Many of Magufuli supporters, I was once one of them, are forgetting (or are playing fool to) that the main body of protests against his leadership, is not for fighting corruption, installing law and order, paying taxes or, indeed, tackling many social ills which have been left unattended to for a long time. No. We are raising our voices against instances of his leadership because they are a threat to the unity of our country and to the safety of our individual lives. When you demolish houses of poor citizens in Dar es Salaam and in the same breath, issue orders not to, for the citizens of Mwanza, who had committed ostensibly a similar offence, on the basis that those in Mwanza are your voters or, indeed, are your tribesmen, where are you taking Tanzania to?
Much as the opposition has their share of blame, but, is being a supporter of opposition politics enough justification to spill your blood and deny you, your right to life? Is the writer happy with the phenomenon of bodies being fished our of the ocean and opposition officials being shot at, killed, maimed or made to disappear. Or does he deny these occurrences?
These expatriates have nothing to tell the Tanzanians who live the bitter daily reality. They mostly live on the fringes of the real Tanzanian life. Unfortunately, their voices are considered 'expert voices' though if a Tanzanian happened to live in London for 20 years, he would never be considered 'an expert on UK society' as they have the privilege to be.
The demands of the Tanzanians are not solely confined to economic issues. Yes, they maybe the most recognizable, but more that that, Tanzanians have been fighting for personal freedoms even during Nyerere's reign (there were several attempts then to topple the government) . This does not mean, however, a call to anarchy and the destabilization of the country. We want to feel free and safe in our own country without being threatened on daily basis by the police, politicians and anyone who has money!
This is an aspiration that should be fulfilled concurrently with that of economic emancipation. We should not forget that a human being needs more than their daily Ugali,, nice fly-overs and railways..... (Iranians were living better financially during the Shah. Ask yourself why did they revolt?). Man needs more than anything to feel respected as a human being, free to associate and to pursue his happiness- especially in his own country. That did not exist in the past and it seems to be further aggravated in the present. That's the main issue!