Nkandu sounds warning
… ‘FAZ doesn’t have all the powers to organise football in Zambia’
MINISTER of Sports Youth and Arts Elvis Nkanud has challenged sports federations to spare his ministry from sports politics which are detrimental to the development of sports in the country.
And Nkandu says the Football Association of Zambia doesn’t have all the powers to organise football in the country because the Ministry of Sports is bigger than all sports federations.
Speaking when he received a courtesy call from former Minister of Sport Kenneth Chipungu, Nkandu said it is sad that some people want to turn the exhibition match between Barcelona Legends and Chipolopolo Legends scheduled for May 25 in Lusaka into politics.
This comes after the ministry was accused of sidelining FAZ in the organisation of the exhibition match meant to promote the country’s tourism potential.
Nkandu said the ministry has the mandate to promote any sport in the country without seeking permission from FAZ who refused to be part of the exhibition match when the idea was first born.
He said sports federations are not bigger than his ministry which has more powers than the National Sports Council of Zambia and any sports federation.
Nkandu said the jersey the Chipolopolo Legends will wear on May 25 should not be an issue because the ministry has the mandate to choose any jersey for the exhibition match.
He said the ministry should not be dragged into football politics as it was focused on promoting the country’s tourism potential using the exhibition match which will be televised to millions of viewers across the continent.
“Please spare us the way we have spared you. Especially this federation. Spare us. First, we have a mandate as a ministry to manage sports. It could be football it could be athletics it could be any sport,” Nkandu said.
“The mandate to manage sport, the mandate to promote sport is a preserve of the Ministry of Youth Sports and Arts through the National Sports Council of Zambia. Now if we are not careful we start making kings, who said the Ministry of Sports cannot manage football? Who said the ministry can’t manage athletics? We have given you shared responsibilities,” he said.
“How could FAZ have so much powers on football than the ministry? There is nothing like that. How could ZA have so much powers on athletics than the ministry? There is nothing like that. I thought I should mention so that wherever he is seated he knows that we are mandated as the ministry to manage football and promote any sport in the country,” Nkandu said.
Nkandu denied allegations suggesting that the ministry has spent over K2 million to organise the exhibition match.
Meanwhile, Chipungu said there is need to invest in sports infrastructure if tournaments such as the recently held CAA Junior Championship in Ndola are to be successful.