Tanzania: No Hope for the Future?

Did I ever tell you that my job requires “professional skepticism” as one of the pillars? Well, maybe I have demonstrated that level of skepticism in my writing, who knows. I wouldn’t be surprised if you readers have noticed that. That is because sometimes your professional life influences your personal life to the extent that the two ends up intertwined.

Am I allowed to crack jokes at my own line of work? I think I am. Well, the key word there is “skepticism”. The word “professional” is attached to it so that we won’t spook ordinary citizens. In a nutshell, “skepticism” requires me not to take anything at face value. You have to throw me some proof, otherwise I will just give you a look that will rush you into producing (or doctoring) your supporting details. You have to convince me. I guess that’s why I laugh when someone like Mr. JK goes around announcing a new push for a fight against majambazi . Dude, what happened to the last push, which resulted in formation of a special security unit?

Stuff like that doesn’t make sense to me. My natural response, therefore, is to become cynical. I truly desire to believe, but man, these Bongo politicians are full of crap. Surprisingly though, you will find poor wananchi clapping. Clapping for what? What has this smiley face done for you lately? Hasn’t the talk always been “serikali ina mpango wa blah…blah…blah.”? In my thirty-something years, the Tanzanian government has always been about planning and very shallow on doing.

Don’t get me started.

Well, I had a point about the whole skepticism thing. My job, due to the required level of skepticism, prompts me to look for little detail, the small prints. So I was going through this article publish by Washington Post and my mind couldn’t just help, but to zoom on the following line from the author, Anne Applebaum:

“The more hope you have for the future, the more frustrating it is to be badly governed”

The main thrust of the article, obviously, was the Kenyan election fiasco. Nevertheless, I could stop my mind from reflecting on my fellow Tanzanians. The biggest question that came to mind is this: Are many Tanzanian really hopeful for the future? If so, how is wananchi’s frustration on bad governance reflected? I mean, really, do you have to be a genius to see that Tanzanian government, when it comes down to good governance, is a joke?

Maybe, again, it is just I just see things in a totally different way.

I stand to be corrected, but my assessment is that the majority of Tanzanians have little hope for the future. That is evidenced by lack of courage to call for a new political direction. There is no real courage to even vote for the alternative. While lack of the opposition’s strength in Tanzania is self-made, I strongly believe that the opposition cannot do much, if wananchi prefer clinging to CCM despite the party’s evident lack of true leadership in this current generation. My argument, however, should be regarded as unfounded if the recent EL’s resignation could be regarded as a major political shift in Tanzania.

But let just wait and see.

You know what? I think the Kenyan experience has clearly brought to life that pathetic state in Tanganyika, and that is the fact that majority of Tanzanians are not educated enough to see their potential. Quite naturally, you can’t hope for what you don’t know or can’t visualize. I am not pulling these arguments out of thin air, trust me. Statistics prove the difference between the post secondary education level in Kenya and Tanzania.

According to statistics I found on the International Network for Higher Education in Africa (INHEA) online resource, in 2000, the number of enrollment in higher education institutions in Kenya was approximately 49,000 compared to 37,000 in Tanzania. If you take those figures as a percentage of the entire population (even ignoring the fact that capitalist economy had forced many Kenyans be aggressive in the pursuit of opportunities for years), Tanzania is obviously a country full of Maimunas.

In a nutshell, Kenyans have been able to make political changes (though it hasn’t been smoothly) simply because the majority of the population is well-informed.

On the flip-side, the Tanzanian population, which is bit ignorant compared to that of Kenya, has been swallowing political rhetoric from CCM like peanuts without a critical look at the performance of those in power. That notion, again, is just not pigments of my imagination. According to recent polls conducted by the Research and Education for Democracy in Tanzania (REDET), which I had blogged on, there is a higher correlation between the approval of the CCM’s performance and the education level of the general Tanzanian population. In a nutshell, the less educated a Tanzanian is, the happier they are with CCM’s governance and vice versa.

Obviously, education and information are key elements in enlightening someone about not only themselves and their environment, but also what they can achieve. My conspiracy theory is that CCM has deliberately put a system in place to undermine education. One can argue otherwise, but I don’t think the Lowassas and Nchimbis are that dumb to create an environment where their influence, power and position in society will be eradicated through provision of quality education to the “other class” of Tanzanians.

I strongly believe that things are changing in Tanzania. And they must. There are signs that wananchi are starting to demand accountability from their leaders. Nonetheless, the level at which wananchi are displaying their discontent is not significant enough. As change happens, I can’t just wait for the day when wananchi would demonstrate their frustration with the CCM clowns through their votes or hijacking the streets, whichever works. All in all, I don’t think that the majority of Tanzanians are that hopeful for a better future. If they do, it doesn’t show.

But what can we say about hope though? “Hope is a good thing, may the best of things…”.

That quote, amigos, is from one of my favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption. May be Dr. Mwakyembe knows something about hope.
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Photo Credit: Mjengwa

EL: Just Couldn't Wait?

As I pointed out in my previous post, I don’t feel sorry for Mr. Lowassa. Obviously, I desire for him to repent for all his sins, but it is all up to him to do a soul search. Nevertheless, as far as his resignation is concerned, I just feel that “justice” was served. I am over 5,000 miles away from Tanzania, but the joy that the rest of Bongolanders felt when this guy announced his resignation, couldn’t just solidify my feelings even more.

We all transgress and hence beg for mercy and forgiveness at times. But forgiveness must come when one has seen the evil and wrong in them. Not my friend EL. He had to defend and justify his corrupt ways. The guy does not even feel an ounce of shame. Would you forgive a guy who is that arrogant?

Not in my court. And I think this guy is just evil. I am sorry to say that, but when a guy is not remorseful there must be plenty of ugliness brewing inside of them.

You know what though; I liked what the courage exhibited by MP Seleli, by challenging the former PM to swallow his own words and withdrew his stupid counterpunch. I just wonder why this story wasn’t widely publicized. But it was definitely juicy. Read on…

I do not evidence, but the vineyard in Tanzania has it that Mr. Lowassa started his corrupt ways a long time ago. That prompted the late Nyerere to carry out a negative campaign against this guy. That story could somehow be construed to be true, given the fact that Mr. Lowassa was eventually dropped from the Cabinet by President Mkapa in 2000. Given that Mkapa was handpicked by Nyerere, dropping Mr. Lowassa from the Cabinet was done by Mkapa to appease Nyerere.

Could it be that Mkapa was all hypocritical and not loyal to Nyerere? According to IPP Media, Mkapa brought Mr. Lowassa back to glory following the 2000 elections . Is it just mere coincidence that the reinstatement of Lowassa to a ministerial post was done after Nyerere’s death in 1999? You be the judge.

We all know that the Mkapa ended being just as corrupt as Mr. Lowassa himself.

I think I am getting off track. Let me steer my mind back to where I was going with this.

In Tanzania, Mr. Lowassa is regarded to be the president’s buddy, best buddy to be exact. I think there is nothing wrong with having your friend help you run the government. That is because a friend is in the best position to understand your ambition, goals and vision. That also works out great when such goals and visions are positive and meant to advance the country. Ideally, Mr. Lowassa could have helped Mr. Kikwete be the best Tanzanian president ever.

Time will tell if Kikwete is not another Mkapa in terms of corruption. Nonetheless, if Mr. Kikwete turns out to be of a different breed, then Mr. Lowassa is and will be in a very awkward position. That is, Mr. Lowassa will forever be regarded as a stupid PM who selfishly betrayed his friend. Mr. Lowassa will forever be regarded as the worst friend because a good friend doesn’t steal from a friend’s pockets. A good political friend doesn’t smear a friend’s government with dirt. But guess what? Mr. Lowassa just violated those friendship “codes”.

Of all stinky things that Mr. Lowassa could have done, to jump on the very first country crisis that Mr. Kikwete faced as a president to set in motion his corruption machine was the worst.

Try to imagine that.

