Otniel Hembapu
Windhoek – Out-of-contract Namibia Football Association (NFA) secretary general Barry Rukoro’s stay as head of the NFA secretariat was provisionally further extended by the association’s Executive Committee (Exco) at Saturday’s meeting held at Omuthiya.
The meeting, which was held at Omuthiya’s Roadhouse Hotel, was observed by chief administrator of the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) and the commission’s consultant John Kangowa.
As expected, the burning issue of Rukoro’s employment contract was tabled at the meeting but the executive resolved to shelve discussions around the matter and recommended that the contract dispute be referred to the association’s Emergency Committee for further deliberations and elucidation.
The meeting further resolved to provisionally extend Rukoro’s stay as head of the NFA secretariat until June 2 when the NFA holds its next executive meeting for a final outcome on the matter.
But in the meantime, the Emergency Committee will continue having deliberations on the matter and seek further legal guidance around the interpretation of various clauses in the contract, before making final recommendations at the June 2 executive meeting.
When Rukoro’s contract expired on March 31 this year the Emergency Committee last month decided to grant Rukoro a provisional extension to remain on as secretary general and that extension lapsed at Saturday’s meeting, April 28. The latest decision by the NFA executive to further keep Rukoro on means he remains in charge of the NFA secretariat until June 2.
The NFA will hold a workshop on June 1 for Executive Committee members to review the association’s various guidelines and policies as well as relook the NFA’s long-term strategic plan. The Executive Committee will proceed to meet on the morning of June 2 for their second executive meeting before making way for an extraordinary congress on the afternoon of June 2 to appoint the NFA’s electoral bodies.
First Division Leagues to start this weekend
The gathering also touched on the dormancy of the Nationwide First Divisions (NWFDs), namely the North East, North West and Southern Stream First Divisions, and it was agreed that the three streams should kick-start their activities this weekend.
It was resolved that each stream would divide its teams into two groups/pools to ensure completion of the leagues in good time in order for all three streams to catch up with other leagues that are nearing completion. The meeting also directed the streams to conduct elections of their respective executive committees by June 2018.
It was resolved that all leagues affiliated to the NFA should be concluded by the end of July 2018 to make provision for the promotional playoffs, where applicable, and the resumption of the 2018/19 season in good time, as the Namibian football season will run from August to May.