Simba’s reforms claim victory

EVENTUALLY members of Simba have okayed constitutional reforms that allow the club’s ownership and management in share format. In their meeting held yesterday at Oyster Bay Police Officers Mess in Dar es Salaam, agreed changes sign a start of the new system many members feel will help the club to develop into a modern outfit.

The meeting, led by the Club’s President Evans Aveva, was attended by 642 out of registered 5,000 members of the club who calmly enabled the reforms to by a landslide.

The members went through all sections of the constitutions and were involved in the discussions who and how to amended each of them. The top of the meeting, however, was an article number 49 of the constitution which dwells on the club’s ownership.

Other sub-sections in the article number 49(1), which stipulates any decision to omit or change a system, must be approved by over two-third of members of the meeting. The bill was passed after over two-third of the members approved it.

Article number 49 (ii) which says there wouldn’t be changes and article 49 (111) saying; there must be a reason to omit or to change or to amend a system for the club such as heavy indebtedness, bankruptcy, loss of trustworthiness in accordance with modern day business system.

In article number 49 (a), it was agreed that the club members’ meeting can be called in accordance with article number 22 to change the ownership or management system of Simba.

The article number 49 (b) passed said the changes in club’s management or ownership system must not affect the status of eligible members of the club, but their status will change to cope with appropriate system of the changes introduced. It was also agreed that the ratio of the ownership for every member of the club in the new system will be discussed by the executive committee in accordance with the value of the club and the investment.

Article number 49(c) said the new ownership or management system will inherit all rights and properties of the club as well as all debts and responsibilities of the club incurred prior to the ownership change.

The section (d) of 49 article under the new system will decide to cease the usage of the old constitution in the first meeting under the new system which will pass the amended constitution as well as introducing new voting system for eligible members of the club.

After passing the sections in 49 article, the Club’s President Aveva called for calmness in the club while the club is preparing to forward the amended or reformed constitution to Tanzania Football Federation(TFF), Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports and the Registrar of Sports Associations and clubs for approval. The meeting comes after a club member and business tycoon, Mohamed ‘Mo’ Dewji tabled an offer to buy the club’s 51 per cent share for 20bn/-.

His bid to claim 51 per cent received both supporters and a countless members of opposed it. ownership The club’s trustees council under its chairman, Hamisi Kilomoni, opposed the meeting demanding National Sports Council approval of all members who attended the meeting as there were no official from the government and NSC who attended the meeting

. But, a few months after Mo announced Simba’s take over bid, MPs who support the club backed his 51 per cent take over bid of the club’s shares. The MPs from both CCM and Chadema, gave their stand at a press conference in Dodoma over the weekend, saying it was right time for change in the way club ran its affairs.

Chemba MP Juma Nkamia, who is also the club’s former Publicity Secretary, said he believed Dewji is genuinely commited to transform the club’s fortunes. Dewji wants to own 51pc of the club’s shares, which will make him majority shareholder, while the remaining 49 per cent of the stakes will be owned by other club members.

Daily News