RTF: When The Prez Is Clueless

It is another Friday and another opportunity to go on random thoughts. So bear with me.



Among other things that was on the Internet this week, as far as Tanzania’s issues are concerned, was the interview Mr. JMK had with Financial Times.Well, I don’t know who came up with the “the devil is in details” saying, but trust me, key message could be hidden in obscure places. Just go with me to the following excerpt from that interview:

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FT: There’s a sense from what you’re saying of this tremendous potential in Tanzania. You have great agricultural potential, mining potential, tourism potential, but it’s taking a long time to realize this potential. What do you think is holding Tanzania back?

JK: I don’t know. Of course this is precisely the question that I ask every day, what is it that we have not done? I think we have been leading the continent in terms of attracting mining investments in the mining sector. But we are still working (on attracting investment to other sectors). Maybe the message has not quite reached home.
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I don’t want to scare you simply for the sake of it. But when the president has no clue (or pretends to have no clue) as to why Tanzania is just spinning her wheels on a somewhat stationary position, it is about time to run. To be precise, mguu kisogoni. That statement ought to send chills down someone’s spine.

On the other hand, I am convinced that the President really and honestly doesn’t know why Tanzania is still at the current developmental stage. You could regard me as insane for saying that; nevertheless, my argument is supported by the decisions and actions he has taken since coming into office. I know the guy got into the office and did some remarkable things that no other president in the Tanzanian history has ever done, but then went down the same path of ineffectiveness that his predecessors rode. In essence, the guy is working with what he knows. And I don’t think what is knows is good enough to take Tanzania to the Promised Land.

The president bragged about Tanzania being in the forefront in attracting foreign investment. That is well and good. Nevertheless, is it one thing to attract investors and it is another to manage investors and investment contracts in a way that is beneficial to the regular mwananchi. Let’s take mining industry for instance. If ThisDay’s story (or comparative analysis), which is contending that the booze industry has contributed more in tax shillings than the mining industry is true, then you don’t need to be a genius to figure out that what is plaguing Tanzania is nothing mysterious, but just lack of a culture that puts accountability in the front seat. Just sticking to the mining industry again, what does the president make of his minister’s controversial signing of a mining contract that led to striking out a contract clause that was more beneficial to the country?

As I pointed out earlier, the president is honestly clueless of why Tanzania is not making progress. That is because his operation and thinking mode is drawn from a general and political culture that nurtured him. In order for him to see the issues for what they really are, he would need to see the Tanzanian story from a different angle. Only then would he be able to institute a culture that is effective in realizing the desired goals.

See, when the president asks “what is it that we have not done?” he is missing the key question, which is what is it that he or presidents before him failed to do. He is the main man, so the blame and praise will always fall on him. It appears to me that he has not taken ownership of the country’s development story. From my point of vintage, the president needs to change is perspective and embark on a new mindset in order for him to get the right answers.

The challenge, however, is whether he is willing to change his own perspective. The difficulty is based on the fact that all of us get into a comfortable zone and it becomes harder for us to see life in a different way. At times, we even become defensive of our thinking, because our thinking defines who we are. Nevertheless, for Tanzania to make significant progress, a new way of thinking must be in place. That is because good policies alone without a culture that ensures effective implementation of those policies are just worthless. A very good practical example is the Azimio la Iringa. Despite its good intentions, the azimio never revolutionize agriculture in Tanzania. That is because there was never a culture to back up the policy. See my point?

Honestly, I get scared when someone charged with the responsibility to find answers waves their hands up in the air in desperation. That tells me that either the person has no clue of their responsibility or they are simply not qualified for the job. But the biggest message I get is that the president, and the majority of Tanzanians, believe Tanzania’s development process is different from any other nation. Well, that is true to some extent (due to political and cultural influences), but the truth is that there are certain development principles that are universal across the board.

The biggest question is whether Tanzanians have identified and diligently applied those universal principles. And to me identification of those principles is not that hard. We can just find a model country, borrow their script and gauge whether we have properly followed the script. The problem is, Mr. JMK gives the impression that we have no script. Had we had a script, it would have been easier to conduct an evaluation and pinpoint why we are not achieving our goals and who or what is impeding our development progress.

From what the president is saying, I gather that he has no evaluation mechanism in place. As such, he wakes up daily and start shooting in the dark. In his position, I expected the guy to understand both external and internal factors that are hindering Tanzania from getting anywhere. If not, seriously, how do you tweak your strategy and tactics to achieve your goals?

Are you still surprised that the poor guy can’t tell why Tanzania is not making any strides? I am not. Whether we like it or not, Tanzania has a very, very, very long way to go. Honestly, it is ought to be very scary when the guy in charge is clueless. And again, lets not attribute our problems to some weird white folks tactics. I strongly believe that we have serious issues internally.

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Photo Credit: Mjengwa

Book Review: Surrogates of the State

It believe in the power of information. As such, I cherish any source of information that could enlighten me on my surroundings, particularly on the Tanzanian life. Well, I just happened to come across a book covering one aspect of the Tanzanian experience, and I am hereby providing a review of the book.

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Surrogates of the State: NGOs, Development, and Ujamaa in Tanzania. Michael Jennings. Bloomfield: Kumarian Press, 2007. 243 pp.

In Surrogates of the State: NGOs, Development, and Ujamaa in Tanzania, Michael Jennings delivers an account of the role NGOs, particularly Oxfam, played in supporting Tanzania's government economic policies. In addition, the author provides an account of the historical background on the Ujamaa policy and subsequent failures in implementation of the Ujamaa policy.

This book is an excellent resource to students, educators and anyone interested in understanding not only the role that NGOs played in the development process in Tanzania, but also Tanzania’s attempt to achieve economic progress in the time period spanning between the late 1960s and early 1980s. In reviewing this book, the main criteria included the organization, content and reference sources.

The author kicks off the book with an account of the role and the history of NGOs, detailing the spirit of volunteerism and charity as the driving force propelling the NGOs. The author then takes the reader on the expansion (both financial and operational) of NGOs through the years. The book shows not only an appreciation of the role NGOs as agents of development, but also accounts for the factors that led to the formulation of the Ujamaa policy, the implementation failures that followed, and how NGOs (knowingly or unknowingly) supported the Ujamaa policy.

Michael Jennings is a Lecturer in international development and East African politics at the Centre for Development, Swansea University. A major focus of his work has been the role of voluntary agency activity in development in East Africa, including NGOs, missions, and faith-based organizations. He has worked extensively on the role of civil society in development and has research interests in health issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

The author has organized the book in somewhat a chronological order, allowing the reader to understanding the origination and development of the NGO movement while deliberately focusing on Oxfam. The author also takes a chronological progression of economic policy formulation in Tanzania, key players, and strategic changes immediately after independence to early 1980s.

Regrettably, it takes the author up to the middle chapters to address the main topic – which is proving how NGOs became surrogates of the Tanzanian state. The author also provides historical details that some readers might find unnecessary. Nevertheless, the author supported such detail by making reference to external sources that could be traced to vouch the author’s arguments and conclusions.

While the author attempts to prove how NGOs in Tanzania, such as Oxfam, essentially became surrogates of the state by supporting the official economic policy (Ujamaa) through narrowing of the opportunities for independent action and reinforcing the official paradigm, the author surprisingly provides an explanation to the reasons behind the authoritarian style of governance that is currently a contention point between the incumbent government and opposition parties, some NGOs (such as HakElimu) and other political activists.

With a current explosion of NGOs in Tanzania, this book is definitely a good resource in understanding the history of NGOs and the role NGOs has played as development partners in Tanzania. It is also a good resource for anyone interested in gaining an understanding of Tanzania’s attempt to attain economic progress through the Ujamaa policy and why the Ujamaa policy failed.

The book is scheduled for release in November 2007.

RTF: Focus on Latrines? Seriously?

It is Friday, so you can definitely expect me to go off on random thoughts. I will try that, as long as I don’t veer way off the road. I will try to stick within sensible limits.

You know what? This world is full of surprises (But may be there are no surprises since human beings are capable of anything – be it brilliant or stupid). I just couldn’t prove that notion without the help of this wonderful article from ThisDay .

