Tanzania gets dynamic, hands-on president
How
can one describe the year 2015, which comes to an end next week? Well,
in many different ways, depending on who you are and what etched on your
mind during the 12 months.
But for most Tanzanians, the year 2015 was a milestone after the country got a dynamic, pro-change, no-nonsense and hands-on leader in the name of President John Pombe Magufuli.
With Magufuli in the driving seat, Tanzania will never be the same again. But before he came on the scene, many other things had happened during the year.
There were, for instance, many road accidents which resulted in huge losses of lives; corruption scandals in government ministries, some leading to cabinet reshuffles; the demise of some big shots such as ministers, members of parliament and political leaders....this is how 2015 will be remembered.
As the year quickly approaches its end, so are the memories of incredible news, remarkable people and events.
For the past one year, we have witnessed some shocking and sad stories emanating from among us while big shots involved themselves in corruption scandals, including at Dar es Salaam port, making the government to incur huge losses in revenue.
In 2015, stories such as the general election, Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), the deaths of prominent politicians and public officials captured headlines in most media outlets in the country. It was a year which saw a number of notable events.
The year started with the deaths of passengers in road accidents. At least 970 died and 2,470 were injured in road accidents in the four months from Jan-Apr this year, as 42 persons died on the spot after a bus they were travelling in collided with an oncoming lorry in Changarawe area, Mafinga district, in Iringa region.
This was the year in which the National Electoral Commission (NEC) started the registration of voters in the permanent voter registration. Over 24 million Tanzanians aged 18 years and above were registered using the BVR system.
Towards the end of the 20th parliament in July, National Assembly Speaker, Anna Makinda, threw out opposition legislators from parliament. More than 50 opposition MPs were blocked from participation in parliamentary proceedings after they expressed stiff opposition to three bills tabled by the government under certificate of urgency.
Soon after their suspension, the government tabled the three Bills which triggered chaos in the House, leaving Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) legislators present to debate and pass the bills.
The Bills were the Petroleum Bill 2015, Oil and Gas Revenue Management Bill 2015 and the Tanzania Extractive Industry (Transparency and Accountability) Bill 2015.
Around this time the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court in Dar es Salaam handed down sentences against former ministers Basil Mramba (former minister for Finance,) and Daniel Yona (the former Energy and Minerals minister.
The two served under retired President Benjamin Mkapa and were found guilty of occasioning loss to the the government to the tune of 11,752,350,148/- through unwarranted tax exemptions to the gold assayers firm, Alex Stewart Government Business. They were each sentenced to three years in jail for abuse of office and occasioning loss of 11.7bn/- to the government.
The year also witnessed a nationwide strike by the business community after their association’s national leader, John Minja, was arrested.
Members of Parliament also pressed for the release of Minja so as to end the boycott by the traders and pave the way for talks between the government and traders over Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) which are the bone of contention.
In most major urban areas around Tanzania, chiefly Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya and Songea, shoppers were stranded as traders closed their shops.
Mid this year Gunmen shoot dead seven in Dar attack by gunmen who ambushed and killed seven people including four policemen and injuring four others at Stakishari police post, in Dar es Salaam.
On January this year, armed gangsters killed two officers during an attack at a police post in Rufiji District, Coast Region.
Also the Chief Sheikh, Mufti Issa bin Shaaban bin Simba died this year ,Alhaj Simba died on at the TMJ Hospital in Dar es Salaam where he was undergoing treatment for kidney and bronchial complications. Dar es Salaam Chief.
Politics:Former Kigoma North MP, Kabwe Zuberi Zitto announced to have joined the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Tanzania), a new political party he has been linked with after he fell out with Chadema.
The former fourth phase President Jakaya Kikwete inaugurated a 1.33 billion US dollar project to pipe natural gas to Dar es Salaam, and help relieve chronic power shortages in the city.
The 532 km (330 mile) Mtwara-Dar es Salaam pipeline and gas processing plants, largely financed by a Chinese loan, is part of a plan to add about 2,000 megawatts of new gas-fired electricity generating power by 2018 to increase Tanzania’s generating capacity to 10,000 MW by 2025.
On September this year a stampede during one of the last rituals of the Hajj the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca has killed more than 2000 people including Tanzanian and injured more than 1000 others in Saudi Arabia.
The stampede occurred during the ritual known as "stoning the devil" in a tent city in Mina, about two miles from the holy site in Mecca, Islam's holiest city.
Toward general election
End of August the Political parties in the country started election campaigns that define key national issues and sell the socio-economic political programmes they plan to implement in the next five years.
The parties and their respective candidates had 70 days of electioneering in efforts to secure the consent of voters .Unlikely previous elections, this year’s elections was more competitive especially for the two main rivalries CCM and UKAWA.
