Carlos Kambaekwa

WINDHOEK –The ensuing brouhaha in the aftermath of the Namibia Football Association (NFA) presidential race, has prompted local football critics to join a chorus of discontent.
Ever present football pundit Hendrik Christiaan, has rubbished the basis on which some of the potential presidential candidates were deemed ineligible for contention.
The former football administrator who served as NPL chairman and member of the inaugural NFA executive upon Namibia’s democracy in 1990 – says the reasons advanced by the NFA Normalization Committee (NC) to disqualify certain candidates from running for selection holds no water.
A quartet of potential candidates were deemed ineligible for nomination on the basis that they are paddling on a ticket of a suspended organ following the indefinite suspension of the country’s football flagship football league (NPL).
Some of them were part of an aggrieved group of football administrators that masterminded a failed bid to unseat former NFA president Frans Mbidi. The pair of Cassius Moetie and Patrick Kauta are prominent executive members of the NPL.
However, Kauta and Mphasi Haingura would have none of that and has taken issue with the NFA electoral, questioning the modus operandi of the entire Electoral Committee vetting. The pair has enlisted the services of local labour guru Jeff Tjitemisa of Tjitemisa & Associates, a former premier league midfielder with Hungry Lions FC.
New Era Sport is in possession of letter dated 23 January 2020, addressed to the chairperson of the NFA Electoral Committee Hilda Basson-Namundjebo. The letter seeks to scrutinise the recorded version of the EC proceedings and reason for its decision in respect of both their client and Ranga Haikali.
 “The mandatory seven days on our calculation expired on 21 January 2020. To date, our clients are yet to be informed about its decision but deemed it fit to inform the media.
“You can’t deny a citizen to exercise their fundamental rights. Just as recently, Dr Panduleni Itula tried to unseat the country’s president and the matter went to court and there was nothing wrong with that,” charges Christiaan.
The latter also questions the NFA EC interpretation of members’ suspension. “It clearly states that a suspended member may not participate in any football activities under the auspices of the NFA. Should this be the case, footballers should also not be allowed to represent the country at international level since they are members of a suspended organ (NPL).
“As much as I disagree with Kauta on many matters, he’s by a mile the only suitable candidate amongst the nominees and his illegal grounding is a definite recipe for disaster.”
Christian also took issue with the appointment and overall composition of NFA NC. “We can’t allow an illegally constituted organ to dictate matters because as it stands, three of the members serving on that committee were recommended by the portfolio minister, an act that constitutes government’s interference in the internal affairs of domestic football.”
Other local football pundits also expressed concern over the shoddy fashion in which the vetting was conducted but declined to have their identity revealed for fear of reprisal. “Since the NPL case is pending at the Supreme Court, why the rush to get the presidential elections finalised?” asked a prominent public figure who politely asked his name to be withheld.