Did you get the story? Isn’t amazing that there is actually a global summit to discuss, among other things, creative solutions for the shortage of latrines in Tanzania? Don’t blink, you read that right.

It is one thing to be rich, but the more I see what rich folks do, I have come to the conclusion that money does not really make one wise. That is clearly depicted by the endless stupidity that little, but rich Hollywood kids, display on a constant basis. But again, we can say these kids act this way because this comes in somewhat easier ways.

Just looking at the list of dignitaries listed by ThisDay as members of this global summit (such as the EU Commissioner, Netherlands PM, Nicholas Negroponte, etc), I couldn’t just wonder: what are these folks smoking? I mean, is shortage of latrines in Tanzania really an issue that these intelligent folks (I’m assuming that they are truly intelligent) could focus their attention on? Who even put this on the agenda?

See, I am not denying that hygiene is important for Tanzania, but who is really responsible for that? Do you really mean to tell me that Tanzanians are not creative enough to solve hygiene problems on their own to the extent that a global summit should be called on to discuss ways to provide latrines for Tanzanians?

Honestly, human beings can lose it at times. Can someone really prove to me that Tanzania is that poor or dumb to the extent that a global summit is needed to help Tanzanians find a “creative solution” to store their own poop? Seriously, how much money does it really take to construct one pit latrine for instance? Besides, isn’t Tanzania a country that is boasting of being the third country in Africa for gold production ? Where does the government hide all the dough? (Oh, I forgot, there are all those BOT and Buzwagi scandals)

Just for the records, let me repeat this: celebrities can’t solve Africa’s problems. That is something that has to come from deep within Africans’ guts. Tanzanians have to have a resolve in taking care of issues that don’t really need some Negropontes or Gates to solve.

I know that Bill Gates and the rest have good intentions. Nonetheless, I believe we are not headed in the right direction. This is a classic example of how rich folks are bored to the extent that they are “finding the meaning of life” even in ridiculous areas. But the biggest concern is not the rich gang’s attitude towards Africa’s problem; my biggest issue is how Africans themselves view their problems. What does it really speak of Tanzanians for a global summit to even talk about latrine shortage in their country?

I know it is boring to repeat this mindset change thing over and over again. But that the issues in Tanzania are rooted therein. For Pete’s sake, we are ranked third in Africa for gold production and we still poop under trees and sprinkle on walls! Our issues have to be deeply rooted in our culture and how we view life. Unfortunately, for our own mindset, we have the Negropontes planning to send us latrines, of all things that we need. How sad is that?

And I bet the summit would be assessed as successful in the end. Isn’t that something?

Enjoy your weekend.

What Are We Missing About HIV/AIDS?

It is not like cynicism is running through my veins. Hardly. Nonetheless, coming to think of it, my sense of curiosity is stemming mostly from my profession. In order to be an effective “my profession”, I am required to exercise “professional skepticism”. Don’t ask me what that entails, but I hardly end up on the surface when it comes to issues. That is not to say that I am paranoid or anything like that. I am just inquisitive.

I just so happened that Ricci, one of my readers, posted this comment on one of the old posts: “Expose the AIDS fraud. Watch AIDS Inc on Youtube.com”.

Obviously, I was surprised and honored at the same time. That really made feel that this esteemed reader respects my blog enough to trust that I can bring to light some of the supposedly hidden agenda behind the global AIDS drive. Nevertheless, that sense of flattery ended sooner as I started to ponder what I could actually say. See, the truth is that I am as naïve as the next-door neighbor when it comes to some issues.

Despite my feelings of ignorance when it comes to the AIDS, I decided to pay a visit to the Youtube site and watch the video for myself. You can also check the video here.

I am not a scientist, so I cannot sit here and tell you what the guy in the video said about misinformation on AIDS is true. For one, I could have been brainwashed to believe some things about AIDS. For instance, the guy dismissed the notion that HIV is sexually transmitted. That to me is a serious dissenting comment from the mainstream belief. Secondly, I don’t have resources of my own to refute any scientific claims. So go ahead and be a judge for yourself.

I tried, however, to pick some elements from the video that I could vouch against other sources. One of the claims made in the video is a different definition of AIDS in poor countries and that applied in Western countries. In Africa, for instance, the definition of AIDS typically used is a
“Bangui Definition”.

The “Bangui Definition” was decided at a World Health Organization meeting in October, 1985. According to this definition, a patient could be diagnosed as having AIDS as long as they exhibit two of these three symptoms: prolonged fevers for a month or more, weight loss over 10 percent, or prolonged diarrhea, combined with any one of several minor symptoms -- chronically swollen lymph nodes, persistent cough for more than a month, persistent herpes, itching skin inflammation or several others.

The problem, as the Natural Health Information Center website writes, is that many of these symptoms show up from other African diseases. The bottom line is this: it is more than likely that the HIV/AIDS statistics are inflated. The inflation is first due to the visual diagnosis of AIDS under the Bangui Definition and secondly because of the money game behind HIV/AIDS.

Seriously, the number of NGOs establishments in a country has been steadily growing. Most of these NGOs are focused on three main areas – women and children development, HIV/AIDS, and youth development. We must agree that most NGOs have done a pretty good job, but some NGOs have been just personal projects to acquire easy money. Corruption and misappropriation of funds in African NGOs has happened at the expense of HIV/AIDS victims.

And these African crooks would like see the inflated number of HIV/AIDS cases to go higher and higher. Who would like to see their money pipe dry up?

Of course I am trying to ignore the fact that the most beneficiaries in the HIV/AIDS money game has been pharmaceutical companies. Honestly, what do you think is drawing a pharmaceutical company such as Abbott, based right here in Columbus, Ohio to Tanzania? I know they will cite corporate citizenship crap. Nonetheless, the agenda behind corporate citizenship is to create a social rapport for easy rip-off. Companies care more for their bottom line than anything else. A for-profit company is established to generate just that – profits.

What I find to be worth paying attention to is the inconsistency related to what is the regarded as the leading cause of death in Africa, Tanzania in particular. For instance, other sources regard HIV/AIDS as the leading cause of death in Africa, while others put malaria at the top of the list. That should raise red flags all over.

I am not an expert in these issues, but definitely something is amiss. Of course this world is full of opinions and perspectives, but some issues are worth taking a second look at. As such I think it is imperative to question the validity of HIV/AIDS statistics in Tanzania. Furthermore, it is worth to check just to see if we know everything we need to know about HIV/AIDS.

I don’t want to wake up in 2020 only to find I have been taken for a ride.

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Photo Credit: Photoshare.org

RTF: End Times for CCM?

Man, life really is unpredictable. You wake up in the morning expect one thing only to end up bumping into another. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to muse on this Friday. Nevertheless, I just couldn’t resist this strong temptation to shred the Tanzanian former PM, Mr. Warioba into pieces.

I am not a Dracula. Nonetheless, I have a very good reason for wanting Warioba’s blood. I want to shred this guy into pieces following his recent comments regarding corruption accusations leveled against CCM top dogs. Just the original story here, here or here.

Honestly, I have had so much respect for this guy. In my opinion, this man has held himself to relatively higher standards than the majority of politicians in Tanzania. He has made sense in most occasions. But I wonder, was all that a fake façade? Is the guy just getting to old to think straight?

One of Mr. Warioba’s arguments that got me going was this notion that the president’s evils shouldn’t be brought to light (particularly corruption), since that would diminish the trust in the president. And in Warioba’s opinion, diminished trust in the president would lead to a plethora of problems.

Mr. Warioba has the right to express his opinions just I have the opportunity to express mine. Nonetheless, I strongly believe that Mr. Warioba’s position is just perpetuating a political culture that has brought Tanzania where it is. It is a mindset that tends to afford the president’s seat a godly status. What that has done is to create an artificial notion that a president is actually above the law and that the president should be worshipped.

That is a very wrong outlook. That is a bunch of crap.

You know what? I am glad that Mr. Warioba in the same sitting Mr. Warioba called for a cultural change. Let me just quote his own words:

“The country can only manage to flush out corruption if there is cultural and behavioral change among the public in general”.

