Yanga thrown into era of uncertainty

Some elders and members of Young Africans are resisting a bid by club chairman Yusuf Manji (right) to hire the company using his company. PHOTOIFILE

What you need to know:

  • The meeting had been scheduled today to vote on the possibility of hiring out the club to businessman and Yanga chairman Yusuf Manji’s company. The injunction was filed by Frank Chacha, who is the first applicant and Juma Magoma (second applicant) against registered trustees of Young Africans Sports Club (first respondent), Yanga Yetu Limited (second respondent) and Yusufu Manji who is the third respondent.

Dar es Salaam. Young Africans SC is likely to face a protracted period of uncertainty, after the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court granted a temporary injunction to stop the club’s emergency meeting.

The meeting had been scheduled today to vote on the possibility of hiring out the club to businessman and Yanga chairman Yusuf Manji’s company. The injunction was filed by Frank Chacha, who is the first applicant and Juma Magoma (second applicant) against registered trustees of Young Africans Sports Club (first respondent), Yanga Yetu Limited (second respondent) and Yusufu Manji who is the third respondent.

The applicants asked the court to grant temporary injunction restraining the respondent’s assignees, employees, agents and any member to immediately stop from conducting the emergency general meeting. Kisutu Resident Magistrate Godfrey Mwambapa was satisfied with the application and stop the meeting.

Reacting to the new development yesterday, Manji confirmed that the meeting had been stopped.“We cannot conduct the meeting because we have to honour the court order,” he told The Citizen. The case will now come for mention on November 24, said Manji.

He refused to comment on the nail-biting negotiations to convince Yanga members to grant his company permission to run the club affairs. He said the matter was in court. “Let the court judge, we are ready,” he said.

The Yanga chairman’s proposal is to take over and run the club like a business venture to raise enough funds for day-to-day costs and development. He has proposed to give the club 25 per cent of the revenue generated annually.

However, those against it argue that giving Manji’s company the sole mandate to run the club is tantamount to grabbing Yanga from the “rightful” owners -- the fans and members who have stood with the Jangwani Street side through thick and thin for over 80 years.