By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
THE leadership struggle in the Zambia Amateur Athletics Association (ZAAA) took a new twist yesterday with the Samuel Matete ‘faction’ holding a parallel annual general meeting (AGM) at Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) in Lusaka where the former world 400 metres hurdles champion was elected interim president.
But Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) acting general secretary Innocent Chalabesa said the council was not aware of any meeting taking place.
“We are not privy to any ZAAA meeting taking place today (yesterday) because all we know is that there is an injunction in place that will be heard on Wednesday and it’s difficult for us to comment on this,” Chalabesa said.
ZAAA incumbent general secretary Phil Kubombela declined to comment on the matter.
The Lusaka High Court last Wednesday granted Matete and four others, who include Christopher Manda, Carol Mokola, Jonathan Chipalo and Judith Chaoponga and injunction restraining retraining ZAAA from disqualifying them from contesting for any position at the AGM.
The court further demanded that the delegates for the AGM should be drawn from the clubs and area boards listed on the December 2002 register.
This prompted ZAAA, through its international relations and communications manager Davison Mung’ambata, to announce the postponement of the AGM that was set for yesterday on grounds that the association needed to put in place all the demands of the Lusaka High Court.
But the challengers for various positions yesterday went ahead with the meeting with an interim executive committee ushered in office.
Matete was elected president with Manda as vice president while Yona Mwale of Kabwe Rangers was elected general secretary.
Others were Judith Chaoponga as vice general secretary and Davy Manyando was elected for the position of treasurer with four committee members who include Chipoma Mulenga, Carol Mokola, Anderson Katongo and Mathews Chongo.
Speaking in an interview, Manda said the meeting convened after forming a quorum with about 25 clubs out of the 37 affiliates in attendance.
Manda said Chipalo declined to contest for any position because he is Zambia’s coaching coordinator for the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
He said the purpose of the interim executive committee was to facilitate the affairs of ZAAA until the elective AGM scheduled for March 2015.
“You aware all aware that the mandate of the Elias Mpondela executive expired on December 4, and so we decided to put in place this committee for the AGM in March and the period this committee be in charge, no cash transactions should be entertained by anyone,” Manda said.
Some of the clubs that were in attendance are Nkana, Mufulira, Chambishi, Konkola, Kalulushi, Power, Roan United, Luanshya United, Ndola United, Ministry of Finance, Road Runners Academy, Albabeto Academy, Young Carol Mokola and Flex Academy
.
