...aggrieved individuals in FAZ squabbles cry foul

AGRRIEVED individuals in the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) wrangles have described as short notice the day set by FIFA for the much anticipated meeting set to iron out the disputes. FIFA has set September 1 as the day the warring football admini s t rators w i l l meet with its envoy and government officials via a video conference to resolve the wrangles that have affected the Zambian game. FIFA chief Member Association's officer Veron Masengo Omba confirmed that the meeting will be held tomorrow through a video conference.

In a letter addressed to FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala, Omba said the vitual meeting will comprise of representative from FAZ, Ministry of Sports, National Sports Council and maximum three representatives of the aggrieved parties.

However according to sources from the aggrieved camp, the date set by FIFA has come at short notice and the lawyers representing individuals who had taken FAZ to court are out of the country.

The source said the aggrieved are yet to meet to select three individuals who will represent them during the meeting as proposed by FIFA.

"The lawyers representing the aggrieved are in London so it is a short notice. They requested that the meeting be held on Friday. If FIFA can accept for the meeting to take place on Friday, it will be better but if FIFA says no, the lawyers will have to fly back as soon as possible for the meeting to take place on the date recommended by FIFA.

"People have proposed some names but for those who had taken FAZ to court and the case is a dfferent story and for ba Kalu because the issue here is about the elections, FAZ banning people from contesting the FAZ elections is the issue at hand," said the source.

And former FAZ executive committee member Blackwell Siwale said he is among those aggrieved who will be presenting their grievances during the meeting.

Sources from within the aggrieved parties have suggested that Soccer legend Kalusha Bwalya, veteran administrator Simataa Simataa and Siwale fill up the three slots that have been allocated for the aggrieved parties by FIFA in the virtue meeting.

But Siwale noted that it was not for him to decide on who will attend the meeting but said that the group would discuss and choose people eloquent enough to represent all the aggrieved parties.

“I can confirm to you that I’m one of the aggrieved and that letter reached us on Friday night as an aggrieved party. Damiano and Patson Lusaka were in court on behalf of others those we are calling aggrieved parties because we could not all go to court at once so we had to find someone to represent the group. So now we will find those that are eloquent enough to drive a point home to FIFA and make them understand the current football impasse in Zambia,’’ Siwale said.

"We have three issues we have to present with the first one being the electoral process on how flawed it was and secondly is to tell FIFA that the current executive is seating in office illegally and has been vindictive to people as well as all the alleged crimes committed by the executive."