FAZ  ban  illegal


THE four councillors who were banned for issues statements in the press have told FAZ that they will only appear before the disciplinary committee after the football mother body meets all its and FIFA provisions. The FAZ disciplinary committee on Saturday summoned four councillors Damiano Mutale, Kelvin Chipili, Maximillian Chanda and Michael Chimbonda to a disciplinary hearing for allegedly issuing statements in the media aimed at discrediting FAZ officials. The quartet however defied the summoning and never appeared before the committee on grounds that they did not recognise the disciplinary committee because it was in total abrogation of the FAZ constitution as its vice chairperson Simataa Simataa was not a lawyer as stipulated by Article 46. They observed that Simataa was part of the same disciplinary committee that should have cleared or found him guilty of the offences levelled against him. They also said FAZ president Andrew Kamanga still had pending issues with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) while Alex Munasha’s issues had not been brought to the same committee and wondered why it was playing double standards in instilling discipline among FAZ members.    However, the committee went ahead with the hearing in their absence and resolved that Chimbonda be banned for two months from taking part in any football activity for attacking members of FAZ in the media. Northern Province Amateur Football Association (NPAFA) was warned against allowing anyone (Chimbonda) to use its name to attack other members of FAZ. The committee also resolved that Mutale, Chanda, and Chipili be fined K5,000 each for non-appearance and banned from all football activities until they appear before the disciplinary committee and that Zanama FC, Damiano Academy, and Kabwe United Sports Academy  also be fined K5,000 each for non-appearance before the committee. But speaking on behalf of his colleagues yesterday, Mutale said it is either the committee changes its composition for the quartet to appear for charges levelled against them or should forget meeting them because in its current form, it was null and void. Mutale said the councillors would rather appeal to the appeals committee over the matter so that it could be heard with impartiality. He said that the sanctions slapped on them in their individual capacities and those given to their clubs would also be treated as null and void because they were meted out by a committee sitting against FAZ and FIFA rules and regulations. He wondered why councillors were now being prevented from commenting on matters relating to football.