This archive report was first published on 14 January 2020.
On January 13, 2020, a shocking message appeared on Tanzanian billionaire Mohammed Dewji's Twitter account, claiming he had resigned as chairman of Simba SC, the country's football giants.
The message, which was posted shortly after Simba SC's loss to Mtibwa Sugar in the Mapinduzi Cup tournament, read: 'It is a pity Simba couldn’t win. After paying salaries of close to 4 billion a year. I resign as the chair of the board and will remain as an investor. Simba nguvu moja. I will focus on developing infrastructure and a youth academy.'
However, Dewji has since disowned the message, claiming his Twitter account was hacked.
‘What happened to my accounts yesterday was unfortunate. We are going back to (competing in the) league strong,’ the 44-year-old explained in a message that appeared on the same platform on January 14, 2020.
As the chairman of Simba SC since 2017, Dewji has invested heavily in the club, with a reported Sh100 million investment in the Tanzanian champions.
Under his leadership, Simba SC has acquired top players such as Kenyan midfielder Francis Kahata, Rwandan forward Meddie Kagere, and Ivorian defender Pascal Wawa, and has also built a state-of-the-art training ground in Dar es Salaam.
