From: Concerned Tanzanian Citizen;
To: WRI, GWU,
EU, International Press, USAID, US Gov, Tanzanian Diaspora;
Date: 29 January, 2019.
Dear
all,
Greetings
again from the beautiful country of Tanzania. As promised previously, this is
my second open letter in series to you on MP Tundu Lissu’s visit to your esteemed
institutions. It is more than obvious that you shall not have the opportunity
to hear these facts from his lips; but these 10 achievements by people of
Tanzania and now under the great leadership of President John Pombe Magufuli of
Tanzania are tangible and verifiable as of now:
#1 Peace and Stability in a Turmoil Africa
Tanzania
is undisputed leader in mediatory roles in most conflicts in Africa. The nation
is the most peaceful amid unending turmoil on the continent. It is appreciated
that Tanzania is characterized by the most peaceable people on the continent.
This
is not an easy fruit; all past governments to the current able leadership under
Dr. Magufuli have done their job very well. In the three years Magufuli has
maintained the pace. We would appeal to the peace loving people all over the
world to cooperate, in maintaining the existence of this attitude so that
Tanzania can continue to make a better place.
#2 Only Surviving Union that offers Best Model for Africa
and the World
Much
like many parts of the world, Africa too, has had its swipe on union projects.
Senegal had tried to unite with Gambia without success, many other African
countries tried. Tanzania is a union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. This Union has
survived for about 55 years now. Under Magufuli administration the Union has
flourished.
Let me
tell you, just when MP Lissu was finalizing his plans to come to tell lies and
vindicate his own country, the Cabinet under Dr. Magufuli just decided to tax
zero rates on all electricity to be sold to Zanzibar. The foundation of the
Union is solid and its fruits are sweet to all.
This
Union Model is unique in Africa. Tanzania joins the ranks of USA and UK in the
unification success stories. The nation showcases the only successful union in
Africa. It is a united nation that offers a unique lesson on coexistence as the
Republic has predominantly Muslims and Christians, living together peacefully.
#3 Natural Resources for Tanzanians
Tanzania
has everything. Minerals, oil, gas, fertile land, national parks, but
unfortunately its people were still poor and the country was corrupt top down
including Members of Parliament, Tundu Lissu included.
This East
African nation of Tanzania is endowed with all sorts of natural wealth. It has
all sorts of minerals, spanning from Gold to Diamond to the unique Tanzanite.
Tanzania is a mineral rich nation. However, it is sad that its people are still
wallowing in abject poverty.
 |
| Magufuli inspecting a position of the Standard Gauge Railway |
Notwithstanding
that, the United Republic of Tanzania continues to be one of the few African
countries that received aid from the West to help bolster its development
endeavours. Cognizant of the fact that aid continued to burden our development
partners, President Magufuli saw it high time to rescind the pendulum.
When
he came to power in 2015, he strove to help Tanzania improve its management
efficiency which would not only improve performance but also strengthen
cooperation between Tanzania and its development partners. The resources could
now be efficiently used to augment development.
He
ended business unusual ways. He introduced reforms to make mining revenue high.
He restricted importation of raw minerals. He introduced new laws, new
institutions and new approaches. Just last week he met with mineral
stakeholders to evaluate the journey.
The President
scored many successes in just three years in office. Before Magufuli’s
Administration ushered in, the opposition Members of Parliament (including
Lissu who once had to ran to the World Resource Institute in the US due to threats
on his life from untouchable mineral giants), were vehemently raising their
voices as Tanzania was losing on minerals and other resources.
Ordinary
citizens offered their full support to the opposition because they seemed to
carry the agenda they subscribed to. Magufuli took to face untouchable giants
like Acacia on tax defaults and concealed incomes. He negotiates a better deal
for Tanzania. Lissu is unhappy. As we speak, revenues from the sector rose from
below TZS 194 in 2016/17 to over TZS 300 in 2017/2018.
#4 Anti Graft Crusade
In the
Continent that many hate corruption but nobody is ready to eradicate it,
Magufuli emerges. Today, Dr Magufuli is a model in Africa for his zeal and
vigour in cracking down on corruption and all sorts of graft. He is not yet
there but hitherto, the former Nigerian leader Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo and his
former South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki, appealed to other African
countries to emulate his efforts.
As
a result of cracking down on corruption, the opposition Members of Parliament like
Lissu have lost ground and political legitimacy; for they kept corruption as
their main agenda. The world now knows there is Magufuli the anti corruption
crusader. Much respects are floating.
#5.Unprecedented
Social Transformation
The
money saved from austerity measures in resources and in graft, went into laying
down strong infrastructural projects. They include quality roads, first country’s
standard gauge railway line, air transport (6 new planes including Boeing
Dreamliner and Airbuses are now in stock), marine transport (new ferries and
ships are in purchases), energy projects (including the 2,115 megawatt projects
are underway), educational infrastructure and health infrastructure.
