Lissu's speech in Maryland was a thriller! I enjoyed watching it together with my friends while exchanging analyses during the speech. This speech was yet another reminder of Lissu's intellectual ability, originality, and the fact that he is a gifted scholar with a huge capacity of retaining, analysing and delivering information impeccably!
In this speech, I thought Lissu felt more at home and ready to work the crowd like I have never seen any Tanzanian politician work a crowd before - except Mwalimu. Lissu touched on many issues, including Tanzania's obligations to the world as a nation, foreign relations matters, dual citizenship issues, etc.
But mostly, he stressed and lucidly expounded on human rights and our duty as citizens vs our duty as humans. Most of what he said on "our duty as citizens," are also highlighted in my article titled "Tafakuri ya Uzalendo" that I wrote a few days ago. At one point, I watched in amazement as he spontaneously but flawlessly tackled a tough philosophical query from the audience which led him into something called "sovereignty exception", a convoluted concept also tackled by the Italian philosopher, Giorgio Agamben, in his outstanding book "State of Exception."
He did all this on an ad hoc mode, without a teleprompter, and without notes; quite an extraordinary gift if you ask me, considering the fact that he is recovering from a 16 bullets assault on his body and mind. Below is an excerpt of his speech, in some of the key areas that I found fascinating.
THE SPEECH EXCERPT:
"Rais Magufuli ni Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, ni amiri jeshi mkuu wa majeshi ya ulinzi na usalama, ni mkuu wa nchi na kiongozi wa serikali; President Magufuli is so many things in Tanzania, lakini, Rais Magufuli si Taifa la Tanzania. Na serikali yake, na mawaziri wake, na wakuu wake wa mikoa, [...], siyo Taifa. They are just a government.
Na kwa Katiba ya sasa ya Tanzania, wakikosea - akikosea Rais mwenyewe, wakikosea mawaziri wake, wakikosea mapolisi wake - Taifa, meaning, sisi, tuna mamlaka, kwa sheria za Tanzania, kuwachukulia hatua including kumwondoa madarakani. Katiba yetu, ina vifungu vinavyozungumzia utaratibu wa kumwondoa Rais madarakani. Utaratibu wa "impeachment."
Sawa sawa? Huyo ambaye anaweza akawa "impeached" na Wabunge. Tena wala siyo kwa kura - mnampigia kura wakati wa kuingia - wakati wa kutoka siyo lazima mpige kura. Wakati wa kutoka anaweza akatolewa na Wabunge. Tuna Wabunge mia tatu sitini na ngapi, theluthi mbili wakisema aondoke, habaki. Sasa huyo, ambaye Katiba inasema anaweza akaondolewa, anakuwaje 'Taifa'? Inakuwaje ukimsema makosa yake, "unachafua" Taifa? Inakuwaje? Inakuwaje ukisema "ni makosa kwa serikali kuua watu," inakuwaje ni kuchafua Taifa?
Mwaka '76, mapolisi wa Tanzania, waliua watu. Hiyo habari ya mauaji ya wachawi Shinyanga na Mwanza, siyo ya juzi. Imeanza miaka ya 70. Mwaka '76, mapolisi, wa Mwalimu Nyerere wakati huo, waliua watu wengi sana Mwanza na Shinyanga, kuzima mauaji ya nini? Ya "wachawi." Na wakati ule hatukuwa na "bill of rights" - haki za binadamu hazikuwa zinatambuliwa na Katiba, na kulikuwa na chama kimoja tu - hakukuwa na vyama vingi, lakini watu walilalamika "mbona mapolisi wanaua watu!"
Mwalimu akaunda Tume ya Uchunguzi ikathibitisha kwamba mapolisi wameua watu. Waziri wa Mambo ya Ndani, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, akasema "Mwalimu, mimi sikuwa nayajua haya, naomba nijiuzulu." Mwinyi akajiuzulu. Naibu wake marehemu Peter Kisumo, akasema "kama waziri wangu amejiuzulu, kwa sababu polisi wameua Watanzania, mimi siwezi nikabaki, Peter Kisumo akajiuzulu. Mkuu wa mkoa alikuwa marehemu Peter Siyovelo, akajiuzulu, Inspekta Jenerali wa Polisi Solomon Liyani akajiuzulu, na Ma RPC, na mapolisi waliohusika na mauaji wakashtakiwa, wakahukumiwa kifo. Kesi maarufu kabisa inaitwa "Jamhuri dhidi ya Elias Kigadya na Wenzake."
