There is an old Swahili saying which goes like this “Kila lenye mwanzo halikosi kuwa na mwisho”. The meaning of that proverbial saying is that anything with a starting point must have an ending point. From a practical standpoint, seeing an end, particularly of a painful experience, could seem like an eternity. I just sensed that something was changing in Tanzania, thought at a slower pace, but I didn’t expect it to come this fast.What I am talking about if you might ask? I am talking about an abrupt the resignation of the embattled Prime Minister, Mr. Edward Lowassa. Man, was that a joy in my heart!
Just read blog posts from Michuzi and Mrocky.
It is not like I am coldhearted, but I don’t feel sorry for the dude. Knowing the Tanzanian culture, forgiveness is almost always granted for those in higher position, with very stupid excuses such as “shetani mbaya alimpitia” or “hii ni mara yake ya kwanza”. For all y’all non Swahili speakers, the two excuses stand for blaming the devil and downplaying the misconduct for being the first offense, respectively. I am not feeling sorry for Mr. Lowassa for two reasons. One he was trusted by the poor Tanzanian people and secondly he did everything deliberately.
One has to picture a poor farmer in Morogoro, for instance. One has to visualize the poor farmers who are trying to make ends meet on a handheld hoe, poor folks who do not have access to better health care while the so called “viongozi” get their regular medical check-up abroad, school kids who don’t have adequate facilities while “viongozi” are driving expensive cars, or “educated” officials who sign stupid mining contracts to really see that what Mr. Lowassa and other folks implicated in the Dr. Mwakyembe’s report did was just gross betrayal.
I can’t really see how a sensible human being would do what the likes of Lowassa do. Probably being a leader in Tanzania requires being crazy, stupid and insensitive. Probably it requires throwing out your basic humanity for power, prestige and money. Probably it requires thinking more of you than the rest of the poor people who trust, depend, and hope that your knowledge, education and vision to help them out. I really don’t know.
Nonetheless, I honestly think that the likes of Mr. Lowassa are simply evil. Very evil. You can’t explain that differently.
I was just reading the reaction from both Mr. Lowassa and Mr. Karamagi and I couldn’t just help myself but laugh. How could these people be so stupid? In their defense against Dr. Mwakyembe’s report, these two honorable ministers claimed that they were never interviewed by the parliamentary committee headed by Dr. Mwakyembe.
Let me just throw in another Swahili saying “Mfa maji haachi kutapatapa”. Do you want me to interpret that? I’ll let you learn a little bit of Swahili on your own. Well, apparently these two gentlemen are trying to make it sound like being interviewed by the parliamentary committee could have exonerated them. Nice try. I read Dr. Mwakyembe’s report and the report provided enough detail, including documented communication and directives from Mr. Lowassa and Mr. Karamagi. As a matter of fact, Mr. Karamagi asserted that “the report is factually correct, but debatable in some aspects”. Let me think about what that means.
What it means is that these two are crazy, stupid, or hallucinating. Just like someone drowning, a little feeble root in the ocean could be thought of as a saving rope. Dudes, you are going down!
What makes Mr. Lowassa and Karamagi’s defense childish is the fact that the conclusions made by Dr. Mwakyembe’s report were not based on personal opinions, but supported by solid evidence. I just hate it when people like Lowassa and Karamagi, despite being on their way down; still think we are all stupid. For instance, when Karamagi makes a phone call from Canada or Lowassa writes a memo that gives directives that violate procurement regulations, how in the world is that “debatable”?
Besides, to what degree is the report factually correct? 100%? 90%? 10%?
I am saying it again. These people are just evil to the extent that they have lost sense of reality. You know what though? Being evil sometimes makes one stupid also. I think I heard that somewhere.
I am just glad for the poor and powerless Tanzanians who have waited for so long for a day like this. I am excited for the likes of Dr. Slaa who have tirelessly and boldly spoken against evil in Tanzania. I am happy for the likes of Dr. Mwakyembe who deliberately decided to violate the CCM political norm for the sake of poor Tanzanians. I am glad for the saints who have tirelessly prayed for Tanzania.
