Zambia Volleyball Association (ZAVA) president Nakaonga Kakoma has resigned as National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) board member after an audit of her association revealed gross mismanagement of funds.

An audit of ZAVA by the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF), a subsidiary of the Norwegian Agency for Development highlighted incidences of corruption and mismanagement of funds among other fraudulent activities.

The ZAVA president told Goal Diggers that three quarters of the revelations were false, but then later resigned from her position as NOCZ board member.

In a statement, NOC president Alfred Foloko stated that Kakoma had resigned to pave way for further investigation into the allegations of abuse of funds, corruption and fraud.

“As you may be aware The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) undertook an investigation to determine the status of financial management of funds in the Zambia Volleyball Association (ZAVA) for 2018. As a result of their findings they withdrew support from ZAVA and reported their findings to the Zambia Police, Ministry of Sports, Sports Council and National Olympic Committee of Zambia,” read a statement.

“In view of the report on NIF findings and the on-going investigations on financial irregularities investigations by Zambia Police, and seeing that there was no adequate policy direction from National Sports Council of Zambia to which ZAVA takes its original mandate to operate as a Sports body, the NOCZ board tabled this issue during their board meeting of 6th December 2019 to determine its course of action in this regard.”

Foloko stated Kakoma resigned out of her free will, adding that she must be commended for her exemplary leadership.

“On behalf of the NOCZ Board, I wish to inform you all that following our board meeting, Ms, Nakaonga Kakoma, President of ZAVA and NOCZ Board member in charge of the Women 8K Sport Commission announced her stepping down from the NOCZ Board with immediate effect. She did this out of her own free will to give room for the investigations in this matter to take its course. I must commend her for exercising leadership in this regard and NOCZ will remain committed to advance and support the practice of good governance principles in all its activities and among its affiliates in the fulfilment of our commitment to our partners and stakeholders towards sports development in Zambia.”