By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA
THE battle between football administrator Simataa Simataa and the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) over yesterday’s reconvened Annual General Meeting (AGM) has now been referred to the Attorney General (AG).
This was after the firebrand Simataa appealed against the Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ)’s decision not to hear his case as he was not a FAZ member.

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Sports Minister Vincent Mwale said during a Press briefing at his office at Government Complex held at the same time as the FAZ reconvened AGM was underway down stairs that Simataa had appealed to his office over the decision made by the SCZ.
The SCZ earlier last week ruled that Simataa was not a FAZ member and, therefore, could not challenge them especially through the SCZ, a ruling Simataa has appealed against.
Mwale said that in order to put the matter to a finality, he had referred it to the AG where a group of legal minds could be able to advise correctly.
The minister immediately wrote to FAZ telling them of the developments although by the time the letter was delivered, the meeting had already finished.
“Simataa has appealed against the ruling of the Sports Council of Zambia. I would like to inform you that the Ministry (of Sports) is studying the case/appeal and consulting with the office of the Attorney General on a legal opinion on the controversial issues raised in the appeal,” he said in the letter.
Mwale, however, said that he had given FAZ a go ahead to go on with the reconvened AGM but should do it within the FAZ constitutional provisions so that decisions made could not be challenged over legalities of the meeting.
He said that should the AG find that the meeting was illegally held, it would create a platform for members to challenge the meeting and annul the decisions made, stating that it was important that such things were avoided.
“All I can tell the FAZ is that ‘do the right thing’. Do things according to the constitution so that members do not get to challenge you over the legality of the meeting. For now, we shall wait for a response from the Attorney General,” he said.
When asked about the eligibility of Simataa to contest a FAZ decision when he was not their member, Mwale said former membership to the association was one of the matters that the Attorney General would be looking at as he claimed he was a FAZ member.
On how far the Government could go into FAZ business without triggering the ‘Government interference issue’, Mwale said his Ministry knew too well where its involvement could end and would trade within sphere.
He, however, called on FAZ to embrace the tenets of good governance.