An open letter to the NPL
Who is fooling who here, seriously?
As members we were all recipients of the latest correspondence from the Fifa normalisation committee (NC), a self-explanatory letter.
The executives of the Namibia Premier League (NPL) were supposed to adhere to what was expected from them, but to no avail. Who is manipulating the current structures of the NPL for that matter? Not to mention the disregard and disrespect towards the NC, appointed by Fifa, which further confirms how the NPL executive remains in disagreement with directives coming from the NC.
I fail to understand how people who are supposed to be highly intellectual, and with discipline, are continuing to bring our beautiful game into disrepute. These are the same people entrusted to uphold and follow the constitution, the manual on rules and regulations of the NFA, the code of ethics and the disciplinary code.
A little advice to the NPL executive: If you think you are bigger than football, my colleagues, you are making a very huge mistake, which will cause you real embarrassment and shame.
As members of Namibian football, we have our football at heart and know exactly what is going on in the corridors of the NPL. The NPL executive is functional in disunity and disagreement, which is a concern to our football fraternity at large.
And for that matter, those making decisions on behalf of the NPL executive, board of governors (BoG) and NPL clubs are doing so out-of-context and unconstitutionally.
The facts of promotion and
relegation
Firstly, there should be a declaration from clubs that they received and signed off the rules governing the method to be used for the promotion and relegation of teams to and from the different NFA leagues for the 2018/19 season.
Such signed confirmations should have reached the NFA secretariat. No league is allowed to kick off before that is in place, and any matches taking place in violation of the abovementioned condition shall be nullified.
NPL executive, was this in place? The endorsement by the executive, as required by the NFA rules and regulations in 2018, says the NPL shall consist of 16 clubs, so we are not aware of any signed off bylaw, if any, stating that NPL shall consist of 13 clubs.
Read my lips: There cannot be relegation if there is no promotion; very simple, highly logical. What does one not understand? The current extent to which things are circulating is getting out of hand and is seriously not needed in our football.
We can't entertain personal agendas and vendettas of persons or individuals. We really need a sense of differentiation from decision-making bodies in whatever they do. My understanding is that the BoG is a very serious structure of the NPL. The executive must present proposals to the BoG for which a submission to congress must also be constituted on the BoG agenda, for consideration.
The BoG shall deliberate on all those and make recommendations to the congress. So please, the BoG and congress must have a clear division of powers, which I lately observe was done by having them separately, definitely not on the same day.
The recently held BoG meeting was supposed to be seen as a formality, in preparation for the upcoming congress, but seems to have taken another route.
We also noted with great concern that the police were called in to interfere with matters, and were instructed by the NPL chairman. Now for your information, the police fall under government, and what happened there is not allowed; it's against Fifa regulations because it is tantamount to government interference.
It also further signals a risk-hazard to the NPL executive's leadership qualities and competencies. The latest development is that members (wrongfully relegated clubs), affiliated to NPL, were refused permission to partake in meetings. My greatest concern here is that the NC allowed that loophole to continue at the recently-held meeting, jointly with the NPL executive and BoG.
The matter of promotion and relegation is non-negotiable, with reference to the manual on rules and regulations 3.1.1 and 3.2.4. The clubs are entitled to their rights as members; I mean there is a very clear directive from the NC regarding promotion and relegation and there are no technicalities around that matter, so who needs further platforms for debate? Not at all!
You adhere or face the consequences, period. We can't allow the NC to be intimidated by the NPL executive, with their absolute non-compliance or ignorance. I have learned with great shock from the NPL congress of Saturday, 21 September that the NPL executive failed to differentiate between standing orders of the congress and the manual on rules and regulations. They have decided to make amendments to the constitution of the NPL. This is a big joke; what a mockery indeed.
We also observed that the NPL executive is very good at playing with words. For your information, football is readable, understandable, self-explanatory and to the point. Time now has lapsed for the NPL executive to make demands here. The time has arrived for the NC to invoke the articles, quoted in the latest communication, and we will have no playing around anymore.
Another great challenge in our football we face as leaders is the ability to distinguish, understand and interpret. We fail to do just that, and that's where we fail to deliver. We fail to be honest, to be in compliance, have zero integrity, become easily arrogant, lose focus and operate in conflict of interest.
Finally, NPL, if you are operating in a vacuum, please be warned, we are definitely not part of your stream. It's becoming heavy and a nuisance to the football family of Namibia.
For the record, there are two pending cases, a national dispute from the NPL and the matter of Young African, which resulted from the previous season, which need to be resolved first before planning the way forward.
I am, by way of this, obligated to give three options to the NPL:
1. Go to the table as professionals and be conclusive.
2. Your league to be declared null and void for the past season (2018/19); hence, the first division, as the NPL failed to bring on board sponsors for it to kick off, and the matter of the Zimbabwean national.
3. You face suspension as a member of the NFA for non-compliance, conduct of officials and bringing the game of football into disrepute.
This is not a threat, we are just informing you as fellow members of Namibian football to stop with what you are busy; things might get worse, if you don't approach it from another angle.
