Slaa amtikisa Pinda

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Feb 11, 2007
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Pinda fumbles on Kiwira, Meremeta : Premier`s evasive Bunge performance only adds fuel to the fires of mystery

THISDAY REPORTER
Dodoma

THE Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, yesterday tiptoed around serious concerns raised by members of parliament regarding the dubious privatization of the Kiwira coal mine, and also sought to silence parliamentary debate on the defunct Meremeta gold mine purportedly because the matter is classified as a military project.

Winding up debate on the 2008/09 budget estimates of his office in the National Assembly in Dodoma, Pinda endeavoured to sidestep queries from MPs on allegations of corruption and abuse of office levelled against ex-president Benjamin Mkapa and former minister Daniel Yona in the 2005 Kiwira coal mine privatization issue.

’’It looks to me like a very smooth exercise...the goal was to bring in an investor (for the mine),’’ he said in response to a query made earlier this week by the deputy leader of the official opposition in parliament, Dr Wilbrod Slaa, on the Kiwira deal.

The premier described the lucrative, state-owned coal mine as having been ’’a dead animal’’ at the time of its privatization and subsequent sale to TanPower Resources Limited, a private company jointly set up by Mkapa, Yona and members of their immediate families while they were still in public office.

Displaying in the House a hefty document on the Kiwira privatization subject compiled by the government, Pinda said the Minister for Energy and Minerals, William Ngeleja, will make a formal parliamentary statement on the matter at an appropriate time.

Surprisingly, Pinda did not directly address the allegations that through their direct involvement in the matter, both Mkapa and Yona abused public office contrary to the country’s public leadership code of ethics.

On opposition camp queries about questionable payments worth billions of shillings made by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) to the now-defunct Meremeta gold mine, the PM again gave what amounted to an evasive response.

’’The Meremeta issue involves the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF). It is an issue closely related to our own national defence and security. We must protect our country,’’ he said without any further elaboration.

Clearly not satisfied with Pinda’s response on the Meremeta issue, opposition lawmakers later in the evening demanded more government explanations on this and other related companies, including TANGOLD and Deep Green Finance, which were all paid billions of shillings by the BoT under dubious circumstances.

Despite an intervention by Deputy Speaker Anne Makinda to clarify that the Parliamentary Immunities, Powers and Privileges Act (No. 3) of 1988 does indeed prohibit MPs from discussing classified information in the House, both Slaa and Bariadi East MP John Cheyo (UDP) insisted that the Meremeta project had nothing to do with military secrets.

According to Slaa, the questionable payments made by the BoT to Meremeta, TANGOLD and Deep Green Finance were ’’clearly not a military issue...claims of official secrets cannot be used to justify corruption, fraud and misappropriation of public funds.’’

On his part, Cheyo said the premier was being unfair to Tanzanians by attempting to silence questions on possible corruption in the Meremeta deal on the grounds that it was a classified military project.

’’The government is fumbling with this Meremeta issue�the prime minister should do justice to Tanzanians by giving us some honest answers,’’ he said, adding: ’’There is no evidence that the military is involved in the second Meremeta project...those linked to this project are named in their personal capacities.’’

Additional attempts by the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (parliamentary affairs), Phillip Marmo, to cool the issue in the House also appeared to flop, forcing Pinda to take the floor once again.

But this time he decided not to beat around the bush any longer; in response to Slaa and Cheyo’s demands for full disclosure on the Meremeta, TANGOLD and Deep Green Finance projects, the premier curtly stated: ’’No, we can’t do that.’’

Investigations by THISDAY have long established that Meremeta Gold was initially registered as a joint venture company owned on a 50-50 basis by the Tanzanian government and a private South African company called Trinnex (Pty) Limited.

In 2005, Meremeta was liquidated and the BoT paid South Africa’s Nedbank a total of $118m to offset a loan given to the defunct company.

After Meremeta went bankrupt, another company was registered in Mauritius, TANGOLD Limited, which took over all assets of the Meremeta company, including the Buhemba gold mine.

Official documents show that TANGOLD was registered as an offshore company in Port Louis, Mauritius in April 2005, with at least five top government functionaries listed as company directors at the time of its registration.