Unfortunately, Mr. Warioba missed the fact that cultural change must, and always start at the top. It appears Mr. Warioba is clueless of the significant influence that the president has over so many aspects of Tanzanian’s lives. Whoever becomes the president must understand that being Tanzania’s president is not equivalent to personal success (ulaji), but a privilege and a challenge. The responsibilities bestowed upon the office of the president must be understood and respected first and foremost by whomever assumes the office.

In my opinion, the presidency position in Tanzania has not been respected for roughly the past twenty years. And that is not by wananchi, but those Tanzanians entrusted with the office. Much has been documented to support that, and Mr. Warioba knows that a president who didn’t have enough respect for the office shelved his own commission’s report and recommendations on corruption.

If anything, adoration of any president comes out of his or her own respect for the trust and honor that wananchi gives them. It appears, however, that Mr. Warioba is forcing wananchi to respect the president, despite president’s own lack of respect for the office. It is amazing that Mr. Warioba is playing naïve to the fact that some of the very folks accused of corruption are government officials appointed and protected by the same president. Apparently, Mr. Warioba wants folks to embrace a president who has clearly failed to fulfill his call of duty.

The saddest part is that Mr. Warioba is apparently not clearly reading the signs of the times. I am not convinced that someone like Dr. Slaa is that stupid to bring his political career to a halt by leveling false accusations against key government officials. Well, it could be that in desperation Chadema is attempting to gain some political equity, but it might as well be that CCM is coming to the end of the road.

One thing is obvious though; the political landscape is changing in Tanzania and the same old rhetoric is becoming irrelevant. I believe that Tanzanians are getting tired (didn't someone come up with a saying about fooling people for only sometime?) Some conspiracy theorists are contending that Warioba has just been used to put out the fire burning the CCM camp up. Well, think he just sank the CCM ship down, if he was indeed sent the steer CCM out of the mess.

Man, think I am kidding about Tanzanians being tired? Just read some comments posted on Mjengwa’s blog.

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Photo Credit: Mwananchi Newspaper

EAC: Can We Handle The Heat?

I believe in cooperation. I strongly believe that Tanzania cannot just operate and exist in isolation. For one, history has taught us that political environment in neighboring countries have a potential of have an impact on Tanzania. Just ask folks in Kigoma and Karega. They have a first hand experience with a refugee influx.

You can never take those experiences lightly. As such any opportunity you have (such as the East African Community) to have a positive influence on your neighbors should be honored and cherished. Nevertheless, I struggle with the idea of just joining hands for political reasons, without considering some practical and significant issues.

A buddy of mine sent me the following message. This was from his father who is currently undergoing some medical treatment in Nairobi. Read on…

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“If you want to know how dirty politics could be, come to Kenya. These guys fight using weapons such as arrows. It is amazing that even a minister from one political party goes out to campaign and he gets beaten up. These guys are dangerous.

But they are coming. They know exactly why they want to join the East African Community. Since I got here, at least on a daily basis you will hear about a carjacking or bank robbery. Even worse, these guys are using deadly weapons such as AK47 and others ammunitions. I think they get these weapons from Somalia.

I have come to appreciate living in a peaceful country. The bandits can strike at anytime, anywhere. If I was not aware of this reality, then the majority of people (Tanzanians) have no clue. I was naïve enough to assume that as long as I was living in a peaceful country, other places had the same environment.

I am afraid Tanzanians’ eyes will open while it is too late. For instance, just yesterday, bandits attached Kenya’s flying police and forced the police force to retreat. The bandits were on their way to rob the Bank of India...”
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I am not undermining the importance of the East African Community, but certainly there are plenty of factors that Tanzanians need to ponder before joining hands with the rest of the East African countries. Just go over the above message from a shocked mzee and tell me if you would even think of being a Nairobi’s residence.

One of the mostly cited reasons for calling for East Africa’s cooperation is the commonness of the people. A very simple example is the existence of the same tribes (such as Luo) across the Kenyan and Tanzanian borders. While that could be true, I don’t think that is strong enough of a reason. Language alone is never enough a reason to unite people. Luo in Kenya are conditioned differently from Luo in Tanzania. The Kenyan environment has positioned Luo in that country to have a differing perspective on tribal relationship from that of Luo in Tanzania.

My point is that Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have very unique experiences – both political and cultural – that we can’t ignore simply because Swahili is spoken among these countries.

Despite the obvious tribalism culture that is prevalent in Kenya, I am not convinced that these countries share the same political culture either. Honestly, I am not sure if I want Museveni to be my president. Despite the fact that Tanzanian past presidents have had their black spots, I praise them for respecting the people enough not to demand a change in the constitution so that they could become life presidents. Not only that, I think the guy is overly ambitious, not for the people of East Africa, but for his own personal gains and legacy.

Seriously, are Tanzanians ready to fund about $10,000 that Kenyan’s MPs give themselves on a monthly basis once we become on country? I don’t think so.

In addition, I am not convinced that we are all on the same economic path. Yes, Kenya has led the way in East Africa for a long time. Nonetheless, the country’s recent performance indicates that the country is heading in the wrong direction. It would be very myopic to believe that economic inequality will not bring with it some problems. Wonder why young people are flocking to Dar-es-Salaam? It is because of the imbalance in the distribution of national wealth (farmers produce exports in rural areas, while tarmac roads and skyscrapers are being constructed in Dar-es-Salaam).

I have not studied on how the East African government, once formed, will be run. Nonetheless, the reality is that Tanzanians must be ready for a huge cultural shock. Man, if you have not been to Kenya, please make a “study tour”. We can handle the Ugandans (we did about 20 years ago, plus they are mild mannered), but Kenyans are of a class of their own (I am not saying this to promote separation, I am just letting Tanzanians know the cultural differences).

The text message above from a shocked mzee definitely focused on security issues in Nairobi. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the fact that the rise of banditry is a result of some of other social factors. The question is this: are Tanzanians ready to handle the heat once the EAC is finally here? Are ready to be part of the social problems in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda? Do we have clear idea of what we are getting ourselves into or we have just let emotionalism blur our vision?

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Photo Credit: BBC

RTF: Poor Business Skills?

I am not abandoning this space. It is just that life happens and you have to be very wise in time allocation. This happens to be one of those weeks where the means through which I pay my bills – that is my job – took a sit on the front row. But I would not let this entire week pass by without sharing my thoughts.

Given this is Friday; I will allow my mind to flow freely. If I don’t get some facts straight or I become incoherent in my writing, just flow with me. But don’t assume I am intoxicated; I am just trying to be human.

Last week I happened to bump into a business proposal from Business in Development Network (BID)’s website. This site has tons of business proposals from various locations in the world, Tanzania included. One business proposal caught my attention – not for its brilliance, but its shortcoming. The following is just the executive summary:

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The Owners

The partnership on XXXX. Is made up with two partners, Whose details follow below:

a) Mrs. XXXX:
Aged 31 yrs and Educated up to college education. Attending Kenya Utalii College where I acquired the certificate in food production courser in which covered among them, The bakery and confectionery, hygienic and nutrition, Food processing and preservation, General Account and Management.

b) Mr. XXXX
Aged 37 years old, Educated up to University level majority in marketing and ntrepreneurship, He has attending several courses and Training in Hotel industry management conducted by Sheraton Dar es Salaam Hotel and Royal Palm Hotel. He has wide experience in running food and beverage services.
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I didn’t alter anything, except blot out the names.

Just imagine that you are commercial loans manager at a bank, where thousands of loan applications pass through your hands on a daily basis. Given that first impression has a lot of influence, would you even pay close attention to this business proposal?

I didn’t bring this out to condemn these innocent Tanzanians, but to challenge all of us to land a hand. I am sure that these good citizens were just doing what they know best. Nonetheless, it is not good enough to have a vision and a strategy, if you don’t have the tactical skills to carry out your vision.