*Isak J Fredericks is the chairman of the //Karas Football Region
As members we were all recipients of the latest correspondence from the Fifa normalisation committee (NC), a self-explanatory letter.
The executives of the Namibia Premier League (NPL) were supposed to adhere to what was expected from them, but to no avail. Who is manipulating the current structures of the NPL for that matter? Not to mention the disregard and disrespect towards the NC, appointed by Fifa, which further confirms how the NPL executive remains in disagreement with directives coming from the NC.
I fail to understand how people who are supposed to be highly intellectual, and with discipline, are continuing to bring our beautiful game into disrepute. These are the same people entrusted to uphold and follow the constitution, the manual on rules and regulations of the NFA, the code of ethics and the disciplinary code.
A little advice to the NPL executive: If you think you are bigger than football, my colleagues, you are making a very huge mistake, which will cause you real embarrassment and shame.
As members of Namibian football, we have our football at heart and know exactly what is going on in the corridors of the NPL. The NPL executive is functional in disunity and disagreement, which is a concern to our football fraternity at large.
And for that matter, those making decisions on behalf of the NPL executive, board of governors (BoG) and NPL clubs are doing so out-of-context and unconstitutionally.
The facts of promotion and
relegation
Firstly, there should be a declaration from clubs that they received and signed off the rules governing the method to be used for the promotion and relegation of teams to and from the different NFA leagues for the 2018/19 season.
Such signed confirmations should have reached the NFA secretariat. No league is allowed to kick off before that is in place, and any matches taking place in violation of the abovementioned condition shall be nullified.
NPL executive, was this in place? The endorsement by the executive, as required by the NFA rules and regulations in 2018, says the NPL shall consist of 16 clubs, so we are not aware of any signed off bylaw, if any, stating that NPL shall consist of 13 clubs.
Read my lips: There cannot be relegation if there is no promotion; very simple, highly logical. What does one not understand? The current extent to which things are circulating is getting out of hand and is seriously not needed in our football.
We can't entertain personal agendas and vendettas of persons or individuals. We really need a sense of differentiation from decision-making bodies in whatever they do. My understanding is that the BoG is a very serious structure of the NPL. The executive must present proposals to the BoG for which a submission to congress must also be constituted on the BoG agenda, for consideration.
The BoG shall deliberate on all those and make recommendations to the congress. So please, the BoG and congress must have a clear division of powers, which I lately observe was done by having them separately, definitely not on the same day.
The recently held BoG meeting was supposed to be seen as a formality, in preparation for the upcoming congress, but seems to have taken another route.
We also noted with great concern that the police were called in to interfere with matters, and were instructed by the NPL chairman. Now for your information, the police fall under government, and what happened there is not allowed; it's against Fifa regulations because it is tantamount to government interference.
It also further signals a risk-hazard to the NPL executive's leadership qualities and competencies. The latest development is that members (wrongfully relegated clubs), affiliated to NPL, were refused permission to partake in meetings. My greatest concern here is that the NC allowed that loophole to continue at the recently-held meeting, jointly with the NPL executive and BoG.
The matter of promotion and relegation is non-negotiable, with reference to the manual on rules and regulations 3.1.1 and 3.2.4. The clubs are entitled to their rights as members; I mean there is a very clear directive from the NC regarding promotion and relegation and there are no technicalities around that matter, so who needs further platforms for debate? Not at all!
You adhere or face the consequences, period. We can't allow the NC to be intimidated by the NPL executive, with their absolute non-compliance or ignorance. I have learned with great shock from the NPL congress of Saturday, 21 September that the NPL executive failed to differentiate between standing orders of the congress and the manual on rules and regulations. They have decided to make amendments to the constitution of the NPL. This is a big joke; what a mockery indeed.
We also observed that the NPL executive is very good at playing with words. For your information, football is readable, understandable, self-explanatory and to the point. Time now has lapsed for the NPL executive to make demands here. The time has arrived for the NC to invoke the articles, quoted in the latest communication, and we will have no playing around anymore.
Another great challenge in our football we face as leaders is the ability to distinguish, understand and interpret. We fail to do just that, and that's where we fail to deliver. We fail to be honest, to be in compliance, have zero integrity, become easily arrogant, lose focus and operate in conflict of interest.
Finally, NPL, if you are operating in a vacuum, please be warned, we are definitely not part of your stream. It's becoming heavy and a nuisance to the football family of Namibia.
For the record, there are two pending cases, a national dispute from the NPL and the matter of Young African, which resulted from the previous season, which need to be resolved first before planning the way forward.
I am, by way of this, obligated to give three options to the NPL:
1. Go to the table as professionals and be conclusive.
2. Your league to be declared null and void for the past season (2018/19); hence, the first division, as the NPL failed to bring on board sponsors for it to kick off, and the matter of the Zimbabwean national.
3. You face suspension as a member of the NFA for non-compliance, conduct of officials and bringing the game of football into disrepute.
This is not a threat, we are just informing you as fellow members of Namibian football to stop with what you are busy; things might get worse, if you don't approach it from another angle.
*Isak J Fredericks is the chairman of the //Karas Football Region
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