This one is definitely for the history. This one is a genesis of a better Tanzania. I consider myself blessed and privileged to be a part of probably a progressive generation of Tanzanians.
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Photo Credit: IPPMedia
11 comments:
I hear u Metty. There is noting to add. Everything has been spoken. THIS GUY IS EVIL! I'M NOT SURE HOW IS WIFE WILL TELL HIM-- My mother has been complain about electric bill every month- I just don’t see to forgive this parasite.
Go to hell Mr Lowassa
Hiza
You are full of it, I think this blog has gone way over your head. Swallow your pride and give praise to JK who you have derided from time to time. What JK is trying to achieve is not obvious to many, na hana papara, he is not trying to be a judge and a jury at the same time. What JK is trying to do is to use proper governance and legal mechanism to get rid of all corruption within the party and the government.
That is proper leadership, it might be painfull slow, but at least it establish precedence (for future leaders) and transparency for people to see. Now am not saying he is perfect, but the man knows how to play the game. Otherwise, he might risk end up in body bag like Sokoine. Politics is a deadly game.
In a nutshell to avoid Sokoine fate, he has to create a mechanism for the system to clean itself out and that is just what happened. To do it all by himself, he risk end up being a dictator(a judge and a jury), which means, in the future the next president might use the established precedence to rule the country with impunity.
Instead, what you have now is the institutions supported by the media and citizens that let everything out in the open. In essence the sysyem, those powerfull corrupted few might kill one person, but they can't kill the system.
Live and learn !!!!
Heriki, NY
@Hiza
What else can we say?
@Heriki
What's your point? How's even this related to JK?
I am not against being criticized for what I write, but it would be benefitial to provide concrete evidence or logical explanation for your position.
So you think JK is all that? Really? What makes you think that?
I have provided logical explanation for my position. I would like to hear yours. But I would be glad to hear how even JK gets into this EL thing,
Metty,
I dislike to repeat myself, obviously u have read what I wrote, just did not comprehend it.
Lowassa is the best friend of JK, do you think he just happened to throw his 'buddy' under the bus for what?
Let me remind you during Mkapa era, those who disagreed with him used to just dissapear. There was no freedom of press, all motions on government deals, were dead on arrival in the parliament.
So if you actually think all this is just happenstance? For an untrained eye, it appear so.
The main question is, how do you undo what your predecessor did?
The answer is very smartly.
(You are smart guy, put yourself in his position and think about it!).
In short, JK tend to operate well behind the scene. All that is happening, was very clever put together. But it all takes time, and no one person can do it,esp. after all those years of build up. On top of that, you don't want to do it, in such a way that it humiliates your colleagues, who by the way, hold your nomination in the party. Need to be clever to play this game.
Now the system is growing its wings, in the future, people will behave not just because JK is there, but because the system actually works. The parliament, the media, the opposition parties. People are empowered. Otherwise, take out JK, and you have the same BS.
Politics can be very dirty or sophisticated game. It just depend on the players.(e.g, Mkapa vs. Kikwete). Nothing would have happen if JK did not let it happen.
Cheers,
Heriki
@Heriki
“Instead, what you have now is the institutions supported by the media and citizens that let everything out in the open. In essence the sysyem, those powerfull corrupted few might kill one person, but they can't kill the system.”
What is this! Stick to a point. Metty is talking about EL not JK. If you want to talk about JK—ask your self who APPOINT premier?? Media has an obligation to report any stupidity of any government and let walalahoi to decide. That is democratic system my friend! If you want to defend JK—ask yourself where was he doing for almost two years before getting out of closet??? Is he now realizing the true color of this bloodsucker - EL ??? Is this what you call a leadership -- KAZI MPYA.
Hiza
Is anyone talks about criminal implications, probably leading to criminal investigation by the Chief Justice on the accused.
It really sounds to me that, they are throwing towels on political front, by resigning from their government position, but anyone???? Thinks of implicating and investigating these individuals particularly on their finances(Bank accounts in Tanzania and abroad, or wherever their hiding their wealth, and corrupted money).. They should all be seized and stand trials.
