ORIGIN
Tanzanian Veterinary Association owes its origin to the Tanganyika Territory Division of the National Veterinary Medical Association (N.V.M.A) of Great-Britain and Ireland, but the exact date when the Tanganyika Territory Division of N.V.M.A. was formed is not known. It does seem, however, that the Tanganyika Territory Division of the N.V.M.A was formed at a very early stage of the British Colonial era in this country.
Later on, the National Veterinary Medical Association gave birth to the British Veterinary Association (B.V.A) and the Association in the then Tanganyika Territory became the Tanganyika Division of the British Veterinary Association. Once again our records are not complete but it would appear that this took place in the mid-fifties.
It must be pointed out here that in those days, members of the Tanganyika Division of the British Veterinary Association had to be full members of the British Veterinary Association in the first place.
With the advent of Uhuru (independence) at the end of 1961 the Tanganyika Division of the British Veterinary Association had to make a decision on its future relations with the parent body. The British Veterinary Association suggested two courses which the Tanganyika Association could follow. The first was to apply for affiliation and the second was to amend the Rules of the local Association so that all members who were not members of the British Veterinary Association would become Associate Members of the Tanganyika Veterinary Association without voting rights and without the right of participation in the affair of the parent body – the B.V.A.
The Tanganyika Division decided to apply for affiliation to the British Veterinary Association because at that time about one third of their members were not members of the parent Association and because it was contrary to the Association rules to have “a lower grade of membership”. The change also includes changing name of the association in 1961. The name of the Association was changed to The Tanganyika Veterinary Association
In 1964 after the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar the word Tanganyika was replaced by the word Tanzania and since then the association is known as Tanzania Veterinary Association (TVA)
REFERENCES
C.L.Kombo. Tanzania Veterinary Association-Letter from the Chairman, Tanz Vet Bull, Vol (1), 1979