They included the then BoT governor, the late Daudi Ballali; the then attorney general, Andrew Chenge; the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Gray Mgonja; the then permanent secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Patrick Rutabanzibwa; and the then permanent secretary in the Ministry of Livestock Development, Vincent Mrisho.

It has furthermore been established that the official constitution of this supposedly government-owned company has provisions that give its five registered directors - namely Ballali, Chenge, Mgonja, Rutabanzibwa and Mrisho - the right to transfer their shares to family members.

According to a section in the TANGOLD constitution directly pertaining to family transactions: ’’Any share may be transferred by a shareholder to, or to trustees for, the spouse, father, mother, child, grandchild, son-in-law or daughter-in-law of that shareholder; and any share of a deceased shareholder may be transferred by his executors or administrators to the spouse, father, mother, child, grandchild, son-in-law or daughter-in-law of the deceased shareholder.’’

Although former energy and minerals minister Nazir Karamagi has had occasion to announce in parliament that TANGOLD was owned 100 per cent by the government, this company does not appear on the list of government-owned companies recorded with the Treasury registrar at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.
 
Slaa amtikisa Pinda

na Mwandishi Wetu
Tanzania Daima~Sauti ya watu

WAZIRI Mkuu Mizengo Pinda, jana alitumia muda mrefu na lugha mahususi ya ushawishi, kujibu hoja nzito zilizohojiwa na wabunge mbalimbali waliochangia mjadala wa hotuba yake ya bajeti ya mwaka 2008/09.
Aidha katika hatua fulani, Pinda alipata wakati mgumu kutoa majibu ya wazi kujibu baadhi ya hoja zilizoibuliwa na Naibu Kiongozi wa Upinzani Bungeni, Dk. Willibrod Slaa hata kufikia hatua ya kusema yuko tayari kusulubiwa.

Moja ya mambo yaliyoulizwa na Slaa ambayo yalimpa wakati mgumu Waziri Mkuu kulitolea majibu ya kina, ni lile linalohusu Kampuni ya Meremeta ambayo ilihusishwa na ufujaji wa fedha za umma kupitia katika miradi ya uchimbaji wa madini ya dhahabu.

'‘Nilipoisoma ile hotuba ya Slaa, inaonyesha kuwa analifahamu hili suala la Meremeta vizuri. Sasa ninaloweza kulisema mimi ni kwamba, Meremeta ina uhusiano na jeshi la masuala ya ulinzi na usalama wa nchi.

'‘Kama mtataka kunisulubisha katika hili, pengine kwa kuficha siri au kutotaka kusema hapa jambo ambalo tunajua lina uhusiano na masuala ya ulinzi na usalama basi nisulubisheni kwa kuficha kwangu siri," alisema Pinda na kuwaacha wabunge wakicheka.

Hata hivyo, baada ya kutoa maelezo kuhusu kampuni hiyo, Pinda hakugusia kampuni nyingine, kama vile Deep Green Finance, mbali ya kuzitaja tu, ambazo Dk. Slaa aliomba pia kupatiwa maelezo ya shughuli zake na wamiliki wake kutokana na kuwapo kwa utata wa miaka mingi.

Hoja hiyo ya Pinda ilitiliwa mkazo na Naibu Spika wa Bunge, Anne Makinda, ambaye baada ya Pinda kukamilisha kujibu hoja za wabunge, aliwakumbusha wabunge sheria inayokataza masuala ya usalama wa taifa kujadiliwa bungeni.

Makinda alisema kuwa kwa mujibu wa sheria hiyo, masuala hayo yanaweza kujadiliwa bungeni iwapo tu yatapata ridhaa ya rais kwa maandishi, na kuwataka wabunge kwenda kuisoma sheria hiyo.

Meremeta ni moja ya kampuni ambazo shughuli zake hazijawahi kuwekwa bayana wakati wowote, lakini imewahi kutajwa kama moja ya kampuni ambazo zilipokea malipo ya mabilioni ya fedha kutoka serikalini bila kuelezwa zilitumika kwa kazi gani.

