MUKWIMA CHILALA writes
@SunZambian
GOVERNMENT says if FAZ insists on going ahead with the appointment Serbian coach Veselin Jelusic as national soccer trainer, it should be ready to issue him with a work permit.
Minister of sport Emmanuel Mulenga said government had rejected the Serbian coach because his position was not advertised.
Mulenga said that government could not buy into the idea of engaging the Serbian because the ministry was against single sourcing.
He said FAZ needed to be accountable and transparent in the manner in which it was using tax payers’ money to pay coaches.
The minster further said that in as much it was FAZ’s duty and role to employ, there was need to follow the right channels.
“Whatever money which government spends, it is tax payers’ money and it should be used prudently according to the financial regulations. The employment Act states that for any position to be given to an individual, it should be advertised, but this position was not advertised and government cannot buy into it,
“So as ministry of sport, we are not going for that coach. One that’s a single sourcing and coming to the experience of that coach, we did a research on that coach, how do we bring some one who was coaching youths and school going kids, that’s not what we need’ lets have value for our money,” Mulenga said
He said if FAZ went ahead, government would not be involved in the issuance of a work permit.
Mulenga said Zambia had not qualified to the AfCON in a row for the first time when so much money had been invested in trying to qualify the team at the expense of other porting disciplines which were in fact doing better than soccer.
He further said that other disciplines were doing very well but the problem was that too much attention was being given to soccer hence FAZ was always pushing Government right, left and center.
FAZ Deputy general secretary Joseph Chimpampwe confirmed that Government had guided the association to advertise the position of the Head Coach, ultimately turning down the expected appointment of Jelusic.
Chimpampwe said that in the meantime Aggrey Chiyangi would continue to act as head Coach of the Chipolopolo.