From this very story, you realize that there are plenty of problems in Tanzania when it comes to business skills. The reality is that as the free market economy matures in Tanzania, the business environment, as we know it in Tanzania will change. Those inevitable changes will bring opportunities to those willing to change and acquire the appropriate business skills and attitude, while on the other killing those who want to conduct business in the old ways will find themselves kicked out to the curb.

One of the skills that Tanzanian businessmen and women need to acquire is the ability to present their business in the best way possible. Just look at the above business proposal. Do you honestly think that these innocent people were serious? If they were, why not give this business proposal to a trusted “consultant” to perform a review for grammatical accuracy; given the chosen language was English and the business proposal was intended for the whole world to see?
What I am saying is this: businesses do fail even in the United States of America. So knowing English is not the only factor in building a successful business. There are plenty of factors that have to interact, such as the business strategy, pricing, distribution, competition, etc. However, there is a universal business fact – businesses that succeed tend to do what they do well than the rest, unless such a business is monopoly.

Honestly, I wish I had the opportunity to help these fellas out before they posted their business proposal on the Internet. I wish I had access to plenty of young men and women in Tanzania who are aspiring to be business people so that I can share my thoughts and experiences with them. Obviously, they need more empowerment and more business skills than they currently have.

If you have an idea how I can be of help in the consultancy or mentoring capacity, please let me know. Certainly, if the cited business came from individuals fortunate enough to acquire some college education, what do you think of the rest of the innocent Tanzanians? Our help is certainly needed.

By the way, don’t forget to visit the JUMUWATA’s space to air your views on the constitution and other good stuff. You don’t know what JUMUWATA is all about yet? It is an organization bringing Tanzanian bloggers together.

Enjoy your weekend.

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Photo Credit: Mjengwa

RTF: What A Bang!

It is another Friday. It is another day for me to allow my mind to wander far and wide. So bear with me.

In case you didn’t know this, God takes a center stage in my life. I know that sound would sound stupid to an atheist, but hey, that’s me. So I will talk about God today. I will talk about my faith today. In a world where we want to be politically correct, it would be tempting to hide one’s faith under the rag while allowing others to express their beliefs.

If you are in America, you will understand what I am talking about. There are so many forces that are essentially geared towards muzzling those who believes in God. I have once said this: we all worship. You can either worship high or worship. We can’t escape that reality.

What prompted me to reflect on this is one the program aired by ABC television stations on May 5, 2007 . In the program members of the Rational Response Squad squared off with Christians Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort about the existence of God.

You can google these guys to figure who they are.

I didn’t watch the program, but I heard plenty of discussions about it. I am not a theologian, so I will not reflect from a standpoint of a scholar in theology. Rather, I will do this from a layman’s perspective. I will do this based on my personal experiences.

I don’t think these discussions about God are new. They must have been there for ions. I believe we have these discussions because human beings want to explain and make sense out of life. Secondly, we have these discussions because we are spiritual beings. The difference, however, is how we exercise our spirituality.

That has led to a huge debate on creation versus the Big Bang theory. Honestly, I laugh when I hear intelligent people theorize that human beings evolved from some other creepy creatures. Furthermore, it is ridiculous to imagine that the Big Bang was a result of explosion of primeval atoms. Which begs the question – where did these atoms come from in the first place?

Oh, so the atoms later developed – in some miraculous ways – to the extent that we now have different species. And in some miraculous ways, human beings just got favored by nature to be superior of all the resulting creatures of the Big Bang? Oh what a Bang it was!

I know atheists and the rest of “ists” who do not believe in God would really love for any believer to give them a scientific and logical proof of God’s existence. That in itself is a stupid request. You can never prove for the existence of anything in a way that does not go with its nature or in a manner that does not work.

Apart from the proof of God’s existence which we can see in His intelligent design, we can never prove God’s existence in a scientific laboratory. That is because the materials for proving God’s existence are not litmus papers, microscopes, or any other tools but FAITH. And faith, amigo, is intangible. You would think that atheists and all skeptics of God’s existence are super intelligent enough to understand how different faith and matter are.

Let me ask you this: if you happen to be talking to a laboratory technician who, upon looking at a microscope informs you that he or she is seeing moving bacteria, would you dare ask them to prove the existence of the bacteria through bare eyes? If you are intelligent enough, wouldn’t kindly say “let me see for myself”? See, faith is a microscope through which we can see God. So, if you want to prove God’s existence, why don’t you look through the lenses of faith – which is the right tool for seeing God?

I know a person who sends inspirational emails and at the very end says this - sin makes you stupid.

Intelligent people act intelligently. What is more better – believing God exists and finding out that He does exit, believing God exists and finding out that He doesn’t exist, or believing God does not exist only to find out that He exists?

Enjoy your weekend.

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Photo credit: http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/

What Makes The Tanzanian Culture?

I love Tanzania. Not only because that is where I can trace my roots. Tanzania is my heart. So if you read me whipping my people, it is because I love them. I truly desire for that country to change for the better.

I pay attention to my readers’ comments and sometimes, I really wonder if I should change my focus. That is because I don’t want to dwell on the negatives. I don’t want to sound like I don’t appreciate little changes that are happening. Some of these changes are truly good and could potentially act as a springboard for the next generation.

As I muse on a possibility of tweaking my focus, another fundamental question always pops up at the back of my mind – change to what? I mean, wouldn’t that be flip-flopping, if I can borrow these famous election campaign term from Mr. George Bush? Wouldn’t that be silencing my own voice that I feel the need to air?

As much as I want to be balanced, it is a tough thing to do. So I think I will do what I truly feel is necessary. I will continue to write with a voice that fulfills my calling.

My objective wasn’t even to write about my focus. But since I am not bound by any editorial limitations, I allow myself to float freely like that. Hey, focus with me. Would you?

I really wanted to pose a question on what constitutes our (Tanzanians) culture. And when I talk about culture, please put it in the right context here. I am referring to languages, traditions, food, etc. What prompted to pose this question are many negatives comments that arose following the crowning of Richa Adhia as Miss Tanzania. Obviously, at the core of it all is the issue of color.

Certainly, the sense that one gets is that the same folks, who are crying for equality, are similarly expressing discrimination in the opposite direction. That is being messed up upstairs. Shouldn’t it be fair for the one crying for equality to afford the same?

But that is just a detour.

The main thrust of this reflection comes from the following comment, which I picked from Issa Michuzi’s blog:

“Hivi akiambiwa aeleze culture za kibongo hataeleza nini?”

Translation: “If (Richa) is asked to articulate various Tanzanian cultures, what would she say?”

I could be wrong, but I am tempted to conclude that the above sentiments represent the view that the majority of Negroid Tanzania has when it comes to their assessment of the Asian-Tanzanians’ understanding and interaction with other indigenous groups on a daily basis. Honestly, I can understand why such an assessment could be laid out, given the feeling that Negroid Tanzanians are not respected enough or given equal economic opportunities in their own country.

Would I blame the Negroid majority? Absolutely not! That is because even the few educated folks like Mr. Nimrod Mkono holds or has perpetuated the same negative attitude towards an indigenous Tanzania’s position in her own country. If influential people like Mr. Mkono are playing the race card, the worse should be expected from the rest who are not as fortunate as Mr. Mkono to be enlightened or educated.

Apart from the obvious bigotry that surfaced during this Richa versus Walalahoi debate, I believe the biggest question is what constitutes the Tanzanian culture. From my perspective, cultures in Tanzania are so diverse that no average Tanzanian, regardless of their “authenticity” as indigenous Tanzanians, can claim to fully understand. I mean, do you know how many ethnic languages, traditional dances, etc that are in Mara Region alone?

While hateful Tanzanians have queried whether Richa has an understanding of other Tanzanian cultures just to justify their bigotry, the truth is that Tanzanian culture includes the Arabic, Indian, and other influences. The bottom line is this: Richa does not have to know anything about the Makua culture, for instance, to win the Miss Tanzania’s crown. For one, there were criteria set (equally for all contestants) to win the crown. Secondly, not knowing other cultures in Tanzania does not make you less of a Tanzania. Despite my birth in Tanzania and my blackness, I know virtually nothing about the Barbaig culture. Does mean that I am not a Tanzania enough, let’s say, to be the country’s ambassador to Spain?

