Sports Council stands firm in enhancing its associations’ implementation of management guidelines and constitutional obligations

The Sports Council Board and the delegates

* Holds an interface meeting to review and discuss whether they have held their AGMs or produced audited accounts

* And have paid their subscription fees as well as to be appraised of challenges they are facing

By Duncan Mlanjira

The majority of sports associations are adhering to the management guidelines which Malawi National Council of Sports developed some seven years go in 2016 but had not been followed to the book until most recent — when once more ordered to do so.

They include most importantly the association’s own constitutional obligations of holding annual general meetings (AGMs); presentation of audited accounts; strong governance (high academic qualifications, physical offices and terms of office); local and international competitions participation; paying subscription fees to Sports Council — among others.

Last month, the Council — Malawi’s sports governing body which is mandated by the Laws of Malawi — ordered all associations to submit confirmations that they have held AGMs in the past 12 months or intend to do so by the end of the 2022-2023 financial year.

And on Saturday, the Council brought together all the associations to a meeting on Saturday held at Malawi Sun Hotel in Blantyre to review and discuss whether they have held their AGMs or produced audited accounts and have paid their subscription fees as well as to be appraised of challenges they are facing.

Sports Council Board chairperson, Sunduzwayo Madise said at the end of the meeting that they were pleasantly surprised that the majority of the associations have positively embraced the management guidelines.

This is opposed to what they had been hearing from other quarters that the associations were not happy with the conditions set as well as the Council’s decision to raise the annual subscription fee from K50,000 to K150,000.

“We are happy that you are adhering to the management guidelines, which we are not imposing but are based on your own association’s constitutional obligations,” he said after each and every association had been given an opportunity to present if they are current in their obligations.

At the beginning, Madise was very brunt in his opening speech in which he chastised some associations for bypassing the Council and approaching the Minister of Sports to complain of the management guidelines — especially the borne of contention that, at least, the president must have a bachelor’s degree, the secretary a diploma and the treasurer some financial book keeping qualifications.

He emphasized that Sports Council is governed by an Act of Parliament and it is bypass to engage with the Minister, he still has to go back to the Council since it is a department of the Ministry of Sports.

He stressed that what the Council initiates is sanctioned by the Ministry and that the management guidelines are according to the law as guided by the associations’ own constitutional obligations.

On the concerns by the associations that the subscription fee was higher, Madise stood firm on the decision, saying the K50,000 had stood for a very long in which the benefits were that each association was receiving K500,000 as subvention — apart from football and netball that receive a huge chunk.

“Now the subventions are at K5 million and all we are asking is an extra K100,000 as subscription fee for you to access the K5 million. We don’t think this is asking for too much but expecting the associations to be more creative in their management style that includes raising the required subscription fee.”

He was incredulous that the associations are able to pay for even higher fees to world governing bodies they are affiliated to, which are quoted in foreign currency, but fail to meet Sports Council’s fee obligations.

But on a positive note, Madise applauded the associations for embracing the guidelines, saying once they are seen to be professional in their management style, they can attract sponsorship partnership with corporate companies.

“Corporate sponsors demand audited accounts, strategic plans as well as physical addresses for them to appreciate how professional associations are managed,” he said. “What we are asking is to the associations’ benefit because corporate sponsors don’t deal with briefcase organisations.”

The majority of the associations confessed that while they prepare their financial positions, they lack funds to hire external auditors whose charges are on the higher side, to which Madise reiterated that Sports Council is always ready to provide their own certified accountants to offer such services.

Madise also applauded Chess Association of Malawi (CHESSAM) — which presented its current status in line with the management guidelines — for initiating a code of conduct for its players, who are punished if they flout it.

Madise thus asked other associations to emulate this initiative, saying athletes behaviors should be kept in check in order for them to represent the country well at international tournaments.

The guidelines were formulated in 2016 and had been improved in 2022 to be enhanced since most associations were not following them and on the tenure of office (proposed at three years with two terms) was asked by the associations to be changed to four years in line with their world governing bodies.

To which Madise said they will review at their next board meeting after each associations will present their reports from a template of suggestions which the Council will prepare as presented by the delegates during the interface.

Madise also took the opportunity to honour the presence of former Sports Council Executive Secretary, George Jana, who served with total dedication for many years and still is attached with sports assisting the operations of Special Olympics Committee.

Jana is synonymous with sports and the management guidelines were formulated under his watch with full participation by Sports Council’s Administrative Manager, Henry Mereka.

Most of the associations seemed not aware that the guidelines were formulated some seven years back — an indication that on successions, new executive members do not find reports and paperwork of previous policies made because they do not have secretariats to keep records.

Thus Madise asked the associations to always prepare reports from every meeting they attend and file them for future reference — thus Council’s firm stance that each should have a physical secretariat for record keeping and professional management.

In his presentation to the background to formulation of the guidelines, Mereka stressed that over the years they were being fine tuned and was reignited with vigor following concerns that some associations are not holding their AGMs “which is contrary to and a violation of their own constitutions”.

He also emphasized that they are not targeting individuals who are deemed to have overstayed in their positions but just trying to assist the current administrators to leave a legacy of professional management for others to follow up and even do much better for the development of the sports in the country.

“For our athletes to do well both in local and international tournaments, it starts with sound management,” he said. “For you to attract corporate sponsorship, it’s also due to professional management.

“We are not targeting individuals and that’s why we have brought all of you together for us to to check if implementation has been done and to appreciate challenges you might be facing to map the way forward.”