The opposition parties have grouped under the UKAWA coalition agreed to field a candidate for the country’s presidential election, slated for October.
August 4, 2015, Ukawa nominated former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa as its presidential candidate.
Anna Elisha Mghwira, was the only female presidential candidate under ACT Wazalendo. Eight presidential candidates are racing for the top job even though only two – Dr. John Magufuli (56) of CCM and Edward Lowassa (62) on UKAWA had hot contest.
Polls: the poll by Twaweza gave CCM presidential candidate Dr John Magufuli a big chance to win the election by 65 per cent .His closest challenger the Chadema flagbearer Edward Lowassa got 25 per cent.
As the election campaign goin on Fredrick Sumaye had officially quits CCM, Sumaye becomes the second former Premier to join the opposition following the earlier decamping of his successor and now leader, Edward Lowassa.
Was during the campaign period Dr Wilblod Slaa the former Chadema Chief Secretary quit the party announced that he would no longer take part in party politics.
Over the same time the former national chairman of Civic United Front (CUF) Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba, had quit his post. Prof. Lipumba, CUF chairman since 1995, quit in protest over the crossing-over of his deputy in Zanzibar, Juma Duni Haji, to CHADEMA in a calculated strategy to become presidential running mate of UKAWA presidential candidate Edward Lowassa.
Within days of election campaign, veteran ideologist, CCM cadre, leader and cabinet minister, Kingunge Ngombale Mwiru, announced he was quitting the party, he said that he was quitting the ruling party because it is no longer practicing its socialism and self reliance ideology, claiming that the party has even changed its rallying slogan.
One of the ruling CCM’s key strategists, Juma Volter Mwapachu had also announced to quit the party, joining other high-profile CCM members who have deserted the 54-year-old party.
As few days remain before millions of Tanzanians go to polls in one of the most competitive elections a several death occurred.
On September 13, a road tragedy claimed the life of Mohamed Mtoi, a parliamentary candidate for Chadema, the main opposition party in mainland Tanzania, in Lushoto constituency, Tanga region in northeastern Tanzania.
October 3, Tanzania lost one of its early-day opposition leaders, Reverend Christopher Mtikila. The leader and founder of the Democratic Party (DP) died in a car crash on his way to Dar es Salaam from election campaign meetings, also in Njombe region.
October 13) before the helicopter tragedy, the chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Emmanuel Makaidi died after falling ill in Mtwara.
He was contesting the Masasi parliamentary seat in the southern Mtwara region.Four days before the death of Mr Makaidi (October 9), an ACT-Wazalendo candidate for the Arusha Urban seat Estomih Mallah died after a short illness.
As if to add salt to injury, two cabinet ministers, who were defending their parliamentary seats on CCM ticket, lost their lives, making this year's election a campaign of tears.
The minister for industries and trade, Dr Abdallah Kigoda, and the minister of State in the president's office (public service management), Ms Celina Kombani, died in Indian hospitals on September 25 and October 12 respectively.
The latest was on October 16, Thursday evening when outspoken former MP, Deo Filikunjombe (43), died in a helicopter crash. The outgoing legislator for Ludewa constituency in Njombe region.
October 25, Tanzanian held general election peacefully of which Dr Magufuli was elected on a CCM ticket after garnering 8,882,935 votes against his closest challenger Edward Ngoyai Lowassa of the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) who garnered 6,072,848.
October 28, Elections in Zanzibar have been annulled for not being free and fair, rows between rival electoral commissioners had led to physical fights, Jecha Salim Jecha, Zanzibar Electoral Commission Chairman said.
National Election Commission (NEC) announced Magufuli as the winner of President Post for the Fifth phase government. November 5, Magufuli swearing in as the president.
Few days after swearing in, President John Magufuli has cancelled Independence Day celebrations, and has ordered a clean-up campaign instead. It would be "shameful" to spend huge sums of money on the celebrations when "our people are dying of cholera.
November 20, Presdent John Magufuli deliver his first speech at the inauguration of the 11th Parliament in Dodoma on Friday has sparked positive response from various people irrespective of their political inclination.
The year ended by sacked of various government top officials due to various scandals, President John Magufuli suspended Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General Rished Bade due to the loss of over 300 containers at Dar es Salaam port.
He suspended three other Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) staff. The premier ordered the three TPA staff, namely Anangisye Mtafya, Nsajigwa Mwandengele and Robert Nyoni, to be relocated from Dar es Salaam to up-country regions.
President John Magufuli has dissolved the Board of Directors of the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) over scandals.
Tanzanian President John Magufuli has also sacked the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Director General, Dr Edward Hosea. Dr Hosea was appointed by President Jakaya Kikwete in 2006
The Managing Director of Reli Assets Holding Company (RAHCO), Bernhard Tito, was also suspended over procurement irregularities.