Even more, have we established how much the former Miss Tanzania, Hoyce Temu, knows about Luo or Suba culture from Tarime? Have we revisited the origin of Swahili of late to appreciate what a cultural cocktail the language is? Bottom line is this: The Tanzanian born Patel is a member of the Tanzanian culture just as Mwabuponde from Mbeya, Otieno from Shirati, Semvua from Tanga, Nyanda from Bariadi and Rweyemamu from Kagera are.

I believe that bigotry is a result of ignorance. But what can we attribute ignorance to?
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Photo Credit: Michuzi

RTF: Oh Poor Taifa Stars Fans...

It is Friday man. And I am looking forward to the weekend. Oh am I? This is going to be a full weekend for me. Mostly with church activities and then other social activities. The organization of Tanzanians in Central Ohio (TCCO) is planning a “TCCO” day on Saturday. As a board member, I have to be there.

But hey, I signed up for this (except for the church involvement, which I know God called me to do), so I will not whine even a single bit.

Honestly, I wanted to write about something else (which I won’t disclose to keep you coming back), but I couldn’t just help musing on this post by Issa Michuzi.

Apparently, the soccer fans are furious for not being able to buy tickets for the upcoming soccer match between Tanzania and Mozambique. I am a soccer fan myself and I can tell you this: I was disappointed when I could not get a ticket for the upcoming match between Columbus Crew and LA Galaxy on September 30, 2007. Obviously, the Beckham craze drove the ticket demand up.

This is my message to you Tanzanian soccer fans – welcome to the real world! Welcome to the free market environment!

Well, I know. In Tanzania it could not even be a question of demand and supply interplay. Given the level of corruption in the country, there is a HUGE possibility that some few wajanja seized the moment to reap off the rest of the populace. But mind you, that is just my theory. It could have been that someone projected the ticket demand (given the fact that this match is potentially historic) and heavily invested in buying a chunk of tickets with the intention of rolling them out in a secondary market. Is that opportunistic? You bet, you it is.

In a country where some folks are still stuck in an Ujamaa thinking, this is not a pretty picture.

But lets just get down to it. This is ticket scalping. The truth of the matter is this: ticket scalping is everywhere. Think I am kidding? Just read the following report on ticket scalping from the State of New York’s Attorney General. Well, in New York it could be them Mafia running the show. But why would we not suspect that we have own on little Mafia network in Tanzania?

Regardless, my heart goes out to the fans. It is a man eats man world, isn’t it?

Enjoy your weekend.

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Photo credit: Michuzi

Change in Mindset: Go Ahead, Kill Me…

I would like to think I have a creative mind. Even a little. That being said, it is my desire to bring to light other issues of life and not the same old song about change in attitude, culture and mindset. Despite my desire to move away from that, there are current events in Bongoland that just proves me right. So just go ahead and kill me. I am going to call for a change in mindset, if Tanzanians truly want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I know this is all general talk, so if you have gotten what I am talking about and have made the necessary change in your attitude, please bear with me. As I am talking in generalities, don’t be offended if what I am talking about does not really apply to you.

Last week the new, ultramodern soccer stadium was opened. Thanks to a helping hand from the Chinese, Tanzanian can now boast of a good soccer stadium. And for all y’all who are thinking that this is the first stadium in Tanzania to have night-lights, you are wrong. Lights were installed at the Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma way back in 1987. Only to be stolen (or sold) immediately after the celebrations to mark the 10th year of CCM.

Given the fact that Taifa Stars are performing well relative the recent past (which I am personally proud of, as we are climbing the FIFA world ranking charts), such a facility should have not come at the best time ever. I am mean, picture this: if our soccer standard is improving, there are possibilities that we could secure international friendlies with other African soccer powerhouses such as Ghana and Nigeria. And given the standard of the stadium, most giant African national soccer teams would be more than willing to play Tanzania.

Even better, what about the possibility of using the stadium to lure European, American and Asian teams to train in Tanzania for their World Cup preparations to be held in South Africa come 2010?

While there are such possibilities, it seems that our main adversary – awful culture and mental attitudes – will definitely stand on our way. Just read this story.

The truth of the matter is this: we have idiots in every country and in every continent. God has endowed mental capacity differently to each individual. Nonetheless, the level of idiocy demonstrated in other countries is due to the fact that folks take things for granted. You trash the streets and you know for sure the city will clean it up. This is my biggest question: given the fact that we don’t have much in Tanzania, wouldn’t it be expected that we would die for the little that we have?

I cannot imagine that a person would go to a new, ultramodern soccer stadium and instead of concentrating on the game, take his time to poop, take his own remains and wipe it all over he wall! And then this person can actually go home to his wife and kids or friends and boast about the fun they had at the new stadium?

See, whether we like it or not, these are the same things that makes on wonder if truly anything good can come out of Tanzania. It is seems like quality thinking is so scarce and stupidity is abound. If this is a sample of “exposed” Tanzanians (I’m riding on the general belief that folks residing in Dar are more “educated” than the rest of the country), then what you get when you extrapolate and conclude about the entire population, what you get is not pretty.

I wonder how the President gets up every morning motivated. Watu wenyewe ndio hawa? It is tempting to just take care of one's family and leave the rest to rot. It is so infuriating.

It is not just this stadium issue that is disheartening. We all know about the transportation problems that southern Tanzania experienced for ions. Well, finally the Mkapa Bridge was constructed for them. Guess what? It didn’t take long for these folks to start vandalizing the bridge. Seriously, who cuts off the hands that feed them? I guess you can only find this level of stupidity in Tanzania.

Just go ahead and kill me, but I will repeat this again. I strongly believe that most of problems in Tanzania are not due to lack of resources. They are just rooted in awful culture and mindset. Unless we address those, no amount of money will make that country better. Yeah, money can build stadiums and construct roads, but we know that the stinking culture will tear them down.

Tanzania as a society needs to take a very hard look at itself. We stink and the National Stadium story couldn’t prove me more right. Unless we change our mindset as a people, we will just continue to admire the British soccer and other “good" things happening majuu. And then we wonder why.

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Photo Credit: Michuzi

RTF: Happy Birthday!

It is another Friday. It is another day for random thoughts.

Yesterday was my birthday. My wife took me out to dinner and the waiters at Applebee’s threw me a party with “embarrassing” singing. I am bit private, so I really didn’t want everyone in the restaurant to know that it was my birthday.

I could have sensed the waiters were planning something, because I saw my wife whispering something to the waiter assigned to our table. Man, how did I miss that? She couldn’t have possibly been asking silently for extra salt. Duh!

I had a good time though.

And speaking of birthdays, I just couldn’t help but randomly think: If you were born on February 29, does that mean you only celebrate your birthday once every four years?

Just curious….

Enjoy your weekend.

“Had It Been..."

“Had it been somewhere else…”

Most of you have probably heard that when Bongolanders would be comparing what is happening in Bongoland to other places in the world, mostly in the developed countries. There are so many interpretations that could be derived from that, but from my perspective, the sentence sends a message of despair or giving up.

As always, it is not my intention to dedicate an entire blog post based on a single reader’s comments on any of my previous posts. Nonetheless, I feel it is necessary at times to override that rule of mine, just to educate all of us on my thought process and rationale for what I write.

I believe we are entitled to our opinions. As such, my writing shouldn’t be reflected as a jab to my esteemed readers, but rather an attempt to bring certain things to light. That is because I am sure there are folks who see the world the way some of my readers do. Honestly, what I am about to say is just coming from my recycling bin, for I have said this before. Just to get the ball rolling, here is the basis for my reflection today, and it is based on the following statement from some of my esteemed readers:

“…I think you suffer this myth of black inferiority, and the press/blogs like yours are constantly promulgates the worst of the African experiences…”

“…your solutions are…simplistic…”

“…"mindset/culture" solution is way too general...”

Just for the records. I believe in a positive Africa. I believe in the progressive Africa. Otherwise, why waste my time blogging? The difference, however, is that I have taken a rather “unorthodox” approach. I have deliberately taken myself outside the thinking mode that most “patriotic” Africans tend to hold. I know that my position is not popular in an African political context, but that’s the risk I am willing to take.

