Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has directed the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports to issue an immediate statement regarding the suspension of the match between Simba Sports Club and Young Africans last Saturday.
Majaliwa issued the directive in parliament yesterday following complaints from football fans who took to the social media since the match was postponed.
The Prime Minister further asked the ministry to give clarification on how they would refund fans who had paid their entrance fees to watch the country’s derby.
There has been a huge debate since last Saturday in the social media with many fans demanding that the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) refund all people who had paid their money to watch the eagerly awaited match. Yesterday, the PM directed the ministry to reveal the date for the next encounter between the two teams which have the largest number of fans countrywide.
“I want to call upon Tanzanians especially football fans to give time the ministry responsible so that it can come up with a report on the next date for the match as well as the fate of their entrance fees,” said the Prime Minister.
He said in preparing the report on the unfortunate event, the ministry should collaborate with other bodies supervising football in the country.
On the side of sports stakeholders and analysts, they were all astonished with Saturday’s event in which Ally Mayai noted that the authorities should apply more wisdom and prudence on the matter rather than putting force on the interpretation of the laws and regulations guiding soccer in Tanzania.
He made these remarks, as he referred to the event as unusual that had not happened previously, and therefore required wisdom in seeking its solutions.
“This is the first kind of an event that has happened and has involved the timetable in comparison to the past events.
This is a new case that really still needs to be interpreted; with this case it shows there is an importance to have collaborative decision making. Especially in events that affect the wider interests of clubs that are icons in the football of this country.
In the interpretation of this case we not only need legal interpretation but we also need to apply wisdom and prudence because it is the first event of its kind to happen.
If it could have happened previously we would have the ways to how we could reach the solution.” Apart from Mayai the former Simba Chairman Ismail Aden Rage reminded football fans and clubs that the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) had been registered in accordance with the National Sports Council Act No. 12 of 1967 together with its amendments of 1971.
Where he responded to all those critiqued regarding the interference of the Government in football activities by saying that, “by logic the reason for registering TFF in the government is that it will follow and implement all Government directives.”
He continued by saying “when the football association runs its affairs here in Tanzania there are other issues that the Government is responsible to issue its support and supervision.”
In which through that statement he put clarity to why the Government had the power to issue directives to TFF on the reschedule of the traditional rival’s timetable.
He further challenged Yanga for citing regulation 15 (10) where he noted that, “the regulations that Yanga cited have only quoted a part which ends up in the 24 hours they have not gone further deep…
It is true that the regulations declare that the information regarding the kickoff postpone time is supposed to be communicated to both clubs within 24 hours but they left a part that speaks of an emergency which is beyond the control of TFF, this makes changes anywhere.”
He went further and quoted chapter 3 (10) of the regulation and stated that the authority in charge to plan and change the schedule at any time and their decision is TFF and you cannot appeal.
Thus Young African had no authority to challenge TFF orders.
