CEP releases NFA recommendations

The Committee of Eminent Persons (CEP) established by the sports ministry to investigate the current football impasse has written to the Namibia Football Association ( NFA) with recommendations of their findings.

In a letter addressed to NFA president Ranga Haikali, and written by Namibia Sports Commission ( NSC) chief administrator Freddy Mwiya, the committee that was established two months ago recommended that both the Namibia Premier League (NPL) and the NFA review their constitutional findings.

In the letter seen by Nampa, the CEP also asked the NFA to clarify the disciplinary procedure when a member or affiliate is found wanting.

The committee suggested that the NFA should consider amending Article 15 or add provisions that clearly indicate what happens when such a member (NPL) is suspended/ expelled and cannot conduct any football business.

The CEP noted that in the absence of an appeals committee, the NFA defeated the course of natural justice, hence compounding any efforts to resolve the issue through internal processes. The committee then referred the NFA to a similar case between the Namibia Rugby Union and Namibia Rugby Limited, where all stakeholders involved in the fights were reconciled through talks, rather than in court.

“The CEP is of the view that there is no merit for the NFA to set up a top tier league from nowhere just as much as there is no merit for the NPL to set up a professional league with no base to handle its promotional and relegation,” the letter added.

The CEP further requested that the NFA furnish them with all plans and developments of how it plans to restore peace and harmony in football by 18 November.

Approached for comment, Haikali acknowledged having received the recommendations and said the NFA Executive Committee is busy looking at them and would respond accordingly.

The committee was established by sports minister Agnes Tjongarero in September and is comprised of Roswitha Gamachas, a legal expert in the Attorney General’s Office; NSC board member Thomas Mbeeli; Heritha Nankole Muyoba, a governance expert; rugby sports administrator Walter Don; Bro-Matthew Shinguadja, the executive director in the labour ministry and Stanley Mutoya, the current chief executive officer of Region Five.