By SAMUEL LUKHANDA –

FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) committee member Pivoty Simwanza has filed to contest the vice-presidency at the elective annual general meeting set for March 19 at Moba Hotel in Kitwe.
And former FAZ treasurer Kelvin Mutafu has opted not to re-contest his old position in a bid to avoid splitting votes after Nkana treasurer Alex Munasha filed to contest the position.
Simwanza joins fellow committee member Richard Kazala and Mofya Chisala to challenge incumbent Boniface Mwamelo for the vice-presidency while Kalusha Bwalya, Andrew Kamanga and Henschel Chitembeya are up for the top seat.
Seasoned administrator Rix Mweemba, who replaced Mutafu as treasurer, will battle it out with Munasha while the rest of the committee members, Lee Kawanu, Jeff Chipilingu and Lenny Nkhuwa are also re-contesting their seats.
Others from the many that filed in their nominations and expected to challenge for the committee positions include Gideon Mwenya, Nelly Miamba, Jordan Maliti, Mike Chirwa, Alex Mambwe and Elijah Chileshe. FAZ is yet to publish the full list of those that filed in nominations which closed on Friday.
Meanwhile, Mutafu said his decision not to re-contest his past position was to avoid vote splitting in the Kamanga-led camp after Munasha successfully filed his nomination for the same position.
Mutafu has since urged those pushing for change at Football House not to relent in their struggle as the polls date draws near but to finish what they have started in unity.
He said he has sacrificed his individual ambition for the general good of the football family in order to change the current FAZ regime.
“This should not be time for divisions, we must close ranks within ourselves, submerge differences and have unity of purpose. That is to fight for regime change at Football House.
“I know this decision will hurt many who believed in me, what I stood for and those who wanted to see me finish this battle than making it a mere academic exercise. I believe change is coming,” Mutafu said.
He said he made the difficult decision in order to help the ‘revolution’ garner the much needed votes and get the right people in FAZ instead of splitting the votes.
The former Forest Rangers chairperson has also urged his comrades to be wary of traitors and scrutinise those joining the revolution at the 11th hour because they had the potential to spoil the struggle.
“Having been in these elections and the system, it’s not too late to scrutinise our neighbours and subject them to the microscope,” said Mutafu.
He paid tribute and thanked the people who have been sending him solidarity messages and supported him from the time he spilled the beans at Football House over some alleged corruption scandals.
Victor Mpundu filed in his nomination to contest the FAZ executive committee position.
Mpundu, who is a committee member at Riflemen, said he will be contesting under the Kalusha Bwalya camp because the FAZ president has not only showed good leadership but is an inspiration to the Zambian people and deserves to be given another term in office.