SPORTS COUNCIL BOARD EXITS

BARELY two months onto the job, the National Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ) board chairperson Patrick Mutimushi and his members yesterday stepped down as their tenure of office ended.

Despite the short term in office, Mutimushi was however proud to note that the board managed to initiate the process of finalisation of the electoral code that would allow for transparency in the appointment of any position at SCZ.

In his farewell speech to the Sports Minister Emmanuel Mulenga, Mutimushi said his team managed to put a few things in place that would allow for their successors to manage well the mandate of the sports mother body.

“Our tenure since appointment has come to an end. We are proud to say that within the two months or so in office, we have been able to initiate the process of the finalisation of the electoral code which will see that the Council does the elections for the positions of the board or any other election according to the guidelines that we believe will help bring transparency to the organisation and corporate kind of governance that will be required,” he said.

Mulenga said his ministry would ensure a board is put in place within 60 days.

He commended the board for the exemplary manner they handled the board matters, especially the wrangles in some sports associations.

“It is a pity that we need to work within the confinements of the law after you wrote the letter through the permanent secretary to the

Attorney General to ask on the interpretation of the tenure of office. And it was indicated that the tenure of office started running when the first group was voted into office (May, 2017), which meant that all those who were appointed in February, 2020, their tenure of office was ending the same time,”

“As a ministry, we will ensure we put a board in place within 60 days. We don’t want the ministry to be in direct contact with sports associations,” he said.

SCZ was from

May 2017 to February, 2020 operating without a board after then Sports Minister Moses Mawere nullified the election of the seven board members until the Sports Council Act was revised as it had lacunas.