OPEN LETTER TO NEW MIGHTY MUFULIRA WANDERERS CEO MR CLEMENT NYIRENDA

Having a new CEO has been long overdue and so welcome sir!

Our club has for a few years now been experiening mixed fortunes and am made to believe that a lot of lessons have been picked. And I personally feel you need to hit the ground running. 

Your CV is rich enough and I hope it shall translate into positively moving our club higher.

On the pitch, proper time-bound KPIs must be given both to the coaches and players so that it is easy for everyone to know when the team is falling behind. We sometimes act a little too late and end up fighting unnecessary relegation battles.

This may also as a result of a skewed and compromised recruitment system insisted upon by individuals with huge personal interests.

Off the pitch, the club must invest a lot in training matchday staff to meet the demands of modern football. It was evident that our staff were outnumbered and seemingly lacked the capacity. Last weekend's match againt Power Dynamos FC exposed our club's lack of ambition to maximise on available business opportunities.  Look at how MUZA FC has taken advantage of our traveling fans for our next away match by charging K150 in their average stadium.

Our stewards and security (includes ZP) must plan more effectively especially that have big support bases. It was a big mistake to allow supporters' buses to drive into the stadium. Those are the same junkies that caused confusion and forced their way into the Grandstand. And it looks like the club lost over 80% of the expected revenue.

Those big numbers that were incorrectly allowed in the Grandstand made a big difference in how our opponents were supported.

At management level, our club needs some restructuring to ensure that we move towards meeting the basic requirements of Club Licensing.

It is an open secret that some individuals were roped in without clear job descriptions and this has resulted in job duplicities. And it is also very clear that some officers have outlived their usefulness at Shinde and can not offer anything new apart from just being burdens on the already over-stretched payroll. 

Time is long gone when football clubs were run like charities were people were kept because they do not have anywhere to go and earn an income from. Football is now business and everyone in the structures must push the agenda of professionalism and profitability.

MWFC is a legendary club, a trendsetter and mst be seen to live to that expectation.

All the best!

 GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN SPORTS (AT MAITE)

 

By Percy Mwale

 

Corporate governance is the system of rules, practices, and processes by which a club is directed and controlled. It essentially involves balancing the interests of a club's many stakeholders such as sponsors, board members, management, coaches and players, fans, local civic leaders and the general community. As such, corporate governance encompasses practically, every sphere of management, from action plans and internal controls to performance measurement which includes winning silverware.

 

'Mighty' Mufulira Wanderers FC has been around since 1953 and has evolved in different ways. From the well funded and organised ZCCM days through the harsh economic turbulent to the current International Resource Holding (IRH) controlled Mopani Copper Mines Plc. The club has surely been a trendsetter on the pitch by producing arguably, the cream of Zambia's finest footballers with Kalusha Bwalya aka The Great Kalu aka KB11 topping it all with the 1988 Africa Footballer of the Year accolade. 

 

Unfortunately, the club has lagged behind in its off-pitch activities. It has failed to quickly adapt and adopt some of the key and modern practices in its pursuit to adequately conform.

 

I will be failing in my discourse if I fail to acknowledge the fact that the club has at least improved on the quality of contracts offered to players including its pay structure. It is currently among the best paying clubs in Zambia.

 

Management-wise, the structure has been improving fusing in more people to help run the club. This has led the club to having a full time CEO, accounts and media personnel.

 

As I write this, the club is running an advert to hire a CEO and this is very commendable. Suffice to say that both head-hunting and advertising are globally acceptable modes of hiring for as long as the hiring party knows who they want and for what functions.

 

Constituting an organisation structure must be top to bottom. Meaning, the highest body is constituted first then it constitutes its lower organ until all structures are filled up. In this case, the sponsors identify suitable board members who in turn recruit the CEO. The CEO in consultation with the board hires his management team. These people collaborate to hire a technical bench or just a coach who then is given the leeway to constitute his backroom staff. It is this team that identifies players that fit the desired playing style and recruits them.

 

A separation in functions must also be re-emphasised and no one expects board members to involve themselves in the day to day running of the club and that reporting structures are respected.

 

What are my talking points at the point we are at?

 

The mandate of the current board expires in a few weeks time. Why didn’t IRH/Mopani quickly move in to dissolve the current board and appoint a new one? Or why didn’t the board members themselves declare interest and dissolve themselves? This move would have helped the new board to settle down and create systems and structures which they think can help them in the 2024/25 soccer season and beyond.

