The power struggle within the leadership of the Namibian National Paralympic Committee (NNPC) has received renewed attention from its international governing body.

Namibian Para athletes have not been registered internationally since January this year, preventing them from participating in competitions and building qualifications for Los Angeles 2028.

The old and the new boards of the Namibian committee have been at loggerheads since last year, following the suspension of former general secretary Michael Hamukwaya.

The two sides have been unable to comply with international demands and register their athletes.

The Namibian reported in August that gold medallist Ananias Shikongo was disqualified from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to this registration issue.

Last week, the International Paralympic Committee sent a letter to NNPC president Donovan Zealand, asking him to accept mediation in order to resolve the current issues.

“We are deeply concerned to note that the current situation regarding the governance of NPC Namibia may continue to result in Namibian Para athletes being adversely affected, including by being unable to access certain systems and services,” director of membership Felipe Rodrigues wrote in a letter seen by The Namibian.

Rodrigues’ letter says the international committee is not satisfied with the election proceedings for the NNPC board that took place in February, which it communicated to Namibia in May.

According to the international body, the elections did not take place according to the constitution it has on file and did not comply with international guidelines.

“We have also shared, step-by-step, a proposed way forward to fully resolve these matters. In particular, the International Paralympic Committee proposed to facilitate mediation between you and representatives of the board of NPC Namibia prior to the above elections,” Rodrigues says.

He says the committee is “deeply concerned” about Namibia’s ability to meet its membership obligations. The international requirement is that national paralympic committees must manage their own affairs independently of government bodies.

According to Rodrigues, the apparent role that the Namibia Sports Commission played in removing the former board – as well as the fact that the new board does not want mediation without government representatives – is specifically alarming.

His letter asks the NNPC to reconsider mediation from the international body “free of any involvement or influence from any political or governmental organisations”.

Zealand has declined to comment on the specifics of the letter, calling it “unfortunate” that The Namibian has been informed of the communication between the Namibian and international committees.

“We are currently in discussion with the International Paralympic Committee on the way forward. As soon as we have a clear direction, I will be able to confirm and provide you with accurate information. At no time did the NNPC pronounce itself as unwilling to partake in any mediation process,” Zealand said on Thursday.

He declined to comment on the position that governance issues have put Namibian Para athletes in.

The Namibian requested comments from Namibia Sports Commission president Freddy Mwiya and the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture.

Neither responded to questions by time of going to print.

Namibia Sports Commission chief administrator Freddy Mwiya told The Namibian yesterday that mediation must respect Namibian law.

“A a sovereign state, [we are] governed by the Namibian Constitution and the country’s Sport Act 12 of 2003.

“Since that is the law governing us, we will respect our law. An [international] law is not superior to our laws,” Mwiya said.

“Therefore, mediation is a good process but all international institutions need to know the NSC and its purpose in this country. This is an institution established by our parliament, which acts in line with its mandates,” he said.

The post Namibia’s paralympic power battle goes international appeared first on The Namibian.

The Namibian

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