Kuuzwa Nyumba za Serikali, Nyerere na TANU waliliona tatizo
Richard
(Zimeshakwapuliwa; Nyumba hizi za serikali ziko eneo la Gangilonga
Iringa. Kuna hadithi za maofisa a serikali waliojipa uhamisho wa muda
kwenda mkoa fulani japo kwa miezi kadhaa. Huko watahakikisha wananunua
au wanapewa nyumba za serikali halafu wanahama tena kurudi walikokuwa.
Wanahemea nyumba za wananchi.)
Kuuzwa nyumba za Serikali; Nyerere na TANU waliliona tatizo MKUU wa
Chuo Kikuu cha Mzumbe Ndugu Ibrahim Kaduma alikikaririwa hivi majuzi
akishutumu utaratibu wa kuuza nyumba za serikali. Kaduma anasema kuuza
nyumba za serikali ni kukiuka misingi ya haki iliyowekwa na Azimio la
Arusha. Kaduma yuko sahihi na anasaidiwa na historia katika hili. Hoja
ya msingi ya Kaduma ni HAKI. Nimepata kusimulia kisa cha mama fukara
aliyelala kwenye kibanda chake cha mbavu za mbwa. Mama huyu alilala
kwenye kitanda cha kamba. Ubavuni mwake alikikumbatia kitoto chake
kichanga. Mlango wa kibanda chake ulikuwa wa mabua. Haukuwa na komeo.
Usiku mmoja wa mbalamwezi aliingiliwa na mwizi. Mama huyu alikuwa
usingizini. Mwizi alianza kwa kuchukua kanga yake chakavu iliyotundikwa
ukutani. Akaitandika sakafuni. Kisha akachukua kila alichokiona na
kilichochukulika; sahani mbili, sufuria moja, kikombe cha chai.
Akachukua pia kibakuri cha chumvi. Hakukuwa na kingine chenye thamani
alichokiona mle ndani. Mwizi akautazama mtungi wa maji, akauacha.
Hauchukuliki kirahisi. Kisha mwizi yule akaviweka vyote hivyo kwenye
kanga ile aliyotandika sakafuni. Akafungasha na kuliweka begani furushi
lake. Kabla hajatoka mlangoni, mama huyu alishtuka usingizini. Alimwona
mwizi akiwa amebeba karibu vyote alivyokuwa navyo kibandani mwake.
"Samahani baba!" Alitamka kwa sauti ya upole. Mwizi akashtuka na
kugeuka. "Umeusahau mwiko wa kusongea ugali. Uko nyuma ya mtungi!"
Mwizi yule alimtazama mama huyu na kitoto chake kichanga. Akaingiwa na
huruma kubwa.Taratibu akarudi na kuubwaga mzigo ule, akajiendea zake.
Naam. Huko nyuma nimepata kuandika mara kadhaa juu ya mjadala huu wa
kijamii wa kuuza nyumba za serikali. Jambo moja kubwa ambalo niliamini,
na bado naliamini, ni ukweli kuwa mjadala huu utaendelea kuwepo katika
jamii yetu mpaka pale hatua madhubuti zitakapochukuliwa kutafuta
muafaka wa kijamii juu ya suala lenye kuhusu mali za wananchi. Siku
zote, kujipendelea ndilo shina la maovu. Tunadhani lililopelekea uamuzi
wa kuuza nyumba za serikali ni ubinafsi na hulka ya baadhi ya viongozi
kutaka kujipendelea. Kama anavyosema Kaduma; kuwa anaamini zaidi ya
asilimia 90, kama si wote waliouziwa nyumba hizo, walikuwa tayari
wanazo zao. Hamu inakuwa ni jambo jema, endapo binadamu ataweza
kuitawala hamu yake.Tusipoitawala hamu yetu, tukaanza kujipendelea,
kuwasahau wengine, basi, hilo huwa ndio chimbuko la maovu, hupelekea
kutoelewana baina ya wanandugu na hata kwa marafiki walioshibana.
Hupelekea vurugu na machafuko katika jamii. Tunazungumzia uwepo wa
upendo, haki na usawa. Dini nyingi zinazungumzia umuhimu wa upendo,
haki na usawa katika jamii. Iwe ni Uislamu na Ukristo vivyo hivyo. "
Naapa kwa zama . Hakika binadamu wote wamo katika hasara isipokuwa wale
walioamini na wakafanya vitendo vizuri. Wakahusiana na haki na
wakahusiana na subira" (Koran tukufu, Surat ASWR) Na Biblia inasema;
kuwa Kaini alikuwa mtu wa kujipendelea mno, akamwua nduguye. Mfalme
Saulo alijipendelea mno, akamdhulumu Daudi. Yuda alijipendelea mno,
akaiba fedha za wenzake, hatimaye akamsaliti Yesu. Gazeti hili lilipata
kuandika tahariri iliyotoa msimamo wa kipekee kama gazeti juu ya sakata
hii ya uuzwaji wa nyumba za serikali. Katika tahariri ile " Kidonda
hiki kamwe hakitapona" ( Rai Na 616) yalibebwa maneno mazito. Rai
liliandika; " Upinzani kuhusu suala hili umekuwa mkubwa , na mjadala
wa wanajamii kuhusu tabia hii ya wakubwa kujipendelea umeshindwa kufa.
