Times Of Swaziland: DRAMA AS ENNA AGM CALLED OFF

DRAMA AS ENNA AGM CALLED OFF
================================================================================
Nimrod Hlophe on 12/06/2023 08:20:00


MBABANE – It was a dramatic start of the Eswatini National Netball Association
(ENNA) executive first annual general assembly (AGM) as it was abruptly called
off on Saturday on constitutional violations grounds.
The association held its AGM at the OlympAfrica Boardroom in Lobamba, but the
meeting was called off after almost three hours of heated discussions between
the national executive committee (NEC) and the affiliates. Only four items on
the agenda were exhausted, which among them were the president remarks, reading
of minutes and matters arising. The Secretary General (SG), Bongiwe Gamedze,
took the house by surprise before making her remarks. Gamedze was succinctly
clear that the meeting did not follow the dictates of their law. She was not
there when the AGM took off an hour later than the 1:30pm scheduled time, as she
reported that she was running late to the meeting. Meanwhile, Mpendulo Mncina,
Treasurer of the ENNA, arrived after 3pm and it was revealed that he did not
report he was running late.
According to the constitution, the AGM is supposed to be held not later than the
last day of May every year but that did not happen due to a crisis at the core
of the NEC. The AGM was pushed further due to a special meeting held towards the
end of May, after one failed attempt on May 10, 2023.  The association
circulated a notice on May 2, 2023 informing its members on an emergency special
meeting, it was to address ENNA executive status crisis.  However, this meeting
also failed to take place after failing to reach a quorum. The special meeting,
which also served as the association’s AGM, was then postponed to this past
Saturday. However, it appeared that the NEC did not align this decision with the
constitution, hence to render the AGM unconstitutional.
According to the constitution, the secretary general shall notify all members of
the date of the meeting at least 30 days prior to a meeting, together with its
agenda and venue. All proposals and amendments shall be submitted to the
secretary general not later than 21 days before the meeting. Such should be
circulated to membership at least 14 days before the date of the meeting,”
reads article 8.2(2) and (3) of the constitution. After the SG’s remarks, a
crack among the NEC was further exposed and members wondered if they ever met
ahead of the meeting, to among other things, compile the reports.
This publication last Wednesday reported on alleged factionalism, whereby a
former executive member has divided the NEC. It was revealed that the SG and
treasurer would be ousted out with a vote of no confidence on grounds of failing
on their duties and defending the idea of women occupying the positions of SG
and president. After Gamedze’s remarks, certain irregularities were exposed
among the NEC such as the defeat of working as unity. The house was divided as
some members felt the AGM should have carried on as per the assembly’s
resolution during the special meeting. “I think it is now obvious that the
meeting, as per the constitution, is not constitutional, so we have to call it
off. We will sit down and discuss and follow the constitution. We will then
notify you of the date for the AGM,” Mhlongo said, to end the meeting.