GOVERNMENT says it communicated to the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) on Friday about allowances for the national men’s football team.
Permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts Kangwa Chilishe has told The Mast Sports that the Ministry was funded last week Friday afternoon and communication was made to FAZ general secretary Ruben Kamanga and FAZ president Andrew Kamanga was.
On Tuesday, Chipolopolo players decided to boy court the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) qualifiers due to unpaid allowances.
Four days before taking on Chad in the back-to-back AfCON qualifiers, senior Chipolopolo players have gone on strike in protest against their unpaid allowances from previous engagements.
Government owes Chipolopolo players several allowances dating back to the last AfCON that was staged in Ivory Coast, including last month’s camp and winning bonuses against Sierra Leone.
The team has camped in Ndola preparing for the crucial Friday encounter.
But after Tuesday’s afternoon training session, the players told head coach Avram Grant’s bench that they would not train anymore until they are paid what they are owed.
The players have also informed FAZ general secretary Reuben Kamanga and the Ministry of Sport about their decision.
“We have now made it clear to everybody that this is the last training session we were having. Imagine being told stories from January! And when we beat Sierra Leone here, the minister came to the dressing room and promised us yet again, but for how long,” players who spoke through one of their colleagues told The Mast.
They also revealed that there is no enthusiasm among their colleagues in the diaspora to sacrifice for the flag because it amounted to nothing.
“Look, this is why our colleagues can’t even sacrifice to come with their knocks. We are not saying they are not injured, but it’s a situation where even the slightest of knocks people can’t sacrifice because what are you sacrificing for,” they said.
There was visible panic on the technical bench and officials after the players delivered the news immediately after training.
Before the game against Sierra Leone last month, players encircled FAZ president Andrew Kamanga and his executive members that attended the final training session on similar protests, with Kamanga promising to give them something just for upkeep whilst in camp.
Zambia host Chad on Friday before travelling to Yaounde, Cameroon for the return match four days later.
But Chileshe said government had already communicated to FAZ about the allowances.
“We should find a better way of relating and co-existing as Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and FAZ. I am communicating to you what I have already communicated to the president [of FAZ], the general secretary; we received funding last week Friday afternoon and we started processing their payments on Monday,” he explained.
“Today is Wednesday, I’m in the office, there is no power now. By Tuesday their request for their bonus, allowances was already sent to the Ministry of Finance. Today they should be getting their monies. This information I gave it to their general secretary on Friday, I gave this information to FAZ on Friday. So what is the problem? Why should we have a problem? Yesterday I was with president Kamanga and told him that when there is money I tell you when, there is no money I tell you. We spoke for 30 minutes, paper work was done. If we say we will pay you we will pay you, if there is no money there is no money. We communicated to them on Friday, it was up to FAZ to communicate to the players and technical bench about the the position. We have never lied to them, we have managed all their fixtures all the three years we have been in government we have never lied to them.”
He added that government also communicated to FAZ over national team coach Avram Grant’s dues.
“We communicated including what the coach is owed. I had a meeting with Grant the time he had sent his lawyers to FAZ. I had a meeting with him and Rueben Kamanga and assured him that whatever he is owed we will start breaking it. We paid him k1.5m and by next month we will pay him k2m and have already processed the money for him,” Chileshe said.
“I am shocked. First of all, we are in austerity measures, last two weeks I spent long meetings with meetings with secretary to the treasury to ensure that we are given something, not just for football but also for other sports codes and needy areas. secretary to the treasury promised and true to his words on Friday the money was cleared. Saturday, Sunday nothing can be done. Monday we started the process, by today payments must be done. And I communicated to FAZ; I even have the letter to FAZ to say I have sent 2 million kwacha, pay the coach. I have sent this amount, winning bonuses, this amount for allowances, sent this amount for Mukuba Hotel; sent this amount for accommodation in Cameroon, but what can one do surely? No, there shouldn’t be things like that, it’s very sad.”
Chileshe emphasised that government has done its part and the Chipolopolo boys should make the country proud.
“As a ministry we have done our part, we have communicated and we have the paper work to prove it. I was even telling president Kamanga that don’t discourage the ministry, we are so excited about the game. Our staff has been pushing for FAZ and all that and when we start receiving news like this, we start thinking what’s going on,” said Chileshe. “The staff is going out of their way, advance party has already left for Ndola and Cameroon – already looking for accommodation for them. People working hard for them and we hear this? No, it should not be like that.
The Ministry and government has put in everything in place, we are supporting them and we expect better results; there should be no excuse. Let them not bring discouragement to country, we’re very excited about the game. Their money will reflect, there is no problem.” —
|By Bright Tembo |The Mast|
