Banned Chitembeya, Phiri deny to bow down to MNCS

The two banned Athletics Association of Malawi, General Secretary Frank Chitembeya and Chairperson Goldfrey Phiri has refused to bow down to Malawi National Council of Sports who announced saying that the Council posses no legal authority to ban them.

On Monday, 5th February 2023, Malawi National Council of Sports announced that they have banned the two from taking in, participating in and organising any Athletics events in the country.

According to the statement signed by the Malawi National Council of Sports Public Relations and Communication Officer, Edgar Ntulumbwa, no institution in Malawi should deal or transact with the dissolved committee members on any business affairs concerning Athletics.

“Anyone who dustegards this notice dies so their own peril. Council has also written to the World, Continental and Regional Athletics governing bodies notifying them to cease and desist from dealing with these individuals,” reads the statement in part.

Meanwhile, the Council had appointed an interim Committee rather was led by Hon Justice Kalembera.

But in reaction to the ban, the two administrators said the Council’s banned in invalid as the Council posses no legal authority to suspend the administrators.

“It’s funny that they are saying that they have banned us. The question is, why only us two? They are afraid of us that we are going to carry the day come February 26,” said Phiri.

“What the council is doing its a drama. We are not going out and our athletes are knowing that their Secretary General is [Frank] Chitembeya and our president is [Goldfrey] Phiri and if they want us to be out of the Association, they can do it through Elections. They are doing as if they don’t have wisdom, they are not following the Constitution. They are lawyers but they are not reading the Constitution,” said Chitembeya.

The Malawi National Council of Sports had directed the dissolved Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) executive committee to hand over documentation and stop using the association’s logos and emblems after they banned the committee in September last year over failure to conclusively finalise amendments to the constitution and hold elections within schedule.

MNCS had issued a statement informing the nation in general public and the sports fraternity in particular to stop dealing the dissolved committee.

According to the statement, council had advised all AAM affiliates including the Malawi Police Service (MPS), Malawi Defence Force (MDF), the Prison Services and all Government Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDA) not to deal or be involved in any activity that has been organised by the dissolved stand in committee.

“The dissolved committee has no mandate to operate as AAM executive members. The Council has learnt with deep regret that despite making public its position on the dissolution of the stand in committee, the dissolved committee is still parading and conducting its activities as AAM executive members.

“As Council we are very disappointed with the actions of the dissolved executive committee,” MNCS Public Relations and Communications Officer Edgar Ntulumbwa said in a statement dated January 27, 2023.