 

In the current set-up, the coach has been hired in the absence of a CEO. The outgoing board is hiring a CEO who most likely, will be inherited by a new board. This scenario is kind of imposing as structures are being hired by people who will not supervise them. This is a recipe for confusion and failure as certain officers might end up giving allegiance and loyalty to people that may no longer be in the system. The immediate past CEO should have been allowed to continue in office for a short time to help evaluate the past season and help plan for the next one. And to also properly hand-over to the new CEO. The current vacuum is not ideal as a lot of gaps are being created and simply force the new team CEO and his team to ‘start’ afresh. This teething period might just cause the team to struggle on the pitch.

 

In most cases, there is no wholesale change to most boards in Zambian football. A few faces are expected to continue while others will be nowhere near the club. If possible, let the current board receive the applications but leave the short-listing to the incoming board so that they hire a CEO that suits their vision.

 

With this in mind, I personally wish my team the very best to once again win local silverware and fly the national flag in CAF competitions!

GOING FORWARD WITH MAITE

 By Percy Mwale

05/06/2024

Now that the celebrations have died down, whats next?

It is very clear and in public domain that Mufulira Wanderers FC under President George Katongo has stabilised the team. And its also very clear that the outgoing CEO Ben Chifita has been hands-on in achieving this.

For as long we go a notch higher in our planning and excution, the ZSL title is the limit!

In trying to 'Make Maite Again', here are MY thoughts and not represent the MWFC Supporters Society or any other individual or group:

1. The Club Board MUST be reconstituted. There are a number of 'good for nothing' Board Members that do not deserve to be any near this legendary club. People that do not even qualify to run a komboni soccer academy. Mopani should cast the net wider and only appoint people that will help spur the club. The Board must be representative!

2. Sub Committees should be encouraged to help widen the pool from which to fish all manner or resources. There are many football lovers from various sectors that would love to contribute to the club and Sub Committees can give them that platform. This should not be restricted to Mufulira based people.

3. Club management should for once be objectve. Hiring of staff must not be conducted like its an initiation into a secret society whereas we just see new faces at the club without publicity of why or when an individual was hired. And this should be demonstrated in how the new CEO will be hired. Current staff must be reshuffled, redeployed and some can be retired in club interest as they have outlived their usefulness to the club.

4. Board operations should be limited to providing an oversight to management. I have regretably observed that at present, some individual Board members behave like full time employees at the club. And interactions between Board members and management staff must be streamlined.

5.  Cost effectiveness at the club is key. I have again observed that there is some form of extravagance in spendng club resources. Why five (05) Board Members and five (05) management staff travel on one trip to Lusaka, Choma or Mazabuka and incur unnecessary lodging costs and meals? God knows what other benefits come on these trips!

7. The coaching department must be engaged and be given proper KPIs. Coaches must first of all be hired on merit and this trickle down to how players will be recruited. No deadwood or training partners kwati ni ku boxing. Interference from the Board and Management must be avoided at all costs. To cap this, the club needs an experienced and competent person to head the Technical Committee.

In trying to do better, a proper evaluation must be undertaken by employing proper SWOT analysis. Board and management structures, general operations, financial systems, stakeholder engagements, sponsorship deals, etc must all be reviewed for the betterment of Maite.

And by the way, the planned meeting to be held at Eagle Motel this Saturday should be an objective one and not meant to endorse selfish motives.

See you in the 2024/25 Season!

The Case of Prof. Nkandu Luo And Meal Allowanced

 *THE CASE OF PROF. NKANDU LUO AND MEAL ALLOWANCES*

_By Percy Mwale_

The announcement of Prof. Nkandu Luo as President Edgar Lungu's running mate was met with mixed feelings and shock in some quarters. Indeed it was a surprise! I personality least expected it.

So how has the nation reacted?

The women folk and civil society has lauded ECL for sticking with women as it gives them leverage and prominence in national affairs.

The general public, basically has no problem with the Professor as she is impeccable in her public life. No one can raise their finger to point at one act where her personal interest over rode that of the public. In short, she is a woman of integrity.

The only section she has received a lot of stick from is from the opposition. In particular, the United Party for National Development (UPND). They celebrated the appointment with the view that they had where to attack her from. And that is the issue of Meal Allowances. Which football team would criticise their opponents for fielding a weakened team? The UPND claims Prof. Luo is a weak link. Why doesn't the UPND celebrate and wait for 12th August so that they win?  

So let's put this Meal Allowance issue into context.