Si siri kwamba miongoni mwa maofisa wa Serikali waliosita kulipia
nyumba hizo hadi walipotishiwa kufukuzwa kazi na Rais, ni wale wenye
hofu kwamba wanaweza kupokonywa nyumba hizo hata kama ni miaka 15 au 20
ijayo. Sera ya kuuza nyumba hizo ni sera ya Serikali ya chama tawala,
CCM. Ni nani mwenye uhakika kuwa CCM itakaa madarakani milele?"
Liliuliza jarida hili la Rai. Historia inatukumbusha juu ya kuwepo kwa
mjadala unaofanana kidogo na huu wa sasa. Ni katika miaka ya 60.
Nyerere na TANU walipambana na hili la tamaa ya madaraka na mali kwa
baadhi ya viongozi. Tofauti ya wakati huo na huu tulio nao ni mipaka ya
matamanio ya viongozi hao. Mwaka 1966 kabla ya Azimio la Arusha,
Mwalimu Nyerere na TANU waliliona tatizo la baadhi ya viongozi kuwa na
tamaa ya kuishi kifahari na kujipendelea. Baadhi ya viongozi na hususan
jijini Dar Es Salaam walianza ujenzi wa majumba ambayo baadaye
yalipangishwa hata kwa ofisi za kibalozi au mashirika ya kimataifa.
Jambo hilo linaandikwa na mwandishi Cranford Pratt katika kitabu chake;
" The Critical Phase In Tanzania 1945-1968) Haikuwa haramu kwa
viongozi kujijengea majumba ya kupangisha, kwani viongozi wa wakati huo
walijenga nyumba hizo kwa kutumia mikopo ya watumishi. Hata hivyo,
kulingana na sera za TANU za Ujamaa na Kujitegemea, Mwalimu Nyerere na
TANU waliona haja ya kubadilisha taratibu hizo za mikopo ili kupunguza
wimbi la viongozi kujijengea majumba ya kupangisha na kuongezeka kwa
pengo la kipato kati ya viongozi na wanaowaongoza, yaani wananchi.
Nyerere na Kawawa waliamua kulishughulikia jambo hili kwa kupitishwa
azimio la NEC ya TANU . Ndipo hapa tunaona chimbuko la miiko ya uongozi
katika Azimio la Arusha. Miaka ile ya 60 TANU ililiona hili la kiongozi
kukopa na kujenga kuwa ni dhambi kwa vile iliona hatari ya kuwepo kwa
pengo kubwa kati ya waongozao na waongozwao. Masikini, viongozi wale
katika uadilifu wao, hawakujiwa hata na wazo la kuzigeuza nyumba za
serikali kuwa mali yao. Walichotaka ilikuwa ni mikopo tu, wajenge
nyumba wapangishe, na bado haikuwa sahihi kwa mazingira ya wakati ule.
Mwl. Nyerere aliziona nyumba za serikali, alikuwa na uwezo wa kutumia
mamlaka yake na kukwapua yeyote aliyoitaka na kuifanya kuwa mali yake,
akawapa hata wanae, nduguze na marafiki. Lakini akaamua kuchukua mkopo
na kujijengea nyumba yake pale Msasani. Mzee Rashid Kawawa ni mfano
mwingine. Amepata kuwa Waziri Mkuu na nyadhifa nyingine nyingi. Naye
aliziona nyumba za serikali, lakini leo anaishi kule kijijini kwake
Kiluvya kwenye nyumba aliyojenga kwa jasho lake. Kuna mifano mingine
mingi ya viongozi wa namna hiyo. Bila shaka, kuendekeza ubinafsi
kunachangia katika kufikia kwa baadhi ya mamuzi yasiyo na maslahi kwa
taifa. Na tukumbuke, kuwa baadhi ya viongozi wetu wa leo si kama yule
mwizi mwenye huruma. Mwizi aliyebwaga furushi la sahani na sufuria za
wizi kutoka ndani ya kibanda cha mama yule fukara na kichanga chake.
