By Nik Ngowi, New York*
6-5-2018, New York: INCREDIBLE
and swift transformation in the manufacturing, communication, health and other sectors
in Tanzania attest a new dawn for the continent’s readiness for serious
business in my home country, the United Republic of Tanzania.
Tanzania is the world’s fourth fastest growing economy ahead
of China and the United States, according to a report by the Centre for
International Development (CID) at Harvard University. This is no surprising if
one has to analyze trends and transformations happening there.
India tops the list of the World’s fastest growing economies
for the coming decade with a projected growth of 7.89 annually till 2026. With
oil economy on its lap, Uganda comes second on the list at 7.5 percent growth
annually. Tanzania comes after Egypt at 6.63 per cent and Tanzania 6.15%. However
with Magufulification effect, growth is expected to go above 7.0, meaning
Tanzania could go higher steps in few years.
The Tanzania leader, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, a mathematician
and chemist, circumvented the insanity described by his fellow mathematician
Professor Albert Einsten, that doing the same thing over and over again
expecting different results would land someone nowhere. He pioneered radical
reforms characterized as “Magufulification."
Magufulification has thus far delivered results, just half
his first term in office. African nations still struggling to breakthrough have
a lot to learn.
The Most Powerful
Economies in 2030
This does not refer to the fastest growing economies like the
former, it refers to the world’s most powerful economies. Last year,
PricewaterhouseCoopers ranked 32 most powerful economies in world by 2030. The
ranking is based on global gross domestic product by purchasing power parity
(PPP).
In this ranking, China was the first with US$38.008 trillion
followed by the United States at US$23.475 trillion. India which tops the
world’s fastest growing economies will topple US$19.511 and Japan US$5.606
trillion. Indonesia will be the fifth with US$5.424 trillion. Russia is ranked
sixth with US$4.736.
It was not clear how long it would take for the African
economies to break in the world’s five most powerful economies.
Performance of Magufulification
in Tanzania
The speed and efficiency of delivering 2015 election promises,
is incomparable since the first Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere. The current
level of investment in manufacturing industries and social service delivery is growing
faster than most Sub Saharan Africa.
In his two years of driving policies and incentives on
industrialization, over 3,000 new factories are on different stages with some
already rolling. He has revamped the National Airline into a 21st
Century AirTanzania with six new planes as more are coming.
Construction of the US$3.55 billion Hoima-Tanga crude
oil pipeline and the over TZS 7.2 trillion standard gauge railways are some of
the historical projects that are taking shape.
On social services, since independence Tanzania has had 77
District hospitals. In other words, it is only 45% of all the districts in
Tanzania that had hospitals. It would be right to say that 55% of the
administrative districts in the country did not have hospitals worth of district
levels. Tanzania has about 170 administrative Districts.
Tanzania won her political independence from Britain about 57
years ago in 1961. Since 2015 when
President John Pombe Magufuli was elected in office, things never remained the
same.
To anyone’s disbelief, in just two and a half years alone,
the Tanzanian leader, nicknamed “the bulldozer,” constructed a record 67 new
district hospitals, raising the profile to 144 district hospitals.
In the period under review, Dr Magufuli, a mathematician and chemist
who thinks economically and sociologically, also ensured surgery services were optimised.Being
the most populous nation in East Africa, hitherto, Tanzania has 517 health centers.
Out of these, only 115 were previously surgical.
Again, in exactly half of his first Presidential term, Dr
Magufuli increased the surgical health centers to almost double the previous
number. At least 208 additional centers were enabled to conduct surgeries.
It is not difficult to assume that Dr Magufuli’s 5th
phase Government slogan is “Health First,” far from it. The wonders registered
in the health sector resonate well in other sectors of the economy too.
These transformations communicate a strong message of change,
spelling out the new way of doing things in Africa, thereby improving the
continent’s image. Quick developments witnessed in road infrastructure, airline
transport, efficiency, effectiveness, discipline, integrity, improved tax
collection, cost cutting and thrifty, promulgate a 360 degree core
transformations.
A Sharp Opposition MP Recognizes
Magufuli’s with Praises
This has since changed
tremendously. Magufuli’s performance has changed the downward perception on one
of the oldest parties in post independence Africa. Pro-development critics
review their position. It is not uncommon to hear of opposition leaders
willingly surrender to CCM in support of the reforms.
“Honorable President, you have
been saying repeatedly that you see beyond political affiliations and focus on
development; I do sincerely acknowledge this fact and this is the proof of walking
the talk, thank you,” says Hon. Pastor Peter Msigwa.
Msigwa, a vocal Member of
Parliament (MP) for Iringa from the opposition CHADEMA, told the President that
despite his political affiliation, he continued to receive development funds
from the central Government.
“During your first term, you
have constructed the best roads in my constituency. You have built a tarmac
road worth Shillings 3.5 Billion from Mlandege to the District Commissioner,” the
MP told him.
“Apart from water projects, you gave us Shillings
3 Billion to construct a Bus Terminal at Ipogolo. Clearly you do not take
sides. You treat us in opposition CHADEMA equitably, congratulations Mr President,”
the outspoken MP added.
Promoting Accountability
and Effectiveness in Problem Solving
Unlike most African leaders, Dr Magufuli has another feature,
effectiveness. If one wants to accomplish things on time, then has to be done
in time. He says what can be done now should not wait tomorrow. He does not
allow a minute for procrastination. He does not sleep on files. He acts
immediately.
“I want value for money for all Government projects. No one
should embezzle the tax payers’ money given out by the 5th phase
Government, it would pay taking poison than misusing public funds during my
administration,” Dr. Magufuli warned during his just ended tour of various
constituencies.
On a visit to Kilombero basin in Morogoro, a region in central
eastern Tanzania, people complained of non-performing water projects. He instantly
pulled out his mobile phone and called Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry
of Water in public view and everybody heard the conversation over a loud mic.
The PS, Prof Kitila Mkumbo arrived in Kidodi, Kilombero the
next morning to fix the predicament. The report on how to deal with the problem
was shared a day later. The PS went a step further to popularize a special
phone number which the people across the regions can reach out to him on any
problems facing water sector implementation.
Working with all MPs Irrespective
of Political Parties
Opposition politics is a western style of governance where a
dissent view is also given the opportunity to be heard. In other African
countries, leaders from the opposition and the ruling party do not see eye to
eye. In Tanzania things were different.
When inaugurating the Kilombero Bridge, in Morogoro which was
later renamed after President Magufuli, he invited all the Members of
Parliament, irrespective of their political affiliations, to speak for their
people.
The 384 Meters bridge worth Shillings 61.1 Million, is a
relief to local people who experienced difficulties in crossing the river and at a
few occasions, it led to fatal accidents and paralyzed their economies prowess.
Built on internally generated funds, the government had
contracted the Chinese firm, China Railway 15th Bureau Corporation
to construct the bridge. The Magufuli Bridge has a deck width of 10.5 meters of
which 7.5 meters caters for vehicles and 1.5 meters on both sides were
dedicated for pedestrians.
The bridge also facilitates transport and transportation of
goods with the neighboring Malawi and Zambia countries.
Kenyan Professor
Projections
The speed at which Dr Magufuli delivers his election promises
wins the admiration of people from all walks of life, include a Kenyan
Professor. “I am not a Jewish Prophet nor related to one neither am I a member
of CCM [Tanzania’s ruling Party],” says Professor PLO Lumumba.
“If Magufuli continues on this trajectory and has the second
term, in the next 10 years Tanzania will be one of the largest economies in
this world,” he once said.
*The author is a
writer, Swahili interpreter and a social economist based in New York, USA since
1990s.
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