Nawaomba radhi tena kwa kutorudi kwa wakati kuchangia hoja muhimu zilizotolewa humu na wadau mbalimbali. Pia nasikitika kwamba sijapata bahati ya kumkuta mzee wetu Edwin mtei humu lakini ni matumaini yangu kwamba akipata nafasi atajumuika nasi tena katika mjadala huu muhimu. Bado naendelea kusoma michango ya watu mbalimbali na nitarudi kujadili baadhi ya hoja lakini kwa vile the general atmosphere ya mjadala is well understood, nina machache ya kujadili lakini pia nina maswali muhimu ya kumuuliza mzee Edwin Mtei pamoja na wadau wengine husika katika mjadala.
Mijadala mingi juu ya Azimio la Arusha imekuwa inatawaliwa zaidi na hoja juu ya
"WHAT WENT WRONG", huku mijadala juu ya
"WHAT WENT RIGHT", ikipewa nafasi ndogo sana. Vilevile kwa kiasi Fulani, mijadala inayohusiana na Azimio la Arusha imekuwa inatawaliwa na chuki (kidini, kikanda, kikabila) na pia kusukumwa zaidi na ushabiki wa kisiasa, hasa dhidi ya Baba wa Taifa Mwalimu Nyerere kuliko objectivism. Wahusika katika haya wanajisahau kwamba njia sahihi ya kulielewa Azimio la Arusha ni kupitia objectivism (sio subjectivism). Ushauri wangu kwahiyo ni kwamba - tujadili azimio la arusha kwa framework ifuatayo:
Kwanza – Ni Malengo au madhumuni ya Azimio la Arusha.
Pili – Ni Mchakato uliotumiwa kutekeleza sera za Azimio la Arusha, na
Tatu – Ni Matokeo ya Utekelezaji wa sera za Azimio la Arusha.
Swali langu linalofuata kwenu wadau bila ya kumsahau mzee Edwin mtei ni je – tatizo lenu juu ya azimio la arusha lilikuwa wapi hasa na kama bado lipo, ni katika eneo lipi hasa:
Je, ni kwenye MALENGO/MADHUMUNI ya Azimio La Arusha?
Je, ni kwenye UTEKELEZAJI wa sera za azimio la Arusha? Au
Je, ni kwenye MATOKEO ya Utekelezaji wa Sera za Azimio la Arusha?
Ili kuwapa nafasi nzuri zaidi ya kuja na majibu yaliyojitosheleza, pengine ni muhimu nijadili yafuatayo:
Mzee Edwin Mtei, nadhani unaelewa fika kwamba kufikia mwaka 1961, hali ya uchumi na maisha ya watangayika ilikuwa ni tofauti sana ikilinganishwa na makoloni mengine kama vile Kenya, Zimbabwe n.k. Kwani kwa kutazama historia hata ya kiwango cha elimu ya msingi, katika Tanganyika, ukoloni uliishia na mjerumani mapema sana, na baada ya hapo, Tanganyika ikawekwa chini ya uangalizi wa Mwingereza. Kutokaa na hali hii, Mwingereza hakuwekeza lolote la maana in terms of Human Capital and Physical Infrastructure katika Tanganyika tofauti na maeneo mengine ambayo kwake yalikuwa ni makoloni yake rasmi. Matokeo yake ni kwamba kufikia mwaka 1961, Tanganyika kama taifa lilikuwa nyuma sana kimaendeleo, na takwimu zinasema kwamba by 1960, almost 90% of Tanganyika was rural, primitive and illiterate. Iwapo tunakubaliana hadi hapa, basi nadhani pia tutakubaliana katika yafuatayo:
Mafanikio ya TAA na baadae TANU yalitokana na juhudi kubwa za viongozi husika kuwaunganisha watanganyika, huku ahadi mbalimbali zikitolewa juu ya faida zitakazopatikana baada ya uhuru. Nadhani katika suala la ahadi za ukombozi na utekelezaji wake, Mzee wetu Mzee Edwin Mtei ni suala la Dejavu kwako kwani Chadema imefanikiwa sana kuwapa matumaini watanzania juu ya faida za ukombozi iwapo watakiunga mkono Chadema 2015 kuing'oa CCM madarakani kwa hoja ambayo inakubaliwa na wengi, i.e. CCM imeshindwa kumkomboa mtanzania. Lakini huo ni mjadala mwingine, nikirudi kwenye hoja yangu ya msingi, mzee mtei, nadhani utakubaliana nami kwamba – after 1961, the success or failure of Tanganyika as a state was going to be judged by her ability to deliver the services promised during the liberation struggle, na utekelezaji huu was to become one of the key components of legitimacy ya TANU na Serikali yake in the eyes of watanganyika. Nadhani ni kutokana na ukweli huu ndio maana mzee wetu Edwin mtei na wengine wachache (tofauti na watu kama Oscar Kambona na wengineo) waliamua kumuunga mkono Mwalimu na Azimio La arusha kwani it was almost impossible for TANU to deliver the goods promised wakati wa harakati za ukombozi kwa kutegemea mfumo uliorithiwa kutoka kwa mkoloni. Kama sipo sahihi katika hili, nasimama kupingwa;
Hoja yangu ya pili –