Viongozi hawa wakikumbushwa walichosahau nyuma, watarudi kukisomba!
Mariam
nafikiri, bei ya bure kabisa ukizingatia na location zilizopo and the
real estate market these days...na wanalipia tena kwa hizo hizo hela za
serikali wanazochukua kwa njia nyingine, au za per diem maana wako busy
kwa mikutano/seminars. Viwanja pia vya serikali nafikiri vimeuzwa kama
sikosei, wakati watoto wetu hawana viwanja maalum vya kuchezea na
kuendeleza physical fitness, creativity and places they could be with
other children busy being children under adults' supervision, halafu
tunashangaa eti watoto wa siku hizi wanaharibika wadogo sana. Hatuna
maktaba za maana wala nini. Yaani viongozi wetu siku hizi ni zile za
what a country can do for me individually, not what can I do for the
country as a whole...yaani they barely work, it's just what they can do
for themselves and their close people...they loose all their
compassion, patriotism, dignity and integrity, important elements for a
leader, should be what would establish their LEGACY, not how many
houses, pieces of land or cars obtained when country’s properties
were unfairly liquidated or funds that were supposed to go to Muhimbili
or some schools had somehow missed the intended destination. Soon we
will start seeing them owning luxurious yachts:-)!!
It's difficulty these days to have a respect for our leaders the way it
used to be, like back in the days you will have this sincere and utmost
respect and adoration for your leader no matter you meet him on the
street with masendeu au viraka, all you will see in him is "this guy
served the country"...all that has evaporated...."Siku zote,
kujipendelea ndilo shina la maovu"...that sentence in the article
summarizes everything in this mourner's article. I just hope our
leaders will at least have a fair share ya madaraka yao na wananchi
ambao wanahitaji na wamepungukiwa nayo kwa muda mrefu sasa. If they can
not abstain at all basi at least if they take 25% and leave 75% for the
country plus utilizing their powers for the good of the country,
increase efficiency and effectiveness…increase employment as we know,
Employment and Inflation have a STRONG Inverse Correlation with each
other…you know, the more the country make the larger their 25% gets
too!! Not bad huuh?
Mtoahoja
sahihi na sio jibu kwa tatizo lililopo nchini. Badala yake inafanya
tatizo liwe worse na kutopata a sustainable solution. Wengi
wanaoongelea hili suala la nyumba in a negative way ni wale ambao
hawasaidiwa na hiyo sera ya kuuzia nyumba za serikali, sera ambayo by
all means ni sera sahihi kabisa. Hili suala la nyumba lisiangaliwe in
relative terms completely kama subscribers wa sera ya awamu ya kwanza
wanavyolitazama.
Mishahara ya civil servant ni midogo sana na maisha ya mtumishi wa
serikali tanzania bado kiwango chake ni cha aibu. That's where the root
of the problem is.
Kuuza nyumba za serikali ililenga among other things kuinua kiwango cha
maisha ya mtumishi wa serikali Tanzania. Unakuta mtumishi wa serikali
hawezi kabisa kujijenga na kusukuma familia yake mbele. Matokeo yake ni
nini? Rushwa na kutowajibika kazini. Unakuta mtu hafany akazi kwa bidii
yote, masaa mengi yupo barabarani akitafuta hela ya pembeni kusaidia
familia isonge mbele.
Kitu kikubwa ambacho kila mfanyakazi wa serikali, shirika, etc, whether
ni TZ au nje analenga katika utumishi wake ni hatimaye kuwa na nyumba,
gari na biashara ya kumsaidia kupata vijisenti kidogo atakapostaafu na
pia kuachia familia (haswa watoto) mwelekeo. Nchi kama Tanzania,
pensheni yenyewe utalipwa visenti tu na hata hiyo pensheni yenyewe
mpaka kuja kuipata lazima uonge.
Kuuzia nyumba watumishi wa serikali was a good idea in its self. The
end was justifiable, tatizo ni the means. Kuuza hizi nyumba imesaidia
sana kupunguza rushwa na kuongeza productivity on part of watumishi
makazini mwao. Ukitazama statistics, wala rushwa wengi kwenye kazi za
utumishi wa serikali wanazipeleka hizo hela katika ujenzi wa nyumba zao
binafsi na familia zao, 90%.
Kama nilivyosema awali, tatizo sio end but the means. Waliopo
madarakani hawatakuwa kazini milele, soon or later watakuja wengine
ambao watahitaji makazi na pia wataona na wao wanastahili kuuziwa
nyumba. Vinginevyo kuuzia au kujengea nyumba watumishi wa serikali ni a
sustainable solution in the sense that inachangia sana kupunguza
rushwa, wizi na pia kuongeza ufanisi on part of watumishi.