It is scary to imagine that on the very first country crisis, the PM rolled out his corruption guns. Try to imagine what he could have done in ten years potentially as a PM. Try to imagine the fact that the guy was in a position to become the Tanzanian president in about 8 years.

Given that Mr. Lowassa, who was already stinking rich in Tanzanian terms, couldn’t wait for a couple of years before dipping his fingers into the government honey pot speaks volume about his character. And to me, that character is a stench of evil.

Unfortunately, Mr. Kikwete didn't know that. Or did he?

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Photo Credit: www.kikweteshein.com

EL’s Downfall: One for The History

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

JMK: Arghhhhhhhhh....!

I hardly struggle to come up with a catchy title for my musing of the day. On this day, let me just scream. In case you are wondering what is prompting me to scream, this president of ours is driving me nuts. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect the president to be perfect. That is because we all err. We all make mistakes in our judgment. As a matter of fact, to err is human.

Despite the fact that we all err, it is laughable when the president is surrounded by advisors and speech writers who are responsible for scrutinizing every word, every sentence and every concept that is disseminated from the president’s mouth for public consumption and analysis, yet comes up with wobbly ideas.

Let’s just get down to why I am musing today. Recently, the president addressed the nation. I am not going to dissect the whole speech, but two things caught my attention. One, he touched on the subprime problems in the United States of America. The president pointed out that he had directed folks in his government to review the impact of economic problems in the United States of America on Tanzania.

It is true that the United State of America is one of the largest economies, and that what happens in the US could send a domino effect across the globe. My question, however, is the extent to which what happens in America could largely affect Tanzania. The last time I checked, our stock market is a tiny, weeny, little drop in the ocean, not even tied to the global stock market. Secondly, we do little business with the United States of America compared to the rest of East African countries, so it is not like Tanzanian export to the American market would greatly be affected.

Since Tanzania depends on tourism a lot, you could make an argument that American tourists, with little change in their pockets due to recession, would find it meaningless to trek across the globe to see wild animals in Serengeti. But the last time I checked, America does not produce a larger portion of tourists visiting Tanzania. As a matter of fact, we just recently started marketing Tanzanian tourist attractions in the US. If you ask me, the president’s call is all political rhetoric without any practical meaning.

I think the Kenyan crisis, to the contrary, is affecting Tanzania more than the American subprime mortgage problems. If we can’t even see what is happening in our own back yard, why in the world do we think we can fathom complex issues farther away? I know, I know. Just throw in America in your sentence and all of a sudden you sound intellectual and informed.

Psssss…I am letting you in on a little secret. As stock markets across the globe do badly, guess what happens? The price of gold soars, since investors move their money from stocks to gold. What that means is that if we didn’t have imbeciles structuring mining contracts, we could have actually been making more money on the subprime mortgage crisis. But since we are stupid, the sharp rise in gold prices will only end up benefiting Canadians. So don’t you feel like sending Mr. President a good luck greetings card?

We must have really smart people in the Tanzanian government.

We can all be aloud now. The second issue that Mr. JMK touched on was the call for political leaders to make a choice between business and public service. On the surface, this call actually seems logical, given the recent Bank of Tanzania scandal, which I am sure implicated plenty of CCM big dogs. To regain political equity, the president is essentially calling for a reversal of the Zanzibar Declaration, which paved way for political leaders to play into the business arena.

I can understand where the president is trying to go with this, but again, his view (or the thinking of his advisors) ignores plenty of other practical solutions. There are plenty of ideas on the way to solve political leaders’ ethical meltdown that have been provided by my fellow Tanzanians. You can check out Mr. Lusekelo's ideas right here and Dr. Semboja and others' thought over here.

Just to punch some more holes in the president’s thinking, let me just focus on one aspect, which is the process through which ministers assume their positions. As far as I know (and please fellow Tanzanians, correct me if I am wrong), ministers are appointed by the president. Also, I know that ministers must be members of parliament. So this is my bone with the president – if ministers do not apply for their positions, but appointed by you, why in the world would you go in public to cry out against the very people you appointed? If you have an issue with business owners-cum-politicians, why appoint them into ministerial positions in the first place?

Honestly, I think that it is ridiculous that the president acts as if he just experienced an epiphany about the political system in Tanzania. This is all stupidity and cheap political ploy, if you ask me.

The reality of the matter is that barring politicians from owning businesses will not stop them from owning one. It is one thing to formulate policies and regulations, and it is another to have a serious resolve in enforcing those policies and regulations. If anything, rules and regulations, especially those associated with leadership ethics, mean nothing in the Tanzanian context. Wouldn’t you expect the president’s advisors to know that the solution is a different enforcement mechanism and not reverting to failed Ujamaa thinking, given that we have a plethora of ethical guidelines already in place?

I guess I am living in a different world. I guess I don’t understand the world in which our president lives in. But if I have to be honest, Mr. JMK is the biggest goof ball Tanzanians have ever had for a president. History will someday prove me right or wrong. But I have no reason to believe that this guy has a clue of what he is doing. I don’t see any sense of direction or purpose from him.

I really didn’t think the shortage of intelligent people (generally speaking) in Tanzania was really that bad, but I am starting to believe.
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Photo Credit: Michuzi

Rorya HQ Decision: Say What…?

I try to objective in all my reflections, but I would ask to be allowed to exercise at least a tad of biasness on today’s reflection. That is because my reflection is a bit close to heart. I am stakeholder in this. This is where I hail from.

My reflection is based on the story published online by Daily News. Apparently, the president has directed a fresh determination of where the newly established Rorya district’s headquarters should be. The driving force behind this directive is the accusation of corruption in the previous council members’ voting. The council members had initially elected Utegi as the district’s headquarters.

Election of Utegi as the district’s headquarters was a stupid choice in the first place. I don’t have a problem with Utegi being the new district headquarters, as that alone would not stop other areas within the district from developing. I just hated the fact that the headquarters’ determination process was marred by corruption accusations. In addition, Utegi is just a few kilometers from Tarime, which was the initial district’s headquarters. This was probably one the decisions that highlights the very best folks in Tanzania do – act stupidly.

You know what though? I am not that disappointed with the people of Rorya. The fact of the matter is the Rorya’s story is not any different from the rest of Tanzania. The majority of the population is uneducated and asking them to make a logical, informed decision as to most appropriate place for a district’s headquarter is way too much. They are the victim of their circumstance. As such, in the very end, people resort to emotions as the basis for making decisions. That is why strong ethnic allegiance has trumped logical analysis in deciding where the Rorya headquarters should be.

But the government knew that.

I am not convinced that government officials, including the president himself, are unaware of social dynamics in Tanzania, particularly in Rorya. That being said, it is stupid, in my mind, to resort to “voting” as a way of determining where any district’s headquarters should be. For one, I don’t know of any place in Tanzania where a district’s headquarters have been deciding through a ballot. Why this time around in Rorya? I know that change happens and we should not be bound by fear of change, but deviation from the “norm” should be logically explained. Trying to politically please the people is not good enough, especially if such an act turns out to be time consuming and financially costly to the government.

My second argument for concluding that the government’s call for balloting is stupid is my presumption that the establishment of Rorya’s district was strategic. My expectation is that this decision was made to achieve a specified vision and particular strategic goals. As such, the government, which ideally owns this vision, was expected to know where the district’s headquarters should be. Furthermore, it is my expectation that any district’s headquarters in Tanzania is established based on known technical criteria, and not based on feelings and ethnical influences. Unless the decision to divide Tarime district into two, like many other crazy decisions in Tanzania, was made on a whim without any logical thought process.

And I wouldn’t be surprised that this was the case, as anything is possible in Bongoland.

I am not calling for the central government to just impose on local people. My contention is that the decision to divide Tarime into Rorya district is not only strategic, but also a change in itself. As this decision involves bringing change into the lives of Rorya people, the government should have exercised good change management techniques. That involves identifying potential roadblocks to the implementation of the idea, which in this case tribal and ethnic influences.

