.Bweupe

By KALUMIANA KALUMIANA –

DIGGERS Rugby Football Club (DRFC) secretary Millington Mambwe says it is time for players and official’s to end the impasse that has engulfed the celebrated Zambian side.
Mambwe, however, refused to dwell into the details of the standoff but admitted in an interview that it was time for both parties to end the impasse because the divisions were affecting their form in the league.
Diggers are currently embroiled in a constitutional crisis that that has seen senior player’s allegedly boycott training and some suspended following demands that long-serving chairperson Chileshe Bweupe steps down.
Furthermore, Diggers have lost two of their opening three league games this season whose highlight came last Saturday when they lost 14-3 away to Mufulira to end a 13-year unbeaten run against the latter.
“The club status is at high risk and that is affecting our sponsorship and if we don’t address it before we play our next game then we will have an uphill battle to retain our status as rugby kings in Zambia,” he said.
He said the club has received petitions which have numbered over 20 as per requirement in the constitution.
“These petitions started well before the league commenced. The initial one was addressed to the Diggers club president (Boniface Mutale) who had started the issue but before the issue could be addressed, the league started.
“And so the issue protracted and players were deemed to be undisciplined by making their rightful demands that should have been settled amicably but sides were taken where these guys were labelled as rebels and indiscipline and some have even been suspended for one year,” he said.
Mambwe said the club had tried without success to hold its annual general meeting twice on February 20 and March 13 but failed only to be cautioned by the Zambia Rugby Union (ZRU).
“I have done my part the ball is now in the committee’s hands. We were supposed to have our annual general meeting in November and now this is approaching middle of the year which is very unconstitutional
The situation at Diggers is so dire that at the Tuesday night training, less than 15 players that included coach Robertson ‘Plough’ Kangongwe, some veteran’s including Under-15 players went through the paces.
“Diggers have withdrawn from B League and now we are remaining with the A team and training wise is not doing well. But the situation is still salvageable,” Mambwe said.
Meanwhile, the ZRU has requested for a meeting tomorrow in Kitwe with club officials pertaining the club constitution impasse and the overdue holding of the AGM