The Minister of Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports, Paul Makonda, has vowed to work with members of sports associations and federations to remove leaders who fail to deliver on commitments made during elections.
Speaking at a meeting of the National Sports Council (NSC) with leaders of various sports bodies, Makonda emphasized that officeholders must use their positions to advance sports and produce tangible results.
“Our office will closely monitor the promises you made to your members. If we find that less than 20 percent of these commitments have been fulfilled, we will not hesitate to collaborate with members to remove such leaders from office,” he warned.
Makonda highlighted persistent challenges undermining sports development, including internal conflicts within federations, lack of transparency in finances, and leaders clinging to power beyond their terms.
The minister also called on the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) to ensure a smooth handover to the new leadership by Monday, giving the NSC 24 hours to take appropriate action if necessary.
NSC Secretary-General Neema Msitha said the meeting focused on ways federations and associations can leverage social media to promote themselves, reducing dependence on government funding.
She added that model constitutions and operational guidelines are being developed to strengthen governance and institutional management.
“The goal is to foster stronger collaboration between associations, stakeholders, and government to support the growth and development of sports nationwide,” Msitha said.
She further noted that, despite some setbacks, the country has achieved notable successes, including the under-17 national cricket team qualifying for the World Cup and medal wins in futsal and other sports at the All African Games.