Serikali isitupilie mbali wazo la kuuza nyumba za serikali au kujengea
watumishi wake nyumba. Tanzania, na nchi nyingi maskini imejaribu kila
models za maendeleo, including to improve quality ya maisha ya
watumishi wake na wananchi wake lakini imeshindwa sababu kwa miaka yote
tumekuwa tunafanya mambo na kufuata sera mbali mbali in relative terms
i.e. nini kinafanyika sehemu nyingine duniani. Imefikia wakati wa
serikali kuangalia nini kitasaidia kwetu na kuachana na mambo ya kuiga
kwamba sababu Ulaya wanafanya hivi, basi na sisi tufanye hivyo. Uuzaji
wa nyumba na pia ujenzi wa nyumba mpya kwa ajili ya kuwauzia watumishi
wake ni moja ya sera ambazo zitatupilia mbali vision ya zamani ambayo
haikufanya kazi kama nilivyoelezea hapo awali. Hii sera iendelee ila
management yake iwe improved kidogo kufanya mradi uwe more sustainable.
Tuna watu wengi sana watanzania wenye uwezo mkubwa sana ambao wanataka
kulitumikia taifa lakini wakiangalia mshahara na faida zake hawaoni. So
badala yake wanaenda private sector. Tunawahitaji watu hawa waje
kusaidia uongozi na serikali kwa kuanzia na sera ya kuuza nyumba
itawahakikishia kwamba mchango wako kwa taifa unatambulika na serikali
itakuangalia. Angalia viongozi wa awamu ya kwanza, pili..., waliokuwa
wachapa kazi, wapo wapi sasahivi kimaisha. Tuachane na matters of
opinion, tuzingatie matters of fact.
One of the ways to make hii sera sustainable ni kwamba, in the future,
ingetafuta pori sehemu, kibaha huko etc na pia mikoni the same, then
ijenge nyumba nyingi sana na kuanza kuwauzia watumishi wake in a
sustainable way, na pori likijaa, litafutwe pori lingine.
Mariam
Build then sell to your workers...here comes the new set of workers
then what happens? Build and sell again?:-) wouldn't it make any sense
then if the government would leave these houses for its current and
future employees and maintain the loan program for their private homes?
Mtoahoja said: "Angalia viongozi wa awamu ya kwanza, pili..., waliokuwa
wachapa kazi, wapo wapi sasahivi kimaisha. Tuachane na matters of
opinion, tuzingatie matters of fact"...aiseee if this is the ideology
then the case is closed!:-)
but at least I know some who were like candle which destroys itself but
giving light to others...that's a true leadership whether ni Ulaya au
Africa...they built roads, brought access to clean water and
environment, schools and hospitals e.t.c. in their constituencies which
are still in use, decades later! while we are still waiting maendeleo
ya hawa wanaobembelezwa and in return they become even worsely
corrupted!!
Richard
I thought the Govt is trying to get away from Owning Enterprises...but
here you are, suggesting the Govt get into Real Estate Development.
And, at that, build in the far lands (Mapori), sijui viongozi/watumishi
hao wataendelea kufanya kazi mijini au tutaleta tele-commute? News ways
of doing things sio?
Lets brake this list down:
Madaktari: Nyumba used to be close to hospital, ili waweze ku-respond
to calls quicker. Now, all those close by homes are sold...and all new
Doctors have to hamia kwenye hayo mapori. Next, we buy them helicopters
to avoid the traffic?
Teachers: Nyumba zilikuwa mashuleni.....mwalimu wa zamu for example,
has to be in close vicinity. So now you are selling a house that is in
school property, inakuwaje?
Watumishi Wengine: Lets assume mkuu wa Wilaya......political appointee,
whose term can sometimes be as short as a year.....how fast can the
Govt build a house for each and every one of them.....yenye hadhi ya
cheo hicho? Additionally, mkuu huyo akiamishiwa wilaya nyingine, who is
responsible for his residency accomodation? You cant expect them to
build kila waendapo....since their tenure there is not guaranteed.
Solution as Mariam pointed out......could have been Govt backed loans
thru commercial banks, whereby qualification requirements would not
differ with another regular Joe.
In your regard.....kila Rais nae anunue Ikulu, akija mwingine, serikali
ijenge mpya!!
Kila balozi aliye overseas nae anunue hiyo piece....eg. the Washington
DC residence.
Richard
Why not adjust salaries to be commensurate with living standards? Whats
the point of pushing these houses up employees throats? Why not issue
Housing Allowance for each and every salary grade level, and let the
employees make their own investment decisions?
You missed a major part of the article, and that is, "90% of people to
whom the houses were sold to, already had houses"......so really, all
your points are out assuming this claim is true.