For a long time, Zambia only had two public universities, namely the University of Zambia (UNZA) and the Copperbelt University (CBU). So issues of tertiary education and bursaries where practically restricted to these two institutions as they boasted of the cream of Zambia's intelligentsia.

As Zambia's population grew, demand for university education places also increased. The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) government opened up the sector and allowed for private participation. This gave birth to many private institutions such as University of Lusaka (UNILUS), Lusaka Apex Medical University (LAMU), Copperstone University, Cavendish University, etc. Not to be left out, the Government of the Republic of Zambia built and upgraded some institutions. These are Robert Kapasa Makasa University, Kwame Nkhruma University, Palabana University, Chalimbana University, Mukuba University and Mulungushi University.

Fast forward to 2019. Prof. Nkandu Luo is Minister of Higher Education. A very unpopular decision of removing Meal Allowances is made. Who was responsible for this? It was a collective government decision and an individual can never be held responsible. Whether the Professor was for, or against the decision, it still remains a PF government decision. And be reminded that not all unpopular decisions are wrong ones. 

The public must never be made to think that the entire UNZA and CBU population is affected as only a portion of these students were, or are still on government bursaries. UNZA and CBU alone have a combined enrolment of around 45,000 students. Can bursaries service such a huge number? Actually, students that had government bursaries prior to 2019 are still receiving until they complete their studies. The only ones affected were the 2019 First Years. 

With its limited resources, the PF government sought a way in which they could spread their tentacles and provide for its increased number of universities. With this, the Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB) was set up. This meant that the little available resources were now to be shared among all these institutions. The bursaries that were previously given were no longer sustainable and a loan approach was mooted.

Under the loan scheme, accommodation and tuition fees are paid direct to the institutions and students only receive Book Allowances. And these are actually being repaid into the revolving fund allowing more students to access them. As I write this, the HELSB are calling for prospective students at Mulungushi University to apply.

World over, bursaries are very restrictive and not handled the way it was handled in Zambia. If anything, it was the connected and well-to-do that benefitted from it. So what was the purpose if a deserving student from shanty compounds could not access it but a minister's child got it?

Only a party such as the UPND that has warped thinking and a deranged mind would go about using Meal Allowances as a campaign tool. Let the UPND be honest and practical and show us how their free education policy would work in Zambia when even the richest nations on earth do not do it the way the UPND hallucinate about it.

I look forward to a time when students from Northern Technical College (NORTEC), National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Evelyn Hone College (EHC) and a host of teacher training colleges and nursing schools will access these loans.

Zambian education system is far bigger than UNZA and CBU.

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A 2021 ELECTION STRATEGY OR WHAT?

 *AE ELECTION STRATEGY OR WHAT?*

_Percy Mwale_

Just after the Patriotic Front (PF) completed its adoption process at parliamentary level, the nation has been treated to a Tsunami of independents declaring their candidacy. This year, we expect to see a record number of 'frustrated' aspirants going independent and this is probably a new experience for a ruling party.

From where I stand, Rashida Mulenga (Kalulushi), Zindaba Soko (Chipata Central), Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda (Petauke) and Binwell Mpundu (Nkana) seemed to be front runners in the primaries prior to the Central Committee selection process.

My personal opinion is that this scenario of independents is likely to produce atleast two (02) outcomes.

01. The danger in going solo is that this decision can send, and will send some independent candidates into political oblivion once they lose.

02. Some independents will send a strong signal to the powers that be that after all the Central Committee errored by not selecting them if they end up being victors.

What could have gone wrong for these candidates? Well, its only the Central Committee that can ably answer this question.

Was the Central Committee just trying to give favours to their colleagues by keeping some of these incumbents?

Maybe the Central Committee was not courageous enough to decide the fate of some of these top dogs and had to let them go to the 'cleaners'. Maybe they thought its better these incumbents get it straight from the electorates that they had outlived their usefulness. Maybe they can eventually retire from politics after an embarrassing defeat as an incumbent. The PF had this experience in 2016 when incumbents lost seats in Wusakili, Chimwemwe and Kantanshi constituencies.

But then, supposing it is a political strategy, who stands to benefit out of all this 'mess'?

The PF and its presidential candidate are poised to be huge beneficiaries from this 'independent candidate euphoria'. Why do I say so? 

This means that the PF will lose very few voters since the rejected and the adopted candidates will both campaign for the same presidential candidate. Again, Wusakili, Chimwemwe and Kantanshi are very good examples of the preaidential candidate benefitting from two strong parliamentary candidates. This has even the 2016 independent candidates in Wusakili and Kantanshi being adopted on the PF ticket in 2021. A confirmation of their strength on the ground.

