By Duncan Mlanjira
As the most followed sport in the country, Malawi football requires special attention for its growth and development, says James Leonard Mwenda, aspirant for the post of Football Association of Malawi (FAM) presidency in his manifesto.
Launched on Monday at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe, Mwenda says his dream is to see football becoming an industry that effectively contributes to the efforts of government, development partners, non-state actors and the private sector in the social economic development of the country, as outlined in the national development strategy.
“We will achieve this by putting in place mechanisms at community, district, regional and national levels that will industrialize football. We will ensure that football provides a livelihood for all key stakeholders.
Mwenda during the launch
“We will establish centers of Football Excellence in the cities of Zomba, Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Blantyre and satellite centers in all the districts for grassroot football as well as development of coaches, referees and administrators.
“We will work tirelessly with all football stakeholders to develop, grow and commercialize football in the country; to raise adequate financial resources and build human and technical capacity to support football at all levels.
“A resource mobilization strategy will be drafted within my first 100 days of office. This strategy will explore a number of innovative and sustainable ways to raise resources to finance football in Malawi.
He is up against Nyamilandu
“One of the ways will be capitalizing on the blossoming television industry as we will engage TV sports companies to be involved and invest in Malawi football.
“We will develop mutual relationships with the private sector that will encourage them to invest in football, not only as a corporate social responsibility activity but as investment with expected returns.
“We will lobby the private sector to invest in sports facilities and other infrastructure in form of joint ventures with clubs or sole investments and will support clubs to develop sustainable and diversified own revenue enhancement activities which will include branding and merchandising.”
Mwenda says clubs will be supported to enable them invest in sports related facilities as a revenue stream by improving the gate management system through promoting the e–ticketing system and security system of sports facilities with a view to maximize match day revenue.
“We will introduce measures that limit cash exchanges at source and replace it with electronic, bank and cheque based payments. These measures will lead to cashless football transactions and promote accountability within football in Malawi.
“We will work with other football associations, COSAFA, CAF and FIFA in order to tap and capitalize on available technical and financial resources to support football in Malawi.
Women’s football
“We will capitalize on the existing government goodwill towards football to further lobby for increased budgetary allocation towards football growth and development at all levels (zone, district, regional and national). Efforts will be made to ensure that local authorities include football as one of the priorities in their development plans.”
On governance, Mwenda says his dream is to implement strategic and transformative reforms in the football sector to enable football fully contribute to the social economic development of our country and to ensure that football is professionally managed and that all affiliate’s statutes are aligned to FAM statutes.
Men’s football
“My dream is that there will be transparency and accountability in financial management, decision making and general management of all football affairs.
“Under my leadership, we will ensure that member associations and clubs under them embrace good governance tenets which shall include transparency, accountability and integrity in their operations and administration.
“We will also ensure that there is clear separation of the status, functions and responsibilities between FAM Executive Board and the Secretariat.”
He says in order to ensure that all key stakeholders play their roles professionally in the management of the game, he shall introduce and support a ‘Football Stakeholders Annual Forum’ involving member associations and all key stakeholders.
“Among others, the forum will devise ways and means of attracting investors into the game of football. At the end of the annual forum, key barriers to achieving our set goals will be identified and an action plan developed to address them.
“FAM will then coordinate implementation of the action plan in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders. In the following year’s annual forum, performance will be reviewed and a new work plan developed.
“Transparency and accountability, participatory decision making and consultation will be the order of the day as all football governing structures (FAM, associations and clubs) will be subjected to annual independent audits and audit reports will be presented to football stakeholders at the annual forum.
“My leadership will pursue democratic and participatory approaches in governing the game with improved communication at all levels.
“We will be governed by ethics that promote high levels of integrity and zero tolerance to corruption at all levels of the game.
“My leadership, will tackle corruption in football at all levels head-on without fear or favor. We will work tirelessly with relevant statutory authorities to get rid of this vice in the beautiful game,” says the man, who is up against Walter Nyamilandu Manda, the seasoned FAM president with 15 years of experience and is also a FIFA Council member.