A former Zambia coach who was suspended for alleged sexual abuse of underage players is now working as technical advisor for the Zambian army side Green Buffaloes Women despite still being under investigation by Fifa.
Kaluba Kangwa, who is a former coach of Zambia’s Under-17 and Under-20s sides, was suspended by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) in September 2022 after being accused of sexually exploiting and abusing underaged players while he was in charge of the Under-17s team.
Kangwa was also accused of impregnating a 15-year-old player in 2013 while he was working for a local NGO called BUSA (Bauleni United Sports Academy) in Lusaka. He has previously denied the accusations.
FAZ subsequently referred its investigation, which the Guardian revealed in July also included allegations of sexual misconduct against Zambia’s senior coach Bruce Mwape, to Fifa. Mwape was later accused of rubbing his hands down a player’s chest during the Women’s World Cup – a claim that was reported to a Fifa delegate who was with the squad throughout their stay in New Zealand. He has denied the allegations, with Fifa’s investigation understood to be ongoing.
FAZ has so far taken no action against Mwape and confirmed last month that he will be sent for technical training in an attempt to help him “gain vast knowledge in the game”, according to general secretary Reuben Kamanga. It is understood that Kangwa left his post as Under-17s coach in June despite no official announcement. He is now employed as a technical adviser for Green Buffaloes Women and was on the bench for their CAF Women’s Champions League qualifier against Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday, which was shown live on Fifa’s in-house television channel.
Green Buffaloes Women chairperson, Major Nisa Chakupa, confirmed last month that Kangwa would be travelling to the qualifying tournament in South Africa that was organised by the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa).
“Currently coach Kaluba Kangwa is helping us for the sake of the Cosafa and we will travel with him as one of the technical advisers,” Chakupa said. Neither Green Buffaloes Women nor FAZ responded to questions from the Guardian about whether Kangwa remains suspended.
Meanwhile, a leading women’s rights NGO in Zambia has questioned FAZ’s handling of the sexual harassment allegations in the senior women’s side. At a meeting on Tuesday, representatives of the Non-governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) expressed concern at the “recurring allegations of sexual harassment of female footballers” and questioned why FAZ’s investigation had failed to yield results.
“We appreciate the efforts that have been made so far, but what measures have you put in place to ensure that no one stops the girls from speaking,” said executive director Anne Mbewe Anamela. “There is a culture of silence in society especially among women and girls, it is not easy because the girls may feel embarrassed, and you know there is a culture to blame the victim.”
In response, FAZ’s head of administration, Colonel Andrew Siame said they “were equally concerned by the reports of alleged sexual harassment” and had appointed a national women’s coordinator who “looks specifically into the welfare of women’s football”.
