adminRicky Zililo Sports Reporter
FOUR people representing two out of 10 clubs cast their votes for the new Bulawayo Athletics Board office bearers at chaotic elections held at Milton High School’s sports pavilion on Thursday. Manuel Mpofu, Dailes Bingadadi, Tivavone Gava and Funi Ndlovu representatives of ZRP Unit Fairbridge and Hillside Primary School Athletics Club were “eligible” members of the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) from Bulawayo who voted.
Lobengula’s Sparrows Athletics Club abstained with their official Vusumuzi Mlilo saying; “We will vote in a proper election.”
The shambolic elections which were presided over by Titus Madzingo, the Naaz director of competitions and technical development started two hours late as Bab affiliates demanded that outstanding issues be addressed before voting.
The outstanding issues included among others the presentation of the chairman as well as treasurer’s reports.
Bab affiliates’ calls for proper procedure to be followed before elections fell on deaf ears.
“What is clear is that elections are being imposed on us. The reports we are asking for have a bearing on the elections. Things have not been going well in Bulawayo and we want our concerns addressed first. These elections won’t sort our problems if they are imposed on us,” fumed Mlilo.
Another burning matter was determining eligible voters.
Northlea High School Athletics Club, Striders Athletics Club, Nyasha Charandura Athletics Club, Sportstec Athletics Academy, Mpopoma High School, Luveve High School and Ihlosi were denied rights to vote.
Madzingo said a club should have subscribed to Bab and Naaz for at least three consecutive years out of four to be eligible to vote.
He said members who also wanted to run for position must have registered with both Naaz and Bab for at least two years.
However, Bab members said the requirements were not in the constitution.
“The constitution is silent on the number of years for one to be able to vote. What is worrying is that you seem to be against the idea of forming new clubs because Northlea was only formed last year and we could not register with Bab without athletes. What we wanted to avoid was having a shelf athletics club but after getting athletes we affiliated in time which in my view gives us a right to vote,” said Musawenkosi Thabani of Northlea.
Despite enjoying support from some sections within the meeting, their genuine concerns were quashed and elections went on without the presentation of the chairman and treasurer’s reports.
Only Mpofu, Bingadadi, Gava and Ndlovu cast their ballots.
There were three nominees – Mpofu, Bhekuzulu Khumalo and Bingadadi for the chairperson position.
Khumalo was disqualified on the basis that he is only affiliated with Bab and not Naaz while Bingadadi declined to stand for the position leaving Mpofu unopposed.
Gava won the vice-chairman’s position after Mbonisi Ncube who was vocal at the meeting was disqualified for the same reasons as Khumalo’s.
Bingadadi was retained as Bab’s secretary-general after Mlilo also faced the same fate as Ncube and Khumalo. Rebecca Ncube deputises Bingadadi.
The treasurer’s post went to Eliza Ngorima.
Athletics in Bulawayo has not enjoyed the same peaceful and successful times as during the reign of the then able Roy Phiri.
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