Northern Region Football Association (NRFA) Chairperson Chauka Mwasinga has lodged a complaint with Football Association of Malawi (Fam) over what he described as breach of electoral processes.
Mwasinga’s stance comes after Fam rescheduled NRFA’s polls, which were postponed on February 15 over security concerns following disagreements between rival camps.
Mwasinga, in a letter copied to the Malawi National Council of Sports and Fifa, has asked Fam to iron out his concerns before Saturday’s elections.
The elections are slated for Mzimba District.
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“Yet the grievances I raised in my letter of 17th February 2025 have not yet been addressed as I am yet to receive any response from your office. I legitimately expected your office to reply and demonstrate that the issues complained of have been fully addressed in order to avoid a recurrence of what transpired during the previous abortive Elective Assembly.
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“Further, your office has failed, refused and neglected to assure us of availability of impartial and competent returning officers unlike Mr [Christopher] Kuyera [Fam First Vice President], who grossly mismanaged the electoral process,” the letter reads.
Mwasinga said the short intervening timeframe between the elections and date of notification smacked of ambush and contravened timelines prescribed by the NFRA constitution.
“Under Article 21 and 23, the invitation to an ordinary general assembly and Extra Ordinary General Assembly, respectively, must be sent out at least 21 days before the meeting.
“Your office lacks the legal right to unilaterally abridge time lines that are designed to give delegates ample time to prepare for the general meeting. Under article 23, an Extra Ordinary General Assembly may be called only by 2/3 of the membership and not your office,” the letter reads.
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As such, Mwasinga says the proposed meeting, which is scheduled for March 1, cannot, therefore, qualify as an extra ordinary general meeting.
“In any event, the notice period for an ordinary or extra ordinary general assembly is 21 days. Clearly, the proposed meeting is unconstitutional, for it fails to observe the minimum and mandatory timelines for holding any type of general assembly as prescribed in the NFRA Constitution,” the letter reads.
Mwasinga says he wants the reinstatement of the NFRA committee pending the conduct of new elections in a manner consistent with the constitution and appointment of competent and neutral returning officer for the forthcoming elections.
Fam General Secretary Alfred Gunda did not respond to our questionnaire.
However, football analyst Kim Kamau has asked Fam to act on the grievances.
“Let Fam not take sides as a mother body, let them level the floor and work with those who will win, unlike being seen as supporting a particular candidate,” he says.
During the suspended elections, Mwasinga and his challenger Masiya Nyasulu twice tied with 13 votes each.
