The EastAfrican: Magufuli’s a dictator, How elites warp reality

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Magufuli’s a dictator, Eritrea’s a Gulag... How elites warp reality

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By Frederick Golooba-Mutebi | Saturday, July 2 2016

In Summary
  • The loud, navel-gazing elite with their privileged access to local and foreign media tend to drown out the satisfied purring of the much large society.
Being a columnist drags one into many conversations with readers. The reactions come in various forms. One day, someone wants to eat you alive because you said this or that about this or that person or situation.

Another day, you’re going about your business and then notice a stranger wagging a finger at you and saying “You must be so and so,” before pointing out something you wrote how much they liked or hated it. Or someone may tell you, “I have just read your article in today’s paper. Can you write about this other topic next week?”

Last week was no different. I wrote about strongmen and strong institutions and governments that are effective and those that are not quite so effective.

READ: Strongmen or strong institutions? Obama just didn’t get it, did he?

A reader suggested I “continue on the same line next week” and “write about the progress in strengthening institutions across Africa.” He threw in an example.

Kenya has a law, he said, that requires appointments to state institutions to be vetted by parliament. That, he added, “allowed us to get a Chief Justice who was no one’s puppet.” I promised to do what I could. It is a tall order, though. Sustained institution-building in Africa is often conspicuous by its absence.

The reactions I treasure most come loaded with new information that gives me pause for thought and leaves me better able to argue my case next time.

Lately I received two from longstanding correspondents, both hawk-eyed observers of society around them. One was reacting to my argument that in John Pombe Magufuli (JPM), Tanzanians got the leader they had clamoured for as they looked forward to the post-Kikwete era.

The other was emphasising his view that the Tanzanians who are uncomfortable with “Bulldozer” Magufuli are educated urbanites leading the sort of lives in which one is able to imagine a government with checks and balances that in mature democracies imposes limits on solo decision making by leaders. He also had things to say about Eritrea, usually portrayed as Africa’s ultimate Gulag.

Apparently, unlike town folk, rural Tanzanians “can’t have enough of the Bulldozer. They would love to clone him and send him to each mkoa and district.”

For the opposition parties, by taking on the thieving elite in government, the party, and their business accomplices, JPM has stolen their clothes and is fast turning them into an irrelevance; they cannot forgive him for cleaning the Augean stables of Tanzanian corruption.

They now run the real risk of sounding as if they stand together with the thieves to whom JPM is so robustly applying cha mtema kuni (the punishment they deserve). The loud, navel-gazing elite with their privileged access to local and foreign media tend to drown out the satisfied purring of the much large society.

So why can’t rural folk have enough of JPM? My other correspondent came in handy. In the dying days of the Kikwete presidency, he said, “the clamour for a ‘dictator’” characterised “discussions throughout the country.” And “the people who led this movement were opposition leaders. The same thing was again popularised by the same people during last year’s general election as they sought to paint CCM as incapable of producing a ‘dictator’ to get things done.”

And now that they are castigating JPM for his “dictatorship,” the opposition are “no longer trusted” because “they have failed to comprehend the enormity of their choices and decisions last year.”

Worse for them, “unlike anti-corruption messages that resonate well with voters, the abstract notions of democracy and human rights are and were never high on the list of things Tanzanians wanted their new president to deal with.” Many are apparently “perplexed as to what exactly the opposition are going on about.”

Frederick Golooba-Mutebi is a Kampala- and Kigali-based researcher and writer on politics and public affairs. E-mail: fgmutebi@yahoo.com
 
Mi nilichoambulia hapo ni kuwa wapinzani wameacha kuongelea rusha sasa wanaonelea haki sa binadamu na demokrasia hali wakisimama kifua mbele kupinga yale ambayo wakati wa uchaguzi waliamini ccm haiwezi kupata mtu akayafanya, yaani rushwa na ufisadi ndo ilikuwa agenda yao kubwa. Leo kimyaaaaaaaaaaa,
 
tatizo hichi kienglish kigumu hapo nyumbu wa UKAWA hawatakuelewa
Well understood! Priorities change with time and peoples needs. We need to be free , we need democracy before anything comes into discussion. Our priority now is freedom of expression , democracy and resist dictatorship . Opposition groups are ready to relinquish the fight against corruption and make headway to regain our democracy being at stake in this era!
 