Nchi hii ina historia ndefu! Nchi yetu ina historia ndefu ya jeshi la polisi, ya vyombo vya usalama kuua raia. Wakati wa Rais Kikwete, mimi nikiwa Bungeni, 2013 - 2014, Operesheni Tokomeza, Operesheni Kibunga, watu wameuawa, watu wameteswa haijawahi kutokea. Bunge likaunda kamati ya uchunguzi. Tukachunguza mauaji ya Watanzania yaliyofanywa na jeshi la polisi, na mawaziri wakaondoka. Kina Hamisi Kagasheki, kina Profesa Tibaijuka, na wengine.
Mwezi uliopita, Rais wetu amesema hataki kuona polisi anayeua Raia anakamatwa au kushtakiwa. Muangalie "youtube." Amesema askari wa aina hiyo, badala ya kukamatwa, wanatakiwa wapandishe cheo, na waongezwe mshahara. Hotuba ya Rais ya, nafikiri, tarehe 9 January - mwezi uliopita. That is a license to kill! Rufiji, Kilwa, Mkuranga, Kibiti. Miaka miwili. Hizi ni taarifa za Wabunge wa maeneo hayo. Zimeletwa Bungeni. Watu zaidi ya 400, wamechukuliwa na jeshi la polisi majumbani kwao, misikitini wengine, mashambani, wamepotea! Miili imeokotwa mto Rufiji. Maiti zimeokotwa kwenye fukwe za bahari ya Hindi. Watu zaidi ya 400.
Tukiyazungumza haya, HATUCHAFUI taifa. Unless mseme, Taifa linaloua watu namna hii ni sawa sawa! Kama hiyo ni sawa, tukubaliane. Hii habari kwamba "anachafua Taifa, anachafua Taifa," I am calling murderers to account! (applause) Tuna wajibu. Tuna wajibu kama binadamu, na tuna wajibu kama raia. Serikali inapokosea, tuseme kwa sauti zetu - tupaze sauti - serikali imekosea! (applause). Na Katiba ya Tanzania haijasema, tupaze sauti zetu kwenye mipaka ya Tanzania tu - tusiende kusemea kwa "mabeberu," (applause). Katiba yetu haijasema hivyo.
Lazima tuseme. Kama husemi, basi ukubaliane; ukubali kwamba serikali inapoua ni sawasawa. There can never be two ways about it. Aidha unakubaliana na mauaji yanayofanywa na vyombo vya serikali au, in which case unakaa kimya, ili "usilichafue" taifa, au unasema "Thou shalt not murder!" Kama unaamini kwamba "thou shalt not murder" ni sawasawa, paza sauti, anywhere, anytime (applause). Anywhere, anytime. Sisi, sisi Tanzania, sisi Taifa la Tanzania, tuna wajibu kwa dunia. We have obligations to the world.
Tumeiambia dunia tulipopata uhuru. Katiba yetu ya Uhuru ya mwaka '61, inasema tutafuata haki za binadamu kama zilivyoandikwa kwenye tangazo la haki za binadamu la dunia, kama zilivyokuwa numerated kwenye universal declaration of human rights. Na mwaka '66, tumesaini mikataba ya kimataifa ya haki za binadamu na hakuna mkataba wa haki za binadamu hatujaacha kusaini - miaka yote hii. Hiyo mikataba ya kimataifa ya haki za binadamu, ni wajibu wetu kwa dunia. Tumeiambia dunia kwamba "hatutaua watu wetu."
Those are our obligations to the world. When we depart from those obligations to the world, the world has no business to support us on anything. Au mnataka muungwe mkono mnapouwa watu wetu? Kama hiyo ni sawasawa tukubaliane. Mimi ninaamini siyo sawasawa. Kama tunaacha our obligations to the world, the world has no business giving us a penny. Not a penny! Kwa hiyo, hao wanaosema "Tundu Lissu arudi sasa Tanzania." Wasubiri kwanza (applause and laughter). There is work to be done. There is work to tell the world that our government has departed from our international obligation! (a huge applause). Hatuwezi tukasemea Tanzania kwa sababu, ukisemea Tanzania utapotezwa! (another huge applause).
