ALL is ready as Young Africans conduct historic elections to elect President, Vice-President and five members to form the Executive Committee (EXCOM) in the polls at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam today.
The election of new leaders is in line with the implementation of transformation requirements which the club embraced and for the first time, they are going to have a president as a key decision maker.
However, the presidential seat is being contested by one aspirant Hersi Said who is unchallenged, hence he has a big chance to be voted to assume the highest office and make him the first person to accommodate it.
But, a stiff challenge is seen for the Vice-President post being contested by Haji Arafat and Suma Mwaitenda with each showing strong interest to win the post and assist the club in its daily operations.
In most of their top agendas during campaigns, all of them have been putting first the issue of infrastructure development saying once being voted, they will ensure that the club gets desirable infrastructures.
Hersi declared that once elected as president, he will instantly embark on the project to construct a 20,000-seater stadium at the club’s headquarters in Jangwani so that home league games should unfold there.
“Let me promise Yanga fans that once voted as president, I will begin procedures to build a 20,000 capacity stadium at Kaunda ground at Jangwani street, Kariakoo.
“This is the place where our team used to train and we have our own building as such, it has enough space for a 20,000 capacity stadium to be constructed. The stipulated capacity is an average of our fans who turn up at our normal games excluding the match against Simba.
“If we can construct the stadium, then we will have a chance to host 90 per cent of our league home matches there that is why we have seen that a 20,000 capacity venue will be enough,” he said.
Adding, Hersi pointed out that the logic behind constructing the stadium at Kaunda is accessibility of the place saying it is well positioned at the centre of the city meaning that people from various areas can reach there without difficulties.
On her side, Mwaitenda who is also chairman of Yanga Princess is the only female candidate who has decided to come upfront and seek for the authority from the club members to run the club at such a high position.
“Once I get elected to work as vice president, I will make sure that I use my engineering skills to help the club in its ambition of developing sports infrastructures since I have been working in the construction industry for a long time,” she said.
She also pledged to work closely with the president to be elected, saying the two positions require a cordial working relationship as a driving force to help the club move forward and implement all its agendas.
On his part, Arafat maintained that once elected as vice-president, he will continue to propel for the club to fully be transformed saying he was among the founders of transformation agendas.
“I know very well the benefits which come when a club is wholly transformed, that is why I insist that if I get voted, then the issue of transformation will be on top of my priorities,” he said.