Mtoahoja
matters of opinion from matters of fact. Hii itatusaidia kupunguza
kidogo jazba kwa serikali yetu.
By default, 99% of Tanzanians kimsingi reject the idea of nyumba kuuzwa
sababu tumelelewa as if serikali ni baba, serikali ni mama. Miaka ya
nyuma, ilikuwa kama huna kazi serikalini, basi in the parastatal or
state owned corporations. Miaka mingi imepita tangu tuondokane na
muundo huu lakini bado watu wengi wanaiangalia serikali kwa mtazamo ule
ule uliopitwa na wakati. Serikali ya tanzania sio mama yetu na baba
yetu tena, undugu huo umekufa.
Watanzania kimsingi tuna tabia ya kuweka very high criteria on what
should be considered as 'good policy' by the government of the United
Republic of Tanzania. Ndio maana even when JK was coming to power, he
was already judged. That's in our nature as watanzania - very
pessimistic and negative about our own progress. Any decision or move
by the government haiangaliwi in a positive way - Watanzania wengi
spend more time looking at the negative aspects or loopholes, hata kama
it would take themselves kutoboa hizo loopholes.
Ujamaa ulitulea vibaya sana unfortunately.Tulizoea vitu vya bure maji,
umeme usio wa mgao, mapipa ya taka kubebwa na malori ya manispaa na
mambo chungu nzima. Lakini tunasahau ni kiasi gani (ukizingatia kipato
halisi cha taifa wakati ule) such a developmental state ilikuwa ije
kutu-cost siku za mbeleni. Huu uwezo wa taifa wa kutoa huduma kama
kubeba takataka, kutoa ruzuku ya umeme n.k only within a few years of
uhuru ilikuwa ni ya kujidanganya tu. This was confirmed by the collapse
of the developmental state ya Tanzania by the 1980s.
Pia, tunajisahau kwamba enzi zile za a developmental state, uchumi
ulikuwa ni mdogo sana, the private sector was almost non-existent,
therefore consumption ya umeme na mambo kama hayo haikuwa kubwa
compared to demand ya sasa. The state simply cannot do what is was
capable of doing miaka ya nyuma. Miaka hii, kasi ya uchumi wa taifa
maskini kama Tanzania, (uchumi ambao tunasahau kwamba haupo mikononi
mwa wananchi wala serikali tena) inakuwa kwa haraka zaidi kuliko kasi
ya pato la taifa. Isitoshe, tunaishi era ya new public management
ambapo hata kama kipato cha taifa ni kikubwa kuliko zamani, kuna new
rules za development management za kufuata, rules ambazo marefarii
(world bank, IMF...) hawana mchezo kama ziki kiukwa. Ndio maana tunaona
kwamba pamoja na hasara na hatari zote kwa taifa zitokanazo na matatizo
ya umeme, afya n.k, hawa "marefarii wa maendeleo" wamenyamaza kimya.
In the era of the new public management, all poor governments,
including Tanzania operate under a misguided state of affairs. As a
result, by default, atleast basi you should begin by taking care of
your bureucrats sababu wananchi wengine ambao sio civil servants, mfano
waliojiweza kusoma kwa njia zao wenyewe n.k, the market is suppossed to
take care of them kwa hali na mali. Government only intervenes
inapoweza na mara nyingi ni katika ku-facilitate tu, sio ku-provide.
Kwahiyo kundi la watu nje ya civil service wana opportunities huko
kwenye mashirika ya nje yaliyopo TZ n.k. Mzigo unaobaki ni ule wa wale
maskini ambao the market have failed to provide for them and there are
so many that the government cannot facilitate for them all, especially
due to the rules of the new public management. Ndio maana tunaona NGOs
zinazagaa kila kunapokucha kwenye dunia ya tatu. Hizi NGOs hazikuzaliwa
bure, zilitengenezwa kuja ku-replace the developmental state where the
market fails to deliver to the poor. Sasa kama the poor includes
waalimu na madaktari, kusema kwamba hili ni kosa la serikali is more of
an opinion than a fact.
Kwa manki hii, as long as interventions to uplift your (as the state)
civil servants is done in a fair, transparent, organised and
sustainable way, it is all justified. Hili suala la nyumba, we need to
begin looking at it kwa jicho la ndege, sio jicho la samaki.
We should also not forget kwamba in today's world, governments
sometimes compete for competent individuals too, same way as the
private sector does. Efficiency/productivity is no longer limited only
to the domain of the private sector. If we do agree on this, then kama
benefits/packages given out na mashirika binafsi kwa employees or
prospective employees are justified, then justification kwa serikali
should hold too. Kikubwa as noted earlier, all this should be done in a
fair, transparent, organised and sustainable way
Hii topic has prompted me to begin writing an article kuhusu suala lote
hili la bureucracy in Tanzania in the context of the three agents of
the development process in Tanzania - the state, the market and the
third sector (NGOs/civil society) 1967 (Azimio la Arusha) to 2005.