But for most Tanzanians, the year 2015 was a milestone after the country got a dynamic, pro-change, no-nonsense and hands-on leader in the name of President John Pombe Magufuli.
With Magufuli in the driving seat, Tanzania will never be the same again. But before he came on the scene, many other things had happened during the year.
There were, for instance, many road accidents which resulted in huge losses of lives; corruption scandals in government ministries, some leading to cabinet reshuffles; the demise of some big shots such as ministers, members of parliament and political leaders....this is how 2015 will be remembered.
As the year quickly approaches its end, so are the memories of incredible news, remarkable people and events.
For the past one year, we have witnessed some shocking and sad stories emanating from among us while big shots involved themselves in corruption scandals, including at Dar es Salaam port, making the government to incur huge losses in revenue.
In 2015, stories such as the general election, Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), the deaths of prominent politicians and public officials captured headlines in most media outlets in the country. It was a year which saw a number of notable events.
The year started with the deaths of passengers in road accidents. At least 970 died and 2,470 were injured in road accidents in the four months from Jan-Apr this year, as 42 persons died on the spot after a bus they were travelling in collided with an oncoming lorry in Changarawe area, Mafinga district, in Iringa region.
This was the year in which the National Electoral Commission (NEC) started the registration of voters in the permanent voter registration. Over 24 million Tanzanians aged 18 years and above were registered using the BVR system.
Towards the end of the 20th parliament in July, National Assembly Speaker, Anna Makinda, threw out opposition legislators from parliament. More than 50 opposition MPs were blocked from participation in parliamentary proceedings after they expressed stiff opposition to three bills tabled by the government under certificate of urgency.
Soon after their suspension, the government tabled the three Bills which triggered chaos in the House, leaving Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) legislators present to debate and pass the bills.
The Bills were the Petroleum Bill 2015, Oil and Gas Revenue Management Bill 2015 and the Tanzania Extractive Industry (Transparency and Accountability) Bill 2015.
Around this time the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court in Dar es Salaam handed down sentences against former ministers Basil Mramba (former minister for Finance,) and Daniel Yona (the former Energy and Minerals minister.
The two served under retired President Benjamin Mkapa and were found guilty of occasioning loss to the the government to the tune of 11,752,350,148/- through unwarranted tax exemptions to the gold assayers firm, Alex Stewart Government Business. They were each sentenced to three years in jail for abuse of office and occasioning loss of 11.7bn/- to the government.
The year also witnessed a nationwide strike by the business community after their association’s national leader, John Minja, was arrested.
Members of Parliament also pressed for the release of Minja so as to end the boycott by the traders and pave the way for talks between the government and traders over Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) which are the bone of contention.
In most major urban areas around Tanzania, chiefly Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya and Songea, shoppers were stranded as traders closed their shops.
Mid this year Gunmen shoot dead seven in Dar attack by gunmen who ambushed and killed seven people including four policemen and injuring four others at Stakishari police post, in Dar es Salaam.
On January this year, armed gangsters killed two officers during an attack at a police post in Rufiji District, Coast Region.
Also the Chief Sheikh, Mufti Issa bin Shaaban bin Simba died this year ,Alhaj Simba died on at the TMJ Hospital in Dar es Salaam where he was undergoing treatment for kidney and bronchial complications. Dar es Salaam Chief.
Politics:Former Kigoma North MP, Kabwe Zuberi Zitto announced to have joined the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Tanzania), a new political party he has been linked with after he fell out with Chadema.
The former fourth phase President Jakaya Kikwete inaugurated a 1.33 billion US dollar project to pipe natural gas to Dar es Salaam, and help relieve chronic power shortages in the city.
The 532 km (330 mile) Mtwara-Dar es Salaam pipeline and gas processing plants, largely financed by a Chinese loan, is part of a plan to add about 2,000 megawatts of new gas-fired electricity generating power by 2018 to increase Tanzania’s generating capacity to 10,000 MW by 2025.
On September this year a stampede during one of the last rituals of the Hajj the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca has killed more than 2000 people including Tanzanian and injured more than 1000 others in Saudi Arabia.
The stampede occurred during the ritual known as "stoning the devil" in a tent city in Mina, about two miles from the holy site in Mecca, Islam's holiest city.
Toward general election
End of August the Political parties in the country started election campaigns that define key national issues and sell the socio-economic political programmes they plan to implement in the next five years.
The parties and their respective candidates had 70 days of electioneering in efforts to secure the consent of voters .Unlikely previous elections, this year’s elections was more competitive especially for the two main rivalries CCM and UKAWA.
The opposition parties have grouped under the UKAWA coalition agreed to field a candidate for the country’s presidential election, slated for October.
