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Home / NFA releases funds to start First Divisions
NFA releases funds to start First Divisions
2018-04-11Staff Report 2 Otniel Hembapu Windhoek Following weeks of uncertainty over the actual kick-off date for the country’s three First Divisions – the North East Stream First Division (NESFD), North West Stream First Division (NWSFD) and Southern Stream First Division (SSFD) – it was yesterday confirmed that First Division football could finally get rolling this weekend. Namibia Football Association (NFA) secretary general Barry Rukoro, who remains the association’s head of secretariat on the orders of the NFA executive committee, despite his employment contract having already ended March 31, shared with New Era Sport that they managed to secure funding for the country’s three First Divisions and should hopefully be able to start their activities this weekend. It was initially understood that each stream would get funding of N$600,000 from the NFA but Rukoro said due to persisting circumstances beyond their control, each stream will in the meantime be getting N$200,000 to get their activities rolling come this weekend. For the past few weeks, the NFA bank accounts have been frozen by its various banking institutions because of the ongoing dispute between Rukoro and NFA president Frans Mbidi. New Era Sport understands that NFA accounts were frozen due to uncertainty as to who the legitimate signatories to the accounts are, as Mbidi is alleged to have communicated to the banks to inform them that Rukoro was no longer the NFA secretary general and thus should not be allowed access to the association’s funds as he is no longer a legitimate signatory of the NFA. But on the other hand, the NFA executive committee insisted that Rukoro is still the NFA’s head of secretariat and will remain so until another substantive secretary general is announced and thus the banks should comply with that directive. As of late yesterday, Rukoro confirmed that through efforts from the executive committee they managed to have one of their accounts unfrozen and available funds will for now allow the three stream divisions to get their activities underway with a start-up of N$200,000 – at least that’s if no new drama between Mbidi and Rukoro unfolds today. The frozen bank accounts have affected the NFA severely, as the Brave Warriors are still waiting to receive bonuses from their 2018 CHAN participation and the country’s Regional Second Divisions are also waiting their funding from the iced NFA accounts – the same can also be said about the national U/20 team and contractors who rendered their services to the troubled association. 2018-04-11Staff Report 2