Huku akilitaja jina la Dk. Slaa mara kadhaa wakati akifunga mjadala wa bajeti ya ofisi yake, Waziri Mkuu Pinda alitoa ufafanuzi katika maeneo kadhaa yaliyoibua mijadala mirefu ndani ya Bunge likiwamo lile linalohusu utetekezaji wa maazimio ya Bunge kuhusu ripoti ya Kamati Teule ya Bunge iliyochunguza utata katika mkataba wa kufua umeme wa dharura kati ya Tanesco na Kampuni ya Richmond.

Katika hilo, Pinda alisema tayari serikali ilikuwa imekamilisha sehemu ya ripoti ya hatua ambazo zimechukuliwa kuhusu mapendekezo yaliyokuwamo katika ripoti ya kamati hiyo teule.

Alilieleza Bunge kuwa ripoti hiyo ipo tayari na wabunge wanapaswa kupatiwa, hivyo anachosubiri ni kupatiwa nafasi na Spika wa Bunge, Samuel Sitta, ili aiwasilishe rasmi bungeni.

"I'm ready (nipo tayari) kutoa maelezo kuonyesha ‘where we are' (wapi tulipofikia). Nimemuomba Spika, akinipa muda nitatoa maelezo," alisema Pinda huku wabunge wakimsikiliza kwa makini.

Alisema kuwa utekelezaji wa mapendekezo ya Kamati Teule ya Bunge iliyochunguza suala hilo, ni mchakato unaoendelea, lakini hadi sasa tayari serikali imeshachukua hatua kadhaa katika kutekeleza baadhi ya mapendekezo hayo.

Pinda alisema si vema kusubiri hadi serikali ikamilishe kutekeleza mapendekezo yote ndiyo itoe taarifa na ndiyo maana ameandaa taarifa ya mambo yaliyofanyika hadi sasa, ili kuwapa wabunge fursa ya kujua serikali inafanya nini katika suala hilo.

Kamati hiyo iliyoongozwa na Mbunge wa Kyela, Dk. Harrison Mwakyembe, ilipendekeza kuwajibishwa kwa baadhi ya watumishi wa ngazi za juu serikalini, akiwamo Mkurugenzi wa TAKUKURU na Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali ambao kwa sasa wamo kwenye kamati inayochunguza kashfa ya Fedha za Akaunti ya Madeni ya Nje (EPA).

Katika hatua nyingine, alilazimika kujibu kwa sehemu ya hoja nyingine ya Dk. Slaa ambaye alitaka kujua mlolongo mzima wa ubinafsishaji wa Kampuni ya Kiwira Coal Mine ambao umehusishwa kwa kiwango kikubwa na rais mstaafu, Benjamin Mkapa na aliyepata kuwa Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, Daniel Yona.

Pasipo kutoa majibu ambayo alisema ni marefu na ya kina, Pinda aliinua kabrasha alilosema lilikuwa na taarifa kamili ya mgodi huo wa makaa ya mawe ambao wakati wa ubinafsishaji wake aliuelezea kuwa ulikuwa katika hali mbaya.

Kutokana na hilo alisema serikali kupitia kwa Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, William Ngeleja (aliyemwita mdogo wake) ilikuwa ikitarajia kwenda bungeni na kusoma taarifa rasmi na ya kina itakayoeleza mchakato mzima wa ubinafsishaji wa kampuni ya makaa ya mawe ya Kiwira ili kuwawezesha wabunge kupata mwanga wa nini kilichotokea.

Kuhusu ubinafsishaji wa kiwanda cha karatasi cha Mgololo alimuagiza Waziri wa Viwanda, Biashara na Masoko, Dk. Mary Nagu, naye kuandaa taarifa ya kina kuhusu mchakato wa ubinafsishaji wa kampuni ya kutengeneza karatasi ya SPM Mgololo na kuiwasilisha bungeni.

Pinda alisema ni vema wabunge na wananchi wakawajua wawekezaji wa kampuni hiyo wenye hisa chini ya asilimia moja, ambao ndio wanajulikana na serikali ni akina nani na hisa nyingine zaidi ya asilimia 99 za kampuni hiyo iliyouziwa Mgololo zinamilikiwa na nani. Hata hivyo, alisema wakati kinabinafsishwa, kiwanda hicho nacho kilikuwa taabani sana kikikaribia kufa.

Kwa upande mwingine, Pinda alisema matatizo mengi yanayoikumba nchi hivi sasa yanatokana na uzembe wa baadhi ya watendaji na viongozi kufanya mambo wanayopaswa kuyafanya, hasa kufanya maamuzi.

