I have nothing personal against President JMK. So when I hammer his thinking and whatever he does, it is not that I hate the guy. I am just fulfilling my obligation as a citizen. Besides, I am the boss. I put him in office. He is accountable to me.
The most compelling reason though, is the fact that the president is the head of the Tanzanian household. When head of the household is not thinking straight, it is a sure thing that we will be in deep trouble. And truly speaking, Tanzania has started sinking deeper, in case you haven't noticed.
I can see some people flinching in shock. No, truly, we – wananchi - are the bosses. But I guess some politicians snatched the power from you that you feel so small. Sorry lady or gentleman, I know my position. I am the boss. So I will provide my scorecard, whether the system likes it or not. That is the nature of the beast.
So today I will just send a short memo to Ikulu:
From: Mwananchi, The Boss
To: The President of the URT, Employee
Dear Employee,
Re: Your Obligations
Given your recent comments during an exclusive interview with the Guardian, in which you gave the following comment: “ British Prime Minister Tony Blair has invited me on January 16 to visit London. Should I say I am not going to meet him because there are Tanzanians complaining about my trips outside the country?”, I would just remind you to watch your mouth and know your obligations.
Tony Blair did not employ you. The regular Hamisis, Sikudhanis, Matonyas and Ngoshas that you are despising employed you. You are accountable to them. If any of these regular wananchi feels that you need to sit your butt down and deal with domestic issues, you have no choice.
Do you think Tony Blair would continue meeting you in Dar, for instance, if there is a crisis in London? How many times have you heard national leaders halting their foreign trips to deal with domestic issues? What do you guys drink and smoke at Ikulu? It seems like whatever you drink and smoke at Ikulu causes an epidemic of arrogance, bad thinking and shortsightedness.
I don’t understand why you African presidents think it is cool to get foreign leaders’ approval. You know what it is? It is simply a bad case of inferiority complex. It was stupid of your administration to belittle the power crisis, while boasting of your meetings with the Blairs. You priority is the Tanzanian people, not foreign leaders. Period.
There is nothing wrong with making foreign trips that are justified, and you should make such trips. But making foreign trips so that you can simply show your face is plain, well, stupid. Do I need to remind you that you were once a Minister for Foreign Affairs and most likely these folks have intelligence on you and they know you better than you think? Do I need to remind you that we have ambassadors charged with representing your policies and priorities to foreign entities? So why run these errands yourself?
I hope you are listening. I hope you are paying attention, because the boss will run you out of Ikulu sooner than you think.
Mwananchi, The Boss.
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17 comments:
It beats my understanding that JMK and Lowasa scamper around the world in the name of wooing business. do they have a plan and a workable attainable strategy for this, my viscera can honestly not be stilled. If they do have a plan, and, I am giving them my benefit of a doubt, why not share it with taxpayers? Only a person of weak moral fiber will do stuff discretly. I tend to believe that only rambunctiously hopeless business entities such as the Richmonds are the ones that can be solicited here.
How experienced is Mr Kikwete in the business world? Is Lowasa revered in the investment arena to convince serious investors in Canada rather than the ministries responsible? and where in the world has any president canvassed the business community for his presedential jet ride in the name of opening deals for them abroad? a serious chap in business does not need a presidential ride to decide how they want to conduct or be successful in their busineess endeavors. Seriously by any apparent terms in the universe, this is not how business is done.
I pity those business people that were pile blinded into the presidential jet to the USA, and as if that was not enough insult, Mr president you dissed them publicly as if they were just motherless kidies in your presence abroad, how fittingly?
Lets talk about the Tiffany deal Mr President and I must quote you:
"When I visited Tiffany, a big jewelers company turning out billions of dollars, its officials were in some other place and had to be summoned to meet Tanzanian tanzanite dealers"
... "It is good to learn that Tiffany has already sent its experts here to investigate how they can work with Tanzanite miners"
How come Mr President that we never heard of any Tiffany's officials arriving in the country before your annual speech? Are we suppose to believe this? and in what capacity did you strike a deal with Tiffany?
With all due respect,and If I can further quote you, Mr President, look how silly you justified one of your many trips abroad
"US President George Bush, for example, is familiar with my predecessor Benjamin Mkapa, now if I had not gone there they would not have known me"
Let me put it to you this way Mr President, no body cares, whether you are the president or not, even the two leaders (Blair and Bush) that you seemed so inclined to kiss when your own people are in total darkness. And better still, you are not even answerable to them. You will be respected, if you set up your own true values and standards of leadership and be swayed not by any force. And those leaders will all come to you, If you think I am kidding, please go ask Mr. Mandela!
