Opinion: FAZ Constitution: Division Two & Three Deserve Their Voting Right
The football family could be heading towards a dramatic shift in the manner the FAZ structure has been comprised with a FIFA attended Emergency Council Meeting set for February 4 at Government Complex expected to tackle constitution amendments. Given this is a meeting that could overhaul the FAZ structure as we have known it over the years, there has been a deafening silence from the people on whose shoulders this huge responsibility lies on – the councillors.
Never mind what they tell you about FIFA sanctioning these changes as the ultimate decisions lie with the councillors. What with news of Division Two and Three reportedly on the verge of being shunted to peripheries of the Zambian game. The bolazambia crew has angled in with insightful debate in service to the game ahead of the Emergency Council Meeting. Here is what the bolazambia team says;
FAZ Constitution: Division Two & Three Deserve Their Voting Right
When Zambia hosted Comoros for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in 2010, match officials were nowhere in sight for that September 4 fixture. The secretariat had failed to purchase air-tickets for the officials in good time.
The match billed for Nkoloma Stadium was rescheduled at the 11th hour with soccer fans already at the venue. A CAF official delayed the fixture for 24 hours. Zambia was on the verge of losing a vital three points, but fortunately the officials arrived the following day and the match was played with Chipolopolo emerging 4-0 victors.
Almost a year earlier, another administrative lapse captured headlines when FAZ failed to raise a full team for an international friendly against the Black Stars of Ghana in London prompting to scrooge for any Zambian in the vicinity to make up the numbers.
These and a catalogue of other incidents of mal-administration led to FAZ councilors to seek immediate remedy to a pattern that was only worsening. They evoked constitutional provisions that required two-thirds of its members to petition for an impeachment of the executive.
Andrew Ndanga Kamanga, then a nondescript figure in football circles, but a well-respected Lusaka businessman was identified by proponents of change to spearhead the campaign which culminated into a motion of a vote of no confidence. One thing led to another.
The battle for this reformation turned ugly, it attracted the attention of former world soccer governing body FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his then Secretary General Jerome Valcke.
On the local front, it turned into a shadow political battle. FAZ executive committee members and their supporters accused fifth Republican president Rupiah Banda of siding with proponents of change whom they branded ‘renegades’ and ‘confusionists’. They claimed they were being persecuted because of their alleged allegiance to then popular opposition leader Michael Sata and his Patriotic Front.
As calls for a vote of no confidence intensified, FIFA sent representatives to FAZ meetings to mediate the impasse. Italian Primo Carllo and Leodegar Tenga of Tanzania were among FIFA envoys sent to observe the meetings. The gatherings were not the most pleasant of meetings. It’s against this background that FIFA recommended a reduction in the FAZ Electoral College.
The gathering at FAZ AGMs, FIFA observed, were too large for constructive business deliberations. And the numbers meant its members were open to abuse. So, when FIFA made its final recommendations, it directed FAZ to reduce the Electoral College to somewhere between 80 to 100 to manage the meetings efficiently and align its Constitution to FIFA statues.
For close to seven years, FAZ has struggled to find a solution to the FIFA directive. The previous FAZ executive had thought doing away with lower league teams (Division two and three) at FAZ Council Meetings was the easiest way to implement the directive.
However, these affiliates have always come in handy every four years when elections of office bearers are held. And 2012 was too close so those in charged needed Division Two and Three more than anything else to remain in office.
Consequently, they asked for the deferment of the restructuring of the league. Note that Individuals in FAZ have always canvassed support among these affiliates. Regular donations of football jerseys, soccer balls and logistical support guarantees prospective FAZ candidates a place on the executive committee because Division One and Three teams make up the most numbers in the Council, but are poorly funded because they are largely sponsored by individuals.
The previous executive committee struggled to effect the directive from FIFA. They wanted to ride on Division One and Three in the 2016 FAZ election after which they were to dump them. Things did not work out as planned this time around. The same Division Two and Three members turned against the immediate past FAZ president to elect Andrew Kamanga.
Upon assuming office, Kamanga was faced with the elephant in the room – dropping Division Two and Three from FAZ structures. He, too, has so far asked for one deferment from FIFA. But now FAZ must take responsibility and implement the FIFA directive or face ban. So the meeting called for February 4, 2016 is effectively seeking to finally implement what may transform Division Two and Three teams into virtual amateur sides. The proposed constitution may send the lower ranks in Zambian football into oblivion.
It can’t be denied that one of the most important duties of a member of an organization such as FAZ is the right to participate in electing its representatives. And denying the lower ranks the right to vote at the Council is not in the best interest of football development.
According to article 21 in the FAZ draft constitution, all the 20 FAZ Super Division teams will earn a direct entry into the Council and participate in making decisions on behalf of everyone. Now, note that the Super Division is what we call ‘elite’. And football is not for the elite. It’s a sport that easily relates with those on the low end of the social stratum.
Football cuts across any divide, whether tribe, politics or gender. And it doesn’t require much to enjoy an amateur game. A bit of space is enough for boys or girls to craft a round thing even using plastic bags to showcase their skills.
And this real passion is found among the lower Division teams where individuals sacrifice their little earned resources and time to contribute to football development.
It’s therefore imperative that the same lower league teams who enjoy huge numbers in the FAZ Council continue to enjoy their status although Electoral College would be reduced.
The FAZ Secretariat which ironically has a lawyer as Deputy General Secretary has done very little, if any, to explain to its affiliates the process and consequence of reducing the Electoral College. And there are a lot of unanswered questions in the air although the draft constitution circulated by FAZ shows an end to lower league action under the FAZ structure.
However, there is certainly a way FAZ can amend the constitution and reduce the Electoral College without sending Division Two and Three into virtual oblivion.
So in the next series we will give our perspective on the FAZ constitution debate and proposed amendments. Look out for the series in which we demonstrate Division Two and Three can retain their voting right even with a reduced Electoral College.
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