Namibia: Katamba Reads Riot Act to Sport Administrators

By Otniel Hembapu

Sivute Katamba, the acting executive director in the sports ministry, yesterday issued a stern warning to local sport administrators cautioning them that the days of running public-funded sport federations like their own personal fiefdoms will soon be over.

Speaking at yesterday's press conference in the capital, where the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) announced a six-member mediator committee installed to resolve the ongoing football infights, Katamba said it was high time administrators start realising that they are elected to serve their constituents and not their gigantic egos.

"People are elected to lead a sport code, remember that you are leading on behalf of the Namibian people, it's not to advance your own interest.

I am not only talking about football because we are here today, I'm saying so because we have a lot of problems all over our sports and it's because people don't care they just serve their own egos. When people advance their own interests, it is what is killing sports," said an irate Katamba.

If the troubles of Namibian sport continues, Katamba warned, the ministry will be forced to change the laws and various governing instruments of local federations in order to restore normalcy and save the lives and careers of the athletes.

"Be warned and this should really go out as a warning, the days of the ministry just watching from the sidelines while people are destroying our sports will soon be over. It can't continue like this and I'm really warning all sport administrators that a time will come when we as a government will be watching and be forced to change the laws for the sake our athletes.

People just keep fighting and serving their egos without worrying about our poor athletes. It really has to stop and this message actually has to go across," Katamba further cautioned.

This article originally appeared on New Era

Photo: New Era