Sam GM
Jaduong and Sam! You both make very valid arguments with strong supporting quotations. But let's pause for a moment and think, what responsibilities have we placed on JMK by hiring him to the very top office of the land? Here's what I gathered about the roles of a Head of State:
1. Chief Diplomatic Officer: He or she accredits his or her country's ambassadors, though sending formal Letters of Credence to other heads of state. Without that accreditation, ipso facto an ambassador does not take up a role and receive diplomatic status. He or she receives Letters of Credence, sent by other heads of state accrediting his/her ambassador to the state. He or she signs international treaties on behalf of the state, or has them signed in his/her name by ministers.
2. Chief Appointments Officer: He or she appoints all the key officials in the state, including members of the cabinet, the prime minister (if there is one), key judicial figures and all major office holders.
3. Chief Executive Officer: In the vast majority of states, whether republics or monarchies, executive authority (ie, the source of governmental power) is vested in the head of state. Even in parliamentary systems where governments are directly answerable to parliament, governments may still in theory exercise powers via the head of state.
4. Summon and Dissolve Parliament: A head of state is often empowered to summon and dissolve parliaments. In most parliamentary systems, that is done on the advice of the prime minister or cabinet.
5. Sign Bills into Law: Most states require that all Bills passed by parliament are signed into law by the Head of State, who by their signature indicates that the Bill was passed in accordance with the correct procedures.
6. Delay or oppose the passage of a bill:Some states allow a head of state some participative role, in so far as they may be empowered to do so.
Based on the above roles of a Head of State, we can agree that the people are responsible for whatever JMK does, after all the people are the boss.
This is my point, the leaders we have placed in power will continue to abuse their offices as long as we lack a solid system of "checks and balances." In a system of government with competing sovereigns (such as a multi-branch government or a federal system), "checks" refers to the ability, right, and responsibility of each power to monitor the activities of the other(s); "balances" refers to the ability of each entity to use its authority to limit the powers of the others, whether in general scope or in particular cases.
Keeping each independent entity within its prescribed powers can be a delicate process. Public support, tradition, and well-balanced tactical positions do help maintain such systems. Checks and balances make sure one branch is not too powerful.
The entire corrupt, political system in bongoland has made it possible for our leaders to act and speak as they will! We(the local wananchi)should take the challenge and cry out, I mean CRY OUT for a better system - we can do this by ensuring that if our elected officials (most of whom just go to sleep at BUNGE) do not present our views in parliament, they are not re-elected. Period. Let the elected official realize that our eyes are on them!
Enough is enough! We embrace these folks even when we know that their performance is ZERO. Kama kweli "mtaji wa maskini ni nguvu yake" what happened to nguvu ya kura? I wonder what voters are forced to smoke in the mornings they go out to cast their votes. Could it be the same stuff that JMK, EL and CREW are smoking at Ikulu and Bungeni now that they are HIRED? After all, JMK, EL and CREW can smoke whatever they want, who has the guts to FIRE them for misconduct?
@Sam & Maiki,
Let's just say that in order to function and work in the Tanzanian government you have to be a little bit stupid.
If the president can't think straight, surely, the entire cabinet is bound to be the same!
But I agree with Mike, something must be done to change the situation in Tanzania
You don`t become the boss by participating in poor elections process. You have to change the election process if you want to avoid calling your president stupid. If he does not care who will be the loser?
If government leaders are not made but prepared, where are they prepared? who prepares them? and How do they prepare themselves to lead their nations?
Our brother JKM and his predecessors, all achieved terrible records of failures. Their story is not different at all and they were all given minimum of 10 years to do the mess. Who ever comes after JKM`s five years or ten years will have to clean a huge mess in that poor country of ours.
Where would this new fellow come from? Would it be a new face? 2010 is just a couple of years ahead. If we don`t yet know that new face by now it is obvious that every one is scared of JKM and there `ll be no better leader or government in that very poor country of ours. What a shame people to let this happen? Generation after generation of Tanzanians will continue to suffer just because some one in State House does not care.
JKM was not prepared at all, no question about that and we are again going to fail big time. His one year performance is indicative of whatever period he will stay in the state house. Don`t listen to the Swahili politics because the Swahili knows who the Swahilis are.
Mpeni Kaisari....
Wapemba wajuana kwa vilemba.
Too much deception in the eyes of the people.
I have studied and researched Tiffany in many business courses. I don`t see any benefit that JKM tries to put hype into it.
TANESCO yasitisha kununua Umeme wa IPTL...
