Minister halts AAM polls
Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) has succumbed to internal pressure to postpone Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) elections that were set for Salima tomorrow.
In a statement released on Wednesday night, Sports Council indicated that the decision was reached following instructions from Sports Minister Uchizi Mkandawire.
“Today [Wednesday] in the afternoon, the Malawi National Council of Sports received written communication from the Minister of Youth and Sports, Honourable Uchizi Mkandawire MP, advising council to postpone elections of the national executive committee of the Athletics Association of Malawi on the basis of communication that the ministry said it has received from World Athletics.
“Council convened an emergency meeting this evening and has, on the advice of the minister, postponed the elections sine die. Council sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused by this postponement,” reads the statement which board chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise signed.
The development comes after World Athletics (WA) penned Ministry of Youth and Sports Principal Secretary Isaac Katopola, advising the ministry to engage the AAM executive committee to resolve issues that were raised by the council.
“We request that you work with the board and the membership of the AAM, their elective general assembly, to elect a new board in harmony for the development of athletics in your country.
“Please note that any elective general assembly of the AAM organised by the caretaker committee will not be recognised by World Athletics,” the letter, signed by WA Member Federations Relations Senior Head of Protocol Jee Isram, reads.
WA sought the government’s intervention following disagreements between the council and AAM executive committee headed by Godfrey Phiri and general secretary Frank Chitembeya.
Ironically, the caretaker committee, which was set up by council to adopt AAM’s constitution and hold elections, held a press briefing on Wednesday indicating that all was set for the polls.
