The issue at hand is purely disciplinary and doing everything right to retain the image of sport by being firm and addressing the challenges.

We are aware of the plight of the men national volleyball team and we will work hand-in-hand with the clubs to ensure that the preparations are not affected by the predicament of the former executive,” Muchimba said.