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The National Taekwondo Federation elective meeting, which was scheduled to take place today in Arusha, has been postponed to next week, the National Sports Council (NSC) has confirmed.
NSC Information Officer, Najaha Bakari, said yesterday that the polls initially set for Njiro Complex in Arusha will now be held next Saturday at the same venue.
She explained that the postponement was prompted by competing official engagements involving NSC officers who are required to supervise the elections.
“The Taekwondo elections that were supposed to be held tomorrow (today) in Arusha have been postponed to next week Saturday at the same place. We have already informed all stakeholders, including the Tanzania Taekwondo Federation (TTF),” she said.
Bakari noted that NSC officials serve as returning officers during elections for national sports associations, and many of them are currently engaged in other official assignments.
She also reminded clubs that the deadline to pay their membership fees which qualify them to vote closed yesterday.
According to her, only a limited number of clubs have fulfilled the requirement, with most registered voters yet to clear their dues.
“For now, many clubs that are supposed to vote have not paid the membership fees. Only some clubs from Arusha, and a few from Kilimanjaro and Mwanza, have done so,” she said.
“Failure to pay is failure to vote. We have been clear about that.”
When asked whether the deadline for fee payment would be extended in light of the election postponement, Bakari did not confirm but said the Council will soon issue further guidance on the election procedure.
TTF Secretary General, Shija Shija, acknowledged the postponement and described it as a positive turn of events for member clubs.
“We have received the news of the postponement. We were ready for the elections, but since the directive has come from the government, we must comply,” he said.
“This is also a blessing for us because many of the clubs that are required to vote have not yet paid their membership fees. The extra time gives them room to mobilize funds and meet the requirement.”he added
Shija added that all positions, including that of Secretary General, will be contested in the election. He clarified that the position remains open to interested candidates because the TTF constitution has not been amended to make the role a salaried permanent position.
He further explained that the elections are open only to stakeholders from mainland Tanzania, as Zanzibar runs its own Taekwondo Association under the Zanzibar Sports Council.
The new election date and any additional procedures are expected to be formally communicated in the coming days.