Nonsensical article...

No facts and figures on how the current government actions positively impacts the economy.

Point kubwa ya Mwandishi ni kuwa watu wa vijijini are happy with utumbuaji. Of course they are happy for now since most of them are illiterate. Ukiwaambia kodi imeongezwa au mazingira ya uwekezaji yanazidi kuwa mabaya sidhani kama wanaelewa.

But let them wait until the economic effects starts to kick in. Pale wataposhindwa kuuza mazao yao, pale wataposhindwa kuvaa mitumba and can't afford nguo za dukani then uone kama wataendelea ku'support utumbuaji usio na tija.

Ni vyema muandishi angeelezea pia how DSE trading fell by 77%, kwanini mizigo ya bandarini imepungua by malaki ya makontena. Pia angeongelea kwanini kuna mfumuko wa bei and why investors are getting worried about the economic outlook na wananchi wanalalamika kwamba maisha yanakua magumu.

Tusidanganywe na cheap English. We need facts...
 
Nothing rather than just finding the political tension.The Magufuli's government has nothing to change in stead of the Tanzanian to make the whole revolution of leadership by chasing away the ruling party in Tanzania.
 
Kila mtu ana kuona kwake.

Chukua mfano wa Mimi siku nyingi nasema dadangu ni muasherati kwa ayafanyayo kwa kuishi kwa baba. Itokee baba afe na aanze kuishi kwangu, nitamdhibiti na tabia zake za uasherati maana zinaaibisha familia. Baada ya mwezi baada ya kuwa nimesema hivyo, nikute kichaa anamtembeza dada yangu uchi wa mnyama mitaani eti kamvua nguo kwa kuvaa nguo fupi ambacho ni kivutio cha uasherati.

Kwa mimi kitendo cha kuvuliwa nguo na kutembezwa mitaani dadangu hivyo, kitaniwia kwanza kibaya zaidi juu ya tabia ya uasherati wa dadangu. Suala la kudhibiti uasherati wa dadangu litafuata.
1. Huyo kichaa anaongozwa na ukichaa wake sio anayestahili kumuadilifu dada yangu. Huyo kichaa siku zote alikuwa anafikia kumpeleka dadangu kwa washikaji huku akichekelea nilipokuwa nikilaani vitendo vya dadangu. Anaongozwa na ukichaa zaidi kuliko uhalisia.
2. Dadangu atakuwa amekosewa kwani na yy ana haki zake kama binadamu.
3. Jamii ndogo itayo kubaliana na kitendo cha kichaa huyo kama sikuwa na ukichaa kama yy
4. Nilipo kuwa nikichukizwa na uasherati wa dada yangu haimanishi nilikuwa natarajia kuabisha na kuvua utu wake, hasha nilikuwa na njia za kiungwana na bado nitaendelea kuchukia uasherati wake na wawengine pia. Pindi wakija kwenye anga zangu watajuta kufanya hivyo bila taratibu nyingine za kiungwana, kibinadamu na utu kuvurugwa. Maana mfumo wangu wa kudhibiti ni effective, na haudhalilishi maana una sheria na ni shirikishi.

Tunapenda kuwa waadilifu katikati ya utu wetu ambao ndio muhimu zaidi ya uadilifu.

I would like to remain our friend article writer, that many Tanzanians would prefer poverty in freedom rather than be wealthy in slavery.

People whom was born in slavery propagandas as of Rwanda and Uganda can't speak of people whom was born in piece and democracy oriented like Tanzanians. I ignored him.
 
