By Simataa Simataa
SOCCER Vs POLITICS!
For those that can remember, once upon a time, I cautioned Kalusha Bwalya publicly about engaging in politics whilst holding office at at the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Further, it appears Kalusha’s involvement in politics opened him up to all manner of attacks from opposition people – not because of his football life but politics.
I was called names. Déjà vu, isn’t it?
My reasoning at the time, which basis I still hold regardless of who is, and will be at the helm of FAZ, is that the Code of Ethics for world mother governing body, FIFA, required those holding official positions in their national federations to be politically neutral.
In Zambia at the moment, this matter is akin to having all civil servants to mandatorily resign from the civil service before they seek political office.
My assumption is that drafters of the Republic of Zambia constitution put such a clause so that ‘politically active’ civil servants don’t discharge their duties in bias of the political parties they support.
Recently, I heard how an employee and a committee member of FAZ sought political office in an opposition political party where unfortunately, they miserably tumbled in the primaries.
So since these two have clearly showed their political colours, what would stop any Zambian from thinking that part of the reason our football is in its current sorry state is because opposition politics have permeated our number sport to sabotage government?
Put differently, if members of the ruling party took on these two politically, will they run to FIFA and cry political interference when back home in Zambia they’re political opponents?
Truth is the FIFA that they love to run to clearly states in its Code of Ethics Article 14 that persons under the code should be politically neutral.
It is this very basis that I asked the Great Kalu at the time to choose between politics or football. My position remains forbthose that are in FAZ now. RESIGN.
Therefore, I call upon the two to resign immediately. It’s the moral and ethical thing to do. RESIGN. Don’t blame anyone if ‘Ama Amelicans’ or PF youths smoke you out of your positions after all you have made their work easier by unmasking your political faces!
Sadly the politics of ruling party verses opposition have relegated law and order, ethics, morals to the dustbin.
Now that’s typical Me And My Big Mouth again.
MAMBM.