I don’t think that by having an “ unorthodox” approach to Africa’s problem I have become less of an African than the rest. Besides, what makes one a true African? Aren’t the supposedly “true” Africans elected to presidential posts looting the continent left and right? See, a spade is always a spade whether a foreigner or a brother next door calls it out. Honestly, I would like to be educated on how I have become a problem to Africa by calling out Africa’s core snags.

Unless you open your mind a little bit and step outside a typical we-are-the-victims-of-something African mentality box, you will never get the spirit of this blog.

Man, if you had known how proud I am of being African, you would not dare call me inferior. On the flip side, I think those that are afraid to be challenged by a fellow African are the ones who suffer from inferiority complex. Just read this previous post to gauge whether I believe Africans are inferior or not. I have chosen, however, not to depict my pride only by embracing the African rot.

Besides, there are plenty of Uhuru and Daily News, which are the mouthpieces of the government, drumming up the “positives”. I chose to depict the other side of the coin, and that should remain my prerogative.

Whether you are agree with me or not, I strongly believe that Africa’s problems are rooted in Africa’s own culture. And when I talk about culture, please take a broader view. If you narrow your understand of culture to traditional dances alone, you will neither get the solution I have proposed nor the message I am sending. Which is too bad. The issue is not lack of a “road map”, resources, or intelligent people in Africa.

Let me just cited an example of how culture is killing Africa. Recently, This Day published stories on how the former Tanzanian president, Mr. BWM, through his influence as the head of the state, managed to snatch a coal mine from the state and turn it into his private hands. From an ethical standpoint, that is wrong and presents a classic case of corruption.

The corruption watchdog guys, however, are balking from investigating or taking any legal actions against the former president. The reason for the inactivity from the Tanzanian corruption bureau is very simple. As a prominent lawyer and a former member of parliament, Mr. Mabere Marando has put it; the incumbent president cannot push for the investigation of the former president, because that would set a “dangerous” precedent.

The main issue in this whole saga is a culture that protects and hence promotes ineptitude and corruption. And that is a bigger problem, because corruption renders ineffective all wonderful development policies and strategies that a country like Tanzania can draw. And that is what I am trying to draw our attention to – CULTURE AND MINDSET.

What do you think would have been the impact of allowing for the investigation and possibly prosecution of the former president to Tanzania’s progress? In my estimation – huge. On the flip side, Mr. JMK’s decision to protect a culture that does not call for accountability will definitely have a negative impact on Tanzania’s progress for ions to come. Trust me on that one. Because the message send out is loud and clear – there are not penalties for the violation ethical codes as long as you are the president.

Given that Tanzanians are not monkeys but human beings, we can certainly learn from other cultures. Would this crap about Mr. BWM happen in other countries, let’s say United States of America? Absolutely not! The reason such a known unethical act would be dealt with severely in the United States is not because the United States has more money, Caucasians as a majority, or more intelligent people than Tanzania, but because the United States society values a culture which allows for a president to be impeached for violating the established code of ethics. Nothing magical, nothing more.

So as you sing along that wonderful tune “hii isingetokea kwenye nchi zingine”, just understand that the separating point between Tanzania and other countries is not intelligence, lack of resources or any other factors, but a culture that does not call for accountability and create an environment of rapid development to take place in Tanzania. As subtle as that is, it has been and it is a killing monster.

Sometimes, seemingly complicated problems require the simplest of the solutions.

I apologize in advance to those who still think even this article is full of generalities and simplistic solutions. My call is this: open your eyes.

RTF: Celebrities Can't Save Africa

It is another Friday. So I will rant on anything that crosses my mind. That could be about Tanzania or anything. That’s the beauty of having your own space. I promise though, that I will not bring you anything crazy.

Today I feel like reflecting a bit on this new trend of Western celebrities making Africa their playground. Just yesterday (August 23, 2007), I found this article on Yahoo. This article is really what prompted me to reflect on this issue.

I would really be mad if someone tells me how to spend my money or my time, especially if I have worked hard to earn tons of money. As such, I believe that celebrities are entitled to the way they want to spend their millions of dollars. Besides, what the Bonos and Jolies are doing is good. I would be stupid to question that.

The issue, from my perspective, is not about who is sending or mobilizing the infusion of financial aid to the African government coffers. The core issue for is whether Africans, through their political leaders, have the same outlook on financial aid as those that donate them. I honestly believe that most African leaders and bureaucrats regard financial aid from the West as a sweet channel of money straight to their own private banks accounts.

If anyone thinks I am crazy, can African continent show evidence that the financial aid that has flown through the continent in years past has really been a catalyst to development? And please don’t give me the typical rhetoric about the West control and the rest of African political junk.

I acknowledge the fact that there was a shift in aid delivery, from that of simply sending money to sending money plus “expatriates” to supervise the use of the money. This shift has probably contributed to the ineffective of financial aid to African, nonetheless, that was due to continent’s own doing. Donors initially sent money only to realize the money was always diverted from the intended use. So I will never blame donors for doing what was necessary.

The flow of celebrities to Africa could be just a fad or seriously a new way of “saving” Africa. Nonetheless, honestly, that is a waste of time.

I know I have just stirred a controversy right there, but the reality is that foreign solutions to the African situation will never work. As African myself, I can straight up tell you this: deliverance of African people will only be achieved when there is a paradigm shift within the African continent. The issues facing African are primarily not financial or lack of resources, it is more the issues of the wrong mindset. Africa’s problems are rooted in a culture that is not conducive for development, as that West knows it.

Unless there is a transformation within the African continent itself, the Clintons are just (unknowingly) finding a nice way to enjoy their retirement from official government posts. That is because financial aid has never transformed anyone and anything in Africa. Bill Clinton, Bono, George Clooney or Angelina Jolie could have the best intentions, but they are certainly stepping into a territory that they are certainly ignorant about.

Unless Africans truly take responsibility for their own destiny or hunger for change, we can always expect to see the next fad in trying to save the continent. Mark my words.
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Photo Credit: School of St. Jude

It Is 1636...

It is 1636. What do you think your great, great, great, great, great grandfather is doing in the remote parts of Usambara? I would just let you use your imagination.

While your great, great, great, great, great grandpa or grandma is doing whatever he or she is doing, just know that there are people in the other parts of the world attending formal classes and pursuing formal education. That is a fact. Just think about that.

According to Harvard’s website, this institution was established in 1636, 16 years after the arrival of Pilgrims in Plymouth. I have heard so much about Pilgrims, especially around Thanksgiving, so I had to dig a bit of the American history for my benefit and the benefits of my readers.

Also, my search on Wikipedia found that Pilgrims is the name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. Their leadership came from a religious congregation who had fled a volatile political environment in the East Midlands of England for the relative calm of Holland in the Netherlands to preserve their religion. Concerned with losing their cultural identity, the group later arranged with English investors to establish a new colony in North America. The colonists faced a lengthy series of challenges, from bureaucracy, impatient investors and internal conflicts to sabotage, storms, disease,and uncertain relations with the indigenous people. The colony, established in 1620, became the second successful settlement in what was to become the United States of America, the first being Jamestown, Virginia which was founded in 1607. Their story has become a central theme in United States cultural identity.

What is my point? My point is this: as Tanzanians we have to acknowledge the fact that there have been other societies and cultures that were and are still ahead of us. These cultures and societies have set up an environment for full utilization of all the capabilities and potential that God has endowed to human beings.

My objective is not to make us feel inferior because of that historical fact, but to make us think a little bit. I am convinced that we (society as a whole) do certain things because we hardly stop to think about life beyond our immediate need for food and shelter. It is not that thinking about immediate needs is a bad thing, but remaining at that level is just too low for the mental capabilities that we have.

I have not come across any research that has proven that people of the Negroid nature are naturally stupid compared to their Caucasian or Asian counterparts. The problem, therefore, has to do with the environment. Given one’s setting influences their perception, understanding and interpretation of life situations, nothing can change unless one is equipped with a new way of looking at life. I am convinced that the majority of Africans, and Tanzanians in particular, are still stuck in the world of 1636.

