Football administrator and ex-Nkana chief executive officer Kelvin Mutafu has said the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) candidate validation process was not handled fairly.
On Monday, the FAZ electoral committee announced successful candidates for the various positions ahead of the elective annual general meeting next month.
FAZ is set to go to the polls next month and the election cycle will be preceded by the provincial elections before the national contest on March 29.
At the national level, FAZ councilors will elect the president [already unopposed], vice president, and woman representative [already unopposed].
However, the process has been received with mixed feelings after eight candidates challenging the incumbent for the position of president were knocked out on various grounds.
This left Kamanga the sole candidate for the presidency. It was the same case for seven other positions for provincial chairpersons, while for women representatives, Col. Priscila Katoba was the only one who filed.
“Football is a game of fair play” – Mutafu
Speaking about the reasons advanced for most disqualified candidates at the presidential level, Mutafu, who is also a former FAZ treasurer, has said the vetting process was not well handled.
He described the disqualifications as historical.
“Never in the history of football elections have we seen such disqualifications. The validation process was supposed to be done for some minor omissions at the point of filing, i.e., having been nominated by someone who has nominated another person, not attaching some documentation, etc.,” Mutafu wrote on his Facebook page.
He said fairness should have been exercised in line with the football mantra of fair play.
“Football is a game of fair play if other’s nominations get scrutinized at the point of filling, why not allow the same to others. The scrutiny of papers at point of filling makes the work of the validation committee simpler. May football win,” Mutafu stated.
Those who have been knocked out of the presidential race are MUZA owner Keith Mweemba, former FAZ general secretary Adrian Kashala, ex-Chipolopolo international Emmanuel Munaile, and journalists Alex Njovu and Godfrey Chikumbi.
Others are veteran sports administrator Machacha Shepande, FAZ committee member Francis Hafwiti, and financial expert Mumbo Lombe.
At the vice president level, Gideon Mwenya and Pivoty Simwanza were knocked out.
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