Court slaps Football Association of Malawi
The High Court of Malawi, located in the commercial city of Blantyre, has mandated the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to permit three of its de-linked members to participate in this Saturday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).
FAM is set to conduct the AGM at Sunbird Livingstonia Beach in Salima District, where all affiliated members are anticipated to be present.
In preparation for the meeting, FAM extended an invitation to three affiliates that were expelled during last year’s AGM, allowing them to attend as mere stakeholders. These affiliates include the National Football Coaches Association (NFCA), the National Youth Football Association (NYFA), and the National Football Referees Association (NFRA).
According to FAM’s financial policy, affiliate members who attend the AGM are entitled to fuel allowances for travel to and from the venue, sitting allowances, and accommodation.
However, attending as mere stakeholders means they would need to arrange their own transportation, accommodation, and allowances, receiving only whatever support FAM decides to offer.
In response to this situation, the three associations sought legal recourse, asking the court to allow them to attend the AGM as affiliates instead of mere stakeholders. They also requested the court to clarify the process FAM used to revoke their affiliate status.
On Wednesday afternoon, the court granted their request, ruling that they should participate in the meeting as affiliates and that FAM must provide them with all the benefits entitled to affiliate members.
During the proceedings, High Court Judge Allan Hans Muhome stated that the three associations were entitled to attend as full members rather than as mere stakeholders.
This ruling provided temporary relief for the claimants after FAM’s lawyer, Luciano Mickeus, contended that the defense required at least two days to prepare, as the case statement and other documents served on Monday by the NFCA, through lawyer David Kanyenda, had been misplaced.
In a subsequent interview, Kanyenda expressed satisfaction with the judge’s guidance and conveyed hope that FAM would grant the necessary support to the associations.