The above sentence is not meant to be demeaning. It is meant to highlight the fact that most folks are still making decisions based on cultural references. I know of that fact because I have relatives who have not been blessed to have certain academic and general life experiences. As such, their decision-making process is always been based on some cultural references, and not based on critical thinking. As such, as the environment changes, these folks are still stuck in the same, old thinking mode.

I strongly believe that one of the best ways one can be equipped with a new way of looking at life is to be educated. It is true that getting educated can get a nice job, but the most important aspect is the mental transformation that one goes through. Certainly, there is a clear correlation between the number of educated people in a society and the developmental level of that society.


This is my contention: regardless of the number of policies and strategies that the Tanzanian government would come up with, it would be very difficult for an average Tanzanian to benefit from them, given that the thinking and understanding level of a common Tanzania has not been transformed. Besides, when a society is educated, the government would not need to hawk the entrepreneurial spirit. Innovation and ingenuity will spring and ooze of society as the mental faculties are stimulated.

You don’t have to go far to tell that the Tanzania society (generally speaking) is still at a very the low level intellectually. Just look at how the society has failed to contain cholera. So what makes us think we can fully comprehend complex global issues? We can’t go back and create our Harvard in 1636. Nonetheless, we need to catch up quickly.

Just do a quick census in Tanzania. What percentage of the population do you think hold a university degree, 2%, or 5%? Think about that for a minute. So let the CCM folks go ahead with their Vision 2025, but the Tanzanian society will only change when the minds of the people are transformed and enlightened.

It is 2007, but I wonder if much has changed for the entire Tanzanian society compared to 1636. Think I am kidding? Just read this old story from Tanzania Daima. Or just for fun, muse with me on this old post of mine.


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Photo credit: Mjengwa.

RTF: This Zimbabwe Thing

It is another Friday. So this my day of Random Thoughts Friday (RTF) and I will touch on Zimbabwe, just a little bit.

Why I am talking about Zimbabw while this blog should be dedicated to Tanzanian issues? I’m giving Zimbabwe a time of the day, because some Tanzanians regard the Zimbabwean situation as an African situation. Just read the This Day editorial comments to prove my point.

I can understand why one would consider the Zimbabwean ordeal as an African pain. For the most part, that fits well in a hypocritical African politics. It fits well in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” African political climate. It perfectly fit in African politics where accountability is hardly exercised. May be because almost all of the African leaders are corrupt. As such, no African president can rebuke a fellow African president on the same ills he or she does.

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe in solidarity and all that jazz that come with it. We have the European Union for the same reason. At times it is necessary to join hands in order to accomplish a whole lot. Nevertheless, I believe loving someone does not equate to patting them on the back alone. True love comes with being tough and communicating hard and difficult truths to the one you love. That is because the line between loving and spoiling could be vague at times. Mugabe needs to hear the hard truth from his African leadership fraternity.

Thus far, none from this fraternity has been bold enough to face him.

While SADC leaders are showing plenty of seemingly moral support to Mugabe, they are just killing ordinary Zimbabweans. Most the SADC countries have embarked on economic reforms and heading in the right direction, while Zimbabwe is heading south. Most of these countries have a good relationship with EU and other developing countries, while “helping” Zimbabwe to destroy her relationship with the same countries. Isn’t that hypocrisy? Isn’t that pathetic?

May the cost of “freedom” from those awful Westerners is to sacrifice a few poor Zimbabweans here and there. Seriously, when folks are starving, do you really think that Mugabe is going without? (I know that question could be thrown back at me, whether the EU and all others who have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe have thought about that. But that is beside the point).

I acknowledge the fact that Zimbabwe has the right to embark on any policies they seem fit, including the land redistribution policy. Nonetheless, any right should come with the accompanying obligations. As such, Mugabe and the Zimbabwean folks, and not the entire African continent, should bear weight to the consequences of their land policy.

I think that is fair. You bear the weight of your own sins. If you shoot a gun and it backfires, you should be in the line of harm’s way. Don’t call your neighbors to die for you.

There have been views that the land redistribution was just a political tool that Mugabe utilized to gain more political clout. I would not even doubt that, because according to the article published by the Tanzanian Daily News, and I will quote just a section of it, “ The EU sanctions involve a travel ban against top officials and the freezing of their assets in European banks, as well as a ban on arms sales”

Key sentence there? Freezing of top officials’ assets in European banks. Yeah, that is right, assets in European banks. You didn’t think those assets are furniture and some old clothes inherited from their grandparents, did you?

If you still think the land redistribution was meant to help the poor Zimbabweans, please raise your hands.

Seriously, I think this Zimbabwean thing is a litmus paper that has depicted the true colors of African leaders, which is mainly irresponsibility and hypocrisy. But that is not surprising, because that has been the political culture in Africa as long as I can remember.

Sometimes, honestly, I am glad that I don’t have to bribe anyone just to renew my driver’s license in the United States of America. That allows me (as artificial as it is) to escape the reality, which many of my brothers and sisters are facing in the African continent.

Enjoy your weekend!
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Photo Credit: Don't recall the source

Constitution Overhaul: Leave The Rhetoric Aside

I am convinced politicians are all the same across the board. That is not to recognize the fact that a culture within which politicians operate limits what politicians can say or do. Nonetheless, all politicians are motivated by power. More the power, the merrier they get.

Don’t get me wrong; history has seen politicians who have been true leaders. But what I see in Tanzania is just a bunch of guys who have decided to invest in politics. That is, they just invest $10,000 in MPs election campaign (mainly for takrima expenses) and then in about five years, you are guaranteed of $20,000 in MPs’ pension. Why wouldn’t anyone go for 100% guaranteed return on investment? And that is not counting the possibility of being a minister, board appointments, plenty of sitting allowances, and all other bells and whistles that no ordinary Tanzanian can get access to.

Guess what? These guys get all that for snoozing during the Bunge sessions. That’s insane, isn’t it? Sadly, a regular mzawa in Igunga will never, never figure this game out.

Whatever the motive for getting into wananchi representation, all politicians have an ethical, moral and social obligation to abide by what the assumed position calls for. I know that is actually a wishful thinking on my part, because checks and balances in the Tanzanian context is a notion that is as foreign and far as Tasmania can be.

There have been numerous calls (mainly from the opposition camp) for the overhaul of the Constitution. I personally think there are plenty to be desired from the opposition camp, but it would be very myopic of me and the rest of us to assume that everything that comes from the opposition should be reduced to whining. There are valid points that come from the opposition camp. Similarly, there are valid points that come from the CCM camp.

With regards to the call for the overhaul, redraft, reformulation (or whatever word you want to use) of the Constitution, I am yet to hear a strong opposing arguments from the CCM folks. Simply because shortcomings identified in the Constitution have not led to a political upheaval in the country does not mean it couldn’t or shouldn't be enhanced. Besides, shouldn’t we, as a country, try to make everything better today than it was yesterday?

It appears that most political leaders in Tanzania have not read the Constitution. If they have, it is clear than they have not understood the tenets laid out in the Constitution. The squabble between the Tanzanian government and HakiElimu is a good example of how neither the government (specifically government official who make decisions) nor some our Members of the Parliament have a good understanding of the Constitution.

I am not a legal expert, as such my interpretation of some articles of the Constitution may not be correct. Nonetheless, isn’t it ridiculous when the CCM folks believe the Constitution is just fine, while some of the articles of the Constitution have no practical meaning in the current Tanzania? For instance, Part II, Section 9(j) of the Constitution is geared to ensure that:

“Economic activities are not conducted in a manner capable of resulting in the concentration of wealth or major means of production in the hands of a few individuals”

I mean, seriously, whom are we kidding?

Continuing to hold on to the idea that Tanzania is a socialist country is just an indication that some folks within the CCM camp are in denial. And that is a psychological problem. Given that Mirembe Hospital is just nearby, why don’t some of these people go for a psychiatric evaluation? Socialism as a policy (that is what the Constitution calls it) was thrown out of the window when the country embarked on a free market economy. So why don’t we just leave the rhetoric aside and reformulate our Constitution to reflect Tanzania’s current state of economic and political affairs?

