By Yvonne Sakala –

MAYHEM has once again followed the Zambian amateur boxing fraternity even in the middle of a court injunction with  the Midlands Amateur Boxing Association (MABA) all dismissing the deregistration of some of its clubs by the Zambia Boxing Federation (ZBF).
As if that is not enough, ZBF vice-chairperson Kenneth Mubita has expressed ignorance on the move to deregister some clubs as announced by federation president Thomas Chileshe.
MABA general secretary Christian Kalima said it was shocking that the ZBF deregistered some clubs and suspended others over non-payment of affiliation fees when all clubs in his region were fully paid up.
Kalima said the clubs on the list the ZBF released were fully paid members.
“I am shocked to see a list of our members that have been deregistered. All the clubs that have been listed are fully paid up members of the association, I have a number of receipts for clubs who have paid affiliation fees this year, I don’t know what they (ZBF) are talking about,” Kalima said.
And Club MK, which is on the list through its chairperson Mwamba Kalenga junior described the move by the ZBF to deregister and suspend the clubs as a senseless witch-hunt as the club had been paying the affiliation fees over the years and that needed to be given space to run its club smoothly.
Kalenga Jr said ZBF president should stop looking for faults in people instead concentrate on developing the dwindling sport, adding that the club had at no point failed to pay affiliation fees and was fully active and functional.
“How can he even think of deregistering or even suspending our club. As far as we are concerned, we are up to date with payments. We have receipts to attest to that, let him leave my father (SCZ chairperson Mwamba Kalenga) alone.
“He has sacrificed and contributed a lot to the development of boxing, he does not earn anything from the club, but funds all its activities and that does not mean he has nothing to do, but it is because of the passion he has for the sport,” a visibly annoyed Kalenga Jr said.
And Mubita said yesterday he was in shock at Chileshe’s pronouncements, saying he knew nothing about it.
“I don’t know what’s happening, I have just read that in the papers that some clubs have been de-registered and suspended. I am shocked because we have not had any discussion with the executive on such matters, all I can say is I am not aware,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from ZBF president Thomas Chileshe proved futile as his mobile phone went unanswered.
The clubs ZBF said it had de-registered and suspended include Solwezi, RAAP, Chambeshi,  Copperbelt Energy, Livingstone City Council, Gomes, Club Mk, Red Arrows, Armory, YMCA and Kasanda