Lyimo naye... is he serious?

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

The East African (Nairobi)

COLUMN
26 November 2007
Posted to the web 26 November 2007​

Karl Lyimo
Nairobi

Tanzania has been at the crossroads for a generation now and must make up its mind on its social, economic and political future.

Unless the government decisively embarks on a new path towards meaningful and sustainable growth, the country will continue in the developmental doldrums of its own creation.


To chart an effective path, national decision-makers must be aided by the country's development partners within the international donor/creditor community in the short run - and by its own people in the long run.

TANZANIA IS potentially an extremely rich country - relative to many other countries in Africa and elsewhere - in terms of natural resources. But, its people remain dirt poor, the 4th poorest from the bottom of the global league.

The all important question then arises: Why is this the case 47 years after independence, and under homegrown leaderships? This question was put to President Jakaya Kikwete on one of his recent visits abroad.

His response was as intriguing as it was unexpected.

"I have been asking myself the same question," he replied, indicating that he did not have an answer - thereby raising more questions!

FOR THE inquisitive and honest, the answer can be gleaned from the sayings of the founder of Tanzanian nationalism, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. Mwalimu said Tanzania needed four things for it to develop: People, land, good policies and good leadership.

People? The country is today home to 38.4 million Tanzanians, a population that is growing at 2.8 per cent annually. Land? 945,087 square kilometres of it, only 59,050 square kilometres thereof being water bodies.

Good policies? Good leadership? No, we don't have those.

POLICIES ARE invariably the product of leaders. Therefore, a bad or inept leadership will come up with bad policies. The alternative to this is that the policies are good, but are reduced to a cruel joke by a bad leadership.

Such leaderships (and their executors) would typically be steeped in bad governance - thereby fostering the kind of poverty, ignorance, disease and other maladies (including grand corruption) that Tanzania has become infamous for.

THIS WOULD have a negative impact on the country and its people, reducing it to a beggar nation that, instead of being a regional breadbasket, becomes an international basket case inured to its miserable existence.

Don't even give a thought to those reports spewed out at regular intervals about how well the economy is doing.

Generated by the government and its development partners seemingly independent of each other, the reports say wonderful things that give hope.

Tanzania reportedly leads in foreign direct investment inflows, it is the third largest gold exporter in Africa; it is home to the unique tanzanite gemstone ... it has the right macroeconomics, and has successfully liberalized its economy. It is politically stable


IF ALL that is true, why are Tanzanians still wallowing in abject poverty? Why is the country the 9th exporter of tanzanite, instead of being the first?

The only things that Tanzania is rich in today are poverty, graft, sophistry, machinations, public holidays and false hopes. That is your Tanzania: A rich country full of poor men and women.

 

[Mwanamalundi]

Huyo bwana alichoandika hapo ni ukweli mtupu. Mimi nakubaliana naye. Kama watu wanataka kubisha, wabishe kwa kutoa ushahidi.

 

[Koba]

sasa na wewe Mwanakijiji ndio unaonekana hauko serious na hilo swali lako,kwani alichoandika si ndio tunachopigia kelele humu kila siku,hilo swali labda muulize Kada mpinzani ndio anaweza kuona huyo jamaa hayuko serious!

 

[Kitila Mkumbo]

huyo naona kakopi yetu na kutafsiri tu!

 

[Nyambala]

Hey wana JF, huyu lyimo ni mwandishi mahiri sana na makala zake mara nyingi huwa very interesting na zenye hoja. Nazikumbuka makala hizo toka wakati ule jamaa nazipost business times. Anaandika professionally as far as i know na hoja zake mara nyingi ni nzito zisizo na chembe ya woga. Si mwandishi wa kumbeza hata kidogo. Anyone with doubt jaribu kufanya research!

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

sasa na wewe Mwanakijiji ndio unaonekana hauko serious na hilo swali lako,kwani alichoandika si ndio tunachopigia kelele humu kila siku,hilo swali labda muulize Kada mpinzani ndio anaweza kuona huyo jamaa hayuko serious!

nauliza ni kweli yuko serious kuwa tuko masikini kiasi hicho wakati makaratasi na takwimu za Kimataifa zinaonesha vingine kabisa.

 

[COMRADE44]

Yes he's very serious and so should we.it's no laughing matter.its a shame that we so readily accept our plight.

 

[S. S. Phares]

The East African (Nairobi)

COLUMN
26 November 2007
Posted to the web 26 November 2007​

Karl Lyimo
Nairobi
The all important question then arises: Why is this the case 47 years after independence, and under homegrown leaderships? This question was put to President Jakaya Kikwete on one of his recent visits abroad.

His response was as intriguing as it was unexpected.

"I have been asking myself the same question," he replied, indicating that he did not have an answer - thereby raising more questions!

Ohh God, please help us...

 

[Kalamu]

nauliza ni kweli yuko serious kuwa tuko masikini kiasi hicho wakati makaratasi na takwimu za Kimataifa zinaonesha vingine kabisa.

But he answered that very question, remember?

 

[Mbalamwezi]

nauliza ni kweli yuko serious kuwa tuko masikini kiasi hicho wakati makaratasi na takwimu za Kimataifa zinaonesha vingine kabisa.

Mzee Mwanakijiji,

Ni rahisi sana kuelewa hoja yake hapa, maana hata yeye anashangaa kuwa taarifa za kiuchumi zinaonyesha kuwa tunafanya vema...kama wewe unavyoshangaa. lakini ushahidi mzuri tunao wenyewe tunaokaa Kisarawe, kuna mabadiliko gani ya hali zetu za maisha ukisikiliza taarifa hizo?

Makaratasi yanatueleza kuwa ni wa tisa ktk kuuza tanzanite...lakini inatoka wapi hii tanzanite kama si hapa kwetu? na kwa nini tuwe wa tisa badala ya kwanza?

