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Home / Don’t shoot the goose that lays the golden eggs …government’s flirtation with FIFA could boomerang big time

Don’t shoot the goose that lays the golden eggs …government’s flirtation with FIFA could boomerang big time

2018-12-07  Carlos Kambaekwa

Don’t shoot the goose that lays the golden eggs …government’s flirtation with FIFA could boomerang big time

Lest we forget, we are certainly not gurus in all areas of global expertise, but whoever advises some of our lawmakers needs to have their heads examined.

So, the unending self-inflicted squabbles within the country’s football governing body, the Namibia Football Association (NFA), appears to have reached a point of no redemption.

The hastily taken decision by the portfolio ministry to communicate directly with FIFA could have far reaching repercussions – with subsequent dire consequences. 

The world football governing body has reiterated its stance over and over again that it would not tolerate governments’ interference in the internal affairs of its member states (football associations).
It’s rather unfortunate that the portfolio ministry has now resolved to jump the gun by engaging FIFA on the internal affairs of the association. 

Whilst yours truly has sympathy and understanding of the genuine intent from the line ministry – but alas, that mandate should have been left entirely in the capable hands of the country’s sport presiding body – in this case, the National Sports Commission (NSC).

All these problems are a direct result of the serial none compliance with basic rules and regulations on corporate governance; but for some unknown reasons, we keep repeating the same schoolboy errors time and again as if committing mistakes and violating basic laws and rules governing our togetherness was going out of fashion.

Our football is being held hostage by blokes with big egos: people who are only interested in personal gain than the overall development of the beautiful game of football – at the expense of the institution’s real McCoy: the clubs and athletes. 
Without beating about the bush, we should consider ourselves very lucky to have a vibrant minister in the shape of Hon. Erastus Utoni, but it is also incumbent upon us, the watchdogs and all other stakeholders, to guide the brother without failure and not try to mislead him in order to settle old scores with our perceived enemies.

For starters, Sports Commission should never have allowed the outgoing NFA Executive to have the Elective Congress indefinitely postponed just to prolong their lodging in football structures. 

It has now come to the fore that the NFA Executive unconstitutionally extended its own term – an exercise that’s very much against the spirit of fair play and has now backfired big time.

Unless driven by sinister motives, the outgoing NFA Executive should have known better that it has absolutely no mandate to prolong their lodging at Football House, including that of the association’s Secretary General without the Congress’ blessing.

Furthermore, the very same executive, made up of members whose term has lapsed, has again no mandate to make crucial resolutions pertaining to the day-to-day administration of the association without approval from Congress.
My humble honest advice right from the bottom of my heart is for the line ministry to keep a healthy distance from Zurich. Please allow the Sports Commission (NSC) to take over the button if we are to avoid sanctions from the trigger happy FIFA. I rest my case. 


2018-12-07  Carlos Kambaekwa

Tags: Khomas
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