The Fifa-appointed Normalisation Committee for the Namibia Football Association (NFA) yesterday uplifted and set aside the expulsion of the Namibia Premier League (NPL) executive committee members, saying the decision by the NFA to banish the members was illegal as it had no legal grounds.

In 2020, the then Ranga Haikali-led NFA executive committee called an ordinary elective congress in February of that year when a decision to expel the NPL as a member of the association was taken and fully endorsed by those in attendance. 

That meeting was then followed by another extraordinary congress on 18 July 2020, and the same NFA leadership under Haikali decided to further expel NPL’s executive committee members from all football activities of the association. That extraordinary congress endorsed that decision with a 3/4 majority vote. 

The NPL expelled members are Patrick Kauta, Peter Nakura, Gabriel Tjombe, Bonnie Paulino and the league’s CEO Harald Fülle. 

But in yesterday’s statement, Normalisation Committee chairman Bisey Uirab said they took time to revisit and extensively review the NFA’s earlier decisions to expel the members of the NPL, and after having further consultations with Fifa, they found that the association’s move to expel the members was illegal as it has no legal basis. 

“Upon thorough review of the NFA Statutes, the relevant provisions cited, on the basis of which the expulsion and banning from activities of the individual members were decided, it is evident that there was no legal basis for the expulsion of these executives, who were at the time not members of the NFA or members of a member as contemplated by article 15. It is unfortunate that errors of interpretation or misunderstandings led to the issuance of these individual expulsion letters,” said Uirab. 

“The Normalisation Committee also extensively engaged with Fifa on the matter and can confirm that both the Normalisation Committee and Fifa hold the view that the decision to expel and ban these individual members without any legal basis for such decisions to be taken, renders these decisions null and void ab initio, i.e., from the beginning. Consequently, the Normalisation Committee hereby confirms that the individual members of the former NPL are in fact in good standing with the NFA and subject to complying with all rules and regulations of the NFA, are open to participate in NFA activities.”

Headline sponsor

Uirab also used the opportunity to share that the NFA has finally secured a headline sponsor for both the men’s topflight league and the women’s youth league for the 2022/2023 season.

“Further to the above, it is our immense pleasure to inform our members that the NFA has successfully secured sponsorship for the top-tier men’s league and the women’s youth league for the 2022/2023 football season. We are still in the process of finalising other sponsors.”

He added that as a passionate and dedicated sponsor, their partner has set forth various conditions applicable to this generous sponsor. Amongst the conditions imposed is that any disputes within football are resolved and that all clubs and members work closely together to protect the image of football and that of the sponsor, and thereby zealously avoid any conduct which will bring the name of the sponsors into disrepute.

- ohembapu@nepc.com.na