Major changes for club owners
Information, Culture, Arts and Sports minister Harrison Mwakyembe speaks with members of the press during a joint meeting with the Tanzania Football Federation yesterday at the National Stadium. PHOTO | Imani Makongoro
Dar es Salaam. A minimum of three investors is now required to jointly hold 49 per cent stake of a sports club that was established by members, the government said yesterday.
Information, Culture, Arts and Sports minister Harrison Mwakyembe said this during a meeting that brought together officials from the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the National Sports Council (NSC), sports stakeholders and members of the press.
In the meeting held at the National Stadium, Mwakyembe said one investor is not allowed to own the 49 per cent stake and to ensure that does not happen, he has formed a special committee to supervise the exercise.
The minister said that the provision is in the new amended rules and regulations of the NSC.
He said they had earlier tasked TFF to oversee how the 49 percent stake would be disbursed to three investors, but, he added, TFF did not manage it properly.
According to Mwakyembe, the task has now been moved to NSC, which will give the modality of the 49 per cent stake and how the three investors would own it.
Already Simba have announced that Mohammed Dewji is the sole investor in the team and was expected to pump in Sh20 billion into the soccer giants.
However, until now, Dewji, a business tycoon, is yet to pay the agreed amount of money to the club, awaiting the completion of recruitment of office bearers. The exercise is currently in the final stage after job vacancies were advertised via the media.
Simba SC followed all the procedures of securing new leadership structures before conducting the club’s general election as per the club’s new constitution endorsed by the government.
The club later publicly announced that interested investors should apply and Dewji was the only businessman who applied and won the chance.
Simba chairman Swedi Mkwabi said they were yet to get official information from the government regarding the new condition of the minimum of three investors holding the 49 per cent stake.
“As the club chairman, I am yet to receive any information from the government. So, at present, I cannot comment on the matter,” said Mkwabi over the telephone.
Meanwhile, the government has endorsed clubs to recruit 10 foreign players in the Mainland Premier League.
Mwakyembe said the number would not affect local players’ development, but would rather stimulate the game development.