Nategemea ku-address kwa kina sana suala hili la nyumba kwa watumishi
wa umma, umaskini wa mtanzania wa kawaida, civil service n.k and what
holds for the future. I should post the article as soon as its done.
Your comments and critical analysis will be highly appreciated.
Richard
alternative approaches were issued. Kama issue ni
incentives....mishahara ipandishe, au housing allowance zitolewe! What
we have today is more of a problem than a solution. New teachers,
doctors do not have accomodations!
>>Pia, tunajisahau kwamba enzi zile za a developmental state, uchumi
>>ulikuwa ni mdogo sana, the private sector was almost non-existent,
>>therefore consumption ya umeme na mambo kama hayo haikuwa kubwa
>>compared to demand ya sasa.
Nyerere aliacha mashirika/viwanda zaidi ya Mia Tatu....leo,
ukichanganya private and public, vingapi vipo? Matumizi ya umeme,
shutdown ya Viwanda Arusha peke, Tanzania Dairies, FibreBoards, to
mention a few, these were huge energy consumers. Who has replaced them,
apart from domestic consumers?
Our problem is not subsidized electricity, but electricity at an
available cost! Tusidanganyane.
Mariam
points...hatuwaonii wivu kabisa wanao enjoy the piece of the pie! All
we have is LOVE for the country:-)!! Remember ~30 million people in TZ
can not all be ministers, civil workers, e.t.c. and by the way, when
will one even gets that chance to serve wakati watu wameshaweka vigoda
na mikeka v/ya long term?!! What does it tell you? these people are
cold feet kwenda huko nje kwenye private sector na kujaribu to get
jobs, competition is tough out there and one's performance is truly
being measured in all facets.
Although it's irrelevant lakini pia sijaelewa what criterion are you
using to qualify one point as an opinion and the other as a fact:-)!!
Mfano a lot of what is ascertained in this issue entails assertions
which are pretty obvious...well, kama Ujamaa ulikuwa mbaya basi mbona
huo Ukabaila unamaliza hata vile vilivyoachwa na ujamaa kwa ajili ya
masikini who counted back then? Vitu ambavyo vinge matter now more than
ever maana possibilities ya kuwa replenished ni almost null. Kama huo
ubinaifishaji wa mali ya umma ni incentives basi mbona hao
beneficiaries hata hawaonyeshi hiyo efficiency/productivity? Kama the
government is competing the same way as the private sector, how comes
it doesn't STRIVE to have the competitive qualifications and skills
in its workforce? How comes there are no checks and balances? In
private sector no employee is indispensable, no chance to tolerate
nuisances, recycling is forbidden, one mistake one goal, no one company
can afford to allow its management pile for itself and starve the
company or sabotage its bottom line... Kuna mahali ulisema tuache mambo
ya kuiga, kuiga bwana kama ni kwa manufaa si mbaya, kuna vitu ni
universally/generally accepted hamna exception kwamba ni nchi masikini
au tajiri inafanya. In private sector kuna usemi kwamba "yes you are
my friend but my business doesn't know you" or better yet,
"it's for the interest of the company". Basi kama nchi imeamua
kuwa kama private sector i-compete basi similarly in all aspects that
way we can at least justify some of its actions.
Mtoahoja's: "Miaka hii, kasi ya uchumi wa taifa maskini kama
Tanzania, (uchumi ambao tunasahau kwamba haupo mikononi mwa wananchi
wala serikali tena) inakuwa kwa haraka zaidi kuliko kasi ya pato la
taifa".
Hivi who are we these days? It was easy during Socialism to even know
our identity! (Siasa ambayo unaiita imepitwa na wakati). Wakati nchi
kubwa kama Marekani yenyewe Capitalism iliwashinda toka walivyochapwa
viboko na Great Depression, hiyo ni miaka ya 1929, the "invisible hand"
was gone since then, now the government account for more than 1/3 of
the country's economic activities and regulates private sectors in
many ways, provides welfare and social security to its citizens,
controls military and social operations/supply japo ni private sector
ndio wazalishaji, involves in private matters such as gay
marriage...you name it...they decided to be the so called Mixed System
which combines all kinds of other systems (Socialism, Capitalism,
Command economy...)
