Malawi football in bribery disrepute: ACB stops South’s FA elections
The image of football in the country has been thrown into disrepute after Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has issued a stop order to Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) and Football Association of Malawi (FAM) from proceeding with the elections scheduled for Mangochi at weekend following allegations of bribes in the nomination process.
ACB Director Reyneck Matemba has confirmed that the graft-busting body’s move follows complaints from some affiliates in the nomination process.
SRFA chairperson Raphael Humba is set to go unopposed during the body’s elections.
But some officials have lodged a complaint on how the nomination process was handled – albert corruptily.
The graft-busting body is also investigating officials in the Central Region Football Association (CRFA) where it has stopped its elections scheduled for November 14 .
The issues at hand seem to be similar.
CRFA incumbent vice-chairperson Simeon Lijenje and vice-general secretary Owen Munthali lodged a complaint to FAM on how the nomination process was fraudulently handled.
In the CRFA, all the nine district committees nominated incumbent chairperson Austin Ajawa to retain the hot seat unopposed along with general secretary Bernard Chiwiriwiri Harawa, vice-general secretary Antonio Manda, and vice-treasurer Missi Bwanali.
Ajawa’s potential challenger former FAM first-vice president James Mwenda, who lost FAM presidential elections to Walter Nyamilandu last December, did not receive a nomination.
Soccer analyst David Kanyenda said ACB’s probe into FAM and its affiliates will likely raise the attention of Fifa’s Ethics and Integrity committee.
Kanyenda, who is also a private practice lawyer, said FAM’s failure to address electoral disputes which have dogged its affiliates was the genesis of the problems the association finds itself in.
He said: “FAM, the body responsible for running local football, has been dogged by a spate of accusations regarding corrupt practices particularly during the conduct of elections. The ACB restriction notice comes as no real surprise to domestic football followers given the rising frequency of complaints pertaining to alleged electoral irregularities.”
Kanyenda observed that the mother body’s procrastination in the matter is a result of the power struggle over control of the regional associations.
“At the heart of the matter is in fact, a bitter power struggle to influence the composition of the affiliate bodies that in turn, constitute an electoral college for the FAM Executive Committee,” he said.
Each region contributes six delegates to the FAM AGM and combined, form half of the 36 electors.
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There is heavy corruption at FAM and see Walter Nyamilandu does not want want to leave this organization though he doubles with politics -dpp guy.
Good move
ACB should also investigate how Nyamilandu was elected. There was also an involvement of bribes. I held voters were bribed with cienta cars
Nde mukuona ngati acb amaliza liti nkhani izi??? I thought FAM is supposed to handle this mess
Walter is the problem here.
This man with his cod voice is a very big problem because he bribed persons in order to vote for him at the lake. Walter Nyamilandu is also a politician and is currently with Dpp leadership. Matemba please investigate this boy deeper to his roots watch out he uses juju and kill his wives.
ACB yadziwa lero kodi za Humba. Izi ndi zochita za Nyamilandu kuchita chotheka kuti akhalitse ku FAM. Humba mukunenayo all the time amagwira ntchito ku Ilovo depot ku Balaka nde mumati angatani kwa Walter. Nde panopa Walter akuchita chotheka kuti achina Humbawo apitilize kenaka iyenso azapitilize. Koma mwati Walter satamba koma!!!!