Getting around the ethnic tensions could have been achieved by impartially making the decision from Dar-es-Salaam, then educating Rorya folks as to the technical and logical reasons for the decision. Any feedback from the constituents could have been implemented in the final cut. I don’t think that is rocket science.

I get surprised at how even very simple things in Bongoland becomes too complicated. And that frustrates the heck out of me.

I really don’t know how this whole thing will come out in the end, but this much I know, this was another proof of how ineffective our president and his cabinet is. I can't really undersand why Mr. Mizengo Pinda, the Minister for Regional Administration and Local Governments, could not advise his boss. Obviously, it appears that the Rorya folks are against this balloting crap. And I believe they are justified.

I am not that good, but I honestly think I can make a very good Tanzanian president. If this is the best Kikwete can offer, I have plenty of hope that Tanzanians can do better with me. Vote Pedro…err…me for President!


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Photo Credit: Mjengwa

Hasheem and UConn Rocking

I was just relaxing at home, flipping TV channels, when I bumped into the UConn and Indiana game. Surprisingly, UConn, which is unranked team, beat Indiana which is ranked #7 in the country.

I don't have sophisticated video equipment, but I was able to catch a few shots of Hasheem in action. Watch out for the UConn #34 and enjoy. UConn are in dark colors...

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Living In Yesterdays

I am a firm believer in equality. Well, I also understand that equality could be relative, based on what you are referring to. Regardless, I believe that all of us should be given an opportunity to express our thoughts and feelings. I have a little son and I can tell you that the boy is trying so much to express himself. Though what I hear from the little fella is gibberish, he is always trying to say something. He is trying to express himself just like the rest of human beings.

Because we are all wired differently, human beings don't typically agree on all things. Though the judgment of whether what we say is meaningful could be agreed upon by all human beings. That standard is called common sense. Sometimes, I come across articles and thoughts from my fellow human beings and I can't just help but wonder, what was this fellow human thinking? Is this all he or she can see? What about the other side of the coin?

I recently came across this article written by a fellow Tanzanian, Simon Mkina. In a nutshell, the guy was bemoaning the departure of Mwalimu Nyerere. You can definitely feast on the article yourself, lest you accuse of me making stuff up.

One of the things I hate is being stuck in the past. That is not to say that I undermine and belittle the past. I am far from doing that, because there are cases where the past is actually better than the present or even the future. My contention is that we must have a very compelling reason to long for the past. We can't just be nostalgic of the past just for the sake of it. My humble opinion is this – Mr. Mkina's article is a typical example of being stuck in the past.

On the other hand, I can't blame the guy that much. That is because most folks in Tanzania tremble at the very mention of the name Nyerere. We all can't deny the fact that Nyerere's name is very much connected to the Tanzanian history. Honestly, at times it seems like Nyerere is the Tanzanian history. And that is why it becomes difficult for people to differentiate between Nyerere the person, Nyerere the former president and Nyerere the ideals.

Obviously, Mr. Mkina's article demonstrated the failure to dissect those three Nyerere personas.

As I pointed out, it is Simon's prerogative to articulate life as he sees it. That includes his cry for Nyerere. However, my assessment is that this article is overly glorifying Nyerere. This article also prompts to question whether Tanzanians have really come to grips with the fact that Nyerere was just as human as we are, and that the ideals he preached were not new. King Solomon, who lived ions before Nyerere, had already alluded to the fact that there is nothing new under the sun. We just go over the same concepts, though in different forms or times. So Nyerere didn't invent anything new.

I wonder also, whether Tanzanians have come to terms with the fact that Nyerere lost his influence, not after his death, but even before his death. How many times did Nyerere speak against the boys he left in power while still alive? That definitely is a sure sign that the man lost his influence long before he died. Therefore, such a line as "If you (Nyerere) would emerge now, tears would roll down your cheeks over fate of your people" is missing the timing of when Nyerere became less of a factor in the Tanzanian experience.

What breaks my heart is the fact most Tanzanians don't realize that leadership is not endowed on just an elite group of people or a chosen few. The Tanzania of today has just a larger pool of potential great leaders as it was in the early 1950s. That potential could not be realized if we keep on gluing ourselves to Nyerere. That is because is hanging on to Nyerere we miss the fact that there will be no other Nyerere. Also, we miss the fact that Nyerere was fitting his time.

Even more, gluing ourselves to Nyerere is an insult to those folks who, in the present Tanzania, are boldly standing up for the Tanzanian people. Furthermore, it undermines the contribution and greatness of those wonderful folks at Haki Elimu, or even some opposition leaders such as Zitto Kabwe and Dr. Wilboard Slaa. Even worse, gluing ourselves to Nyerere gives an opportunity to outdated folks (like John Malecela and Kingunge Ngombale Mwiru) who cling to Nyerere's rhetoric to fool the regular folks who have no clue of changing times.

And speaking of changing times, with all these new the global forces, how do we know how Nyerere would have fared? As we don't know that, I wouldn't cry for Nyerere in 2008. It is disastrous when leaders go past their times. Just look down under in Zimbabwe and you can understand my point. What we are doing with clinging to Nyerere is creating a fear that Tanzanian without Nyerere is impossible. The effect of that is silencing those with a new vision for Tanzania, just like Nyerere had his.

Every society gets a great leader who influences his generation. The question, therefore, is not what Nyerere did for his generation, but rather who will influence (positively) our current and future generation. As a pointed out earlier, I am not bashing the past, but I think it is stupid to drive your car through a rear view mirror.

And who says a great leader, other than Nyerere, can't arise out of the 35 million folks in Tanzania?

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Photo Credit: www.africanpath.com

That's Moving Forward...(3)

I am not going to hold back giving praise when praise is definitely due. I recently put up a post, highlighting the fact that it only one office in Dar-Es-Salaam was charged with birth and death registration. From my perspective, that wasn’t only stupid given the population statistics of Tanzanians, but also was a nice way of creating a corruption breeding environment.

Well, I just come across this story, and I was definitely thrilled to learn that there is a Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA), which is charged with the responsibility of birth and death registration at a ward level. I think that is brilliant and it makes perfect sense.

For that, I commend the government for doing what is sensible. Above all, that's moving forward...

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Photo Credit: Mjengwa

RTF: Sometimes, You Got To Lead Up

It is another week, another dollar…err…shilling…or whatever. Well, what I really wanted to say is that I am glad to be back for another week. You know what; sometimes we take life for granted. Would you kindly kiss your spouse and children, or just call loved ones? Put life into the right perspective now and then, would you? This political stuff that we talk about won’t go away anytime soon, but loved ones can pass on before you know it.

Sounds preachy don’t it?

Let me just throw in this caveat, I am not a genius by any imagination. So don’t take it that whatever I say is because I know it all. As a matter of fact, I’m still learning. Probably a lot. I couldn’t tell you how they make a pencil, or even how this very computer I am using came to being. So I’m just sharing the little I know.

I love Tanzania, but I have to be honest with you. That country stinks sometimes. You have educated people who are acting (on a world class) as little kids. I recently came across this story on the Internet, where the Tanzania Revenue Authority’s Commissioner-General, Harry Kitilya, admitted that there were major weaknesses in mining tax management and that TRA lacked capacity in handling mining tax management.

Read the original story for yourself right here.

From my perspective, that is a scary thought. But in Bongoland, everything is possible, even dumb things.

So if you want to know what I think of Mr. Harry Kitilya as a TRA’s Commissioner-General, I think he stinks. I don’t know the man personally, so this is just an assessment of his managerial and strategic planning abilities.

I honestly believe that all facets of our life follow certain universal principles. There are physical principles, for instance. If you want to buff up your biceps, you have to hit the gym. From a spiritual standpoint, spiritual growth also depends on spiritual exercises such as prayer, fasting and delving into the word of God, for instance.

