Yesterday, the Fifa-appointed Normalisation Committee for the Namibia Football Association (NFA) announced that it had overturned the expulsion of the Namibia Premier League (NPL) executive committee members, who were indefinitely exiled from all football activities by the association in 2020. 

Normalisation Committee chairman Bisey Uirab said after careful consideration and reviewing of NFA Statues, and also having consulted Fifa on the expulsion of the NPL members, it was resolved that the decision by the NFA was unlawful and had no legal grounds whatsoever. 

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

I welcome the latest decision by the Normalisation Committee as it symbolises a much-needed step in the right direction as far as uniting and moving the local fraternity forward is concerned. I know for some, especially for ‘my good friends’ in the crumbling Progressive Forces, it will feel like a painful defeat but we should all rather view this latest decision as the first of many steps towards finally getting our football off the ground. 

For the sake of progress and unity, I call on the Progressive Forces to be brave enough and understand that their misplaced mission of wanting to privatise local football for their own personal gain has failed miserably, and now is the time to hold hands and move on. 

To the Progressive Forces, I say there is no shame in licking your wounds and there is always room to repent. The truth was always going to find its way out; one way or the other! 

And as the saying goes: “Truth and facts are very stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence”.

I am happy that the Normalisation Committee has finally vindicated my judgement and principled stance on this issue. In many of my writings in this column, I consistently and persistently advocated for unity of purpose and continuously warned that the unchallenged presence of the Progressive Forces was unacceptable. 

The chickens have finally come home to roost for the Progressive Forces. 

Until next time, sharp sharp!