NALASRA Games end in chaos
The ninth annual Namibia Local Authorities Sport and Recreation Association (NALASRA) Games at Rundu could not be completed after the Walvis Bay municipal team interrupted the final in the soccer category.
It is reported that players from the Walvis Bay municipality identified some premier league players in the Rundu town council team, who were not town council employees.
Before Walvis Bay noticed this, Rundu was already disqualified from netball and volleyball for the same reason.
Walvis Bay protested, but the NALASRA national executive committee (NEC) ignored them. Rundu Town Council was due to play Henties Bay in the final when Walvis Bay disputed the game pending their protest.
NALASRA acting president Fredrick Ueitele could not be reached for comment as his cell-phone went unanswered. NEC member Gert van Wyk of the City of Windhoek said they would issue a press release on Friday.
“Only local authority permanent employees are supposed to participate in the NALASRA games. Rundu town council used players who are not employed by the town council. It was also established that some employees issued fake employment contracts just for them to participate in the game,” said a source.
It is reported that after team Walvis Bays protest, Eenhana and Oshakati, who had lost to Rundu also protested.
Efforts to get comments from the Rundu town council and Walvis Bay municipality failed. Rundu CEO Romas Haironga was in a meeting when contacted on Monday and Tuesday, while Walvis Bay's public relations officer promised to get back to Namibian Sun, but did not do so before going to print.
At last year's NALASRA Games in Oshakati, only 30 out of 54 local authorities could participate in the games and Uetele attributed it to lack of financial and political support from the central government.
During the opening last year Ueitele said a directive had been sent to all 54 local authorities from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development informing them not to make any financial commitment toward NALASRA activities because sport was not their core function.
“As NALASRA executive committee we disagree with this motion and feel that the wellbeing of employees is a responsibility of employers. There are many ministries, like safety and security, defence, education and many others that allow their employees to participate in national and international sport activities which are funded 100% by government. We also need the same political support,” Ueitele said.
Hardap regional governor Essim Isaacks, who officiated at the event last year, shed some light on why the ministry is not supporting the event. She said some local authorities diverted from the objectives of NALASRA by using players outside the sector to compete under NALASRA's banner, something she said must be not tolerated.
It was also reported that for the past years, local authorities used to get transport assistance from the Ministry of Works and Transport which is cheaper than renting cars, but this year such an arrangement was not approved. Thus 24 local authorities could not raise additional funds to attend the games.
It is not known how many local authorities participated during this year's edition.
NALASRA was established in 2008 with the aim of bringing Namibian local authorities employees together to network and share experiences while participating in sport.
“We are not going to say anything now. We have to sit down and review everything first before we issue a media release on Friday,” Van Wyk said.
ILENI NANDJATO
It is reported that players from the Walvis Bay municipality identified some premier league players in the Rundu town council team, who were not town council employees.
Before Walvis Bay noticed this, Rundu was already disqualified from netball and volleyball for the same reason.
Walvis Bay protested, but the NALASRA national executive committee (NEC) ignored them. Rundu Town Council was due to play Henties Bay in the final when Walvis Bay disputed the game pending their protest.
NALASRA acting president Fredrick Ueitele could not be reached for comment as his cell-phone went unanswered. NEC member Gert van Wyk of the City of Windhoek said they would issue a press release on Friday.
“Only local authority permanent employees are supposed to participate in the NALASRA games. Rundu town council used players who are not employed by the town council. It was also established that some employees issued fake employment contracts just for them to participate in the game,” said a source.
It is reported that after team Walvis Bays protest, Eenhana and Oshakati, who had lost to Rundu also protested.
Efforts to get comments from the Rundu town council and Walvis Bay municipality failed. Rundu CEO Romas Haironga was in a meeting when contacted on Monday and Tuesday, while Walvis Bay's public relations officer promised to get back to Namibian Sun, but did not do so before going to print.
At last year's NALASRA Games in Oshakati, only 30 out of 54 local authorities could participate in the games and Uetele attributed it to lack of financial and political support from the central government.
During the opening last year Ueitele said a directive had been sent to all 54 local authorities from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development informing them not to make any financial commitment toward NALASRA activities because sport was not their core function.
“As NALASRA executive committee we disagree with this motion and feel that the wellbeing of employees is a responsibility of employers. There are many ministries, like safety and security, defence, education and many others that allow their employees to participate in national and international sport activities which are funded 100% by government. We also need the same political support,” Ueitele said.
Hardap regional governor Essim Isaacks, who officiated at the event last year, shed some light on why the ministry is not supporting the event. She said some local authorities diverted from the objectives of NALASRA by using players outside the sector to compete under NALASRA's banner, something she said must be not tolerated.
It was also reported that for the past years, local authorities used to get transport assistance from the Ministry of Works and Transport which is cheaper than renting cars, but this year such an arrangement was not approved. Thus 24 local authorities could not raise additional funds to attend the games.
It is not known how many local authorities participated during this year's edition.
NALASRA was established in 2008 with the aim of bringing Namibian local authorities employees together to network and share experiences while participating in sport.
“We are not going to say anything now. We have to sit down and review everything first before we issue a media release on Friday,” Van Wyk said.
ILENI NANDJATO
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