Article

At local level sport can be an effective stimulus for economic development. But in Tanzania because there has been not enough political will to deal with the issue of open space for sport this aspect is a lost one. Different elements of the sports sector are poorly harnessed locally because of the existing diseconomies of scale. Individually, each of the various sectors of the sports economy can create activity, job and wealth. When combine together there will always be an additional economic gains. But for Tanzania , the local economy potential of sport is further damaged when the so call sponsors of the sport activities have a hidden agenda which when analysed are not sustainable.

If sport and sport-related activities are encouraged it is possible in Tanzania to initiate a righteous circle in which new forms of activities will be generated. Both the design and implementation of sport-based local economic development strategies are not participatory, not encouraged and neither facilitated between local stakeholders including the growing private sector. There is a need to take what I will like to describe as integrated approach that would consider activities that take on board small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), manufacturing of sporting goods, creating jobs and employing training etc.

Lack of sport infrastructure is a lost hope in Tanzania because non of local government and district councils and currently for those yearning to be leaders to the next 2005 general election speak or discuss openly the need to put in place what I view as “sport infrastructure”. I would like to caution that the construction of sport infrastructure is very vital and can stimulate economic development and now is accepted to be important matter in urban planning.

What I will consider as a missing point is lack to understand that once the sport facilities are in place, there could be a multiple purposes which may earn income to districts to meet their recurrent expenditure through well planned and managed cultural activities, social and other activities. For the country to move forward in sport industry there is a need to re-think on how issues related to sport and social development are dealt with both from national level to local level. Sport could be used to fight crime, drug abuse, issues related to gender, and personal disabilities and the child labour problem. These issues are important and more details could be accessible if you contact the webmaster of this website.

in the next issue I will comment about sport and peace.