Tumekuwa serikali ya kupoteza watu. Tumekuwa hatuna tofauti, na serikali ya Iddi Amin iliyokuwa inapoteza watu. State Research Bureau. Hakukuwa kuna kitu kinaitwa "SRB" ya Iddi Amin? We have become a nation with murder squads! Nani aliyemteka Mohamed Dewji? (A background commotion is heard in the crowd but Tundu carries on). Nani aliyemteka Roma Mkatoliki? Nani aliyemteka mwandishi Azori Gwanda? (the commotion is getting even louder now). Nani aliyemteka Ben Saanane? Nani aliyemuua Alphonce Mawazo? It cannot be."
In this speech, I thought Lissu felt more at home and ready to work the crowd like I have never seen any Tanzanian politician work a crowd before - except Mwalimu. Lissu touched on many issues, including Tanzania's obligations to the world as a nation, foreign relations matters, dual citizenship issues, etc.
But mostly, he stressed and lucidly expounded on human rights and our duty as citizens vs our duty as humans. Most of what he said on "our duty as citizens," are also highlighted in my article titled "Tafakuri ya Uzalendo" that I wrote a few days ago. At one point, I watched in amazement as he spontaneously but flawlessly tackled a tough philosophical query from the audience which led him into something called "sovereignty exception", a convoluted concept also tackled by the Italian philosopher, Giorgio Agamben, in his outstanding book "State of Exception."
He did all this on an ad hoc mode, without a teleprompter, and without notes; quite an extraordinary gift if you ask me, considering the fact that he is recovering from a 16 bullets assault on his body and mind. Below is an excerpt of his speech, in some of the key areas that I found fascinating.
THE SPEECH EXCERPT:
"Rais Magufuli ni Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, ni amiri jeshi mkuu wa majeshi ya ulinzi na usalama, ni mkuu wa nchi na kiongozi wa serikali; President Magufuli is so many things in Tanzania, lakini, Rais Magufuli si Taifa la Tanzania. Na serikali yake, na mawaziri wake, na wakuu wake wa mikoa, [...], siyo Taifa. They are just a government.
Na kwa Katiba ya sasa ya Tanzania, wakikosea - akikosea Rais mwenyewe, wakikosea mawaziri wake, wakikosea mapolisi wake - Taifa, meaning, sisi, tuna mamlaka, kwa sheria za Tanzania, kuwachukulia hatua including kumwondoa madarakani. Katiba yetu, ina vifungu vinavyozungumzia utaratibu wa kumwondoa Rais madarakani. Utaratibu wa "impeachment."
Sawa sawa? Huyo ambaye anaweza akawa "impeached" na Wabunge. Tena wala siyo kwa kura - mnampigia kura wakati wa kuingia - wakati wa kutoka siyo lazima mpige kura. Wakati wa kutoka anaweza akatolewa na Wabunge. Tuna Wabunge mia tatu sitini na ngapi, theluthi mbili wakisema aondoke, habaki. Sasa huyo, ambaye Katiba inasema anaweza akaondolewa, anakuwaje 'Taifa'? Inakuwaje ukimsema makosa yake, "unachafua" Taifa? Inakuwaje? Inakuwaje ukisema "ni makosa kwa serikali kuua watu," inakuwaje ni kuchafua Taifa?
Mwaka '76, mapolisi wa Tanzania, waliua watu. Hiyo habari ya mauaji ya wachawi Shinyanga na Mwanza, siyo ya juzi. Imeanza miaka ya 70. Mwaka '76, mapolisi, wa Mwalimu Nyerere wakati huo, waliua watu wengi sana Mwanza na Shinyanga, kuzima mauaji ya nini? Ya "wachawi." Na wakati ule hatukuwa na "bill of rights" - haki za binadamu hazikuwa zinatambuliwa na Katiba, na kulikuwa na chama kimoja tu - hakukuwa na vyama vingi, lakini watu walilalamika "mbona mapolisi wanaua watu!"
Mwalimu akaunda Tume ya Uchunguzi ikathibitisha kwamba mapolisi wameua watu. Waziri wa Mambo ya Ndani, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, akasema "Mwalimu, mimi sikuwa nayajua haya, naomba nijiuzulu." Mwinyi akajiuzulu. Naibu wake marehemu Peter Kisumo, akasema "kama waziri wangu amejiuzulu, kwa sababu polisi wameua Watanzania, mimi siwezi nikabaki, Peter Kisumo akajiuzulu. Mkuu wa mkoa alikuwa marehemu Peter Siyovelo, akajiuzulu, Inspekta Jenerali wa Polisi Solomon Liyani akajiuzulu, na Ma RPC, na mapolisi waliohusika na mauaji wakashtakiwa, wakahukumiwa kifo. Kesi maarufu kabisa inaitwa "Jamhuri dhidi ya Elias Kigadya na Wenzake."