I believe that one of the universal principles that separate the average Joe from a super Joe is the ability to study and modify one’s approach as the environment changes. The ability to view life from a prospective as opposed to a retrospective alone could easily tell who is living in yesteryears’ glory and who’s chasing the next big wave.

This is my conviction, and I would not argue if I am corrected – tax systems are not static. Tax systems are dynamic, being influenced constantly by political, social and economic forces. On the other hand, tax systems also could influence social and economic aspects of citizens’ experience. That being said, why would a tax commissioner not be in tune with the changing economic policies in his own country, given that the economic policies and even administrative directives from the government very much influence daily activities of a tax authority?

Mr. Kitilya can’t argue against being out of touch with the changing factors that influence the tax system, particularly the capacity to enforce tax laws. That is because the Tanzanian government’s decision to solicit foreign investors, particularly in the mining sector, was bound to bring in a requirement of a different tax experience and skill sets. As a tax Commissioner, Mr. Kitilya is and was supposed to know this. As a Commissioner, Mr. Kitilya is and was supposed to have the ability to assess the impact of all policy changes in the country on the TRA.

Surprisingly, TRA's own website lists principles of a good tax administration, which includes Managing and Adapting to Change. So what good does it do to have theoretical principles on the website that TRA couldn’t put into practice?

Remember I talked about having a retrospective versus prospective view? While I commend Mr. Kitilya for acknowledging that TRA weaknesses when it came to complex mining tax issues, that does not take away the fact that this assessment should have been done prospectively and not retroactively. We can all agree that the cost of Mr. Kitilya’s incompetence in prospective assessment of the impact of policy change on the tax system has been in terms of billions of shillings.

I know some of you are thinking that sacking Mr. Kitilya would be unjust. It is not. That is because I believe in the concept of leading up. The president, AG, or ministers of finance are not tax experts. As such, they depend on the expertise and recommendations of this tax guru. I know that things don’t run as they should in Tanzania, and that it isn’t surprising that the minister of finance could very much ignore the tax guy’s ideas. Nonetheless, there is no evidence that Mr. Kitilya tried to lead up his superiors by trying to influence either the timing of mining sector policy implementation or solicited TRA capacity and capability building in anticipation of mining sector changes.


If I were the top dog in the country, this dude would have been shown the door. I know the question to me would be then what? Who’s the next guy who will be able to show true leadership skills? Honestly, that is dilemma in Bongoland. I don’t think that we have a pool of great leaders. If we do, they are probably swallowed somewhere within the system.

My message, however, is that you can’t have a leader who is unable to manage the changing environment or lead up by communicating his knowledge to his or her superiors. It is that simple. Sometimes, a leader has to lead up in order to be successful. Waiting for directives to come only from above is a sure sign of puppetry. I don’t think that TRA, being so technical and functioning in a constantly changing environment, can do well with a leader who’s waiting for politicians to make decisions for him or her.
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Photo Credit: http://www.kikweteshein.com/

RTF: Demanding Freedom From a Brother?

Do I have to apologize every single time I bounce back? I am not sure, but I think I should. There are folks who have faithfully checked on this blog to see if I have fresh insights on what is happenings in Bongoland. For you faithful readers, I appreciate your diligence. I truly do.

But life, yes life, kept me from this space. I know most of you can relate. A lot have happened in the past few days, some thrilling while some are just straight up sad. Of course the hottest topic is what transpired in the Kenyan election. The aftermath of elections in Kenya couldn’t prove Dr. Watson’s theory of Africans’ lack of intelligence . I mean, seriously, what is it about the State House that makes our tired African leaders act like the merely intelligent chimps? Was that the best Kenyans could do?

Well, the thrilling news for Kenyans (at least) was the victory of their cousin, Senator Baraka Obama, in Iowa. Well, the fact that Hillary Clinton bounced back in New Hampshire is a whole new story. The next thrilling news of the week is the sacking of the Bank of Tanzania’s former governor – Daudi Ballali.I think story which started way back, has had a “happy” ending. I think multiparty system is working, somewhat. If it wasn’t for the opposition camp, I am sure this BoT crap would have gone under wrap. Trust me.

You didn’t think I just wanted to recap what you already know, did you?

Let me just go back to the Kenyan election story. I think it really underscores my reflection for today. You know what? My eyes “opened” in the early 1980s, the period which was still the heydays of the post-colonialism agenda. I grew up listening the preaching of the Kaundas and Nyereres and all other African greats about the evils of the West and the beauty of Pan Africanism. These speeches made me believe that the greatest thing that ever happened to the African kids was for “us” to get out of the chains of colonial rule.

For the most part, that was truly an inspiring story, because the desire for freedom is a universal phenomenon. For the most, “we” had to get our freedom. As such, debating whether Africans deserved to get their freedom then is almost mute pointless.

What is debatable, from my perspective, is whether most Africans are truly free. I seriously think that most Africans are still in bondage. They are enslaved and encaged by the very few elite brothers and sisters they ignorantly elected to occupy State Houses across Africa. They are enslaved by their own brothers who look like them and speak their mother tongues. These are not slave masters who crossed salty waters from continents far away, but slave masters who grew up in their own backyards.

Looking at the imagery I saw in Kenya, where the police resorts to shooting unarmed citizens simply for demanding a fair and just electoral process, one has to wonder – whose interest was the police trying to protect? Are they trying to protect the elite few? Trying to protect that bald imbecile who rigged the election?

Isn’t it crazy that after forty years of "independence", a Kenyan, and many other Africans have to beg for and demand freedom and justice from a fellow African? Why in the world then did we kick the Queen out of Nyanza, Mbarara and Kericho?

I am not that intelligent, nor am I an expert in the psychological makeup of the African mind. Nevertheless, this much I know. It takes so much gut to do insane things African leaders do. It takes a sick mind to boldly do what Mwai Kibaki has done in Kenya. It takes an insane mind to do and say the things Museveni does in Uganda. Honestly, are these best brand of leaders Africa could produce?

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Photo Credit: New York Times

RTF: Those Congested Dar Streets

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. Mine was terrific. Got together with some friends, had nyama choma and plenty of other foods. Of course we had a wonderful time just relaxing and having a wonderful conversation. May be it is my “old” age or something, but I don’t get excited about Christmas as I used to when I was a little boy. There was something magical about Christmas time then.

Oh well, I will just let my kids take my place of Christmas enjoyment. May be, as a parent, seeing the twinkle in my kids’ eyes would rekindle something magical in me.

My experience has been that during Christmas, Dar-es-Salaam becomes a “ghost” town. All my friends from the northern side of the country (you know who) always head back migombani for Christmas celebration. May be to show off a few shillings skimmed in Dar-es-Salaam or just to have a good time with friends and family. Regardless, other folks too tend to head “home” for Christmas.

On any other time during the year, Dar-es-Salaam streets tend to be crowded with cars and people. When my brother first came to the United States, he was surprised to learn that downtown Columbus was not crowded; particularly during the hours that Dar-es-Salaam would be going insane. What he missed was the fact that Americans, for the most, part do work. That means you won’t find folks taking long lunch hours, gossiping or running personal errands during typical work hours. Right there, you can conclude that Dar streets gets crowded with folks who could otherwise be sitting at their desk, producing.

Apart from the cultural reasons (work ethic) that contribute to the crowding of the Dar-es-Salaam streets, technical reasons, in my opinion, make a huge contribution. The city’s infrastructure cannot handle the growing population and economic growth that has resulted in an unbelievable number of cars imported annually. Putting aside those statistical numbers, there is unexplainable concentration of businesses in the city center and Kariakoo.

I think it is crazy that someone would board a daladala from Mwenge just to buy onions at Kariakoo! But that is happening. You know what is crazy? The Temeke and Kinondoni municipalities are just letting Ilala run the City! I know probably vigogo in Kinondoni do not want the Kariakoo-type hustle in their neighborhood, but at least that would help decongest Dar city center.

