PRESIDENT LUNGU CAN ATTEND ZAAA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
APOLOGIES to the followers of Troubleshooter. I was unable to write the column due to illness and in the meantime, I had the misfortune of losing my laptop. Thieves snatched the machine from my bedroom while I slept.
It’s a Dell Serial Number B5FFSY1. Any help to recover it will be highly appreciated.
My subject this week is the issue of political interference in the administration of sports by governments all over the world.
World sports governing bodies are very sensitive to any hint of government involvement in the administration of national associations that are affiliated to them.
I have always considered this attitude by the world sports governing bodies as mere hypocrisy meant to protect the selfish interests of corrupt and selfish individuals. It is a fact that amateur sports in all parts of the world cannot survive without the support of many local and central governments
of the world.
All the sports stadia and other facilities that support amateur sports are all government or public interest concerns.
What baffles is that the world sports governing bodies are very pleased and eager to encourage State expenditure on sports development and activities but do not want governments to ensure accountability in the national associations.
A kind of controversy started last week when President Dr. Edgar Lungu requested the new minister of Youth, Sports and Child Development to sort out irregularities in the Zambia Amateur Athletes Association (ZAAA) which allegedly wants to interfere in the activities of individuals and organisations that engage in fitness activities such as aerobics.
Some people rushed to accuse the president of political interference in the administration of athletics in Zambia.
I have searched the articles of the ZAAA constitution and there is no where it is stated that physical fitness of all kind are supported to be registered or approved by the ZAAA executive.
The ZAAA is only responsible for all competitive amateur athletics activities of those sports that are recognised as athletics under the International Athletics Federation.
The president was therefore correct to ask his minister to check any irregular interference in the activities of individuals and organisations that organise social sports competitions whether its running, needle race, bottle balancing race or aerobics.
I also looked at history of ZAAA affiliations and established that the most consistent clubs in amateur athletics were from the Zambia Army, The Zambia Air Force, The Zambia Police, the Zambia National Service and the Zambia Correctional Services. Clubs from the defence and security services have always formed the backbone of the athletics associations here in Zambia. It therefore follows that the Commander-in-Chief, President Edgar Lungu, as sponsor of the five most consistent clubs is a member of the Zambia Amateur Athletics Association and is entitled to attend any of the association’s meetings including the Annual General Meeting.
It is clear in the ZAAA constitution that any affiliated club is free to sponsor delegates to the annual meeting and this includes sponsors who may wish to attend such gatherings. Only patrons may not attend as club representatives.
There is therefore no political interference occasioned by the president’s instruction to his minister to ensure the ZAAA executive sticks to its proper mandate.
Yours truly,
TROUBLESHOOTER
ecchipalo@yahoo.co.uk / pentvision@gmail.com / ecchipalo@icloud.com
The president was therefore correct to ask his minister to check any irregular interference in the activities of individuals and organisations that organise social sports competitions whether its running, needle race, bottle balancing race or aerobics.