ANBEM Limited: Operated from the first lady`s office
THISDAY REPORTERS
Dar es Salaam
FORMER president Benjamin Mkapa and first lady Anna Mkapa operated their private business company, ANBEM Limited, from a registered office within the official State House walls in Dar es Salaam, THISDAY can now reveal.
According to our investigations, documents setting up ANBEM Limited in 1999 listed its physical address as Plot Number 15, Luthuli Road � which is a government building forming part of the Ikulu estate.
It is also the building allocated for use as the official office of all sitting first ladies.
Further investigations have shown that 15 Luthuli Road was also the registered physical address of the Equal Opportunities for All Trust Fund (EOTF), a non-profitable organization established by Mrs Mkapa in June 1997.
EOTF's stated objectives include: ''To initiate, design, promote, facilitate and support the empowerment of the disadvantaged segments of Tanzanian society.''
But it has now been confirmed that even as EOTF steadily built a name in this area of activity over the years, ANBEM Limited was also operating from the same State House building maintained by taxpayers' money.
Mr and Mrs Mkapa, whose two tenures at State House covered the period 1995-2005, registered ANBEM Limited in 1999, with the official registration documents describing them as 'entrepreneurs' and sole shareholders/directors of the limited liability company.
Stated objectives of ANBEM Ltd include: ''To carry on business and to act as merchants, general traders, warehouse, stockists, shopkeepers and operators of supermarkets, commission agents and carriers.''
Official records also show that the company listed the Ikulu building as its registered office in annual returns signed by both directors (Benjamin William Mkapa and Anna Mkapa) between 1999 and 2005.
In 2002, ANBEM Limited was granted hefty loans of $500,000 (approx. 620m/-) and 250m/- from the National Bank of Commerce Limited and CRDB Bank respectively. Both loans have since been cleared.
It was at the end of Mr and Mrs Mkapa's second and final term in office in 2005, that both the ANBEM Limited and EOTF offices were relocated away from Ikulu.
The 15 Luthuli Street building, situated right inside the State House boundary walls, is currently being used by Wanawake na Maendeleo Foundation (WAMA), another NGO established and run by the sitting first lady Ms Salma Kikwete.
Since THISDAY started running exclusive reports on ANBEM Limited and related business dealings, a growing national debate has ensued over the ethical considerations of Mr and Mrs Mkapa�s actions while still at State House.
While one school of thought argues that the couple did not break any law in registering their own private company while at Ikulu, another contends that the move - being mainly geared at ensuring personal gain - could well be interpreted as an abuse of office.
Issues of possible conflict of interest and undue influence, on the part of a sitting president endeavouring to balance official responsibilities and private business affairs, have inevitably been brought up.
Speaking to local media editors last week, incumbent President Kikwete said his administration was prepared to let go the matter of Mr and Mrs Mkapa starting and operating a private business company from State House.
But he maintained that the government of the day would not hesitate to take action against proven allegations of serious wrongdoing in the matter.
President Kikwete also declared that he personally had no intention of engaging in private business dealings while occupying the highest office in the land.