I have just described the internal workings of the City. You what else contributes to the insanity in Dar-es-Salaam? It is the stupid concentration of power within the government. I know these guys talked about Madaraka Mikoani stuff. That is a bunch of rhetoric. The show is still being run from Dar-es-Salaam.

Honestly, I think something of the services that are typically offered Wizarani only could be offered at a regional and district level. Let me give you an example. You want a birth certificate? Good. You have to start from the ward to the district level to process your application, but the actual stinking piece of paper must be issued in Dar-es-Salaam! Try to imagine just one single office serving over 30 million people! Honestly, does it really mean that Vizazi na Vifo folks in Dar-es-Salaam are more qualified to issue birth and death certificate that those at the district level? Try to imagine someone coming all the way from Kigoma, spending about TShs 100,000 for a document that is worth TShs 2,000.

I think that we justify Dr. Watson’s theory of African’s lack of intelligence unnecessarily. Really.

The birth certificate issue is just one simple example. There is a host of other matters that an ordinary Tanzania makes a follow-up in Dar-es-Salaam unwarranted. There are such issues are business registration, issuance of a secondary school certificates, etc that one has to be in Dar-es-Salaam for. The effect of that has been that the City gets crowded. Of all those people you see standing at the new Post Office's daladala stand, chances are that 30% of them are from upcountry, following up something at a government office in Dar!

The most damaging effect, in my opinion, is that concentration of power on one individual at a ministry to serve 35 million Tanzanians leads to only evil – corruption. Sluggishness you see at government offices, especially those charged with offering some kind of service to the general public, is by design. That provides an incentive for kitu kidogo, as customer is typically left with no alternative. One is forced to either wait for 5 years to get a service that would take 10 minutes or part with an incentive that would speed up the process.

I think the three-lane idea to decongest the Dar roads was good, but there is much more that contributes to congestion of the City in general. One of them is the fact that Madaraka Mikoani is just a political hoax, with no practical meaning. If you still have to get some basic services in Dar, then what is the government decentralization for?

RTF: Down The Memory Lane

It is Friday again and I am looking forward to a great weekend. You know, some weekends you just feel like resting. This week, I really need some rest. So I will savor my days off work.

I am not intending to bombard you with anything heavy either. If I have to relax, that has to start with my mind. So I’m allowing my mind to roam and wander around trivial stuff. It is not like I don’t have deeper stuff to muse on, but you would agree with me that life is not only about deep philosophical stuff. There are also minor, but relevant things that make life exciting.

Those minor things could be taking yourself on a journey through a memory lane.

So I couldn’t help myself but wander down the memory lane also. Man, how I miss the good old days! Trust me, there are things I couldn’t go back for in my childhood in Tanzania, but I certainly have good memories to make me nostalgic. How about those chandimu pickup games? You could temporarily shut down the street for a heated soccer game; occasionally being stopped by a passing beat up truck. What about going home all dusty after a long day at a manati factory?

If you didn’t make toy cars and trucks from old empty cans, please don’t think I am crazy. But I know someone out there can relate. Honestly, being creative is where I drew my childhood joy. I know some fellas who were so creative that the entire street soccer team depended on them for a bouncy, well manufactured soccer ball from rugs and old clothes. Of course, that didn’t go without some political power. Occasionally, this fundi would stop the game by threatening to take his ball, if he wasn’t allowed to play or someone, somehow, got them mad. Talking about power play!

Childhood, on the other hand, had its downside. I know older folks were teaching discipline by commanding strict rules on some areas, but I hated the idea that I was subjected to the obedience of every older man or woman in the village. That made me to desire growing up so bad, hoping that I would gain some kind of freedom. Of course I have gotten that kind of freedom now, but boy, little did I know that it was better for someone else to worry about my food and clothing!

Probably what I like the most about childhood is the honest ignorance that goes with it. Just like most of you, I wondered about those people talking in the radio. Just like you, I wondered how they were able to fit in that little box and attempted to open the back of the radio to see them! I also wondered if they even slept. I wondered how they looked like.

And talking about the radio, I always believe that when the program host announced that “Naona bendi ya Mlimani Park wanaanda vyombo kututumbuiza”, Mlimani Park Orchestra was actually in the studio tuning their guitars, trumpets and all that stuff. So when the song came on the radio, I was convinced that the band was performing at that very moment. Don’t laugh at me; that’s what I believed. I am sure you have your own secret stories, where you believed the universe functioned in a certain way, only to realize that you were innocently ignorant as a child.

I also got the idea of rain wrong as a child. In my universe, I believe that when it rained in my village, it was also raining across the globe! Fortunately, I grew out of that scientific theory very quickly. I learned that my theory was wrong as I listened to the conversation between my mom and relatives who resided in some other towns. They would talk about the weather, particularly the rain as it meant so much for the village economy, and in some cases they would talk about how it rained in their town and not ours. Something clicked that I needed to tweak my understanding of the universe.

I still don’t understand why the rainbow moves when you get close to it though.

My best childhood experience is when I learned how to read and write. That tops them all. I can remember vividly one day I was walking with my brother, who was by then in Standard Four. At the time, I had started to put letters together. So on this day, we passed by a dump with TAKATAKA letters on it. I remember putting the ta-ka-ta-ka word together into a marvelous takakata. You should have seen me exploding with excitement. I tell you what; it is like the world opened right before my eyes. I guess I never looked back on reading.

So what’s your childhood story?
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Photo: Mjengwa

RTF: “I Pity The Fool”

Man, it is cold around me. If this is Columbus, Ohio and it is this cold, I wonder what is going on with my friends Jeff and Patrick in Canada. I wonder how colder it is for anybody situated in the northern most part of this globe. Honestly, this is the time I miss Bongoland the most. It is nice when it is snowing, but I am not fond of the extreme coldness and the ugliness that follows.

But guess what? It is appears like it getting colder for our beloved president, Mr. JMK. According to recent polls conducted by the Research and Education for Democracy in Tanzania (REDET) and reported by This Day, Mr. JMK’s popularity has dipped to 44.4 per cent.

The poll’s outcome is not surprising to me. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that the country has no clear vision and direction. Just read Mr. Lusekelo’s musing to get the gist of it.

The poll definitely revealed some interesting information. For instance, 40.7 % of respondents “approved” the performance of CCM, while just 19% picked the opposition parties. That is a bit strange. Wouldn’t you expect 59.3% of respondents to pick opposition parties then? That indicates that folks are neither satisfied with CCM nor opposition parties. In a nutshell, Tanzanians think their political leaders are full of crap!

Let’s be honest, would you elect Mr. Mrema to be the Tanzanian president? Would you elect John Cheyo either? And that’s where the problem is. Opposition political leaders, generally speaking, have failed to bring anything new, fresh and inspiring. The opposition camp is just terribly wobbling. The camp has failed to gain credibility. I guess that's where wananchi feel they should stick with CCM, at least this is a familiar devil.

Despite other interpretations you assign to the poll results, one thing that strikes me the most is this: According to REDET co-chairperson Dr. Laurean Ndumbaro, the researchers found a direct co-relation between those who approve or disapprove of the president’s handling of national affairs and their education level. That is, most educated Tanzanians do not approve of Mr. JMK’s performance, while most of less educated Tanzanians think the president is doing a good job.

So why is this disparity? It boils down to the empowerment and freedom that education brings. And there is nothing as bad as being mentally enslaved.

The educated minds in Tanzania are capable of filtering political rhetoric and buzzwords that don’t mean much. But that is true everywhere. You cannot just walk up to an informed person, who is able to critically think, and just starting shooting your blah…blah. Statistics don’t lie, the poll results have clearly indicated that fact. Nevertheless, for CCM, this is also a scary reality: with an increasing number of graduates in Tanzania, true educated Tanzanians will make CCM extinct. Read my lips…err…my pen. I said true because there are educated folks in Tanzania who are nothing more than a joke.

