Minister of Information and Digitalization, Moses Kunkuyu found himself in unchartered waters on Saturday when he unknowingly appeared to commit the biggest mistake in football governance; Political Interreference.
Kunkuyu, in his trigger-happy speech at the launch of Fleetwood Haiya´s FAM president manifesto, forgot that he was attending a football event and as a true politician, turned his speech into a Haiya campaign rhetoric, vilifying incumbent FAM President Walter Nyamilandu and subtly advocating for Haiya to the applause of the partisan gathering at the BICC.
The Minister´s remarks were in sharp contrast to the ones delivered by the line minister Uchizi Mkandawire, who attended Nyamilandu´s Bridging The Gap Manifesto at the same venue on Thursday.
¨As a ministry we are ready to work with the new office bearers that the FAM Executive General Assembly will elect on December 16. We are also going to be here on Saturday for the launch of the manifesto of the other candidate,¨ said Mkandawire in a brief but impartial speech.
But Moses was on the overdrive, Like his Biblical namesake who when trying to separate two men fighting, killed the other person and when instructed by God to strike a rock just once to draw water from it, he struck it twice, incurring the wrath of the creator.
“Ngati mukudziwa kuti mpira wathuwu sitinafike, tikufuna titafika pena, kabvoteni mozindikila kuti tikufuna titafika pena,” said Kunkuyu who immediately stated that Malawi football has not reached the level he thinks Malawi football needs to be.
“We need to play like Egypts of this world, the Camerouns of this world, nanga tiziti tinafikapo kale pamenepa? Asked Kunkuyu before adding. ¨We don’t want to play like Barcelona on paper, we want to play like Barcelona in the field¨ in reference to Nyamilandu´s famous reference of the Flames passing game to the Catalan club.
¨A word in closing to my friend Fleetwood, make sure you do not create any gaps among these players because if you do create any gaps these players will not entrust you to be a good builder of bridges tomorrow, concluded Kunkuyu in a subtle but clear reference to Nyamilandu´s Bridging the Gap themed manifesto.
In that closing remark, Kunkuyu called Haiya ¨my friend¨ and even addressed him like he had already won the elections.
However, in hindsight, Kunkuyu must have realised he crossed the line.
In a newspaper interview, he denied endorsing Haiya claiming he is a fan of both candidates. Kunkuyu is clearly running away from his own shadow.
Unfortunately, in this digital world, his speech is available all over the internet for reference. Ukayenda udzasiye phanzi, ukadzasiya mlomo udzakutsata.