Enrolments
in primary and secondary schools have been doubled in his administration
because previously most parents could not afford to pay school fees owing to
poverty bite. Dr. Magufuli’s administration pays fees for all the students and
government dishes out over TZS 23 billion monthly. He has also raised funds for
more students in Universities.
Healthcare
is yet another big score MP Lissu will shy away from telling you. In three
years health budget on essential drugs alone rose from merely Tshs. 31 billion
to a staggering Tshs. 270 a year. Construction of health centres, District
Hospitals and Referrals are rolling all over. Modern equipments are installed.
Things are happening on this part of the world. I tell you.
#6. Successes in economy
Most
of development projects cited above are now internally funded. Before Magufuli came
to power, barely TSh. 950 billion (US$ 411 million) were collected per month.
Tax evader’s scams were endemic. Magufuli introduced integrity culture in civil
service. Soon, MP Lissu won’t say this to you; revenue collections increased to
topple TSh1.3 trillion (US$562.8 million) per month and it continues to
increase.
Other
non-tax revenue sources were being strengthened. One of the sources includes introduction
of innovative ways like installing the Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring
System (TTMS) which attracted more than Sh93.6 billion (US$ 40.7 million) in
five years.
He
showcased the results of public private partnership (PPP) in TTMS and many
other initiatives and reaffirmed his commitment to enhance working with the
private sector. Tanzania’s economy is booming. It is flourishing in all sectors
of the economy. Today, Tanzania is one of the five African nations with the
fastest growing economies on the continent.
As we
speak, the overall economic growth is impressive. Tanzania leads the EAC region
with a stunning 7.1 percent growth, ranked within 5 in the Continent but named
as the 9th world’s fastest growing economy.
#7. Democracy
Many
people confuse between democracy and discipline. Most people of Africa still
lag behind in ignorance. Governing Africa may not be the same as government
Sweden or USA. Dr Magufuli is a democrat. As for all other effective leaders,
he calls for discipline and accountability while upholding democracy.
Tanzania
maintains periodic elections. Foreign observers are invited to observe the
elections. There is rule of law; government officials are in court if they
commit crimes just as opposition officials are in court for breaching the law.
MP
Tundu Lissu knows very well that Tanzania is democratic enough and I will give
you this example; he is an opposition candidate but still won the election in a
country he calls a petty dictatorship. Funny. How can the opposition survive in
a dictatorship let alone win a constituency? Never.
#8. Press Freedom
In
Press freedom, the East African nation leads with the most plural media in
Africa. There are over 200 newspapers, over 35 TV stations and over 160 radio
stations. The media are free to criticise responsibly and the Government picks
and work on any shortcomings raised by the press.
President
Magufuli has introduced section 52(2) in the Media Services Act., 2016 to
bolster the freedom of his countrymen to criticise the government. As I said in
my previous open letter, neither a Tanzanian journalist is in jail nor is in
court for any free speech offences. The few media houses 3 or 4 out of more
than 400 media outlets that had to face the music, committed repeated gross breach
of the laws that must be sanctioned.
#9. African Senior Leaders Endorse Magufuli Style
In Africa,
politicians of the likes of Mbeki and Obasanjo are known as Renaissance leaders
for their reform minded leadership. Whether they succeeded or not during their
tenure in office is not something worth an elevated discussion in this short
letter. Bu we do know that they had the will and the necessary zeal to see
their countries and the Continent transformed.
Both,
Mbeki and Obasanjo see in Magufuli a true “unAfrican” leader who implements what
they had wished to see in real life. In Dar es Salaam, the two great leaders
had some important quotes.
“It is of no doubt that efforts
undertaken in Tanzania ought to be emulated by other countries in Africa,” said
Thabo Mbeki who visited Dar es Salaam on his capacity as Chairman of African
Union (AU) High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flow (IFF).
"He knows what he is doing especially on
areas that yields positive results in the economy, we shouldn't forget that
neo-colonialism is here and capitalists continue to exploit us, so any African
leader who takes initiatives to block the exploiters should be hailed,"
said Dr Obasanjo, one of the prominent leaders in the continent.
#10. Magufuli’s Nomination for Leadership Awards
It is
not only Tanzanians and individual African leaders who admire and recognize Dr
Magufuli’s performance. It is not only former General Obasanjo or Mr Mbeki. The
London’s African Leadership Magazine (ALM) nominated him and finally he won the
Person of the Year 2018 Award on Political Leadership category.
In
addition, he was nominated and won as Africa’s second best President of the
year 2018 by Africa54 Online Magazine. While Lissu will focus on personal
interest stories, the Tanzanian President has won hearts and minds of Tanzanians,
Africans and Global leaders in exhibiting transformative leadership, a far cry
in Africa. Tanzania is on the move.
The
Author, Munir Abubakar, trading as Concerned Tanzanian Citizen, is a former Tanzania Diaspora who leaved in
West and has now returned to invest on Strategic Leadership Think Tanks in his
motherland Tanzania.
Well explained.
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