What you all thinks ??
Secondly, the government should press ahead, start second fron by pressing ahead by opening a court case against RICHMOND, in USA.
This action, would send a clear signal to doggy investors around the world.
By Mchangiaji.
@Heriki,
Thanks for clarifying your position. However, how is JK's style of leadership responding the core message of this post?
Metty,
Let no one drag you away. Your article is full of facts and I like your critical thinking.
Lowassa is stinking rich and his ambitions have been all of a sudden dwindled down. The downfall is timely and calculated.
Being the best friend of the president made Lowassa feel like one of the desciples of Jesus by the name Peter miraculously walking on water without realising that he had no power to do so.
I understand that it has been a big headache for quite a long time to the president how he could do away with the notorious primier. The time was very due for Lowassa to quit but the means were not in place. It is a tactically played move by the president, who had been rendered assistance by the House Speaker.
You can as well remember that the House speaker abruptly postponed his trip to US so as to deal with the Richmond issue perpendicualrly and squarely. This is due to the long-time standoff between the Premier and the House Speaker. The Speaker got the chance and couldn't hesitate to drive the last nail to the coffin. Well, this is a political game and honestly, I do not sympathise with Lowassa either.
To me, it seems as if the president is carefully engineering all the moves behind the scene, because he has a reason now to tell his best friend, "well, you know this is very unfrotunate, but we are still together".
As for Lowassa, I am convinced that he is aware of what is going on and will follow the saying, "the strong man is not that who resist falling, but the one who could stand up after falling."
All in all, I wish he could call forever.
Onyango Jashirati
Is JK smart after all ?
To be fare with the president, He has tried to play a very good poker game in exposing the crimes on his own back yard, by starting with his own premier in forcing him out through a legal/constitutional framework-Bunge, This was a perfect punch. We should all give credit to that.
I truly believe that, this should follow up with the criminal investigation here in Tanzania and In USA against RICHMOND, in doing this would assert his authority and would definitely give the whole country the confidence and nurturing of this young democracy.
I think this is very slow process moving our country foward ? and I truly believe as some of the commentators have suggested on your blog, if this issue/allegations happened during Mkapa, this would have never happened!.
By Mchangiaji
Metty & Co.
Is Mr. Pinda a right choice, or a just a step backward to Nyerere Era ? I never question Pinda integrity and loyalty to the government, To me on my initial thoughts he seems a very clean guy, no corrupt hands on his resume.
But, when I recall his words when he was announced as new prime minister, He said yeye ni mkulima na wazee wa kijijini anakotoka watafurahi na kustaajabishwa na uchaguzi wake...
When you think about it and looking at those words, I can say that he will serve as loyal and follower of president JK decisions/executor, he would not have an outright decision on the issues affecting us as Tanzanians, he will be pretty much reduced to an advisor if you like.
and second thing is that, he is pretty much an old guard of Nyerere, and not progressive enough on the agenda particularly on Social and Economic Challenges facing our country. He is thinking in a BOX, and transparency to the new ideas/visions about our future and our country future in large.
My suggestion to JK, we should have a prominent thinker/economists and visionary as our prime minister and not mkulima who lacks those credentials on this very global economy. Mr. Pinda lacks ground on all those counts.
I must say this was not insult to wakulima, it is just that an urgency of now!
By Mchangiaji
@Mchangiaji,
I really don't think that Mizengo would bring anything new to the table. This is why:
1. Just look at Mjengwa's description of Mizengo
http://mjengwa.blogspot.com/2008/02/huyu-ndiye-mizengo-kayanda-pinda.html. He is a "Msirikali". To me, he is just a good bureaucrat. Nothing creative. Nothing visionary.
2. He has failed before. Just go back to my blog post regarding Rorya HQ. That was before I even knew the guy would end up being the PM. If the determination of the Rorya HQ was a yard stick, the guy is just another politician to me.
So let's just wait for additional painful 8 years of JK's rule.
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