Aliyataja matatizo yaliyosababishwa na uzembe wa aina hiyo kuwa ni kusuasua kwa huduma zinazotolewa na Kampuni ya Reli nchini (TRL) na kuchelewa kwa ujenzi wa daraja la Kigamboni.

Akizungumzia kuhusu TRL, Pinda alisema tangu awali, Kampuni ya Rites ya India iliyokodishwa kampuni hiyo, ilipewa taarifa za uongo, jambo lililoifanya kushindwa kutekeleza masuala kadhaa.

Kwa amfano, Pinda alisema kuwa mwekezaji huyo alielezwa kuwa kulikuwa na injini za treni 90 zilizokuwa zinafanya kazi wakati zilizokuwapo ni 50 tu.

Aidha, Pinda alisema kuwa mwekezaji huyo alikuwa apate mkopo kutoka kwa taasisi ya kimataifa ya IFC, lakini watumishi wa serikali walishindwa kutekeleza baadhi ya masharti rahisi ili mkopo huo utolewe.

Alisema serikali ilitakiwa kufungua akaunti maalum (escrow account) na kuweka kiasi cha dola za Marekani milioni mbili, lakini hilo halikufanyika kwa muda mrefu.

Pia alisema kuwa Ofisi ya Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali ilitakiwa kutoa maoni yake kuhusu mradi huo, jambo ambalo lilichukua zaidi ya miezi mitatu kutekelezwa.

"Yaani kupata Attorney General opinioni (maoni ya Mwanasheria Mkuu) inachukua miezi mitatu! Hivi karibuni (Mwanasheria Mkuu Johnson) Mwanyika ndio amepatiwa document (nyaraka) hiyo.

"Juzi ndio IFC wametoa dola milioni 14 ambazo zimeshapelekwa kwa suppliers (watoaji huduma na vifaa) watakaoleta vichwa na mabehewa," alisema Pinda.

Aidha, Pinda alisema Rais Jakaya Kikwete alipokuwa India kwa ziara, alizungumza na Waziri Mkuu wa nchi hiyo na kumweleza matatizo waliyokumbana nayo Rites, na kiongozi huyo aliahidi kusaidia kiasi cha dola milioni 47 na kuitaka Tanzania kuandika barua rasmi ya maombi hayo kupitia ubalozi wa India hapa nchini.

Hata hivyo, Pinda alisema hadi hivi sasa, barua hiyo haijaandikwa na juzi juzi kiongozi mmoja wa Rites na Mbunge wa Tabora Mjini, Siraju Kaboyonga, walikwenda ofisini kwake kumuomba asaidie kusukuma jambo hilo.

"This could have been done earlier (hili lingeweza kufanyika mapema). Speed (kasi) ya kufanya maamuzi ndogo sana," alisema.

Kuhusu kuzorota kwa hali ya usalama katika wilaya za Tarime na Rorya mkoani Mara, Pinda alisema umefika wakati sasa kwa serikali kufikiria njia za ulinzi zitakazohusisha taasisi nyingine zaidi ya Jeshi la Polisi.

Alisema hatua hiyo ni muhimu kwa sababu imeshajidhihirisha kuwa watu wanaofanya uvamizi kutoka nchi jirani, wanatumia silaha kubwa na nzito na ndiyo maana wanaweza kuwazidi nguvu kirahisi wakazi wa maeneo hayo.

Pinda alisema taasisi za serikali kama vile Jeshi la Polisi na wadau wengine, watakutana kujadili hali hiyo na kulishirikisha Jeshi la Wananchi wa Tanzania (JWTZ) katika kufikia maamuzi ya nini kifanyike ili kuhakikisha amani inarejea katika maeneo hayo.

Kuhusu kilio cha wabunge wa Mkoa wa Tabora kuhusu barabara, Pinda alionekana kukosa jambo la kuridhisha la kuwaeleza wabunge hao hadi pale alipopenyezewa taarifa wakati akijibu kuwa zimepatikana kiasi cha sh bilioni 10 zitakazotumika kwa ajili ya hatua za awali za ujenzi wa barabara ya Tabora-Itigi.

