By Business Insider Correspondent, Zanzibar
The Office of the Vice President (Union and Environment) has said it will continue to use the sports sector as a platform for building brotherhood, unity and solidarity among Tanzanians, in line with the founding principles of the Union.
The remarks were made Friday January 23, 2026, by the Permanent Secretary of the Office, Dr. Richard Muyungi, during his visit to the training camp of the Office’s netball team, which is taking part in the ongoing Union Netball League at the Amani Complex Stadium in Zanzibar.
Dr. Muyungi said sport is an important sector for fostering cooperation and social cohesion, adding that the Office will continue to promote various initiatives to ensure that sport plays a central role in strengthening the Union.
“The intention and vision of our founders when establishing the Union was to remain united and to use different opportunities, including sport, to build relationships of brotherhood, family ties and other social and economic connections,” Dr. Muyungi said.
He explained that through sport – particularly the Union Netball League – the Office has been able to promote the Union effectively, noting that the team’s players have shown great commitment and achieved positive results in their matches.
In addition to the visit, Dr. Muyungi presented cash incentives of TSh500,000 to each player as motivation to boost morale and encourage the team to secure victories in the remaining matches.
“I have given this cash award as motivation for you to perform even better. Let me just say that the best is yet to come. Let us increase our efforts in the remaining matches so that we can lift the trophy in this competition,” he said.
The team’s coach, Mafuru Buriro, thanked the management of the Office of the Vice President for providing all the team’s basic needs, a step he said had enabled the players to set up a strong and well-prepared training camp for the competition.
“We are very grateful to the Permanent Secretary for being close to the team from the beginning of this tournament, as that has been the secret behind our winning success in all the matches we have played,” Buriro said.
He noted that the team has played a total of 10 matches, winning nine and losing one against the Zanzibar Valantia Force (KVZ), the defending champions of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Office of the Vice President Sports Club, Marwa Nyaisawa, said the Union Netball League is one of the flagship competitions that demonstrates the Office’s readiness to compete effectively in various sporting disciplines.
For her part, team player Ms. Habiba Mhina thanked the Office’s management for giving female employees the opportunity to participate in the tournament, noting that, in addition to improving health, the competition has enabled them to interact with a wide range of stakeholders. The 2026 Union Netball League brought together a total of 11 teams, including six from Mainland Tanzania and five from Zanzibar.