KIla kitu tunacho, kwa nini Tanzania bado masikini? Ana hoja nzito za kisomi, ni vema tujadili kiundani.

 

[Mbalamwezi]

huyo naona kakopi yetu na kutafsiri tu!

Naomba kufahamu mkuu, atakuwa amekopi wapi hasa? nadhani ametumia ripoti za mwenendo wa uchumi wa Tz, wa Afrika ambazo ripoti zake hutolewa na World Bank na UNCTAD...ni ripoti wazi kwa public, hivyo kila mtu anaweza kufahamu hali halisi ikoje on the ground.

Kama imetokea ilishaandikwa humu, watu hawawezi kuacha kuandika pia kwa kuwa wataonekana wamekopi toka JF...after all, JF ni generation ya mawazo positive.

Kuna haja gani ya kugombea fito wakati nyumba tunayoijenga ni yetu sote?

 

[Kasheshe]

Tunazunguka mambo mengi, lakini yaliyosemwa hapo juu huo ndio ukweli,
Labda niongoze , ukweli ni kwamba kwa sasa sio uongozi bora tu unohitajika, mimi kwa sasa naamini pia hatuhitaji watu tu, bali tunahitaji watu wenye elimu, maana inawezekana halisia hatuko Mil. 3.8, huenda tuko milioni 12 tu kwa maana productive. Samahani kama nimewatusi.

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Kilitime, sidhani kama elimu peka yake inatosha; ukiwa na watu wengi walioelimika utajikuta unawawezi na mafisadi wengi zaidi wenye phd! Sidhani kama tunachotaka ni kuwa kama Nigeria kuwa na wasomi wengi wenye vyeti wasioweza kutumia elimu yao kutatua matatizo ya jamii zao.

What was wrong with those ideas kwamba elimu ituwezeshe kumudu mazingira yetu? Mimi nadhani hauhitaji kibiri kizima kuunguza kichaka; njiti moja inaweza kusababisha moto mzuri kuliko vijiti 100 ambavyo vinaweza kusababisha moto wa madhara. Ni vizuri kama vijiti mia moja vikaweza kuungaza shamba vizuri na kwa haraka kuliko kijiti kimoja, lakini kama tumeshindwa kuwatumia vizuri wale waliopo tutaweza wakijaa kwenye kila kona ya nchi?

 

[Mbalamwezi]

ukweli ni kwamba kwa sasa sio uongozi bora tu unohitajika, mimi kwa sasa naamini pia hatuhitaji watu tu, bali tunahitaji watu wenye elimu,

Ni kweli Mkuu Kilitime,

Lakini hawa watu wenye elimu tutawapata wapi? N wazi kuwa hatuwezi ku import kama petroli...inabidi tuweke mazingira yatakayowezesha wajinga tuliopo tuelimike.

Hili litawezekana kama tu tutakuwa na siasa safi...(good policies) na good policies zitapatikana kama titakuwa na viongozi safi.

Viongozi safi ni wale wanaotambua matatizo ya wananchi wao, na wanaweka policies za kuyatatua kulingana na priorities.

Hatuwezi kuwa na viongozi safi kama wengi wao wameingia madarakani kwa rushwa...Hivyo ni muhimu kupiga vita rushwa kwanza wananchi wenyewe, ili tuje kuwa na mfumo mzuri wa kupata viongozi bila kuoga rushwa.

 

[Mbalamwezi]

Mzee Mwanakijiji, pengine Kilitime anaongelea hata elimu ya kawaida tu, ya mkulima kujua cha kufanya ili rasilimali alizonazo zimtajirishe...watu wetu vijijini wana ardhi, maji, mifugo...lakini wamo kwenye dimbwi la umasikini kwa karne kadhaa sasa.

 

[Kasheshe]

Mzee Mwanakijiji, pengine Kilitime anaongelea hata elimu ya kawaida tu, ya mkulima kujua cha kufanya ili rasilimali alizonazo zimtajirishe...watu wetu vijijini wana ardhi, maji, mifugo...lakini wamo kwenye dimbwi la umasikini kwa karne kadhaa sasa.

Sadakta kaka umenipata, tunahitaji watu ambau wanaweza hata kuongozeka. watu ambao wanaweza hata kusikiiliza hali ya hewa na mapendekezo ya wataalamu nk. wanaweza uksikiliza na at least kuelewa taarifa ya habari ya redio.

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Nimekupata kilitime kwa sababu ninachoogopa ni hili wazo kuwa formal education ndiyo inaweza kutufanya tujali sana nchi yetu n.k Mimi naamini kuwa shule lazima imuingie mtu badala ya mtu kuingia shule bila kupata elimu. Ni rahisi zaidi kupata makaratasi ya kuhitimu, kuliko kupata elimu yenye kuonesha umehitimu.

 

[Nurujamii]

ndege ya uchumi inapaa jamani, mbona mnakuwa wabishi kuelewa?

 

[Mtoto wa Mkulima]

Binafsi sioni kama kuna kitu kipya kimeandikwa hapo, haya mambo kila siku ndio yanazungumzwa hata huku JF. Yalishaandikwa na kusemwa sana tena sana hamna jipya Lyimo aliloandika labda tuseme kakumbushia tuu.

 

[Code zero]

Binafsi sioni kama kuna kitu kipya kimeandikwa hapo, haya mambo kila siku ndio yanazungumzwa hata huku JF. Yalishaandikwa na kusemwa sana tena sana hamna jipya Lyimo aliloandika labda tuseme kakumbushia tuu.

Je, yafaa tupendekeze thread hii iondolewe kwa sababu tu imeshaandikwa na kusemwa sana hapa JF?