I seriously think the Tanzanian politicians have been, for ions, feeding wananchi plenty of junk. Unfortunately, the uneducated mass has been consuming this junk left and right. I know this is a critical question – which an uneducated mind would probably fail to answer – but what is it about Mr. JMK’s performance that makes one happy and satisfied?

If you have to know, I stand with the 18.6% of Tanzanians who disapprove of the president’s performance. I would be insane to approve of a president who goes on public, claiming that he was scared of receiving his HIV test results. If we all have to read between the lines, the conclusion we deduce is this: the president gets around, unsafely. And for me, a high moral standard is a requirement for my kind of president.

This poll also tells the story as to why CCM has brought constant beat down on the opposition parties during elections. CCM feasts on the ignorance of the poor people, though the opposition parties have also brought this outcome on themselves by being pathetic. It is not surprisingly then, that there is no true desire from the CCM machinery to improve education in Tanzania. The machinery knows too well that eating off a blind man’s plate requires the victim’s condition to stay constant. Ukila na kipofu....so goes a Swahili saying.

In the very end, the vicious circle continues. Ignorant Tanzanians continually elect politicians who are not really for the people’s welfare.

This gets me sad. In some ways, just like Mr. T likes to put it down, “I pity the fool”. I wish there was some magic I could do to make things better for my people. Nonetheless, there is little I can do to save the uneducated 80% of Tanzanians who are willing to bite any bone politicians throw their way.

How blessed I am to be slightly educated!

Enjoy your weekend.

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Photo Credit: KP via Mjengwa

RTF: “A Good Start” Isn’t Enough

I am sorry for not being here last Friday. You want to blame me? Right, go ahead. But I wouldn’t blame myself. Last week was Thanksgiving. You saw some Tanzanians in Houston, Texas, celebrating in their own way. I did not take that H-Town route, but spent time with family and friends thanking God for his endless blessings. So did you really expect me to have the energy to write after a wonderful bata mzinga feast? Come on! You wouldn’t demand that from a brother, would you?

Let me just get back to what I wanted to muse on.

So I was having a lunch break at work one day and I saw a flash of a commercial clip with an African tune in the background. I couldn’t see the whole commercial, but I definitely caught the last graphics. Tanzania was dangling on CNN!

You can watch the clip here .

I have made a call on this very blog that the Tanzanian government should do more to promote brand Tanzania . I applaud the government for putting this commercial on CNN and other media outlets. That is definitely a good start. Now, don’t take it that I am never satisfied or I simply get gratification out of criticism. I am not. I just like to call out things that folks tend to ignore. I just like to provide an honest feedback.

Doing something that has never been done before definitely deserves an applause. Nonetheless, good start is not good enough in some cases. In this particular case, the Tanzanian government attempted to do something that was long overdue. That deserves some praise, but does that justify doing a sloppy work?

A good start is not enough when you are spending tons of taxpayers’ money. A good start is not enough when you are just toying with competition. I am not a marketing expert, but I have seen enough commercials to tell what works and what does not, especially if you are going to advertise in a country like the United States of America. I have seen the Jamaican government advertisements, and I can only say that those guys know what they are doing.

From my little understanding of marketing, I believe commercials are intended to inform and persuade customers to consume a product or service. As such, commercials are meant to provide adequate information and tell a consumer why they should consume a product or service, and where to get that product or service. And that communication should be accomplished in a shorter period of time possible. Short of that, the commercial is just a waste of time.

Please revisit the Tanzanian government commercial again.

I don’t have any problem with the images and the background music presented in the commercial. Honestly, I think he images and the background music are great and are capturing the essence of the Tanzanian life. Nevertheless, the commercial does not communicate its core objective, which is to lure folks to visit Tanzania. Honestly, who suggested that informing viewers that Tanzania is the land of Kilimanjaro, home of the spice islands of Zanzibar and home to the greatest animal migration is good enough?

Why don’t you go out and say it flat out that “Hey you, Mr. Smith in Oregon or Arizona, come to Tanzania and experience all these things”? I mean, why would someone in Canton, Ohio care that Mt. Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania? You have to have a message for Mr. Smith to care about Mt. Kilimanjaro. The last time I checked, the Internet is full of that general information already. Kenyans have used the Mt. Kilimanjaro bait for so long. Your commercial must have a clear, differentiating point.

Let’s talk about the American market base, which this commercial targeted. It is a general expectation of an American consumer that all businesses have a website, where a customer can visit for further information on the company. Unfortunately, this commercial does not direct the viewer to the Tanzanian government or tourist board’s website. I know those websites do exist, but why in the world were those websites excluded from the commercial for further information and marketing?

I know Tanzanian government is full of bureaucrats who are experts in shoddy dealings, but when you want to play in an international arena, please bring your “A” game. Leave your Kaunda suits behind and know the league in which you are about to play in.

I expected that the Tanzanian government, in its attempt to woo the American tourist, had done their homework to figure out the behavior and general expectation of the American consumer. That is just common sense. Apparently, that was not done. I know the excuse will be that the Tanzanian government is new at this. That is fine, but when your commercial is not free; you better make sure that you are not spending that money on something half-baked.

Uurrgggghhhh! Let me just vent a little. Phew!

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Photo credit: Maggid Mjengwa

When The Vision Isn’t Yours…

Well, I guess to err is human. So I am not going to hold Mr. KP, a famous Tanzanian cartoonist, hostage for his sexist cartoon that I previously posted on here. I have see this guy’s cartoon for a long time, and I know he is capable of using his artistic talent to pose some hard, critical questions. I guess he was just carried away or simply rode on a wrong sexist mentality of men around him.

Nevertheless, the above cartoon is a wonderful thought provoking piece of work. Whether the addressed people are paying attention is another topic of its own. It appears to me though; those fellas in power have found some super glue to block their ears from listening to anything meaningful.

I strongly believe that a great leader, at any level, must be a visionary. That is, such a leader must have a clear goal of where he or she wants to take the people and how and when he or she wants to get there. And visions don’t have to be complex or overly intellectual. Take Bill Gates’ vision for instance. The guys dream was to have a computer in every home and at every business office. How simpler can you go than that?

It should be scary to be in a situation where the leader does not have a vision.

In his trying to defend his political party’s promise to establish a kadhi court, a court essentially run by the Islamic laws, President Kikwete contended that the kadhi issue is not his brainchild, rather was handed over to him as part of the CCM manifesto. The president explained that the CCM manifesto is prepared long before the party’s presidential candidate is elected. I didn’t make that up; please check with IPP Media right here.

Let me break that down for you. The president is essentially saying this: he is running the country on a vision that is not personally his. He was just handed a book or something like that, which he is utilizing as a guide.

That, amigos, is ridiculous. I don’t know of any country where the president is visionless.

A vision must be a leader’s own brainchild, and not some ideas copied and handed over for a leader to baby-sit. Please don't ge me wrong, I am not saying a leader can't consult others. But a vision must come from the leader’s own personal and philosophical conviction. Leaders die or thrive with their visions. A leader’s biggest tasks are to share that vision (so that those charged with execution obtain clear understand of the vision) and to recruit quality people to carry out the vision.

Despite my disapproval of Mwalimu Nyerere on some areas, one thing I admire the most about the guy was his ability to create a vision and to stick with it (regardless of how faulty that vision was). The country’s culture, though turned to be full of corruption and ineptitude, is Nyerere’s brainchild. The CCM system itself is Nyerere’s own vision. The ability to create a vision and execute that vision has been the separating point between Nyerere and his successors. You couldn’t tell Mwinyi or Mkapa’s vision. The current president has already admitted that he is currently running a country on a guide, which he did not even take part in preparation.

For lack of personal vision, Nyerere’s successors have embraced everything without taking a closer look. That is acting like puppets. Look at the cartoon again. I believe Nyerere had a vision and plan, which led to the concentration of power on him. Nevertheless, we live in different times and change must come our way. Surprisingly, folks are still blindly following Nyerere’s vision and system. I honestly think it is dumb to do that.