2006-12-29 10:04:47
Na Frank Mbunda
Shirika la Umeme Nchini (TANESCO), limesimamisha kununua umeme kutoka katika makampuni ya IPTL na SONGAS, kutokana na kina cha maji katika baadhi ya mabwawa yanayozalisha nishati hiyo kuongezeka.
Hatua hiyo imelenga kupunguza gharama za uendeshaji, ambapo shirika hilo lilikuwa likilazimika kununua megawati 100 kutoka IPTL na megawati 182 kutoka SONGAS na kuingiza katika gridi ya Taifa.
Sambamba na hatua hiyo, pia TANESCO imetangaza kuwa, kampuni ya Richmond ya Marekani, imeuzwa na kazi ya utekelezaji wa mkataba baina yake na Serikali, sasa itafanywa na kampuni ya Messrs Dowans Holdings ya Falme za Kiarabu.
Hayo yalitangazwa jijini Dar es Salaam jana na Kaimu Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa TANESCO, Bw. Stephen Mabada.
Bw Mabada alikuwa akitoa taarifa kuhusu kuondolewa rasmi kwa mgao wa umeme nchini kote.
Hata hivyo, TANESCO imesema bwawa la Mtera, litaendelea kufungwa kwa muda usiojulikana ili kuongeza uwezo wa kukusanya kiasi kikubwa cha maji yatakayosaidia uzalishaji umeme wakati wa kiangazi.
Aidha, Bw. Mabada amewatahadharisha wananchi wanaoishi maeneo ya chini ya bwawa la Kidatu kwani itailazimu TANESCO kufungulia maji wakati wowote ili kuokoa kingo za bwawa hilo kuharibika kutokana na kujaa maji zaidi.
Alisema bwawa hilo linapaswa kujaza maji kufikia mita 450 kutoka usawa wa bahari, lakini kutokana na udogo wake, hulazimika kuyatumia yanapofikia mita 433.
Bw. Mabada alisema bwawa hilo hivi sasa limefikia mita za ujazo 450.6, kiwango ambacho alisema ni kikubwa na hatari kwa wakazi wa maeneo ya jirani.
”Kwani yakifunguliwa yanaweza kuathiri makazi ya watu na kusababisha madhara makubwa ikiwa ni pamoja na maafa.” alisema.
Alisema kutokana na kuongezeka kwa kiwango hicho cha maji, bwawa la Kidatu limeongeza uzalishaji kutoka megawati 68 mpaka kufikia megawati 204, Kihansi lilikokuwa likizalisha megawati 30 sasa linazalisha megawati 186, Pangani megawati 68 na vituo vya Hale na Nyumba ya Mungu vinazalisha wastani wa megawati 13.
Aliongeza kwamba vituo vyote vinavyozalisha umeme kutokana na nguvu za maji, ukiondoa Mtera, vina uwezo wa kuzalisha kati ya megawati 400 na 421, ikilinganishwa na mahitaji halisi ya umeme nchini ambayo ni wastani wa megawati 457 hadi megawati 603.
Alisema kina cha maji katika bwawa la Mtera ambacho kilikuwa mita 686.92 kutoka usawa wa bahari mpaka kufikia Desemba Mosi, mwaka huu, kimeongezeka na kufikia mita 690.82, na inatarajiwa kuwa bwawa hilo linaweza kujaa zaidi mwaka huu.
Alisema zinahitajika zaidi ya mita nane kulifanya bwawa hilo kuwa imara na kujaa kabisa.
Hata hivyo, Bw. Mabada aliwaomba wananchi waishio maeneo ya juu milimani na mabondeni kuacha tabia ya kuyazuia maji, ili yaweze kuingia katika mto Ruaha na baadaye bwawani hapo, kwa vile mvua hizo zinaweza kutosheleza mahitaji ya mashambani.
Akifafanua zaidi Bw Mabada alisema kina cha maji katika bwawa la Nyumba ya Mungu, ambalo hata hivyo halikuwa na tatizo la upungufu mkubwa wa maji,mpaka kufikia Desemba mosi kilikuwa 686.39 na hivi sasa kinakaribia kufikia mita 688.91 ambapo kina cha chini ni mi 679.15.
”Bwawa la Kihansi, lilikuwa na mita 1143.98 mpaka kufikia Desemba mosi, lakini baada ya mvua nzito katika eneo hilo, kina kimeongezeka na kufikia mita 1146.00, na kwamba kina cha chini ni mita 1141.00, ambacho ni kizuri kwa maendeleo ya uzalishaji umeme,” alisema Bw. Mabada.
