FIFA says it is happy that the new FAZ leadership has committed to embracing the highest levels of good corporate governance.
And FAZ president Keith Mweemba has re-affirmed his commitment to walking the talk on uniting the football family.
Speaking during the FIFA induction program of the newly elected executive committee, FIFA Regional Development manager, David Fani said the exercise was important to orient the new executive on the tenets of good governance.
“My presence here demonstrates FIFA’s support to one of its member associations. This induction is meant to benefit the executive committee and the football fraternity at large,” said Fani.
“It is an empowerment initiated by FIFA to try and bring the newly elected committee up to speed in terms of how they should conduct the affairs of the FAZ.”
Fani commended the FAZ president for having publicly stated his commitment to the tenets of good governance.
And Mweemba said his leadership was committed to ensuring that decentralization was fully operationalised with regions having their own offices.
“The induction by FIFA demonstrates how much value FIFA places on the ethos of corporate governance. We are particularly excited that our executive committee reflects our societal diversity with every region represented,” he said.
“We are currently in the midst of institutionalising a robust decentralisation program that has seen FAZ with established offices across the 10 provinces. We are however still at a point where these offices are housed in rented facilities. The long term view for us that this decentraliastion amounts to the devolution which will see the actual separation of powers at every level in FAZ.”
He thanked FIFA for continued support to member associations through the FIFA forward program.
“We remain grateful for the support FIFA renders to our Association for our operations and project support. FIFA has already committed US$10 million for the soon-to-be constructed Technical Centre in Chongwe under the FIFA Forward,” he said.
“The proposed Technical Centre will house the FAZ headquarters, pitches, conference facilities, hotel, gymnasium and swimming pools among other infrastructure.”
He reiterated his commitment to embracing the highest levels of good corporate governance.
“On our part, we will commit to adhering to the high standards set by FIFA in the implementation of these projects. We also commit to the highest standards of corporate governance anchored on accountability, fairness and transparency as espoused by FIFA,” he said.
“We will also endevour to embrace the principle of separation of powers as it promotes checks and balances in the administration of the game.”
Mweemba said he would open he would actualise his dream of uniting the football family.
“I have committed to ensuring that everyone who has something to offer in our game is given an opportunity to serve or contribute. We continue to engage all stakeholders including the present and past leadership,” he said.
The induction has brought on board the executive committee and FAZ top management to orient them on their roles anchored on the doctrine of separation of powers.
FIFA is also presenting FAZ with wider knowledge on the operations of FIFA and opportunities available to Zambia within the global structure.
Various experts from FIFA are making presentations to the workshop both physically and virtually.
