
* Than deciding on the bizarre coin-toss decision used that declared male candidate as winner
It can’t get bizarre than what netball authorities did on Sunday — though it was logical under the circumstances that arose — by allowing male contestant Allan Nkhonjera be declared winner of the election of chairperson of Northern Region Netball Committee through a coin-toss after failing to tie-break the initial results.

Awful system of voting
Nkhonjera was up against female contender, Tamara Fweta in this predominantly female sport that is encouraged to be administered by women themselves and men to develop their own category that World Netball also recognises.
Reports say from the 16 votes cast in the first run, both contestants earned 8 apiece and a re-run still did not break the tie and according to sources, it was obvious that it was going to remain the same even if more re-runs were to have been conducted under the supervision of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
It can’t get better that this that the national pollster was overseeing the elections, both for the Central and Northern Regions held over the weekend.

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According to Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) general secretary, Isaac Chimwala he had first advised NAM president, Abigail Shariff present there to break the tie and in my opinion she should have gone ahead with it by just choosing fellow female Fweta as a show of solidarity.
But Shariff declined to make any decision because if she had voted for Fweta it would have been seen to favour fellow women than giving males the chance to participate in this glamorous sport.

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I say this was lacking in wisdom on the president’s part by choosing to stay away and in my opinion it means she didn’t want Fweta to win and let the coin decision do injustice.
I call this as injustice because the chance was there to end the tossing around if we take cognizance of the goodwill that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did in 2017 by appointing world netball governing body’s president to be a member of the IOC Sport & Active Society Commission.

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This was when a campaign was waging to have netball be incorporated as one of the disciplines to be played at the Olympic Games and as a gesture of goodwill, the IOC commissions wanted more women representation in sport following the significant increase of 70% since September 2013 up to 2017.
It would have been preposterous if Shariff had chosen Fweta and males had gone on to accuse her of being gender insensitive because she is a woman and her first preference is supposed to be a fellow woman.
It was obvious half of the affiliates wanted either Fweta or Nkhonjera and by tie-breaking it through choosing the woman, Shariff would have earned some respect.

NAM president Abigail Shariff
I am saying it because males are preferring to join the sport’s administration because most women are reluctant — or don’t have the courage — to contest. Fweta was strong enough to declare her interest.
She was probably given the 8 votes by fellow women — not once but twice and having her still standing should have given Shariff the confidence that she must have impressed half of the voting affiliates.
Commenting on this development on a social media group, one of male administrators of the game feels aggrieved that men who take up leadership roles in this sport are usually ridiculed, yet they do so since women are timid to come forward.
That’s a good point. Why do the women shy away from their own sport from which its leadership is applauded — even by World Netball — of being very sound?

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It’s not just in netball — it’s everywhere. FIFA has a clause that if only men fill up all posts even if no women contested, one of good standing in the football circles should co-opted.
The political arena advocates for 50+1 women inclusion into national administration and if Shariff, a Member of Parliament for that matter, should have taken the bull by its horn and said I choose Fweta — trust me, no feathers were going to be unruffled, at least not from me.
Even before the regional elections there was some debate on netball fraternity’s social media groups that male contestants were dominant for both regions and from the newly-elected most of them are men.
The Northern Region has Nkhonjera leading it with fellow male Ken Phiri as his vice-chairperson; another male Lumbani Ng’ambi with Killy Msukwa; Stephano Kaunda Alick Mhone as committee members.
At least Central Region has Cecilia Mtukule-Bongwe as who garnered 13 votes to beat two men, Fanuel Katengeza (2) and John Muhajiri (5) while post of vice-chairperson went to a male, Fernando Ligola beat a woman Noella Kamwendo by 11-9.
At least, a female Yamikani Kauma is the secretary for the Centre who beat fellow female Lizzie Nyirenda while Daniel C. Nyirenda took up post of treasurer by beating fellow male Fanuel Banda while Aaron Gopani has been considered as vice-treasurer against female Grace Sifa Banda.
It shouldn’t have come to this coin tossing, there were already enough men around and Fweta deserved to have been given that chance by Shariff.

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