Or are we just "Pure Confused Economy"? (since we are such a
mess!!), maana naona Mtoahoja anasema serikali haina undugu na sisi
tena, which suggests a Laissez-faire economy while at the same time you
are fighting for the government to provide "welfare" for its
workers which suggests socialism, and on another turn, the civil
servants wajichukulie chao mapema, total corruption!! That's scary!
Wenzetu walioendelea even though there is corruption but still people
who are corrupted use the opportunity to increase the bottom line...if
one is favored to win a government contract then they really do what
the contract entails...you will see roads, bridges, utilities,
infrastructures, e.t.c. built...sisi?! 75% inaenda mifukoni hakuna
kinachoonekana kwa upande wa nchi, 25% ndio inafagiafagia na
kuwapofusha watu kwamba Capitalism is at full swing working...may be we
should not complain then about the World Bank and IMF anymore maana
wanatusaidia kuturudisha kwenye mstari fulani...
Mariam
resources (time and tech (in google)) for proof-reading:-) hopefully
typos never distract thoughts presented...
Observer
getting ready to go to work and you see the following broadcast.
"The senate on last night session has voted unanimously to sell the
White House located 1600 Constitution Avenue, at book value, to
president George W. Bush as his retirement package at the end of his
term in 2008. The senator has also authorized the use of 100 hecre of
national parks around DC area to be used for the construction of new
and modern presidential palace for the next president."
We will then close this discussion and congratulate the gov't of
Tanzania on its move to take good care of its civil servant in return
for productive civil servants and corruption free government. Funny
huh..!
Hey, I'm not trying to be funny. I just find it naive to find any sane
mind justifying the sale of those governemnt properties at the price
they sell to each other over there... It hurts...!!!
Mariam
reminder on the first para for those who have forgotten about
accountability. Mtoahoja sikuchokozi, you are probably the guy who's
bumping me in the Metro every morning 8-)
*********************************
"...Ten years later (after Arusha Declaration), taking stock, President
Nyerere issued a remarkably honest booklet which gave as much
prominence to the failures as well as the successes. "There is a time
for planting and a time for harvesting", he wrote. "For us it is still
a time for planting".
Nyerere's supporters say he is not to blame for the failure of ujamaa
and are adamant that his principles of African socialism are now more
relevant than ever. "
**********************
"Rath Andor, You do not see m to understand. You have never lived or
been to Tanzania ...so do not talk about something which you do not
know. I have lived there and enjoyed the benefits brought by Nyerere to
his country. He was an honest man and who had a vision for his people.
All this negative criticism from the west is because he did not submit
to the needs of the MANIPULATIVE western countries. The west had always
tried to get their way around politics in Africa and other third world
countries. BUT NOT IN TANZANIA. When it came to Nyerere they could not
do anything. He deserves a good goodbye from the people he liberated
and that is what he received. So why are you whining ? "
Kristasen Balf, Sweden
*************
"I would like to ask expatriates like Neil Ashurst what they have
achieved in Africa? Their achievements can be seen by everyone who
looks at the situation of Africa objectively: The African today is
poorer than he was in the 80s; five-sixth of the world's wealth is in
the hands of one-sixth of its population. So the question begging for
an answer now is what capitalism has accomplished if policies like
those introduced by Mwalimu Nyerere are today considered failures?
Westerners have always looked at any diversions from their accepted
norms to be bad and they have gone out of the their ways to sabotage
such policies from their very conceptions. I wonder how guys like Neil
Ashurst can explain the fact that stooges like Mobutu at one time had
six times more money than their countries debts and the west did not
complain? The solution to Africa's problem would only come from
illustrious sons of Africa like Mwalimu Nyerere. May his soul rest in
peace."
Nuhngoh, Cameroon
**************************
President Julius Nyerere
A Great Teacher and Devoted African Leader
By Charles E. Simmons
The former president of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, 77, died last week.
As one who led the independence struggle of Tanganyika against Colonial
Britain in the 1950's and 60's, He was a person of the caliber of
Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah and Patrice Lumumba. Africans called him
affectionately, "Mwalimu," or "Teacher." He was both a dedicated
Catholic and socialist, a humble and simple man who often went back to
his dusty remote village and tilled the soil along with family farmers.
When he took office from the British Colonial governor in 1961, one of
his first official acts was to decrease his salary.
Tanzania is one of the nations on the giant continent that has few
mineral resources, and a small population and some 120 small ethnic
groups or tribes, many with distinct languages. Nyerere's government
brought unity to the country by making Swahili, the language spoken
throughout the region of East Africa, to be the national language. The
new leadership also created further unity by merging the political
structure of the tiny island nation, Zanzibar, with the mainland
Tanganyika, to become the new nation of Tanzania.
