Invisible
Robot
- Feb 11, 2006
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By KARL LYIMO
Nov 2009
From: The East African Magazine
Former Speaker of the Tanzania Parliament, Pius Msekwa, may yet emerge as one of the few top leaders in the ruling CCM who see the party as it really is vis-à-vis allegations of grand corruption involving senior party cadres.
Msekwa is currently vice-chair in charge of the partys affairs on the Tanzania Mainland.
That is probably the third most important position in the party after the national chairman and the secretary-general.
Allegations of corruption in high places have dominated the countrys life beginning mid-September 2007.
In February 2008, government ministers including prime minister Edward Lowassa and two ministers, Ibrahim Msabaha and Nazir Karamagi, resigned.
The three may not have been directly involved in a dubious emergency power purchase agreement that involved the Richmond Development Company.
But, they felt duty-bound to take responsibility for a deal transacted on their watch.
On January 9, the president sacked Bank of Tanzania governor Daudi Ballali, and replaced him with Prof Benno Ndulu.
The late Ballali allegedly presided over the central banks affairs at a time when millions of dollars were stolen from its External Payment Arrears account
In April the same year, a long-serving Attorney-General and senior government minister, Andrew Chenge, resigned in disgrace.
This was on account of allegations of misdeeds that could yet prove embarrassing to CCM and its government including the controversial purchase of an air-navigation radar system from Britains BAe Systems.
A number of government and BoT officials, as well as prominent businessmen, have been arraigned in court on assorted criminal charges.
President Jakaya Kikwete says intensive investigations are going on, with the possibility of more cases going to Court.
Common in all this is that the officials involved are prominent CCM members.
And, although they are no longer in public service, they continue to be respected party cadres Most are still CCM MPs, and efforts are made at every opportunity to whitewash them.
The suspects werent acting for or under party directives, they claim. We must distinguish between them as individuals and as party cadres! The partys clean Theres no split in the party only a few misguided MPs riling against their colleagues If thats the case, why did the politburo form the Mwinyi Commission to probe the rift between MPs on how to handle the suspects?
The point? Despite the serious charges levelled against them, they continue to bask in the limelight propped up by party officials and senior colleagues in the government. This is causing much confusion in peoples minds.
When Msekwa addressed a CCM symposium on October 14, he called for all crime suspects to be purged from the party sooner rather than later.
One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel, he cautioned.
Indeed, the selective governance and double-standards displayed by the party and its government are sending the wrong signals.
Karl Lyimo is a freelance journalist based in Dar.
E-mail: israellyimo@yahoo.com
Nov 2009
From: The East African Magazine
Former Speaker of the Tanzania Parliament, Pius Msekwa, may yet emerge as one of the few top leaders in the ruling CCM who see the party as it really is vis-à-vis allegations of grand corruption involving senior party cadres.
Msekwa is currently vice-chair in charge of the partys affairs on the Tanzania Mainland.
That is probably the third most important position in the party after the national chairman and the secretary-general.
Allegations of corruption in high places have dominated the countrys life beginning mid-September 2007.
In February 2008, government ministers including prime minister Edward Lowassa and two ministers, Ibrahim Msabaha and Nazir Karamagi, resigned.
The three may not have been directly involved in a dubious emergency power purchase agreement that involved the Richmond Development Company.
But, they felt duty-bound to take responsibility for a deal transacted on their watch.
On January 9, the president sacked Bank of Tanzania governor Daudi Ballali, and replaced him with Prof Benno Ndulu.
The late Ballali allegedly presided over the central banks affairs at a time when millions of dollars were stolen from its External Payment Arrears account
In April the same year, a long-serving Attorney-General and senior government minister, Andrew Chenge, resigned in disgrace.
This was on account of allegations of misdeeds that could yet prove embarrassing to CCM and its government including the controversial purchase of an air-navigation radar system from Britains BAe Systems.
A number of government and BoT officials, as well as prominent businessmen, have been arraigned in court on assorted criminal charges.
President Jakaya Kikwete says intensive investigations are going on, with the possibility of more cases going to Court.
Common in all this is that the officials involved are prominent CCM members.
And, although they are no longer in public service, they continue to be respected party cadres Most are still CCM MPs, and efforts are made at every opportunity to whitewash them.
The suspects werent acting for or under party directives, they claim. We must distinguish between them as individuals and as party cadres! The partys clean Theres no split in the party only a few misguided MPs riling against their colleagues If thats the case, why did the politburo form the Mwinyi Commission to probe the rift between MPs on how to handle the suspects?
The point? Despite the serious charges levelled against them, they continue to bask in the limelight propped up by party officials and senior colleagues in the government. This is causing much confusion in peoples minds.
When Msekwa addressed a CCM symposium on October 14, he called for all crime suspects to be purged from the party sooner rather than later.
One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel, he cautioned.
Indeed, the selective governance and double-standards displayed by the party and its government are sending the wrong signals.
Karl Lyimo is a freelance journalist based in Dar.
E-mail: israellyimo@yahoo.com
