What`s big deal in being Simba boss?
By Syllersaid Mziray
9th May 2010EmailPrintComments
A colleague of mine, then 58 years of age and working as a driver with a local brewing company, recently told me that Tanzania's soccer has been tarnished by the learned people. He recounted that before the involvement of the learned people in soccer matters, the game was played in a spirit that was very friendly and earnestly.
He added that in those days, club leaders were selected from among those involved in the competitive process or those who for one reason or another could not take part in the competitive process but had roots and strong ties with the club.
The friend insisted that during that time, clubs depended much on their members' contributions and donations, unlike these days whereby the survival of a good number of members depend on the clubs.
In an age in which most Tanzanians take for granted that people equate well-being with consumption, increasing numbers of people seem willing to trade certain freedoms and material comforts for a sense of immutable acquisition of power and henceforth money.
In the past, candidates for Simba Sports Club leadership were those people whose history of affiliation with the club could be traced in a very clean manner and were dedicated to see the club prosper.
During those days, leaders of the club were selected by virtue of possession of good leadership skills and good interpersonal relationship. One's financial strength had nothing to do with the club's leadership and in most cases those who were financially sound were not interested in becoming club leaders.
To most intelligent people, soccer club leadership is looked upon as a non-profitable voluntary engagement of an individual. But over the past few decades, things have changed a lot and club leadership has become one of the easiest means of making money faster and easier. It is for this reason that a cluster of people which was not expected to take part in the club elections process is now on the forefront of the battle for top positions of club leadership.
The way the candidates for the different positions in the Simba Club's elections are struggling to be selected tells it all about how valuable club management has become to the society.
Of course when an individual seeks court intervention over being axed during the Simba electoral screening process, one should ask why. What makes Simba leadership so special such that people are fighting round the clock to see their names restored in the aspirants' slate?
How much money is involved in the entire legal procedure to restore their candidacy? Can one get involved in this entire fracas without having something valuable to gain at the end of it?
Of course to lodge in a civil case and hire an advocate for that matter involves the use of money. I wonder if one is ready to make use of money in that manner without expecting to make a profit in the future.
On the other hand, the Tanzania Football Association (TFF) had no need of interfering in Simba's internal affairs; elections included. It is quite hard to justify the reasons for screening some Simba candidates such that it came to a point of having a single contestant for the vice-chairperson's slot.
Well, it is hard to justify the screening of candidates such as Richard Wambura and Mwina Kaduguda, owing to their very strong past history not only in Simba but also in the country's soccer politics.
Of course when names of Kaduguda and Wambura are slashed off the race for the club leadership one might think of a dirty game being played; corruption so to speak. Need I say more?
Syllersaid Mziray is a lecturer-cum-soccer coach
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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