Kuweka pamba masikioni hatutakubali (no one is perfect) ndiyo maana nasisi tunatumia mitandao hii ya kijamii kuwakumbusha watawala mambo mengi km.utawala wa sheria,kupata mawazo yenye masilahi mapana ya kitaifa,kuto kurupuka kwenye maumuzi,kufanya utafiti wa bila shaka ndiyo hapo tuongee hadharani,kuhamasisha wananchi kulipa kodi ya bila kukomoana,tukikomoano kwenye kodi haifai walengwa watafunga biashara ama kuto agiza bidhaa nje ya nchi,tatizo lingine walimu wanafikiri kila mtu ni mwanafunzi(teachers they treat every body like their student) kwakujaribu kusahihisha kila kitu hata kile ambacho hana utaalamu nacho tuna sema hapana kuongoza nchi kunahitaji busara na utulivu sana,pia nasisitaza kiongozi lazima awe na msimamo kwa anacho kiamini kina masirahi kwa taifa,bila kusahau kupata ushauri wa kitaalamu kwanza
 
Much thanks to the writer so far. Ukawa must sort themselves before the going gets harder for them. The coming of JPM has left them undressed and bare. Alongside, they seem to have completely lost their touch and credibility from the mwananchi, you can't just claim for the human rights on one hand and back up corruption on the other, a contradicting pass, for that matter.
 
Kila mtu ana kuona kwake.

Chukua mfano wa Mimi siku nyingi nasema dadangu ni muasherati kwa ayafanyayo kwa kuishi kwa baba. Itokee baba afe na aanze kuishi kwangu, nitamdhibiti na tabia zake za uasherati maana zinaaibisha familia. Baada ya mwezi baada ya kuwa nimesema hivyo, nikute kichaa anamtembeza dada yangu uchi wa mnyama mitaani eti kamvua nguo kwa kuvaa nguo fupi ambacho ni kivutio cha uasherati.

Kwa mimi kitendo cha kuvuliwa nguo na kutembezwa mitaani dadangu hivyo, kitaniwia kwanza kibaya zaidi juu ya tabia ya uasherati wa dadangu. Suala la kudhibiti uasherati wa dadangu litafuata.
1. Huyo kichaa anaongozwa na ukichaa wake sio anayestahili kumuadilifu dada yangu. Huyo kichaa siku zote alikuwa anafikia kumpeleka dadangu kwa washikaji huku akichekelea nilipokuwa nikilaani vitendo vya dadangu. Anaongozwa na ukichaa zaidi kuliko uhalisia.
2. Dadangu atakuwa amekosewa kwani na yy ana haki zake kama binadamu.
3. Jamii ndogo itayo kubaliana na kitendo cha kichaa huyo kama sikuwa na ukichaa kama yy
4. Nilipo kuwa nikichukizwa na uasherati wa dada yangu haimanishi nilikuwa natarajia kuabisha na kuvua utu wake, hasha nilikuwa na njia za kiungwana na bado nitaendelea kuchukia uasherati wake na wawengine pia. Pindi wakija kwenye anga zangu watajuta kufanya hivyo bila taratibu nyingine za kiungwana, kibinadamu na utu kuvurugwa. Maana mfumo wangu wa kudhibiti ni effective, na haudhalilishi maana una sheria na ni shirikishi.

Tunapenda kuwa waadilifu katikati ya utu wetu ambao ndio muhimu zaidi ya uadilifu.

I would like to remain our friend article writer, that many Tanzanians would prefer poverty in freedom rather than be wealthy in slavery.

People whom was born in slavery propagandas as of Rwanda and Uganda can't speak of people whom was born in piece and democracy oriented like Tanzanians. I ignored him.
Got it wrong. Where on earth you met Tanzanians craving to stay in poverty and corruption in exchange for abstract issues of human rights and empty democracy? Please, unless you talk for yourself, majority and ordinary countrymen and women would rather prefer unhindered access to entitlements to your imaginary human rights and democracy.
 
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