Malawi athletics body interferes in affiliates elections
Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) executive committee in a desperate effort to tighten its grip on power interfered in elections for its regional athletics committees held over the weekend.
AAM secretly appointed candidates to stand in the elections so that they should be manipulated and not raise a finger whenever they have burning issues.
Impeccable sources said in the South the association planted and supported athlete Harry Sichali who stood for Vice Treasurer, former athlete Agness Chikwakwa Jamali, for Vice general secretary, former athlete Derrick Mzika for general secretary, Kaduwa Sunday for Vice chairman, Agness Duwa for Treasurer and athlete Rashid Taimu for chairman.
However the association’s bid was not fulfilled as only two of its preferred candidates Chikwakwa Jamali and Kaduwa Sunday were dubiously voted on deputy positions.
One of the candidates, who won questioned the association’s logic to pay a deaf ear to calls to have the elections postponed following two aspiring candidates getting injured in serious road accident in Ntcheu on their way from national championship held on Saturday in Lilongwe.
He said the general secretary Frank Chitembeya who presided over the elections allowed former chairman Christopher Kabwazi who have been elevated to the national committee to cast a decisive vote against the Constitution.
“In the North and Centre outgoing chairmen voted which is unconstitutional. In our case the South we protested against this but we were surprised that whenever there was a tie the former chairman Christopher Kabwazi voted for their preferred candidates,” he said. “Where on earth has this happened for a former official to vote in an election.?”
In the elections in the South former AAM Vice general secretary Mzee Makawa beat Taimu to become chairman while Kaduwa Sunday beat Menard Fumulani for the position of Vice chairman with general secretary post going to journalist Kondwani Chamwala.
Chikwakwa Jamali is the vice general secretary with Senki Kalowekamo getting the Treasurer post while Limbikani Chiumia who was involved in the accident winning the Vice Treasurer post in absentia.