Alisema kutokana na takwimu hizo, wamelazimika kusitisha uzalishaji umeme wa IPTL megawati 100, Songas (182), Aggreko (40) na Richmond ambayo sasa imeshauzwa kwa wawekezaji wa Kiarabu iliyokuwa inayozalisha megawati 20
Bw. Mabada alisema kwa sasa hakutakuwa na umeme wa mgawo nchini kote na tayari wameagiza kuzimwa kwa mitambo iliyokuwa ikitumiwa na TANESCO kuzalisha umeme wa mafuta, ili uweze kutumika unaozalishwa kwa maji.
Aidha, Bw. Mabada alisema tayari wazungu wa Net Group Solutions kutoka Afrika Kusini, wameondoka na kukabidhi kazi kwa watendaji wazalendo wa TANESCO.
”Kama mnavyotuona hapa, hakuna mzungu tena, kazi sasa inafanywa na waswahili wenyewe, hawa mabwana walikabidhi ofisi tangu Desemba 21 mwaka huu, siku nne kabla ya Krismasi, ”alisema Bw. Mabada.
Akuzungumzia kuuzwa kwa kampuni ya Richmond, Bw. Mabada alikiri kuwapo kwa hatua hiyo akisema pia kwamba kampuni hiyo tayari imeanza kazi rasmi.
”Hawa waliokuja wapo, wanaendelea na kazi, hivi sasa kama si leo kesho mtasikia taarifa kwamba mitambo yao mingine itaingia tayari kuendelea na kazi,” alisema Bw. Mabada.
Alisema hata hivyo, kampuni ya Richmond Development, mpaka inauzwa haikuingiza umeme katika njia kuu (Gridi ya Taifa) badala yake walipowasha walifanya majaribio na kubaini kwamba mitambo yao iko katika hali nzuri kiuzalishaji.
Unsupplied power to cost billions
2006-12-29 10:26:01
By Judica Tarimo
Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) will have to cough up USD9m (11.3bn/-) per month to two private power supply companies, although it has stopped purchasing their power.
The public power utility announced yesterday to have suspended purchasing electricity from Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) and Songas plants, as power generation capacity at the country’s strategic hydro-power stations has stabilized.
Tanesco’s decision was aimed at reducing operation costs triggered by purchase of 100 MW and 182 MW from IPTL and Songas respectively to beef up the national grid.
However, the 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) signed between Tanesco and IPTL in 1995 provides for the former to pay the latter USD2.5m (2.5bn) monthly as capacity charges, whether it buys power from IPTL or not.
Tanesco-Songas PPA requires Tanesco to pay USD6.5m (USD6.5bn) as capacity charges on a monthly basis, power bought or not put aside.
The two PPAs will bleed Tanesco’s financial resources until say, the government decides to buy them outright.
A vivid example was tabled to Tanesco board in 2002. It had happened that government provided Tanesco with 15bn/- subsidy to beef up its operations.
On the other hand, Tanesco paid IPTL 19bn/- in capacity charges only.
Tanesco Acting Managing Director, Stephen Mabala said: ”We had been spending a lot of money on buying electricity from private suppliers (IPTL and Songas).
But we are temporarily suspending power purchase from these plants after our hydro-power stations resumed full-production capacity.”
The official said power generation at the strategic hydro-power stations has surpassed national demand for power, producing 464 MW while demand ranges between 400 MW to 450 MW.
Detailing, Mabala said power generation at Kidatu currently stands at 180 MW, Kihansi station (160 MW), Pangani station (68 MW), Hale and Nyumba ya Mungu (13 MW).
However, he said Mtera dam power station remains closed despite increased volume of water- from 686 metres above sea level, up to the current 690.82 metres. This is due to some technical reasons.
”If we allow power generation at Mtera, we will affect generation at Hale and Pangani stations.
Another thing is that we are still reserving water at Mtera for future use,” said Mabala.
The country’s total power generation capacity is 806 MW, out of which 464 MW comes from hydro-power stations and 242 MW from gas plants.
”But hydro-power stations are sufficient to meet demand, except at night when we allow some gas-propelled machines from gas plants,” said Mabala.
Following impressive performance at the strategic hydro-power stations, the country will not face power crisis for the whole of next year.
”I am confident to say so basing on the current trends. But we are working hard to stabilize power supply systems. We do not like to revert to this year’s power woes,” observed the official.
Meanwhile, Tanesco has principally accepted the request by the controversial Richmond Development Company (RDC) to assign the agreement for supply of 100 MW emergency power to Messrs Dowans Holdings of United Arab Emirates (UAE).
