NFA extends Rukoro’s term for two more weeks

WINDHOEK, 12 APR – The Namibia Football Association emergency executive committee has extended Secretary General Barry Rukoro’s contract until 28 April, when his future will be decided at the association’s congress at Omuthiya.
This was announced by NFA President Frans Mbidi here on Thursday.
Addressing the media at Football House in Katutura, Mbidi said this decision was taken at an emergency NFA meeting held in the capital earlier on Thursday.
“As an association we have a provision to appoint the secretary general and not extend his contract. We have been given 14 days by the executive committee to come up with a resolution with regards to the appointment of an SG,” he said.
Mbidi added that the NFA exco members and their affiliates will have their annual general meeting at Omuthiya on 28 April to iron out matters and look for a way to move the organisation forward.
He said they took four resolutions to “normalise” local football in the meantime.
These include letting Rukoro’s contract run until their meeting on 28 April; copying the contract to all exco members and seeking additional information on Rukoro’s suspension by the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) because the information provided to the exco is not sufficient.
They have also decided to seek legal advice and opinion on Rukoro’s contract and his Cosafa suspension.
Rukoro, whose contract expired at the end of March, is embroiled in an employment dispute with Mbidi and several executive members.
He was also suspended by Cosafa for 90 days, pending an investigation into allegations of gross misconduct.
In a letter seen by Nampa this month, Cosafa Secretary General Sue Destombes informed Rukoro that he was suspended on charges of gross misconduct in relation to his reported attack on Cosafa President Philip Chiyangwa on 16 February 2018 in South Africa.
It is alleged that Rukoro manhandled Chiyangwa at a Johannesburg hotel on the sidelines of a Cosafa meeting after it had emerged the NFA SG had been a subject of discussion during a Cosafa executive committee meeting.
Mbidi informed the media that the International Federation of Football Associations (Fifa) representative David Fani attended their emergency meeting as an observer.

NAMPA