Dust settles at Simba

• Rage, Kibadeni call for calm ahead of league opener

DAR ES SALAAM: A LEADERSHIP dispute at Simba appears to have eased after the club’s board of directors suspended all previous decisions concerning the proposed Board of Trustees.

The decision was reached at a board meeting on Monday, according to a statement signed jointly by Board of Directors Chairman Crescentius Magori and his deputy, Murtaza Mangungu.

The board said all actions taken previously concerning the Board of Trustees would remain suspended until further notice.

The move follows a disagreement between Magori and Mangungu over the process used to convene a Special General Meeting at which seven people were proposed as trustees.

Mangungu had defended the meeting, saying he had consulted Simba President, Mohamed Dewji, and that the Board of Directors did not have the power to prevent him from holding it.

Magori disputed that position, arguing that the club’s constitution requires the chairman to consult the Board of Directors before convening a Special General Meeting.

The latest statement, however, does not settle the constitutional disagreement, but puts the trustees’ issue on hold as the club turns its attention to the new season.

The board said its immediate priorities would include registration, preparations for Simba Day, the Community Shield match and the start of the new Mainland Premier League season.

It also called on Simba members and supporters to remain united and support the club as it prepares for the new campaign.

The proposed seven-member Board of Trustees members had included Adam Mgoi, Hamad Abdallah, Salum Abdallah, Bill Kiwia, Hassan Hassan, Ismail Mohamed and Amos Makalla. Their status remains unresolved following the board’s decision to suspend the earlier proceedings.

Meanwhile, former Simba Chairperson Ismail Rage and former player and coach Abdallah Kibadeni have called for unity and calmness among the club’s leaders, warning that public contradictions, especially on social media, are unhealthy and can disturb the peace and stability of the club.

Rage said he still believes in the current leadership despite the recent developments, describing the situation as a misunderstanding.

“Contradictions among leaders, especially on social media, are not healthy for Simba. They disturb the peace of the club and affect the supporters.”

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He urged the club to put the matter behind it and shift its focus to Simba Day and the upcoming Dar Derby against Yanga on August 12.

Kibadeni stressed the importance of establishing a Council of Elders at Simba to provide guidance and advice to the club’s leadership whenever crises or disputes arise.

He noted that conflicts among leaders not only hurt the club’s supporters and elders but also expose Simba to public ridicule.

“Simba needs a Council of Elders that can step in and advise the club whenever there is a crisis or disagreements among leaders.”

“When leaders fight among themselves, it hurts the fans and the elders. At the end of the day, Simba becomes a laughing stock in society.”