Nadhani mzee wetu Edwin mtei na wadau wengine pia mtakubaliana na mimi kwamba economic crisis that hit our country, first in 1973-4 na baadae 1978-9 haikusababishwa na ujamaa per se bali combination of a variety of factors. Kumekuwepo upotoshaji mkubwa sana juu ya hili. Sidhani kama kuna haja ya mimi kujadili internal and external factors zilizopelekea Tanzania kutumbukia katika economic crisis lakini the bottom line hapa ni kwamba – ujamaa haukubadilisha sana mfumo wa uchumi ulioachwa na mkoloni ambao ulitegemea uzalishaji wa mazao ya biashara for export in order to finance the needed imports for kilimo, industrialization and delivery of social services. Sana sana ujamaa ulijaribu kuja na ‘a more organized way to sustain such a colonial pattern', huku Mwalimu akiwa na matumaini kwamba tofauti na zamani ambapo benefits za sekta ya kilimo zilimufaisha mkoloni peke yake, chini ya Azimio la Arusha, Mwalimu aliamini kwa dhati kabisa kwamba Tanganyika ingekuwa katika nafasi nzuri to undergo an agricultural transformation ambapo the end result ni mapinduzi ya viwanda. Tulifanikiwa japo kidogo towards that end na nitajadili hili la industrialization mwishoni kwa mtindo wa swali kwa mzee wetu Edwin mtei na wadau wengine.
Hoja yangu ya tatu –
Hoja hii inaendana na ya pili hapo juu na ni kwamba tofauti na wengi wanavyopotosha na pia kupotoka, Ujamaa haukuwa ukomunisti na sidhani kama nina haja ya kufafanua hili. Vinginevyo, kutokana na ukweli huu, ndio maana Mzee Edwin Mtei na wengine mnaelewa kwamba nchi za magharibi pamoja na Benki ya Dunia chini ya Mcmanara ziliunga mkono sana Azimio la Arusha,kiasi cha kwamba ilifikia wakati Tanzania ikawa ni moja ya mataifa yaliyokuwa yanayopokea misaada kwa wingi sana duniani, na ilifikia wakati tukawa
only second to Israel. Je, where did this AID go? Huo ni mjadala mwingine na nadhani mzee Edwin mtei ataendelea kuwepo ili kwa pamoja tujadiliane juu ya hilo hapo baadae.
Pengine ili kujenga vizuri muktadha wa mjadala, ni vyema tujikumbushe kidogo some of the key elements za Azimio la Arusha:
- Nationalization of private interests, hasa mabenki na Bima;
- Nationalization of most of food processing factories…
- Nationalization of manufacturing and trading companies…
- Nationalization of import and export whole selling enterprises
- Nationalization of commercial buildings kupitia NHC;
- Mwalimu kufungia kufuli exploitation of our natural resources mpaka pale tutakapokuwa tayari;
- Provision of social services kwa wananchi hasa elimu, afya n.k;
- Leadership code iliyolenga taifa kupata viongozi wenye uadilifu, uzalendo na wawajibikaji…
Kulikuwa na faida na hasara katika mengi ya hapo juu lakini kwa sasa ningependa kujikita zaidi katika suala la saba i.e. "provision of social services….", kwani kama nilivyojadili awali juu ya historia ya taifa letu, hasa changamoto za kisiasa, kijamii na kiuchumi kama taifa uhuru on independence eve, haikuwa jambo rahisi kwa TANU kukwepa suala la provision of social services kwa umma by the state na nadhani mzee Edwin mtei atakubaliana na mimi katika hilo. Iwapo mzee mtei na wengineo mnakubaliana nami katika hoja hii, basi nina uhakika pia mtakubaliana nami katika hoja ifuatayo:
Provision of social services chini ya Ujamaa iliendelea kutegemea sana Foreign AID licha ya jitihada za serikali kujitahidi to finance it from our own sources. Tusisahau hapa pia kwamba explosion in population growth ilikuwa ni moja ya sababu kubwa sana juu ya kwanini delivery of social delivery kwa umma by the state iliendelea kukabiliwa na changamoto kubwa sana karibia throughout the Ujamaa period, ingawa aidha out of ignorance or arrogance, watanzania wengi wanapuuzia this fact. As of 1961, population ya Tanganyika ilikuwa around nine (9) million, huku majority – almost 90% wakiwa vijijini and as backwards/primitive and illiterate as of early 19[SUP]th[/SUP] century mkoloni alipoanza ku establish Tanganyika as a territory. Nikirudi kwenye hoja yangu ya msingi – sababu ya serikali kuendelea kutegemea foreign AID kutoa huduma za kijamii kwa wananchi (maji, afya, elimu n.k), ilikuwa pamoja na ukweli kwamba uchumi wetu ulikuwa ukitegemea sana mazao ya kilimo for exports, na kilichokuwa kinapatikana wasn't enough to support the needs of the surging population.
