Chilufya to wait a bit longer

ZAMBIAN-born Civics striker William Chilufya has to wait a little longer to become a Namibian citizen.

This is apparently because the Namibia Football Association (NFA) still needs to submit a recommendation letter to the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), which will in turn compile another recommendation, before submitting it to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Civics Sport Club, the team for which Chilufya plays, has already written a letter to the NFA, informing them about the player’s intentions of becoming a Namibian citizen.Chilufya, who was the top goal scorer of the past season with 17 goals in the domestic premiership, intends to play for Namibia’s Brave Warriors if his application for citizenship is approved.The manager of finance and administration at the NSC, Walter Haseb, told The Namibian Sport yesterday that the commission had a telephonic discussion on the player’s citizenship with the Civics authorities, but no letter has been received yet.We cannot write a recommendation to the ministry before we get the letter from the NFA which endorses the change of citizenship of the player.They are the football mother body and Chilufya being a footballer, he will be in a better position if there are supporting documents from the NFA in regard to the change of his citizenship,” said Haseb.The acting secretary general of the NFA, Barry Rukoro, countered that the NFA does not have to write to the NSC on the issue.He said the player is supposed to approach the NSC himself for a recommendation letter if he needs to make his case stronger.Chilufya says he has approached the commission on the letter, and was promised that it would be given to him, but he has been waiting for about a month.”They said I will get the letter soon, but it has been over a month now.I am also waiting for my Police clearance report and that one is now since February this year,” said Chilufya.A Civics official, who did not want to be named, said the process of becoming a citizen was a “long and torrid one”.”One cannot just become a citizen overnight,” he said.Civics Sport Club, the team for which Chilufya plays, has already written a letter to the NFA, informing them about the player’s intentions of becoming a Namibian citizen.Chilufya, who was the top goal scorer of the past season with 17 goals in the domestic premiership, intends to play for Namibia’s Brave Warriors if his application for citizenship is approved.The manager of finance and administration at the NSC, Walter Haseb, told The Namibian Sport yesterday that the commission had a telephonic discussion on the player’s citizenship with the Civics authorities, but no letter has been received yet.We cannot write a recommendation to the ministry before we get the letter from the NFA which endorses the change of citizenship of the player.They are the football mother body and Chilufya being a footballer, he will be in a better position if there are supporting documents from the NFA in regard to the change of his citizenship,” said Haseb.The acting secretary general of the NFA, Barry Rukoro, countered that the NFA does not have to write to the NSC on the issue.He said the player is supposed to approach the NSC himself for a recommendation letter if he needs to make his case stronger.Chilufya says he has approached the commission on the letter, and was promised that it would be given to him, but he has been waiting for about a month.”They said I will get the letter soon, but it has been over a month now.I am also waiting for my Police clearance report and that one is now since February this year,” said Chilufya.A Civics official, who did not want to be named, said the process of becoming a citizen was a “long and torrid one”.”One cannot just become a citizen overnight,” he said.