I was ready to move on from this the whole electricity and Richmond Development Corporation thing, that is because it is just saddens me how most folks felt for it. It appears to me that people have not guts or skills to ask the right questions. If I was an editor for a newspaper in Tanzania, I would have gone to the depth of it all. I would have forced Mohamed Gire to provide specifics on some of the information on the RDC's website, which is a bunch of crap in my estimation.
Just as I was about to move on, our President popped up. In an article published by Tanzania Daima, Mr. JK, in his address to the Baraza la Idd El Fitr, attributed the electricity woes in Tanzania to God, and not crappy leadership. Just read the article yourself .
Just a quote from that speech goes like this:
"Ni tatizo la Watanzania wote na wala halikubagua misikiti au Waislamu pekee. Napenda kuwahakikishia kwamba kiini cha tatizo si uzembe wa mtu yeyote bali ni mitihani ya Mwenyezi Mungu kutokutupatia mvua za kutosha na hivyo kusababisha mabwawa yetu ya kuzalisha umeme ya Mtera na Kidatu kutopata maji ya kutosha kuzalisha umeme wakati wote wa mwaka"
Obviously, our President thinks that the problem has nothing to do with human beings, that is, his administration. In my opinioin, that is shortsightedness and inability to put things in their proper context.
Let me share with you my thoughts Mr. President. Acts of nature, which in this case you have termed "kazi ya Mungu" happen. They happen all the time around the world. Nonetheless, it is the same God that has given us brains and the ability to think. Our brains are supposed to be used to plan, among other things, on how to mitigate the effects of natural courses.
I live in North America where it snows. Depending on natural causes, it can heavily or lightly snow. But you know how cities and municipalities control that? They watch the weather trends. They adjust their salt budgets based on weather trends (salt is used to melt snow on the roads). They don't let citizens locked up in their houses simply because "God showed up with tons of snow this year".
What do we have in Tanzania? We have TMA - Tanzania Meteorological Agency . The agency's job, which your government happens to fund, among other things is to predict the weather. So was it a surprise that the rain was not adequate in 2005/2006? I don't think so. That data was sitting right there at the TMA's office. Mr. President, just visit the TMA's website to prove that what I am saying is true. I am sure nobody from Tanesco, despite knowing that the company is heavily dependent on rainwater for electric generation, bothered to collect the forecast data from TMA. Had they collected that data, they would have planned ahead of time on the best alternatives.
I am sure also that nobody at Tanesco bothered to push for an environmental protection policy, a policy that would ensure the safeguarding of water resources. If they did, I am sure nobody bothered to enforce it. But you don't seemed to be bothered by the fact that nobody, including your own government is not strategic and deliberate. It seems that the whole system is in love with the zimamoto mentality.
As such, Mr. President, I think it is a bunch of crap to tell us that we should not blame anybody in your government, but blame the whole thing on God. Yes, it didn't adequately rain in Tanzania, but as smart human beings, we plan. The ability to think is a wonderful, free gift that God has bestowed on us.
You know what? The God I know is an awesome God. And He does not deserve to be blamed for our own stupidity. Did we do all we could given our resources (information etc)? The answer is no. But you seemed to know that already. I can quote what Tanzania Daima wrote regarding your own thoughts:
Alikiri kuwapo kwa ulegevu na makosa ambayo serikali imekuwa ikiyachukulia hatua kila ilipoyabaini, na amebainisha kuwa serikali haitasita kuchukua hatua zaidi kama hapana budi
What the heck it that? Mr. President, didn't you just say that nobody was to blame in the system?
Vision 2025? I don't think we will even get there. Yes, 2025 is bound to be here, but not with the vision fulfilled. I need hard data to be convinced otherwise. So far, none. Zip. Nada. Zero.
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8 comments:
Good job Metty, i like you point, well informed article!
Good job Metty,keep it up.
what is the goverment supposed to do,what are the citizen supposed to do?Now that we know what is going on.
Metty,
It does not really suprise me that JK could utter such words and scot away free with a broad smile.Tanzania's politics have always put a blame on God,nonsense.But when one wonders where does JK or his speech writers get guts of putting such silly excuses on his papers?The answer is from wananchi themselves.I have heard wananchi(even very educated ones) saying "so what do you think the president should do"?, indicating that they think he is doing just okay and GOD is the only obstacle! We happen to have a huge problem on the subjects of duties and responsibilities of leaders and citizens,for our development,achievement and even failures before blaming God.I have touched that subject in my coming sunday article in Tanzania Daima.We have a hard task ahead of us.
Surely blaming God for our laziness will bring more problems.God has given us everying but the way we handle them is not the correct way.On the other hand we can not blame JK becouse it is us wananchi to help him and he too we play his part.Metty has many ideas i mean every Tanzanian has ideas but the problem comes when implemeting them.
Tanzania has a population of about 34 milion people,now let us look at China,Japan or Korea and look at the population and again look and read where they started.
It is all about Agriculture,nothing is impossible becouse God created man in his own image and he cant let us down as long as we try.Agriculture is the only way out.
We youths we need to change and go back home(vijijini)as long as we try JK will support us.mwanzo ni mgumu but we will win with Agriculture.
Mwalimu wrote and repeated many times that we have to invest in agriculture.LONG LIVE AFRICA.
@Eric,
Thanks for the compliments brother.
@Jeff,
You nailed it. Wananchi's expectations are so low. You could not demand what is above your expectations.
@Luihamu
Why do folks move to townships in the first place? Why are all MPs stuck in Dar?
If you can get an answer to those questions, then you can understand what the issues are. Youth going back to villages will make our leaders start thinking critically.
I hope you got my point.
@Metty, I agree totally with U. But I think now it is time we know the Tanzanian Presidency. I think we have been blaming the president as an individual.Ithink it is time to know the president as an office and the whole team. It will make it possible to pin point where the weaknesses are. Myself I think Kikwete with the right team could make a difference. But I am almost 99.9% sure that he has the wrong team. I think any president as an individual can not be effective.Lets find out the workings of the Tanzanian Presidency. That way we can know how to scrutinize it. We will know how to advise it as a group of Tanzanians and not these so called educated people because they have PHDs.
@Jeff. I agree with everything but I dont believe when U sayed U have seen very educated people agreeing with the bullshit U meant they were educated. I think U meant they went to school and they have very good certificates. Jeff , do U remember how people pass by Kukariri?
I think the president said what he said in an effort to sound religious, given he was in a religious setting, you know, to kind of like fit in, afterall he is "mtu wa watu", "mwenzetu", or is he?
I am sure he received applause from his audience for the comment, too bad it didn't go over well with the rest(or is it most, some segments) of the public.
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