In the drama-filled spectacle of Malawi football, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers once again takes center stage, captivating audiences with their penchant for legal battles, transforming every dispute into a courtroom saga. With lawyers among their esteemed directors, the club’s reputation as litigious titans precedes them, much to the chagrin of other quarters.
As the dawn of a new football season beckons, Wanderers unveils yet another chapter in their saga of legal entanglements. This time, they unveil their latest move: a scathing complaint lodged with the Super League of Malawi (Sulom). Their grievance? Allegations of intimidation against one of their esteemed board directors, David Kanyenda, following Sulom’s annual general meeting at the prestigious Lilongwe Hotel.
Kanyenda, a vocal delegate during the tumultuous gathering, dared to challenge the endorsement of Sulom’s acting president, Colonel Gilbert Mittawa. With unwavering resolve, he implored Sulom to adhere strictly to the constitution in the selection process for this pivotal position.
In a letter dated March 3 2024 and addressed to the Sulom general secretary, Wanderers express dismay over what they term “unruly elements that manifested in the immediate aftermath of the Sulom AGM”.
“As you are no doubt aware, our club sent 3 delegates to the said AGM, namely directors Limbani Magomero, Christopher Gondwe and David Kanyenda.
“Our delegates were instrumental in thwarting proposals designed to circumvent the Sulom constitutional order in filling vacant posts in the Executive Committee,” the letter, which Wanderers board secretary Chancy Gondwe has signed, reads.
The letter states that after the conclusion of the AGM, Kanyenda was pursued by “some hoodlums up to Lilongwe Hotel’s reception lounge”.
“He was subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse, harassment and vicious insults by these who were loitering in close proximity to the conference auditorium. Our Mr. David Kanyenda was threatened with violence and labelled as a confusionist on account of the contributions he made during the AGM.
“We place a high premium on the safety and welfare of our delegates during Sulom meetings and at all material times. We cannot afford to let the scourge of violence and hooliganism continue to plague football and threaten its future,” the letter reads.
The letter alleges that the intimidation tactics were intended to create a climate of fear among delegates and gag them from freely expressing their opinions during meetings.
“Such savage and barbaric conduct cannot be condoned and must be condemned in the strongest terms.
“We demand that Sulom give us a guarantee of non-repetition of the behaviour complained against and proceed to take decisive action to uproot this primitive behaviour as we believe it is your duty to ensure that delegates transact Sulom business in a safe and secure environment,” the letter reads.
In an interview, Gondwe said the safety of all delegates was important.
“Delegates should contribute freely during such meetings for the sake of football development,” he said.
Both Sulom General Secretary Williams Banda and his vice Donnex Chilonga were yet to respond to our questionnaire as we went to press Wednesday.