”Tanesco consented to the request after careful consideration.
The agreement between us and RDC provided for re-assigning the contract to another party,” said Mabala.
The new company is proceeding with the installation of generators and that some equipment was expected to arrive into the country today.
”We are proceeding with the testing of generator’s capacity after which we will officially declare amount of power generated and supplied to the national grid by the company,” said Mabala.
In another development, an additional 50 MW from Kiwira coal project would beef up the national power grid in January 2007, the Tanesco director announced.
”In totality, the project is expected to produce 200 MW, but we would start with 50 MW in the first phase,” he said, adding: Feasibility study on the project is going on, which includes examining the possibility of expanding power supply lines to the wider community,” according to Mabala.
SOURCE: Guardian
Comment on this article
Richmond kampuni hewa yauzwa katika mazingira ya kutatanisha. Yaani wameamua kubadisha jina tu na kuingia ubia na hicho kikampuni cha mtaani huko Uarabuni. Bado tunadanganywa kama toto dogo na rais Kikwete na timu yake wamekalia viti vyao rahamu mustarehe. Nani akubali kujiuzulu kula dezo ndani ya nchi ya dezo?Kila mzembe anapeta bila kuwajibishwa. Rais na timu yake wote wanapenda dezo ndio maana wanang`ang`ania madaraka bila kuwajibika ipasavyo. Uswahili umekithiri, toka lini Richmond ikanunuliwa? huyo aliyoinunua kannunua kwa kiasi gani na huyo aliyoinunua ana interest gani na Richmond, si mtuambie tu mkataba baina ya Richmond na serikali ndio unalindwa. Msituhadae hata kidogo, Tanesco saga and Richmond saga are serious issues, na nyie waandishi wa hizi habari bwana Frank Mbunda na Judica Tarimo mko responsible kwa mlichoandika. Kikwete anasemaje kuhusu kuuzwa kwa Richmond bila kuchukuliwa hatua na aliynunua Richmond na kukabidhiwa mkataba right away ana sifa zipi?
Watendaji wakuu wa Richmond watafikishwa mahakamani? Dowans Holdings ndi kina nani katika umeme? Hii stori haina tofauti na Pwagu na Pwaguzi. Eee mama mbavu zangu eeeee!!
Research ya harakaharaka ndani Google inasema kwamba family ya Al Adawi family ya huko middle east ndio inamiliki hiyo Dowans Holding, wao si makandarasi wa umeme bali ni wawekezaji tu! lazima kuna utapeli mwingi hapa.
All I can say of the President's press conference is that he basically put his foot in his mouth.
Seems like he was trying too hard to fit the his image as being "mcheshi na wote, mtu watu, mwenzetu" at the expense of, er, common sense, really!
Otherwise, how can you put down your own team mates and expect any good apart from the few cynical or is it hypocritical laughs from his audience.
This is classic, "changamsha kijiwe" kind of talk, and as for the Richmond saga, well let's just say it keeps on devolving, and we have seen the last of it, at least not yet!
How could the so called Richmond, an american company, be worth anything to the Arab family millionaire be interested to invest in electricity in Tanzania?
Haven`t this wealth family evaluated Richmond? Do they have a better knowledge than others? Were the indigeneous people not interested in buying Richmond? I am skeptical of the deal to sell richmond and the deal to purchase Richmond. Who in his best mind would have done that? If it was proven that Richmond failed to deliver, the tender should have been given to someone else without Richmond involvement. What else do we need to prove here? Kikwete and his team do not understand the job they sre supposed to do and if they do they have very little capacity in ensuring a better future for Tanzania. Therefore, if JMK and his team believe that their employer is the people of Tanzania, they should resign from power. We have seen a lot of abuses of power and public trust in Kikwete`s leadership and his team of ministers. We urge them to resign for failing to handle many important issues affecting economic growth and well being of the people. There is a very small percentage of hardworkers whom respect their duty and responsibility as leaders, the rest are there just to get by. They are not competent at all.
Richmond was not an American company.
Kampuni ya Richmond ni ya Mtoto wa EL. Lakini kwa mbinu zile zile za IPTL za kulipwa umeme hewa na yeye aliona afanye vile. Hatakuwa mtu wa kulaumiwa sana kama wale wa kwanza ambao ni IPTL na Net Group ile ya Makaburu. Na isitoshe umeme sasa unatengenezwa na wanasiasa, kwa hiyo tuna umeme wa maneno.
We are keeping blaming ourselves but we are not sure of the future nor the cause of those fates. If you are real 'Mtanzania" why not support the ongoing motion of 'African reparation?'
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