Citizens are awakening to the reality that they have a stake to national resources and its not the prerogative of individuals in the government to do what they think is right and ignore the needs, wants or aspirations of the people. Ours is neither a dictatorship, fascist nor terrorist government but a government that swore to listen to the voices of the people no matter what their station in life is.
When the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, said in Parliament that whoever is opposing the construction of Mtwara-Dar natural gas pipeline should be regarded as an enemy, he was not being fair. The gas in Mtwara is a national asset and so the most sober solution would be to suspend any action now and weigh the pros and cons of forging ahead by listening to the diverse arguments.
This is a serious and urgent discussion and should not be taken emotionally because things dont just happen out of the blue. When you listen to the people in Mtwara, Lindi, Ruangwa you will hear the salient voices which are not against the natural gas pipeline to Dar as such; but are saying why is that our cashew nuts, hard wood, minerals, gypsum, sons and daughters have to go to Dar for processing and labour? Speaker Anne Makindas formation of a parliamentary team to get an insight into the crisis shows political will. It will be prudent to have views from different stakeholders including the environmental, cultural heritage, sociological and economic impact assessments.
Nigeria discovered oil in 1948 but still has no engineers, equipment to prospect, drill or refine oil. Nigeria still imports refined oil and experts to estimate the amount of oil. They sell crude oil cheaply and buy expensively all the different processed products! What about us?
The natural resources industry is shrouded in large-scale corruption which is actually beyond our country. The end result is that the continent is rich but the people are impoverished. Is it a coincidence that our continent is at war with itself, there is hunger, desperation, and the so-called religious crisis? We are partitioned economically and enslaved not by chains but by debt, tied aid, deception and corruption.
Where does it begin and where does it end? The great depression in Europe and Euro-America 70 years ago led to capitalism, 20 years ago the East Asia crises led to the strengthening of global financial authority. 10 years ago to date Africas ongoing food, fuel and financial crisis is making corporate fascism an economic reality and we now get the meaning of capitalism! Nothing is going on but debt, interest and inflation!
Tanzanians have gone full circle because if we thought Ujamaa was bad now we realise capitalism is worse. We now understand that ownership of resources and means of production and the power to decide is more important than to be servants. We have to keep the fight against corporate globalisation which is driving the exploitation, expansion and disorganising our communities, instead of fighting ourselves.
The ideology of globalisation is neo-liberalism, which means new freedom for corporation to occupy new markets previously under national governments. Its no wonder that the political and economic sovereignty of African governments is so eroded that they seem weak. This has been made possible by technology, science and industrial advancement with support from the UN, IMF/WB/WTO, national governments and CSO. No amount of research or new policies can help us if we refuse to think for ourselves as Africans. Communist China and Russia are doing business with the West and ideology is of no consequence in business, just a good deal! We welcome foreign direct investment; but what is our motive for trying to integrate our economies with those who want to exploit us and at what cost? Arent there alternatives?
We need a leadership that will be guided by wisdom and national interest. During the early days of the Zimbabwe land reforms, a farmer was heard talking to the BBC: We are not against their farms, but they are on our land. We want back our land!
Marie Memouna Shaba is a Tanzanian socio-economic analyst in the context of cultural heritage
When the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, said in Parliament that whoever is opposing the construction of Mtwara-Dar natural gas pipeline should be regarded as an enemy, he was not being fair. The gas in Mtwara is a national asset and so the most sober solution would be to suspend any action now and weigh the pros and cons of forging ahead by listening to the diverse arguments.
This is a serious and urgent discussion and should not be taken emotionally because things dont just happen out of the blue. When you listen to the people in Mtwara, Lindi, Ruangwa you will hear the salient voices which are not against the natural gas pipeline to Dar as such; but are saying why is that our cashew nuts, hard wood, minerals, gypsum, sons and daughters have to go to Dar for processing and labour? Speaker Anne Makindas formation of a parliamentary team to get an insight into the crisis shows political will. It will be prudent to have views from different stakeholders including the environmental, cultural heritage, sociological and economic impact assessments.
Nigeria discovered oil in 1948 but still has no engineers, equipment to prospect, drill or refine oil. Nigeria still imports refined oil and experts to estimate the amount of oil. They sell crude oil cheaply and buy expensively all the different processed products! What about us?
The natural resources industry is shrouded in large-scale corruption which is actually beyond our country. The end result is that the continent is rich but the people are impoverished. Is it a coincidence that our continent is at war with itself, there is hunger, desperation, and the so-called religious crisis? We are partitioned economically and enslaved not by chains but by debt, tied aid, deception and corruption.
Where does it begin and where does it end? The great depression in Europe and Euro-America 70 years ago led to capitalism, 20 years ago the East Asia crises led to the strengthening of global financial authority. 10 years ago to date Africas ongoing food, fuel and financial crisis is making corporate fascism an economic reality and we now get the meaning of capitalism! Nothing is going on but debt, interest and inflation!
Tanzanians have gone full circle because if we thought Ujamaa was bad now we realise capitalism is worse. We now understand that ownership of resources and means of production and the power to decide is more important than to be servants. We have to keep the fight against corporate globalisation which is driving the exploitation, expansion and disorganising our communities, instead of fighting ourselves.
The ideology of globalisation is neo-liberalism, which means new freedom for corporation to occupy new markets previously under national governments. Its no wonder that the political and economic sovereignty of African governments is so eroded that they seem weak. This has been made possible by technology, science and industrial advancement with support from the UN, IMF/WB/WTO, national governments and CSO. No amount of research or new policies can help us if we refuse to think for ourselves as Africans. Communist China and Russia are doing business with the West and ideology is of no consequence in business, just a good deal! We welcome foreign direct investment; but what is our motive for trying to integrate our economies with those who want to exploit us and at what cost? Arent there alternatives?
We need a leadership that will be guided by wisdom and national interest. During the early days of the Zimbabwe land reforms, a farmer was heard talking to the BBC: We are not against their farms, but they are on our land. We want back our land!
Marie Memouna Shaba is a Tanzanian socio-economic analyst in the context of cultural heritage