Thursday, December 5, 2024

Zambia Air force employs all Red Arrows Womens Football club players

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The Zambia Air Force Commander, Lt Gen Colin Barry has with immediate effect employed all the Red Arrows Women’s Football Club players and assured those that featured at the WAFCON in Morocco that they would be part of the recruitment of Defence Force personnel announced by the Defence Minister.

Lt Gen Colin Barry was speaking when he hosted Red Arrows Women and Copper Queens players Margret Belemu, Mary Wilombe and Ochumba Oseke Lubanji at Zambia Air Force Headquarters on Friday, 05 July 2022.

Lt Gen Barry commended the Red Arrows Women’s Football players for emerging second during the 2021/2022 FAZ Women’s League and minting bronze at the WAFCON in the 3rd and 4th playoffs against Nigeria.

Lt Gen Barry also commended, Copper Queens Interim Captain Grace Chanda, who is away at her base in Kazakhstan, on her nomination as CAF Women’s Player of the year saying that the nomination in itself is a great achievement. He also praised the ‘Amazing Grace’ for providing leadership to the team.

The Air Force Commander also recognized Grace Chanda and Margret Belemu for being listed among the top 11 the Total Energies 2022 WAFCON alongside other players from South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria.

Lt Gen Barry also announced that all the 35 Red Arrows Women’s Players were employed by the Zambia Air Force as Civilians and the the 4 that represented the Zambia Air Force at national level would be recruited as soldiers in the next recruitment.
Margret Belemu thanked the Air Force Commander and said joining the Zambia Air Force as a soldier was a dream come true for her and her team mates.

13 COMMENTS

  1. This gentleman is so crazy. Last time he was visiting a mine in Solwezi and swearing his air force would defend underground mineral resources. Now he has assured those that featured at the WAFCON in Morocco that they would be part of the recruitment of Defence Force personnel announced by the Defence Minister. Isnt this corruption? Those women needed to be separately awarded without interference with civil service policy. Naimwe ba LT do proper reporting: Red Arrows minted bronze at WAFCON? Really?

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    • Come on, how can it be corruption, when it is done in the open? Lt Gen Barry is exercising his authority to hire these girls, who were already playing for Red Arrows, into the formal ranks of the airforce, so that they can get regular salaries, and other benefits. He is assuring them of a future when their playing careers are over. These girls are the most selfless of players, carrying nothing but our flag into war, even with the corruption of Motsepe and South Africa preventing them from winning a tournament in which they were clearly the best team. These girls have gone where our men have never gone before: to the World Cup… Come one man, if you want corruption, just look back at anything PF did, and you will corruption everywhere.

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    • What money is there is professional football in Zambia, especially for women? This is a very good thing. The air force is stepping up and putting these girls on the payroll. Yesterday the army promoted all the players who are on the national team, who include Barbara Banda, Hazel Nali, Martha Tembo, Lushomo Mweemba etc etc… I think Gen Barry was one step behind, but he has caught up

    • They do need employment. Players in Zambia have always needed employment. I grew up on the copperbelt, and saw many of my friends play football for the mine teams while we were still even in primary school. This is why the strength of Zambia was always from the Copperbelt teams, Nchanga Rangers, Mufulira Wanderers, Roan United, Ndola United, Konkola Blades and Kabwe Warriors. The mines facilitated the development of football in their towns. The mines are gone, but the military is stepping up. I hope that Zambia Police will follow suit shortly

  2. Their president even claimed that all appointments will be done on merit. Is this fair recruitment based on merit? Upnd is worst govt

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    • This merit Kaizar Zulu. These girls went and performed at an extremely high level. If it was not for the corruption (which you are an expert in) of South Africa, they would have brought the title. They clearly were the best team, but I suspect that your eyes are so full of tears from being voted out of office that you were not able to watch the girls in action in Morocco. This is how Zambian football used to be, before you and MMD sold the companies that used to sponsor it. The mines and the companies in Lusaka employed all the players who played on their teams. These people them formed the basis from which national team players were selected. But then again, an near-illiterate and larcenous dummy like you probably does not understand this

    • I couldn’t wait for PF to have them behind, it was a sweet victory and will always be a sweet victory. PF was desperate to stay in power to just continue great corruption. Get a life @Kaizar Zulu

  3. @Alibe Vochita: First of all-Which nationality are you sir? before you judge this man, lets talk about you first, are you from Congo or Malawi?

    • Good response Esther. Why should he hate a man who is rewarding our precious She-polopolo for their brave and patriotic campaign in Morocco and Japan? These girls ask nothing, and just do us proud every time they take the field. They deserve this and more, and all of us should be thankful to those who encourage and reward them like this

  4. Air Force they fly Air planes, I just wonder what jobs you styupid idyots expect football players should be doing, list 10 duties. Barry has done great offer to these girls.
    ZAF (Red Arrows) need education is NOT like bachibombebombe the
    Zambia Army (Green Buffalo), ZNS (Green Eagles), or Zambia Police (Nkwazi).

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