NSCZ CALLS FOR UNITY IN ZA
Sunday, 13 April 2025
By Cecilia Nayame
NATIONAL Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ) chief executive officer, Sombwa Musunsa has urged the newly elected Zambia Athletics (ZA) executive to embrace the spirit of togetherness as time for politicking is over.
Speaking at the official closing of the ZA elective annual general meeting in Lusaka last Saturday, Musunsa said it is important for the Bernard Bwalya led executive to continue building on the successes that were laid by the old executive.
He said time to move on is now especially that the new executive has been ushered.
“I am sure we have all learned lessons from where we are coming from. Whichever has been the case in the past should actually guide us to where we are going because the primary beneficiary of the sport is actually the athletes and not the leaders because without them you would not have been here,” Musunsa said.
He said its important for the new executive to focus on developing the sport.
“You should never forget why you are in these positions. Many are the times that you (leaders) fight for positions at the expense of athletes. At times we even forget to check on them (athletes) because we are busy fighting.
“Let’s always remember that when we get into power, we are going there to serve athletes and not our own personal benefits. The last one month has been the most chaotic for me in my sports career, have witnessed too many wrangles within some sports associations and that clearly shows that people are only interest for positions and not the beneficiaries (athletes),” he said.
He urged both the new and old executive to put their differences side and begin to work together.
“I believe that even as we go into the future with the new executive, we will put our differences aside, let’s move into the future embracing one another…when you look at the voting pattern we witnessed today, it is clear that their two big camps within ZA,” he said.
Musunsa also urged Bwalya and his executive not to fire any one at the ZA secretariate despite what has characterised in the past.
“ZA has a secretariat that is not voted in. We have full time employees while some are on contracts. Our call Mr president (Bernard Bwalya) is that embrace my brothers and sisters that have worked at the ZA secretariate for so many years. We don’t want to hear that tomorrow you are going to the secretariate to fire people.
“They should continue working because that’s where continuity comes in. Embrace everyone the same way you are embracing your executive,” he said.
And Bwalya has assured NSCZ of good leadership from his executive.
He said they will work hard and ensure that all pending matters are resolved for the betterment of the sport.
“For now, I would like to appeal to all our members to forget about whatever issues that led to so many differences within the ZA community. I am also asking all those who took it upon themselves to report certain individuals to investigative wings as well as the courts to have their cases withdrawn. Reconciliation begins from here,” he said.
After a long battle of exchange of bitter words in the long run to the elections, ZA has finally ushered a new executive that will be led Balya.