Seriously, no one in the CCM camp intelligent enough to realize that concentration of power on one individual is a guaranteed ingredient for ineffectiveness? Isn’t it ridiculous that one could be charged to execute and evaluate their own performance? Honestly, give me that opportunity and I will tell you how great of a performer I am. And that has been happening in Tanzania for years.

Given that none of the presidents after Nyerere have ever had any visions of their own, ineffectiveness we see in Tanzania shouldn’t come as a surprise. Mr. Kikwete has just confessed that he is visionless. When the president is just handed over a plan to carry out, he or she becomes more of a midlevel executive officer. That is not the way it should be.

Honestly, I wonder where the president gets the inspiration to carry out a vision that is not his own.
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Photo Credit: KP via Mjengwa

RTF: On The Other Hand…

Here go folks. It is another Friday. November 2007 is also about to come to and end. Man oh man, how does time fly this fast?

Anyways, this is Richard Bizubenhout thing is still hot in Tanzania. As a matter fact, I have read stories where the dude is being referred to as a superstar. I don’t doubt that. I know of some reality television super stars that have turned their exposure into some really cool careers. My advice to little Richard, go ahead and soak yourself into this before people forget you. Stars are born everyday.

My stance on the whole BBA show is still the same. I don’t believe for a minute that this show is helping the foster positive outlook on morality. For one, HIV/AIDS cases in Tanzania are high. You don’t want a television show that promotes the idea that a married man can go out, wag his you-know-what for the audience in the name of entertainment. You don’t want a show that does not hold marriage serious, as it should be. My moral campus does not allow me to swallow the idea that for the sake of entertainment, I could compromise everything that I hold dear and true.

Fortunately, I am not the only one who holds those views. I have read comments on various Tanzanian blogs and there are folks who stressed on immorality of the show. On the other hand, there have been those who have endorsed the show. I am presuming that the later group is the one that showed up at the airport to give Richard a hero’s welcome. Obviously, some folks took the opportunity to herald their political ambitions. Some CCM guys went as far as claiming that Richard fulfilled the CCM manifesto. What a bunch of crap!

Regardless of my personal convictions, people flocked the airport. You know what? That got me thinking. There must be something that brought people out. There must be something that made people feel that Richard actually made them proud, regardless of the platform and how Richard brought that pride. Mhh…what could that thing be?

The fact of the matter is that Tanzanians have been and being battered by life. I am not sure if you can find something from a political arena that gives Tanzanians a sense of meaning and achievement. On a daily basis, there is just bad news floating around. It is not wonder then, when Taifa Stars won a couple of games and hope of going the to the African Cup championship was still alive, something in people got stirred up.

There is a natural pride in all human beings. There is a natural desire in all of us to feel important and capable. Nobody likes to be defeated. We all like to be numero uno. Nonetheless, defeat has been a Tanzanian story. Defeat has been a Tanzanian daily experience. When was the last time Tanzania had sense of victory after the Ugandan war? May be Tanzania has experienced little victories, but none that ordinary person in the streets of Dar-Es-Salaam or a remote village in Sumbawanga could relate to.

It is for that reason; Richard’s victory (though none of the people who showed up at the airport would benefit from anything) means something. It brought a sense that Tanzanians can win at least something. It means that Tanzanians are actually capable of achieving something. It is for that reason the morality of the show is being overlooked. It is for that reason, whoever is criticizing the show is viewed a party spoiler. I mean, who would seriously care about “internal affairs” between Richard and his wife, while the dude has uplifted the spirit of the country?

The same feeling of inspiration and meaning also came surfaced with Asha-Rose Migiro was appointed UN Deputy Secretary General. In reaction to her appointment, the whole country went crazy. People look for inspiration. And it appears that Richard has brought that inspiration to the people of Tanzania. Richard has given Tanzanians something to escape the realities around them.

And I can’t blame any of wananchi.

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Photo Credit: Michuzi

BBA: May Be U, But I’m Not Proud

So the Big Brother Africa is over and the Tanzanian “representative”, Mr. Richard Bizubenhout, is declared a winner. Well, the amount of dough, $100,000 is not a cheap change. That could very well clear a huge portion of someone’s mortgage. So go ahead and spend that money wisely, Mr. Bizubenhout.

The saddest part is how a Tanzanian cartoonist, following Richard’s victory, wants to portray Richard’s “ex-wife” (and women in general for that matter) as cheap and stupid, to the extend that they are willing to sell their values for money. I don’t know if that is how the cartoonist (who recently got married) views his mother, sisters, nieces, and even his wife.

Please see the cartoon above.

What prompted me to write this article is what Richard said in a press conference following his victory. Fred Ogot, the Guardian writer, quoted Richard as saying that he has made Tanzanians proud by winning the BBA top prize. Well, may be he has made other Tanzanians proud, but not me.

You can refer to Fred Ogot’s article here.

I am not a values police, and I am not trying to be. Nevertheless, I believe that there are certain things people would only do if and only if, their moral sensitivity is going down the drain. I am not speaking for all Tanzanians (because there are folks already planning parties to congratulate Richard), but this much I know – the BBA show is nothing more than a product meant for folks who are unable to evaluate values imparted on them through a television tube.

Given my location, I did watch any of the BBA shows. Nevertheless, I can only presume the show was another soft pornography transmitted for unaware Tanzanian minds to wholeheartedly consume. And they did. Well, while Richard is regarding himself as a hero, others are regarding him as a “rapist”. Read on. And that is what Tanzanians should be proud of ?

Folks, television and movie producers will always tell that their work is only capturing life. Well, I got news for you. Movie and television producers want you to see life through their own eyes. In other words, television producers communicate their values through their work. Well, let’s just look at the mind behind the Big Brother show, for instance.

According to wikipedia, Big Brother reality television show is a brainchild of Johannes Del Mol. Del Mol, not surprisingly, happened to be a native of one of the most liberal countries in the world, Netherlands. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that sex and alcoholism is the cornerstone of the Big Brother show.

I know, I know, I sound like a grandpa. Nevertheless, I would rather sound like grandpa than being stupid. You know, sometimes wisdom is needed in discerning what is good from what is a bunch of crap. Television, just like any other medium of communication, could be used both positively and negatively. Television could be used either to build or to destroy values. I wonder if average folks understand how imagery could distort our understanding of life and even who we are.

So for any Tanzanian who is soooo proud that Richard became a winner of the BBA show, just be informed of this: you just made Mr. de Mol a few bucks richer, while consuming his personal values and convictions. And I am not very sure if those values align well with conservative, Tanzania values.

There are plenty of Tanzanian folks out there, doing meaningful things that I am definitely proud of. Richard, unfortunately, does not make that list.
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Photo Credit: Michuzi

RTF: Forgotten Money Source?

It is another Friday. So let my mind wander everywhere. I promise, however, that I will stay within sanity boundaries.

I don’t want to be the person to bring bad news to you, but the most recent CCM general meeting produced nothing but a bleak picture for the future of Tanzania. Honestly, I don’t think that Makamba, Msekwa and all other members elected to the top posts have anything new to bring to the table. It is the same old CCM with no direction. I didn’t originally come up with loss-of-direction thing. Just go verify that with Mr. Butiku .

I have been reading comments on various blogs that covered the CCM meeting. Honestly, some of the comments were plain shortsighted. See, folks got happy that John Malecela was finally voted out as the party’s vice chairman because he was too old, but missed the fact that his replacement – Pius Msekwa – is virtually of the same age! So I guess it wasn’t so much about the age, but about being tired of the meaningless comments that tend to flow from Mr. Malecela’s mind.

Why I am even talking about CCM? I guess it is because they are currently running the show in Tanzania and hence whatever decisions the party makes affect the daily lives of my brothers and sisters in Bongoland.

What I really wanted to say is this: the Tanzanian government has ignored one crucial source of tax revenue. And that is revenue generated by witchdoctors.