"Hata hivyo, tunafahamu kuwa fedha hizi ni kidogo sana, lakini zitafaa kwa kuanzia," alisema.

Kuhusu matatizo ya maji yaliyolalamikiwa na wabunge wengi, Pinda alisema ipo haja ya suala hilo kuangaliwa kwa mapana zaidi kama tatizo la kitaifa, na serikali kuanzisha utaratibu wa kuongeza bajeti yake kutokana na mapato ya ndani badala ya kuwategemea wafadhili.

Alisema maji ni tatizo kubwa na sugu na ni vema serikali ikatoa kipaumbele kikubwa kwa sekta hiyo katika bajeti zake zijazo.

Kuhusu kukwama kwa mazungumzo ya kusaka suluhu ya mpasuko wa kisiasa Zanzibar, Pinda alionyesha kushangazwa na hatua ya CUF kususia mazungumzo hayo na kusema kuwa yeye anaamini kuwa hata mambo magumu yanayodhaniwa kuwa hayana utatuzi, yanaweza kutatuliwa iwapo pande zinazohusika zitakutana na kujadiliana.

Kutokana na imani yake hiyo, Pinda aliisihi CUF kukubali kurejea katika meza ya mazungumzo kwani hata pendekezo la kura ya maoni lililotolewa na CCM, linaweza kupatiwa ufumbuzi katika meza ya mazungumzo.

Hata hivyo, katika hatua iliyoonyesha kuwa na yeye anapendelea kufanyika kwa kura ya maoni, Pinda alisema kuwa kila mmoja anafahamu kuwa ni vigumu kulazimisha maamuzi makubwa kuhusu utawala wa Zanzibar na yakakubalika na wananchi wa huko.

"Nimeshamwambia hata rafiki yangu Hamad (Rashid Mohamed, Kiongozi wa Kambi ya Upinzani Bungeni) kuwa huwezi ku-impose uamuzi mkubwa kama huu pale Zanzibar, utapata matatuzo tu," alisema.

Akizungumzia tume ya kuchunguza ujenzi wa maghorofa katika Jiji la Dar es Salaam, iliyoundwa na aliyewahi kuwa Waziri Mkuu, Edward Lowassa, Pinda alisema kuwa timu hiyo ilishakamilisha kazi yake na kukabidhi ripoti.

Lowassa aliunda tume hiyo baada ya kuanguka kwa jengo moja huko Chang'ombe na kusababisha kifo cha mtu mmoja. Watu waliikumbuka tume hiyo baada ya kuanguka kwa ghorofa jingine hivi karibuni Kisutu na kusababisha kifo cha mtu mmoja.

Pinda alisema kuwa kifo cha mtu huyo, katika mazingira ya kawaida si cha lazima kwani kingeweza kuepukwa iwapo wanahusika na ujenzi wa jengo hilo wangefuata taratibu zilizopo.

Alisema ripoti ya tume iliyoundwa na Lowassa ilibaini upungufu mwingi na kutoa mapendekezo ambayo yalichukuliwa na serikali na baadhi yake yameshaanza kutekelezwa.

Pinda alisema kuwa ripoti hiyo inaeleza kuwa jumla ya maghorofa 505 yalichunguzwa katika Manispaa ya Ilala ambayo yalikuwa katika hatua mbalimbali za ujnezi na mengine yakiwa yameshakamilika.

Alisema kati ya majengo hayo, 147 yalikuwa yanajengwa bila ya kuwa na nyaraka za kuruhusu ujenzi, 81 yalikuwa yanajengwa bila kuzingatia masharti ya ujenzi na wamiliki wa majengo 22 hawakupatikana kabisa.
 
Im begining to worry kwamba serekali ikiendelea kubanwa kuhusu Mremeta watasema- Meremeta sio mgodi bali ni handaki, kwa kuwa they think we are all fools!
Ni siri gani hizi za serekali zisizoweza kujadiliwa bungeni lakini zaweja kujadiliwa South Africa? tena sio na serekali ya huko bali kampuni binafsi! Ningekuwa bungeni wallah ningemzaba kibao cha mdomo huyu PM!
 
our govt, is made up of 99.99% lairs and corrupt official, so i am not astonished by pinda responce
 
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