Kwa maana nyingine, ilibidi tuendelee kutegemea AID katika kutoa huduma za msingi za kijamii kutokana na the fact kwamba our internal economic organization did not provide the material resources to finance such social services and the related programmes. Madhara yake ikawa ni further reinforcement of dependency ya nchi yetu kwani terms of trade were not as favorable, Balance of Payments position iliendelea kuyumba, na kupelekea huku deni la taifa kuanza kupanda kwa kasi. Mzee Mtei anaelewa fika kwamba ni kutokana na hali hii, wahisani wakaona kwamba the only way forward for our economy to make a turnaround was to abandon sera ya ujamaa and adopt Structural Adjustments Policies.
Vinginevyo nadhani mzee Mtei atakubaliana na mimi kwamba yeye kama kiongozi aliendelea kwa na imani na Azimio la Arusha kwa muda mrefu na ndio maana aliendelea kuitumikia serikali ya Mwalimu Nyerere katika key positions za jikoni kabisa kiuchumi – Gavana wa benki kuu na waziri wa fedha katika nyakati tofauti. Kwa maana hii, at least in the medium term, aliliunga mkono azimio la arusha, at least Madhumuni ya Azimio la Arusha, kwani suala la Mchakato na Matokeo ni yeye pekee mweney uwezo wa kulisemea. Vinginevyo kuna kila dalili kwamba tofauti iliyojitokeza baina ya mtei na Nyerere ilikuwa way and above madhumuni, pengine ilikuwa ni umuhimu wa mageuzi ili kuokoa the staggering economy, suala ambalo Mwalimu Nyerere hakukubaliana nalo lakini kwa hoja nzuri tu ambazo tutajadili baadae kwani madhara ya SAPs tunayaona leo.
Naomba nisisitize tena kwamba – chini ya ujamaa, ilifikia hatua uchumi ukaanza kwenda kombo lakini sio kwa sababu we adopted Azimio la Arusha bali kutokana na sababu mbalimbali za ndani na nje ya nchi, lakini muhimu ikiwa ni pamoja the underlying fragility of our economy/ structural weaknesses, of our economy tatizo ambalo bado lipo leo hii mwaka wa 28 wa soko huria na ubepari. Ushahidi juu ya hili ni kwa kuangalia the fact kwamba pamoja na sisi kupitia phase ya Ujamaa, wenzetu ambao waliendelea na soko huria tokeo uhuru wao leo hii hawana lolote la kujivunia kwamba wamepiga hatua zaidi yetu. Sana sana mataifa mengi katika afrika yanakosa the necessary ingredient ya economic development ambayo ni social cohesion, unity and leace. Vinginevyo, its such an irony kwamba mataifa kama Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria n.k, wote yapo classified as Low Income Countries kama Tanzania!!!
Hoja yangu ya nne –
Ni muhimu tukaelewa kwamba pamoja na uwepo wa azimio la arusha, this didn't affect the fundamental productive basis of the economy of Tanganyika kwani, it was still colonial in nature. Ndio maana former colonial powers wengi pamoja na WorldBank waliunga mkonoU jamaa. Kwa maana nyingine – pamoja na basic industrial strategy ya Tanganyika katika miaka ya mwanzo ya 1970s, bado the new industrial capacity wasn't well integrated with local skills and resources; This led to even greater reliance on cash crops for foreign exchange earnings ili to finance importation of machinery, spare parts, oil and expertise, among other things, which were key for agricultural development and industrialization; Our dependence on narrow line of products maana yake ikawa kwamba – kufikia mwishoni mwa 1970s (when the second wave of economic crisis hit on a global scale), we began to feel the effects of the deteriorating terms of trade - kuanguka kwa mapato ya mazao kama vile katani n.k. Katani kwa mfano wakati Fulani ilikuwa ni provider wa foreign earning from exports by almost 50%. Hapa pia ningependa kuongezea hili:
Kuna hoja kutoka kwa baadhi ya watanzania kwamba azimio la arusha liliua productivity katika kilimo. Kwa kiasi Fulani upo ukweli katika hili lakini ni muhimu pia ieleweke kwamba kuwa na high productivity katika kilimo sio mwarubaini wa matatizo yetu ya msingi ambayo basis yake ilikuwa na inaendelea kuwa the structural weaknesses of our economy, lani sio Tanzania tu bali nchi nyingi zinazoendelea (LDCs). Tufahamu kwamba hata kwa mataifa makubwa kama USA na mengineo, Sekta ya Kilimo ni very strategic and sensitive, kwahiyo hata kama nchi maskini zina mazao mengi na bora ambayo yamezalishwa kwa efficiency ya hali ya juu, bado suala la politics katika sekta hii mfano protectionism n.k, can affect mafanikio yetu na kilimo. Vile vile kuna suala la devaluation ambapo huwa tunalazimishwa na mataifa makubwa kupunguza thamani ya sarafu yetu ili bidhaa zetu za mazao ya kilimo ziwe na soko zuri zaidi huko nje.
