Speaking in an interview yesterday, he said the development surrounding the removal of Eziaus Mkandawire as the board chairperson for unexplained reasons is a demonstration that the setup thrives on backbiting and cheap politicking. “I am a person who values my principles. The manner in which Eziaus Mkandawire was appointed only to be removed two weeks later tells of an organisation which lacks direction.
It would have been prudent if the appointing authority had furnished us with reasons for his removal,” he said. Chafumuka said he has since written Cosoma executive director Dora Makwinja to notify her of his position. Our efforts to hear from the Cosoma secretariat were not successful as both the executive director and the Cosoma public relations office could not respond to our calls and WhatsApp messages.
Chafumuka was appointed alongside other members such as Mkandawire, Deborah Ntopa, Edgar Kachere, Anthony Dumba, Wendy Harawa and Evelyn Chisambiro. But two weeks after the board was constituted, it was reshuffled, which saw Mkandawire and Ntopa being removed. In a related development, Rights Holder Association has unveiled to petition the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture over what it calls unlawful appointments of Cosoma Board members.
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He said: “The Cosoma Board is not like any other boards. Cosoma is a membership driven establishment. What we are seeing here is total disregard of the laws that govern the establishment.
“We have found ourselves in a situation where members who were elected by the general assembly are being removed from the board. In essence, what we are doing now is killing the voices of the artists, which is wrong.” Muphuwa said it is important to have a representation in the board of individuals who are well versed with the challenges that artists face and what it means to be an artist.
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