Furthermore, if the Ujamaa policy was as operational as the CCM folks are trying to believe, how could their former president, Mr. BWM “steal” the coalmine from STAMICO, a state-owned company, and transfer it to a private ownership? Is that really what the Constitution says?

Besides, I don’t believe that the former Tanzanian Prime Minister, Mr. Warioba, is that stupid to call for a work on the Constitution. As a legal expert, seasoned politician, he knows what is talking about. Some things, seriously, just require an application of common sense. And I don’t think that is too much to ask for.

Whatever the politician’s motives for vying for a leadership position, I think throwing away common sense (and hence act stupidly) for the sake of power retention is just ridiculous.

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Photo credit: trekearth.com

RTF: Ujamaa v. Free Market

I am just trying to add some pizzazz to my reflection. So this is what I am going to do. I am coming up with what I call Random Thoughts Fridays (RTF). I plan to rant on anything that crosses my mind on Fridays.

I just want to point out stuff that could look meaningless, but with some degree of significance or curiousity.

My wife calls me crazy. According to her, what she meant is that I am not a lunatic, but rather I am ahead of most people she knows. Well, that was what she said…but could it be she meant something else now that I am thinking about it?

Anyways, let’s forget about her. She married me though (Honey, you are stuck with me whether I am a lunatic or not).

This is what crossed my mind today: do you know that the Ujamaa policy lasted shorter than free market economy in Tanzania? The policy was crafted in 1967 and officially came to an end in 1985 when Mwalimu Nyerere stepped down as the president of the United Republic of Tanzania.

That was only 18 years of experimentation. And the policy tanked. Nyerere ran out of Ikulu.

As I am blogging today in 2007, it has been a cool 22 years since Tanzania embraced economic reforms, specifically embarking on a free market economy. Yes, that is 22 years and counting. If we have to look at longevity as a sign of a policy’s viability, Ujamaa was not a viable idea. Period.

Thinking more of it, the policy wasn't only utopian, it created this culture of ineptitude that Tanzanians are still dearly paying for.

I couldn’t just help wonder some more, could it be that the late Kambona was genius than Nyerere for being against Ujamaa, now that we have the 20/20 vision looking back?

This is all random so don’t shoot me. As I said, this is RTF!

Enjoy your weekend.

Negroid and Tanzanian = Failure and Disrespect?

I’m back. I am still emotionally wobbling, but I am back. After “uguzaring” my son, seven nights of sleeping on a hard couch-cum-bed, hearing all sorts of hospital equipment sounds, I am relieved that I am getting my sanity back. The best part of all is that the little man is getting better.

I wanted to come out with a light reflection, something to cheer all of us up. But what else could possibly be happening (almost all the time) in Tanzania other than depressing news? As much as I hate that, it seems like there is no hope for Tanzanians. I know the situation will not stay the same forever, but man; the wait is killing me. This is seriously bugging me because, from my point of view, we have no strong reasons to be where we are.

It is seems our current President, Mr. JMK, has hope for Africa, Tanzania included. Well, I am not sure if the hope that Mr. JMK, has is based on his attempt to sound politically correct or whether he knows something that we don’t know, but the truth and the perception of the matter in Tanzania seems to point in the opposite direction.

If you think I am just full of crap, revisit what the MP for Musoma Rural constituency and a prominent lawyer, Mr. Nimrod Mkono, thinks of the fate of indigenous Tanzanians, unfortunately, in their own country. I would just like to quote what This Day published:

“ …if you are black, it is very difficult to succeed in this country. Sometimes you have to partner with light-skinned people just to get things done”.

I grew up in a poor family. Well, that was mainly due to the fact that my father died when I was three years old. The story goes, and I have seen memorabilia such as photographs to prove it, that my father was doing fine. Unfortunately, my mom was a housewife and when my father passed on, the roof started to crumble. So I grew up in the family’s “dry season”. Kind of the Swahili saying “Mla mla leo…” I didn’t see the feast on the dinner table.

Despite all that, I never felt inferior to anybody simply because my family was poor. I had always held my head up. It could be that God endowed with me intellectual capabilities that were admired by rich kids. Trust me, I have had rich kids “bribe” me to assist them with their homework. I guess those experiences, unknowingly, boosted my ego.

I have held the same attitude of equality, regardless of race, gender or color. It could have been easier for me to adjust my outlook once I landed on the USA soil, given the constant reminder of racial struggles, but I couldn’t find a good reason for making such an adjustment. May be because I recognize that life is full of obstacles. I don’t think simply because someone is white in the United States of America, then life is just a breeze. I have seen plenty of trailer parks full of white folks, while there are plenty of black millionaires in the same country!

Despite my positive outlook on race as a factor in individual progress, I would be so naïve to overlook the message that Nimrod Mkono is trying to send out. For one, I am assuming that Nimrod is an intelligent, educated Tanzanian. His resume speaks for itself. Secondly, I respect his experience, both as a businessperson, lawyer and a politician. Given Nimrod’s position, I am presuming that he knows what he is talking about when he speaks of a Negroid Tanzanian in terms of opportunities for socioeconomic progress.

We could discuss whether Nimrod took the right path, by choosing the “if you can’t beat them, join them” philosophy, given his position as a legislator and hence having a social and moral obligation to fight for the underprivileged. Nonetheless, that is a topic of its own.

I have come across depressing news from Tanzania many a time, but I believe that this is probably the worst. I don’t about you, but this really makes feel like choking someone. I mean, can I seriously call myself a free Tanzanian? I was convinced that Tanzania gained independence from the British so that every Tanzanian of Negroid, Caucasian, Asian and whatever origin could freely enjoy the opportunity to economically progress. I believed that. It is in the constitution. Nevertheless, I never envisioned a day that it could be perceived or factually true, that a Negroid Tanzanian can never succeed in their own land, unless they team up with a light-skinned individual.

That is insulting. Or may be there are realities that Tanzanians have to acknowledge, before any meaningful change can take place.

I am optimistic, but I am sure a day is coming when poor Tanzanians will break out of their stupidity and all hell will break out. I have been accused of being a Western sell out when I try to challenge my fellow Tanzanians to think better, if not think outside the box. I can I understand that, because for so many years ordinary Tanzanians have been and are continuing to be abused and used in their own land. They have come to the point of accepting the status quo, despite the fact that they could opt for the alternative. Yet those bold enough to question, probe and provide an alternative thinking are viewed as traitors.

I am fortunate enough to be educated and exposed to a different world. In the Tanzanian context, I am a millionaire (hey, in case you didn’t know, my little $1,000 saving is a little over TShs 1m/-), so I would have opted to not care. I could continue chasing my own dreams and ambitions in the USA and never take my time to think about my relatives and friends in Tanzania who are not as fortunate as I am. But selfish is not in my character.

As such, my heart goes out the poor folks in every corner of Tanzania. At the core of my heart, I can feel a sparkle of anger in me. I feel like choking the breath out of somebody. I mean, why? What’s wrong with us? Sooner than later, we have to declare salvation for the oppressed and real freedom for Tanzanians. What we currently have is just depressing me. I don’t know about you.

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Photo Credit: Mjengwa

BRB: An Update

Wandugu,

Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers. The boy was discharged from Children's Hospital on Friday. He is doing much better and back to his heartwarming smiles. Obviously, those smiles have cheered both my wife and I up.

But above all, the glory, honor and praises go back to the LORD, for his covering and healing touch on the little man.

BRB

Folks,

Due to my son's sickness, I have not been able to post anything. The little guy is hospitalized at the Children's Hospital, here in Columbus, Ohio. He had some bacterial infection that went as far as affecting his muscles.

The doctors are doing a wonderful job (including minor surgery) and he is making a come back. So pray with my family that the boy will make a quick recovery and that daddy can continue sharing his thoughts with you.

But certainly, I will be right back.
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Photo Credit: Daddy's Phone Camera.