Was this the strategy? If so, then Edgar Chagwa Lungu has outsmarted them all and is set to retain the presidency with a resounding victory.

The party with the best strategy, is set to emerge victorious post 12 August 2021.

Napita mukwai!

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YHWH The Source!

Many athe tmes Iek finer things which life can provide. I know I want more each  and every day of my life. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this except for one thing. 'It don't come easy!'

Work to earn a living and enjoy the sweet of your sweat.

And remember that there is a greater power beyond our comprehension. A power that enables us to make it. And that power is the supreme GOD YHWH!

An Open Letter To My President

An Open Letter To My President

Dear Sir,

Am greatly honoured that I could write this letter to you. Firstly, let me congratulate you on your resilience and tenacity, and wish you longevity. You have really shown that you can’t put a good man down.

Before I get carried away, let me highlight the main purpose I’ve written to you. I know Zambia is endowed with a lot of natural resources. And am also fully away that Zambia is faced with a myriad of challenges. Starting with our governance system, the quality and standard of living of her people, the benefits from our God given mineral deposits, etc. Am compelled to write knowing that you have proved to be driven by a very strong passion to see to it that every man attains a satisfactory standard of living. And that you strongly believe that it’s attainable.

On education, it is my hope that every child at school going age is availed the opportunity to enlist in school regardless of their geographical position and socio-economic status. And also that our education system shall deliberately be structured in such a way that every one attains a skill at the time of leaving secondary school. And that they can venture into self employment as and when they so wish. At the same time, those that want to progress academically shall never be hampered because of lack of adequate tertiary education facilities or out of reach fees. I also want you to consider coming up with a system of ensuring that being either in the formal or informal sectors shall be out of one’s choice and not compulsion. And on teachers, positive motivation in form of better pay, better housing and proper training is all they need to deliver.

Looking at health, you have done it before and I believe you will do it even better this time around. I don’t want to belabour in great detail because you have shown before how our medical institutions can be run effectively and efficiently. Our medical personnel need uniforms, housing, transport, etc. Our health institutions need proper and modern equipment and medical supplies. Need I say more?

On poverty levels, like you said the other day, that it would pain you to see your own children have three meals every day when the majority of Zambians are struggling to even have one simple imbalanced meal in a day. I know your early catholic teachings will be your guiding principles in ensuring that every Zambian shall have access to all basic needs.

Mr. President, our economy does not have a lot to write home about. I know some people have claimed that we are a middle income nation. I believe that that status is simply on paper and not in reality because our people have not experienced any meaningful change in how they live. Following up on this, our nation’s main source of income right now is mining, which is a diminishing resource. I shudder to think and accept one simple reality that these minerals we boast about will one day come to an end. This is why I strongly urge you Mr. President not to listen to some selfish individuals serving their own selfish egos. We need to get the very best out of our copper, gold, cobalt, uranium, manganese, emerald, etc.

Since the demise of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM), our mining towns are a shadow of their past. The mining companies must ‘give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar’. It’s now or never. The government must get enough tax from the mines, miners must be given better salaries and general working conditions, the companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expectations must clearly be defined and not left to mine owners to decide. We are their masters and so we must give them our terms.

The other thing that troubles me a lot is the state of our media. I am just one person among the many that felt injured by the amount of propaganda and hate speech that was disseminated. We are all tax payers and we deserve better. We deserve to be given full information on all issues of public interest. No one individual has the right to choose for us what we must watch, listen to or read, especially in our public media. Mr. President, kindly do us a favour in quickly reforming the media sector by establishing the stalled Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA).

Lastly Mr. President, I look forward to the restoration of dignity in every Zambian regardless of their political or religious affiliation, ethnicity, tribe, language or culture. I look forward to every Zambian uniting for important national activities. I know that very soon, we shall be commemorating Independence Day. I long for that day when PF, MMD, UPND, NAREP, ADD, ZED, FDD, UNIP, HP, NMP, etc shall sit and celebrate together. I hate to think that such important national activities shall be politicized by letting cadres control and run affairs. Make this once again, a land so free and proud.

Let me not go on an on because there is a lot to write about. And I know you are very busy trying to constitute your cabinet which I trust shall be a winning team capable of upsetting tables.

Looking forward to your practical response to my letter. God bless you, your family, our government and our Zambia!

Yours Faithfull Patriot,

Percy Mwale