Africa-Press – Zambia. Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Life member Lackson Kazabu has criticized Sports Minister Elvis Nkandu’s statement suggesting that the current FAZ president, Andrew Kamanga, cannot chair the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) slated for May 9 in Kabwe, due to the perceived expiration of their term.
Addressing the media today, Kazabu argued that FIFA’s approval of FAZ’s roadmap for the elective AGM supersedes the Minister’s claims.
He said the FAZ constitution mandates the sitting president to chair all meetings, including AGMs and extraordinary meetings.
He states that the Minister has no authority to decide who should chair the AGM.
“The Minister should have been the first one to understand that FIFA unlike in the past require any national football association, to submit what they call a Roadmap or a programme leading to the holding of an elective Annual General Meeting. This is so because unlike in the past, now you start with elections being held at the provincial level and finally you get to the actual AGM to complete the process to elect new leaders,” he said.
“FIFA guided, FAZ submitted a roadmap and FIFA agreed to the roadmap. Where FIFA sees that something is not right they always advise. It therefore takes one aback for the Minister to issue such a statement which is in direct conflict with the advice given by the world soccer Governing body.”
Meanwhile, Kazabu has appealed to the councillors and delegates to reject mudslinging and dividing rule tactic by anyone.
He said councillors must play their role in electing an executive Committee and not to allow anyone to usurp their powers.
Kazabu said only the councillors have the powers to decide who should be elected.
“Councillors, resist any pressure from those trying to influence your decision on who should be at football House. Reject malicious propaganda against any one candidate because the football family is one. It doesn’t matter who will carry the day next weekend,” Kazabu explained.
“I do not understand why the Minister is insisting. He goes ahead and say government is on firm ground. Maybe he is being innovative. But if he is being innovative, I am sorry to say that his innovation is misplaced. There would be no time that any other person would chair other than the President. It is like the Minister telling the nation that you can have even the company secretary chairing an annual General meeting. How can an employee preside over his employers. That is the picture the Minister has presented. So it will not happen.!”
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