By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
KALUSHA Bwalya and two others have given the Andrew Kamanga-led Football Association Zambia (FAZ) administration five days to vacate office or face legal proceedings.
The ultimatum is contained in a letter dated April 6, 2020 and addressed to the Sports minister Emmanuel Mulenga.
Bwalya, banned administrator Damiano Mutale and Patson Lusaka through their lawyers Lewis Nathan Advocates has asked the minister to instruct Kamanga to leave Football House by this Sunday.
“We would be grateful if you your good office, acting through and or together with National Sports Council of Zambia, immediately instruct and or directs the outgoing FAZ executive to cease or stop holding themselves as if legally constituted.”
“Our clients notify that should the said outgoing executive continue holding office, themselves act as such for the next five days from the date hereof they (our clients), shall have no option but to thereafter institute legal proceedings to secure compliance with not only FAZ statutes (as approved by FIFA) but also with relevant laws,” read the letter.
The three also argued that Kamanga’s stay in office was illegal as his mandate ended on March 19, and therefore the general secretary was to take over the running of FAZ till elections are held.
“It should be pointed out by Article 20 of the FAZ constitution, the general secretariat is the executive, operational and administrative body of FAZ.
“This therefore entails that FAZ can continue to operate under the general secretary whose position is non-elective until new office -holders are elected at the annual general meeting,” they said.
They also warned that they will take legal action if the FIFA Chief Member Associates Officer Veron Mosenga-Omba continues to advise FAZ to defy the court’s decision and asked the world governing body to respect the FAZ constitution.
Mosenga-Omba is expected in Zambia soon to arbitrate over the FAZ wrangles and said the executive committee should remain in office till elections are held.
“The aim of my visit will be to meet FAZ, representatives from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development and the relevant football stakeholders to discuss the football situation in Zambia.
“I hope that you will be able to join these meetings once confirmed. In this context, and for the sake of stability in Zambian football, I re-confirm FIFA’s position that the current FAZ executive committee shall remain in office and continue to manage football affairs in Zambia until elections are held,” read the letter in part.
Kalu’s ultimatum