I am not losing my mind, if you were wondering about that. I am serious about this. Really, I am. There are plenty of stories to back me up. OK, just recently, some members of the Dar Young Africans soccer club launched a witch hunting attack on the club’s leadership, trying to establish accountability over money dished out by the club’s sponsor. Just reading the story, you will realize than nearly $10,000 of the sponsorship money was spent on the “technical” stuff.

Well, we both know very well that Simba and Yanga encounters are not short of witchcraft . activities. As a matter of fact, witchcraft is rampant in the Tanzania soccer. Honestly, the voodoo craze goes beyond the soccer field. The belief in the “dark” powers is so rampant to the extent that some even made to believe that prosperity could be obtained through witchcraft. Just read this story and see how sad the situation could be.

By no means this should be construed that I am trying to condone witchcraft. I am far from doing that. I am just trying to point out the fact that as long as the there are consumers for witchcraft services, then the government should regard witchcraft service providers as businessmen and women. And with that, “doctors” should apply for a business license and pay appropriate taxes. That is due to the fact that the industry is generating a lot of money.

Just consider this, if Yanga alone spent nearly $10,000 to win a soccer game, how much do you think Simba spent? How much do you think other teams in the Vodacom Premier League are spending on “doctors”? How much do you think ordinary folks in Tanzania spend on non-soccer related aspects of life such as health, promotion at work, love, job security, prosperity, protection from evil spirits, etc? How many kids have you seen dangling charms on their necks or arms? You didn’t think the hiziris come for free, did you?

I am not in a position to come up with an exact figure of how much is generated by this industry, but you can clearly tell from just the two figures presented here. First, Yanga spending $10,000 and secondly, $115,000 swindled by a “doctor” from the unsuspecting mwananchi. That is a lot of money from my perspective.

I know that my suggestion would definitely hit a snag. If the vineyard is supplying accurate information, then some political leaders in Tanzania will not be pleased with taxation on witchcraft services. Story goes that wakubwa tend to flock Bagamoyo during elections. As such, tax on the “doctors” services is likely to hike service prices. Adding that tax burden to the cost of takrima, implementation of my idea could potentially end someone’s political career.

Seriously though, money is being made in the witchcraft industry. For some of us who are not customers, we could benefit from the industry through tax shillings. Let those who prefer the service be served, but let the entire Bongoland get good roads and electricity. Our school kids need teachers and textbooks too.

Enjoy your weekend.

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Photo Credit: davidwallphoto.com

I Ain’t Bragging…

Seriously, I am not. However, when you point out something and then folks in the system pretends like they have an epiphany, one is bound to feel very good. Man, I feel like that right now.

What’s the story that got me all giddy? Well, according to IPPMedia, the Director General of Board of External Trade (BET) Director General, Ramadhan Khalfan, pointed out that education could generate the much-needed foreign currency in Tanzania if improved.

Hello someone, didn’t I say that on November 29, 2006? As I pointed out earlier, this something that I shoud not be bragging about. That is because the potential of education in generating a whole lot of money is not a "revelation". It is as wide and in the open as the Indian Ocean is. It is a matter of principle and reality. Education is a product or service, if you will, just like clothes, cars and food. It could be sold and bought. Honestly, people put concepts and ideas in the bound form (called books) and make tons of money. As intangible as ideas are, people who are endowed with the talent and the ability to put books together, well, make money. The same goes with education.

As far as the potential of education as a money-generating machine, you don’t have to be a genius to recognize that Kenya and Uganda have been exporting education to Tanzania for ions. “Intelligent” and able Tanzania parents figured it out long ago that Kenya and Uganda could provide a better education than Tanzania and hence decided to take their kids there. Whether education in Kenya and Uganda is of high quality than that of Tanzania could be debatable. Nonetheless, this much I know, there are very few (if not none) Kenyan and Ugandan parents sending their kids to pursue primary education in Tanzania.

I think these talks about Tanzania’s potential in this and that is getting old. Don’t you think so? Don’t you get annoyed with some big shot gets up on the podium to share his or her “revelation” on potential things in Tanzania that are actually being implemented in the neighboring country?
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Photo Credit: Mjengwa

RTF: What’s Your Dreaming Lingo?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t particularly like cold weather. Much to my dislike, the temperatures are dipping on a daily basis now that winter is just across the corner. If you are in Bongoland and you have never experienced this, you probably could never relate. I know that I could whine as much as I like, but that won’t change God’s design.

So I have just to zip it up and move on. Besides, there are more than 300 million human beings in the United States of America going through the same. I have to admit it though, this is the time I miss the warm weather in Bongoland. See how our priorities and preferences change? One day I am up and arms against Bongoland, the next I want to go back. I think human beings are naturally conflicted. Sometimes we don’t make sense.

It is Friday and I allowing my mind to wander around. Just yesterday I was thinking of this. Honestly, if you are a Tanzanian, where your first language is Swahili, then regardless of where you are currently stationed in this globe and the language you utilize to communicate with people around you, occasionally Swahili will pop up in your head. So my question is this: which language do you typically dream in? Primarily English? Swedish? Polish? Swahili?

I think it is very funny that when I first came to the United States, I used to solve mathematical problems silently in Swahili and then provide an answer in English. Unfortunately for me, there was only one other Tanzanian in the same school. The other Tanzanian was a junior (third year student) when I was a freshman (first year student). As such, he had established his own social clique. Coupled with the fact that we both had to complete our weekly Labor Program assignments (Berea College, my alma mater, required all students to work a minimum of ten hours weekly as part of the scholarship stipulation) and regular schoolwork, we had very limited interaction.

You can only guess what happened next for me. Being is a situation where I had to choice but to use English on a constant basis led to my diminished ability to process concepts in Swahili fast enough. I am still puzzled at this concept, but I could be true that anything in your body – be it your muscles, brain, bones etc that are not exercised and remains idle for an extended period lose their ability. I am convinced that also extends to even linguistic abilities.

I knew that I was losing my Swahili when I talked to my mom. See, though my situation is not overly unique (as there are plenty of other Tanzanians in the same boat), it presents its own challenges. My mom is located in Shirati, Tarime, where the predominant language is Luo. Well, this much I know about Luos, they are very proud of their heritage, which includes their own language. As a matter of fact, they have a website where there are stories in Luo. Can you believe that? If you think I am kidding, visit http://www.jaluo.com/.

So can you see the social expectations that are upon me? Particularly based on the fact that I am man expected to carry out family traditions and all that jazz that comes with it? Well, on of them is the ability to speak Luo. As a general rule, when I talk to my mom, the conversation is expected to take place in Luo. I have always gotten away with not speaking in Luo sometimes because nimekulia mjini kidogo. I typically use that mjini card when I can’t articulate my position well enough in Luo. So what happened when you can’t even articulate a concept well in Swahili? It is a mess.

See, what happened to me was that I would be on the other hand of the telephone with my mom trying to translate what I wanted to say from English, to Swahili then to Luo. It some cases, I could just jump from English to Luo, but that did not help with the time lag that required to complete the interpretation. That really stunk. Did I mention the unintended “ums” and “yeahs” that flew out of my mouth at unconscious level? At one point my mother was bold enough to tell me that my accent, my voice, or something has changed.

See, I used to be critical of folks who would come home from majuu with certain mannerisms that I thought were a little on the side of kujidai. Obviously, I knew little how one’s social environment has so much influence to the extent that we acquire and assimilate to certain social tendencies. We do that to as a matter of choice, but as a matter of survival. No one wants to be a social outcast. I found out quickly that some social skills that served me well in the Tanzanian didn’t work well in my new environment. Certain habits, like keeping time in the United States are necessary, but trying to do that in Tanzania would definitely get you a quick label of uzungu. See my point?

I don’t remember all my dreams, but I would want to believe that I dream in English now. I know that for sure because I dream in English in the first days I go to Tanzania. Then it switches to Swahili at some point. The same is true when I come back to the United States, dream in Swahili for the first few days then switch to English.

So what language do you dream in? Happy dreaming and enjoy your weekend.

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