MATHEWS NDANDULA writes
@SunZambian
AS debate around the date for the Zambia Athletics elective general meeting continue to swirl, the Lusaka province athletics area board chairman William Walele has called on dissenting voices to allow for the current executive to continue in office.Meanwhile, information has been revealed that the affiliation of Samuel Matete and Jonathan Chipalo are in doubt by the Lusaka and Copperbelt provincial area board.“All I can say for now is let Mr Mpondela and his executive work nicely. I am not saying he must not step down, what I mean is time will come and everyone will see that now the man is ready or is stepping down,” Walele said in an interview.“Let’s not force matters because if you kick out your leaders in power without their blessings then expect things not to go well with you let our leaders bless us that is what I can tell our colleagues we don’t want confusion in Zambia athletics we need peace let’s preach peace in the association.”In an interview Walele disclosed that Chipalo’s club is not affiliated to ZA and is not registeredin any books of the Lusaka province athletics area board.“I can confirm with you that Mr. Chipalo is not affiliated to Lusaka province athletics area board and I will advise you to check with other provinces otherwise on our records he doesn’t exist. I tried to ask my general secretary and other members that maybe by chance Mr. Chipalo attended any of our meetings or participated in any of our activities as Lusaka province no one has an idea,” Walele said.“So how can one be a member when his club doesn’t take part in activities? He has never attended any of our meetings as Lusaka province athletics area board so we don’t know him.”Walele accused Chiplao of having unresolved matters with the athletics mother body where he took the ZA executive to court and so had not been cleared to participate in elections.“Not until we receive a letter from our mother body stating that Mr. Chipalo has been cleared to participate. So let him first find time to meet the executive and resolve the pending issues then that’s when we can talk about his affiliation. It is shocking that he claims to have been paying affiliation fee – the question is to who and has he followed the right procedure?”Meanwhile, Mr Chipalo was seen flashing receipts on a WhatsApp sports platform but was unavailable for comment when contacted.In the case of Samuel Matete, Copperbelt Province Athletics board general secretary Jedah Phiri confirmed in an interview that Samuel Matete is currently not affiliated to the board.“Mr Matete was the vice chairman for Chambeshi Athletics club back then and after forming his own club called Matete Athletics club, he wrote to us saying that he has formed a club which is yet to be ratified during the annual general meeting. Otherwise his current status to the Copperbelt province athletics area board or let me say in our records his club is not there,” Mrs Jedah said.Chipalo and Matete have been vocal in demanding that the ZA elections be held on 1 October to usher out the Mpondela-led executive.According to article 10 (g) of the Zambia aAthletics constitution, the annual general meeting can be held in the last quarter of the year : “The term of office shall be four(4) years and the elections shall be held every four (4) years at the annual general meeting in the last quarter of the year or the first quarter not later than March and no official shall hold two offices/post.
“Once elected to higher office, he shall resign one post unless on special arrangement,” it reads.