Tanzania's demographics have been a double-edged sword. On one hand the
nation was left alone militarily during the last 40 years by greedy
imperialists who were seeking gold and diamonds. Yet, the Western
powers considered Tanzania a strategic location because of its borders
with other southern African nations, so the Big Powers kept their
fingers in the pie of political intrigue and economic manipulation. And
their fears were correct. Through his leadership of the African
Liberation Committee in the Organization of African Unity and the
United Nations Committee Against Apartheid, Nyerere and Tanzania were
among the forefront of those largely responsible for the freedom
fighters throughout southern Africa for having a military base and
supplies for some 25 years from which to fight the apartheid and
colonial forces that included the British, the Rhodesians, the
Portuguese, the pre-Mandela South African government, and the complete
backing of financial and political interests of the U.S. Those who
fought for political independence in Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau,
Southern and Northern Rhodesia which are now Zambia and Zimbabwe;
Namibia; and South Africa, all must pause today when his body is
carried to its final resting place.
Nyerere's success in international diplomacy on the side of the
oppressed is one of the factors which led right-wing U.S. politicians
to hate the United Nations. Nyerere made serious attempts to create an
indigenous socialism in Tanzania within an environment of relative
poverty of agriculture and industry that would allow the country to be
economically independent. As a result, the nation has one of the best
records of literacy and health care on the continent and among the
former colonialized nations.
However, Nyerere's critics, particularly those from the Western
corporate media, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank,
claim that because Nyerere focused on domestic needs such as health and
education that he was naive. These critics argue that because he valued
regional unity above Western individualism that he was misguided. They
argued that because he chose self-reliance as the guide to development
rather than go hat in hand to beg for high-interest rate loans from the
World Bank, that he destroyed the economy. Those IMF executives were
not accustomed to seeing a national leader riding in an old car rather
than a shiny new Mercedes through the capital city without a motorcade,
with only a single driver, stopping for red lights. Nor was Wall Street
impressed by the fact that Nyerere gave military assistance to African
freedom fighters throughout southern Africa, fighting to end western
economic domination and apartheid. Another category of critics from
within the freedom struggle, claim that Nyerere went too slow and
allowed too much Western influence, and did not take seriously the
requirements of building socialism. One of the spokesmen from that
group is the late Tanzanian Cabinet Minister, Muhammad Babu, also a
noted revolutionary African leader and author of African Socialism or
Socialist Africa?. These are important debates for the new millennium
that also has major relevance to community activists considering post
industrial development in urban and rural America. History will judge.
Nyerere led in the attempts to form regional economic cooperation in
East Africa between Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia. The view of those
leaders was that each member nation would produce and specialize in
what it did best and thereby shift the regions' dependence on Western
financial interests that dominate the world economy and set prices in
the international market. These efforts to achieve economic
independence were opposed tooth and nail by Washington, London and
Paris just as strongly as they had opposed the efforts of Marcus Garvey
generations earlier. Most of the leaders throughout the continent who
made such attempts were overthrown or assassinated by the CIA forces or
their local puppets. The long list of dedicated African patriots
includes Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah, the Congo's Patrice Lumumba, Egypt's
Gamel Nasser, and Algeria's Ben Bella. Their loss has much to do with
the fact that Africa remains underdeveloped and politically fragmented
today. But that will never be conceded by the Western pundits and
officers of the World Bank and IMF who speak of African economic
struggles today as chronic and hopeless while encouraging more
indebtedness and even less economic independence, an arrangement which
benefits Western interests handsomely on their way to the bank. In
spite of those negative factors, President Nyerere continued to work
for self-reliance rather than instant gratification.
It must also be pointed out that Tanzania was a leader of African
American and African unity. During the 1960's, Tanzania sheltered many
African American freedom fighters who were on the run from the U.S.
sheriffs and the CIA. The small East African nation was also home to
numerous African Americans who moved there to work on farms and provide
professional services. Until the retirement of Leopold Senghor in
Senegal a few years ago, Nyerere had been the only head of state in
post-colonial Africa who retired from his job without being overthrown
or assassinated. His political descendants include the current
Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity, Selim Ahmed
Selim, who has held top level posts in the Tanzanian domestic and
foreign service, and who may one day become the president of Tanzania.
During this month of his passing, as healthy, literate, housed and
hopeful African youth in Dar Es Salaam will place wreaths of beautiful
flowers on his tomb. And from Kilimanjero to Beijing, and from Lake
Victoria to Cairo, simple folk will tell their sons and daughters about
a life of devotion to humanity. Whether in Detroit or Los Angeles, it
will be worth a moment of silence or words of tribute to a great
teacher and son of Africa, Mwalimu, wherever there is a gathering of
those who love justice.
http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/1999-10/tributetonyerere.htm
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