EDITORIAL: DCC must come clean on changes to street names

[BAK]

EDITORIAL: DCC must come clean on changes to street names

EDITOR
THIS DAY
DAR ES SALAAM

THE Dar es Salaam City Council (DCC) recently warned that punitive measures would be taken against any person or institution found to have changed street names without following proper procedures.

The DCC Director, Bakari Kingobi, was reacting to a story ran by this newspaper on unsanctioned changes to street names in the Dar es Salaam central business district.

According to Kingobi, even the signpost showing the famous ’Kisutu Street’ was removed and replaced with another sign post depicting the seemingly-adopted Indian name of ’Pramukh Swami’, apparently without the knowledge of the city council.

In his own words, the city council director said whoever effected the changes has broken the law and would be punished accordingly.

But todate the ’unsanctioned’ new signpost � put more than a month ago-- is still there, raising questions on the sincerity of the city council director on this matter.

If it’s true that such changes to street names, especially the Kisutu Street, were casually done by some residents without the knowledge or approval by relevant DCC authorities, then we thought the first step would be to remove the new ’illegal’ signposts and restore the valid ones. The DCC has not done that. Why?

The DCC director must tell us why his council is not taking any punitive measures (as promised) against the culprits. If he remains quiet it means these changes were actually sanctioned by the city council, and what he was telling us were sheer lies!

We all know that the DCC is the sole authority when it comes to naming streets in the metropolis. Therefore anybody who unilaterally changes street names without approval of the city council is breaking the law and must be punished accordingly.

We seriously doubt the honesty of the DCC director on this for it’s more than two months now since the Kisutu Street sign post and others were ’illegally’ removed and it’s business as usual.

There is increasing evidence of traditional street name signposts being pulled down and replaced with new sign posts displaying decidedly strange names all over the city and its suburbs.

The DCC must understand that the unscrupulous changes of street names could cause confusion to tourists and other visitors who rely on maps to move around the expansive city.

It is for this reason that we call upon the DCC director to come clean on the questionable changes to street names.

 

[Insurgent]

Huyu awajibishwe. Ni wazi he is not a serious guy. Vipi unaahidi kutoa adhabu kali kwa waliofanya hilo lakini unaacha hicho kibao hapo.

Mambo ya kuongoza kwa kutumia ULIMI yamepitwa na wakati. What we need now is VITENDO!

 

[Kibunango]

Halmashauri ya Jiji haina tena Madiwani?

 

[Nemesis]

Ebo mtaa wa Kisutu wanaupatia jina 'Pramukh Swami'!!?? hawa wahindi jamani watatufikisha pabaya, ikienda India huwezi kubadilisha Mtaa wao ukauita Kisutu, haiwezekani kabisa. City Director and MD mbona ,nawaacha hawa wahindi wanaofanya vituko vya kijingajinga hivi?

 

[Kibunango]

Ebo mtaa wa Kisutu wanaupatia jina ’Pramukh Swami’!!?? hawa wahindi jamani watatufikisha pabaya, ikienda India huwezi kubadilisha Mtaa wao ukauita Kisutu, haiwezekani kabisa. City Director and MD mbona ,nawaacha hawa wahindi wanaofanya vituko vya kijingajinga hivi?

Kitaratibu majina ya mitaa hupitishwa na kamati za wadiwani na vikao vyao... Mkurugenzi ni mtekelezaji tu wa maamuzi ya vikao vya madiwani..
Iwapo kulikuwa na baraka za kubadilisha jina basi ni madiwani ambao wanapaswa kubanwa.

 

[Kuhani]

Iwapo kulikuwa na baraka za kubadilisha jina basi ni madiwani ambao wanapaswa kubanwa.

DCC kasema taratibu hazikufuatwa. Kwa hiyo Wahindi wamejibadilishia majina wenyewe..

Kwa mawazo yangu hii ni vandalism na wala sio ishu ya kiutawala. Na kazi ya kufuatilia uharamia ni ya Polisi!

 

[Kibunango]

Hao DCC si wana mgambo wao? Ni bora waende kuondoa kibao hicho na nina imani ni kazi isio weza kuchukua nusu saa, na wanaweza kuendelea na kazi zao za kufukuzana na Machinga baada ya kuondoa kibao hicho...

Na hao mainspekta wa Mipango Miji wapo wapi?

 

[BAK]

Are Dar street names for 'sale'?

SEBASTIAN MRINDOKO
Dar es Salaam

CONCERN is mounting amongst Dar es Salaamites over the increasingly common trend of traditionally recognized street names in the city being changed in apparently clandestine fashion.

According to THISDAY's latest survey on the issue, a number of city residents openly believe that the name changes are being done without following proper channels with authorities mandated to alter or place street names.

It is a common suspicion that some unscrupulous city council officials could be sanctioning wealthy individuals and organizations to replace certain street names with 'custom-made' names, in return for bribes or suchlike.

The survey has found evidence of signposts displaying well-known street names being quietly pulled down and replaced with new signposts displaying new and decidedly strange names, both in the city centre and the suburbs.

One example previously reported by this paper is the famous KISUTU STREET in the city, which has now been renamed 'PRAMUKH SWAMI' � a name representing a certain Hindu religious leader.

A city resident who identified himself as Walles Shindu expressed outright amazement at the 'arbitrary' street name changes now going on, advising city authorities to take stern measures against each and every person responsible to serve as a deterrent to others who might be harbouring similar ideas.

But he also suggested an option: ''Under special arrangements, city authorities can enter into agreement with individuals or organizations, allowing them to name certain streets as they please for particular periods of time, so long as they agree to assume all responsibility for maintaining and rehabilitating the concerned street, and such like.''

Contacted by THISDAY by telephone in Dodoma yesterday, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Local Government Accounts Committee, Dr Wilbrod Slaa, described the trend as not only illegal but an indication of key administrative weaknesses in the running of the city.

''Lack of commitment by the city fathers is probably the main reason why such disrespect of the city by-laws is being allowed to happen right under their noses,'' Slaa remarked, also noting the absence of street names of any kind in some parts of the city, thus making it difficult if not impossible to identify certain addresses.

He cited an incident where a group of thugs invaded a house in one unnamed street. Police were called to the rescue, but due to the street having no name, they couldn�t locate the house in time, thus allowing the robbers to make a clean getaway.

''The same can happen in the case of fire outbreaks�it is not easy to direct fire brigades to a blazing house on a street with no name,'' Slaa pointed out.

According to the Minister of State in the Prime Ministers' Office responsible for Local Governments and Regional Administration, Celina Kombani, it is unlawful for any individual to change street names without consulting city authorities.

''I will not give my views on this issue for the time being, until the city authorities have worked on it. If that fails, then I as the minister concerned will handle it myself,'' she told THISDAY.

In a recent interview with THISDAY, Dar es Salaam City Council Director Bakari Kingobi conceded that no legal measures have ever been taken against persons or institutions found to have 'unlawfully' changed street names to suit their own interests.

''I am surprised to hear about such cases of city by-laws being breached�the culprits are surely liable for prosecution,'' Kingobi stated.

He noted that street names are important indicators not only for city residents, but also for people visiting the city since they facilitate simpler and more comfortable movement.

According to Kingobi, changing such street names without following proper procedures ''is likely to cause confusion amongst people who, for example, do not understand the Indian language.''

The DCC director said as of now, the issue has been forwarded to the Ilala Municipal Council in an effort to pinpoint who exactly sanctioned the changing of street names in some parts of the city centre.

Efforts to contact Ilala Municipal Council authorities for their comment have not been fruitful so far.