The Malawi High Court in the commercial city of Blantyre has ordered the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to allow the association’s three de-linked members to attend this Saturday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).
FAM is scheduled to hold the AGM at Sunbird Livingstonia Beach in Salima District, where all its affiliates are expected to be in attendance.
Ahead of the meeting, FAM invited three affiliates that were expelled during last year’s AGM to attend as mere stakeholders. The affiliates are the National Football Coaches Association (NFCA), the National Youth Football Association (NYFA), and the National Football Referees Association (NFRA).
Under FAM’s financial policy, affiliate members attending the AGM are entitled to fuel allowances to and from the venue, sitting allowances, and accommodation.
Attending as mere stakeholders means they would have to arrange their own transportation, accommodation, and allowances, while only receiving whatever support the association chooses to provide.
Following the development, the three associations went to court seeking relief to allow them to attend the AGM as affiliates rather than mere stakeholders. They also asked the court to provide guidance on the process FAM used to strip them of their powers.
On Wednesday afternoon, the court granted their request, ruling that they should attend the meeting as affiliates and that FAM should accord them all the benefits due to affiliate members.
During the hearing, High Court Judge Allan Hans Muhome said the three associations deserved to attend as full members and not as mere stakeholders.
The order came as temporary relief for the claimants after FAM lawyer Luciano Mickeus argued that the defence needed at least two days to organise itself because the case statement and other documents served on Monday by the NFCA, through lawyer David Kanyenda, had been erroneously misplaced.
In an interview, Kanyenda said he was pleased with the guidance provided by the judge and expressed hope that FAM would accord the associations all their privileges.
“We hope FAM will follow that, if they do not then we will push the matter further, but I am hopeful that FAM will follow what has been delivered today,” he said.
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