August 4, 2015, Ukawa nominated former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa as its presidential candidate.
Anna Elisha Mghwira, was the only female presidential candidate under ACT Wazalendo. Eight presidential candidates are racing for the top job even though only two – Dr. John Magufuli (56) of CCM and Edward Lowassa (62) on UKAWA had hot contest.
Polls: the poll by Twaweza gave CCM presidential candidate Dr John Magufuli a big chance to win the election by 65 per cent .His closest challenger the Chadema flagbearer Edward Lowassa got 25 per cent.
As the election campaign goin on Fredrick Sumaye had officially quits CCM, Sumaye becomes the second former Premier to join the opposition following the earlier decamping of his successor and now leader, Edward Lowassa.
Was during the campaign period Dr Wilblod Slaa the former Chadema Chief Secretary quit the party announced that he would no longer take part in party politics.
Over the same time the former national chairman of Civic United Front (CUF) Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba, had quit his post. Prof. Lipumba, CUF chairman since 1995, quit in protest over the crossing-over of his deputy in Zanzibar, Juma Duni Haji, to CHADEMA in a calculated strategy to become presidential running mate of UKAWA presidential candidate Edward Lowassa.
Within days of election campaign, veteran ideologist, CCM cadre, leader and cabinet minister, Kingunge Ngombale Mwiru, announced he was quitting the party, he said that he was quitting the ruling party because it is no longer practicing its socialism and self reliance ideology, claiming that the party has even changed its rallying slogan.
One of the ruling CCM’s key strategists, Juma Volter Mwapachu had also announced to quit the party, joining other high-profile CCM members who have deserted the 54-year-old party.
As few days remain before millions of Tanzanians go to polls in one of the most competitive elections a several death occurred.
On September 13, a road tragedy claimed the life of Mohamed Mtoi, a parliamentary candidate for Chadema, the main opposition party in mainland Tanzania, in Lushoto constituency, Tanga region in northeastern Tanzania.
October 3, Tanzania lost one of its early-day opposition leaders, Reverend Christopher Mtikila. The leader and founder of the Democratic Party (DP) died in a car crash on his way to Dar es Salaam from election campaign meetings, also in Njombe region.
October 13) before the helicopter tragedy, the chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Emmanuel Makaidi died after falling ill in Mtwara.
He was contesting the Masasi parliamentary seat in the southern Mtwara region.Four days before the death of Mr Makaidi (October 9), an ACT-Wazalendo candidate for the Arusha Urban seat Estomih Mallah died after a short illness.
As if to add salt to injury, two cabinet ministers, who were defending their parliamentary seats on CCM ticket, lost their lives, making this year's election a campaign of tears.
The minister for industries and trade, Dr Abdallah Kigoda, and the minister of State in the president's office (public service management), Ms Celina Kombani, died in Indian hospitals on September 25 and October 12 respectively.
The latest was on October 16, Thursday evening when outspoken former MP, Deo Filikunjombe (43), died in a helicopter crash. The outgoing legislator for Ludewa constituency in Njombe region.
October 25, Tanzanian held general election peacefully of which Dr Magufuli was elected on a CCM ticket after garnering 8,882,935 votes against his closest challenger Edward Ngoyai Lowassa of the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) who garnered 6,072,848.
October 28, Elections in Zanzibar have been annulled for not being free and fair, rows between rival electoral commissioners had led to physical fights, Jecha Salim Jecha, Zanzibar Electoral Commission Chairman said.
National Election Commission (NEC) announced Magufuli as the winner of President Post for the Fifth phase government. November 5, Magufuli swearing in as the president.
Few days after swearing in, President John Magufuli has cancelled Independence Day celebrations, and has ordered a clean-up campaign instead. It would be "shameful" to spend huge sums of money on the celebrations when "our people are dying of cholera.
November 20, Presdent John Magufuli deliver his first speech at the inauguration of the 11th Parliament in Dodoma on Friday has sparked positive response from various people irrespective of their political inclination.
The year ended by sacked of various government top officials due to various scandals, President John Magufuli suspended Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General Rished Bade due to the loss of over 300 containers at Dar es Salaam port.
He suspended three other Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) staff. The premier ordered the three TPA staff, namely Anangisye Mtafya, Nsajigwa Mwandengele and Robert Nyoni, to be relocated from Dar es Salaam to up-country regions.
President John Magufuli has dissolved the Board of Directors of the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) over scandals.
Tanzanian President John Magufuli has also sacked the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Director General, Dr Edward Hosea. Dr Hosea was appointed by President Jakaya Kikwete in 2006
The Managing Director of Reli Assets Holding Company (RAHCO), Bernhard Tito, was also suspended over procurement irregularities.
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