Protectionism and devaluation policies hazijali kama taifa maskini liliwekeza kikamilifu katika kilimo na kufanikiwa kuzalisha mazao yake kwa efficiency ya hali ya juu. Vile vile, bei za mazao ya kilimo (perishables) ni very volatile by nature, tofauti na bei za durable consumer goods; ndio maana mkakati wa Mwalimu ulikuwa ni kutumia kilimo kama daraja la kuelekea towards industrialization, hence enable Tanzania kuingia into higher value chains za commodity production.
Mzee Edwin mtei – tofauti ya msimamo baina yako na Mwalimu in the 1980s ilitokana na msimamo wako kwamba kulikuwa na haja kwa nchi kuingia katika mageuzi ili kuiokoa isiporomoke zaidi kwani uchumi wetu ulikuwa in the brink of collapsing; This was fair enough and justified. Lakini, as part of the package ya SAPs of which you strongly supported and later coordinated kupitia Dawati la Tanzania kule IMF, Washington, ilikuwa ni masuala ya Liberalization, Marketization and Privatization, ndio maana nasisitiza umuhimu wako kwenda public na kukiri kwamba soko huria lina mapungufu makubwa ambayo Azimio la Arusha iwapo lingesimamiwa vizuri katika maeneo kadhaa (sio maeneo yote kwani kulikuwa pia na mapungufu mengi sana), basi taifa letu lingekuwa katika unafuu kuliko ilivyo sasa. Specifically, ningependa kumuuliza mzee Edwin Mtei na wdau husika maswali yafuatavyo:
- Je, ukiwa chini ya IMF baada ya kuondoka Tanzania na kwenda kufanya nao kazi Washington in 1980s baada ya kupingana na Mwalimu, unadhani ni wapi mlikosea na kupelekea nchi kutumbukia zaidi katika matatizo na kufikia kuwa nchi ya tatu kutoka mwisho kwa umaskini duniani wakati wa utawala wa mwinyi in early 1990s? Kwa vile tuna tabia yak u focus on what went wrong chini ya ujamaa, nadhani angalau on this one utatumia muda wako mchache kujadili juu ya what went wrong under SAPs.
- Swali la pili kwa mzee Edwin Mtei na wadau husika, je - kwanini IMF/WorldBank walitushinikiza tufute sera za Mwalimu juu ya serikali kujihusishwa na utoaji wa huduma muhimu za jamii kwa wananchi, only for IMF/WorldBank kurudia logic ya Mwalimu baadae (hadi sasa)? Moja ya tofauti yako na Mwalimu in the 1980s ilikuwa ni pamoja na Mwalimu kusisitiza juu ya umuhimu wa serikali kupewa another chance to implement sera za Ujamaa kwa msaada wa wahisani bila major disruptions, jambo ambalo ulilipinga, lakini katika miaka hii, moja ya pillars kuu za Chama chako cha Chadema ni kutoa huduma za kijamii kama zile chini ya ujamaa – BURE.
- Swali la tatu kwa mzee Edwin mtei na wadau wengine ni je - Kwanini Liberalization, Marketization and Privatization chini ya usimamizi wa IMF na WorldBank have led to de-industrialization in Tanzania?/vimeua viwanda Tanzania?
Chini ya azimio la arusha, mass goods industries kama vile viwanda vya
leather, textile, oil and other food processing industries were established with formidable success!! And strange enough, fedha zilizotumika zaidi kujenga na kuendesha viwanda hivi zilitokana na jasho la wakulima na wafanyakazi, sio waweekzaji kupitia Foreign Direct Investment i.e. utilized zaidi local capital than foreign capital. Lakini ujio wa soko huria - Liberalization, Marketization and Privatization, ukaenda kupora, tena mchana kweupe, assets zilizojengwa na watanzania walala hoi; Lakini mbaya zaidi, uporaji huu badala ya kwenda endeleza viwanda husika, badala yake led to de – industrialization. Viwanda tajwa hapo juu were the hardest hit when protectionism was lifted under the supervision of IMF and World bank.
Nitarudi kujadili hoja nyingine.
Cc Edwin mtei, cagl, jingalafalsafa, EMT, nguruvi3, highlander et al…