Go down to work, madam Namangale, there is no honeymoon
Congratulation to Chess Association of Malawi (Chessam), which has its first woman president, Susan Musa Namangale, voted into office last Sunday August 26 at Bridgeview Hotel in Lilongwe.
Namangale presented a very attracting manifesto that swayed the sport’s members and I urge her and her entire committee to get down to work to try to fulfil the promises made.
The executive committee comprises Moses Mtumbuka as vice-president, Leonard Sharra as the general secretary, Vitumbiko Ndovi as treasurer general, Candidate Master Alfred Chimthere as publicist, Isaac Mumba as technical director with Wakisa Mweghama, Linda Jambo, Ellen Mpinganjira and Peter Wengawenga as committee members.
It’s quite an energetic and visionary grouping and in accepting to take the mantle, Namangale asked the elected committee members to take collective responsibility for chess and always work as a team.
That’s the way forward — collective responsibility. Everyone should make sure what they promised is delivered and not just to leave it in the hands of the president because she was the one who was mostly highlighted during the campaign.
What Namangale promised is the responsibility of each and everyone making the Chessam committee and not just for her alone to act on. Each of the members should embrace her agenda, that way things will move forward.
As a recap, high on her agenda plans to manage Chessam as an institution with proper facilities including an office and an administrator to manage office operations.
Her vision is to see chess development in all districts in Malawi and ensure increase of schools and ladies participating in chess activities and she promises to ensure that there are enough resources to uplift the game of chess at grassroot level including chess boards and chess clocks, which hinders many youths from being active.
She also pledged that since Chessam currently has few international Arbiters to support more to attain the IA norm that will allow the formation of Arbiters Commission.
Namangale also plans to train more national instructors for coaching in the schools to look after player welfare during tournaments as well as national teams at international tournaments.
All these are very good plans for the development of the sport and it’s not just her responsibility alone but the entire committee. The other members’ manifestos should also be embraced as a collective responsibility.
My tribute goes to former president Kezzi Msukwa, who has been at the helm for 14 years and during his tenure Malawi chess gained international recognition through participation in Olympiads and other international tournaments.
Through such exposure, Malawi chess won its first international medal; the Africa Amateurs that was chieved by Candidate Master Chipanga Chiletso during this year’s tournament held in Zambia.
Chipanga went on to come 6th at the World Amateurs held in Italy — a feat the internationals applauded Malawi for.
So chess has the potential to become a major sport for Malawi and, as Namangale says, its a collective responsibility. All the best.
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