. Mpondela

By ELIAS CHIPEPO –
ZAMBIA Amateur Athletics Association (ZAAA) president Elias Mpondela is unopposed ahead of next weekend’s elective annual general meeting to be held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.
Mpondela is unopposed after nominations for the four other aspirants, among them Samuel Matete and Jonathan Chipalo, were declared invalid.
According to the final list of successful candidates released yesterday by ZAAA general secretary, Phil Kuombela during a media briefing, Mpondela will go through unopposed after nominations for the other candidates were declared invalid owing to various reasons.
In the case of Matete, Kuombela said his nomination was written on a unofficial form and was signed by someone who was not authorised to do so, adding that Nkana Athletics Club had already nominated Mpondela.
“You have a case where the club already nominated Mpondela but someone, who had no authority decided to write a letter endorsing Matete who is not even a member of the club.
“Our area boards had the nomination forms which members were free to collect but one gets to wonder how some people opted to write on some pieces of paper and even sent them to the Sports Council of Zambia,” he said.
He said the nomination for Chipalo was invalid because his club, Higher Ground, that nominated him, was not an affiliate of the Lusaka Province Athletics Area Board (LPAAB).
Kubombela said that Chipalo was himself not a member of the association as he owns an association called the Zambia Athletics Association (ZAA) and has also dragged ZAAA to court.
On Christopher Manda’s candidature, Kubombela said the former ceased to be active some years ago and that Mufulira Club that nominated him on a piece of paper had already endorsed Mpondela.
Judith Chaongopa’s nomination was also thrown out after it was discovered that her club, Ministry of Finance, was not a member of the LPAAB and her nomination had no seconder.
“Mr Mpondela received a total of 30 nominations from a possible 34 while the rest had one which were not valid. This is the final list of nomination that will be sending to the Sports Council of Zambia.
“Let me also tell you that there is no vacuum in ZAAA as some people have been alleging because we have done well under the leadership of Mpondela,” he said.
Another nomination that was thrown out was for Carol Mokola after it was discovered that her club Young Carol Mokola was non-existent, leaving Godwin Chenda and George Goma as the only two valid candidates to contest the position of vice-president.
The position of general secretary and vice will go to Davison Mung’ambata, who is currently ZAAA international relations and communications manager and Maureen Kolomwe after going through unopposed.
Edward Mupepo is equally unchallenged for the position of honorary treasurer after getting 28 nominations while seven will battle it for the position of four committee members.
These are Kubombela, Moses Phiri, Getrude Gamela, Vincent Kaposa, Prospher Tandabala, Michael Lungu and William Banda.
Meanwhile, Matete said he was not aware of the invalidation of his candidature.
“I have not been informed about the development and as far as I am concerned, I will contest the elections,” Matete said.