Nchi hii ina historia ndefu! Nchi yetu ina historia ndefu ya jeshi la polisi, ya vyombo vya usalama kuua raia. Wakati wa Rais Kikwete, mimi nikiwa Bungeni, 2013 - 2014, Operesheni Tokomeza, Operesheni Kibunga, watu wameuawa, watu wameteswa haijawahi kutokea. Bunge likaunda kamati ya uchunguzi. Tukachunguza mauaji ya Watanzania yaliyofanywa na jeshi la polisi, na mawaziri wakaondoka. Kina Hamisi Kagasheki, kina Profesa Tibaijuka, na wengine.
Mwezi uliopita, Rais wetu amesema hataki kuona polisi anayeua Raia anakamatwa au kushtakiwa. Muangalie "youtube." Amesema askari wa aina hiyo, badala ya kukamatwa, wanatakiwa wapandishe cheo, na waongezwe mshahara. Hotuba ya Rais ya, nafikiri, tarehe 9 January - mwezi uliopita. That is a license to kill! Rufiji, Kilwa, Mkuranga, Kibiti. Miaka miwili. Hizi ni taarifa za Wabunge wa maeneo hayo. Zimeletwa Bungeni. Watu zaidi ya 400, wamechukuliwa na jeshi la polisi majumbani kwao, misikitini wengine, mashambani, wamepotea! Miili imeokotwa mto Rufiji. Maiti zimeokotwa kwenye fukwe za bahari ya Hindi. Watu zaidi ya 400.
Tukiyazungumza haya, HATUCHAFUI taifa. Unless mseme, Taifa linaloua watu namna hii ni sawa sawa! Kama hiyo ni sawa, tukubaliane. Hii habari kwamba "anachafua Taifa, anachafua Taifa," I am calling murderers to account! (applause) Tuna wajibu. Tuna wajibu kama binadamu, na tuna wajibu kama raia. Serikali inapokosea, tuseme kwa sauti zetu - tupaze sauti - serikali imekosea! (applause). Na Katiba ya Tanzania haijasema, tupaze sauti zetu kwenye mipaka ya Tanzania tu - tusiende kusemea kwa "mabeberu," (applause). Katiba yetu haijasema hivyo.
Lazima tuseme. Kama husemi, basi ukubaliane; ukubali kwamba serikali inapoua ni sawasawa. There can never be two ways about it. Aidha unakubaliana na mauaji yanayofanywa na vyombo vya serikali au, in which case unakaa kimya, ili "usilichafue" taifa, au unasema "Thou shalt not murder!" Kama unaamini kwamba "thou shalt not murder" ni sawasawa, paza sauti, anywhere, anytime (applause). Anywhere, anytime. Sisi, sisi Tanzania, sisi Taifa la Tanzania, tuna wajibu kwa dunia. We have obligations to the world.
Tumeiambia dunia tulipopata uhuru. Katiba yetu ya Uhuru ya mwaka '61, inasema tutafuata haki za binadamu kama zilivyoandikwa kwenye tangazo la haki za binadamu la dunia, kama zilivyokuwa numerated kwenye universal declaration of human rights. Na mwaka '66, tumesaini mikataba ya kimataifa ya haki za binadamu na hakuna mkataba wa haki za binadamu hatujaacha kusaini - miaka yote hii. Hiyo mikataba ya kimataifa ya haki za binadamu, ni wajibu wetu kwa dunia. Tumeiambia dunia kwamba "hatutaua watu wetu."
Those are our obligations to the world. When we depart from those obligations to the world, the world has no business to support us on anything. Au mnataka muungwe mkono mnapouwa watu wetu? Kama hiyo ni sawasawa tukubaliane. Mimi ninaamini siyo sawasawa. Kama tunaacha our obligations to the world, the world has no business giving us a penny. Not a penny! Kwa hiyo, hao wanaosema "Tundu Lissu arudi sasa Tanzania." Wasubiri kwanza (applause and laughter). There is work to be done. There is work to tell the world that our government has departed from our international obligation! (a huge applause). Hatuwezi tukasemea Tanzania kwa sababu, ukisemea Tanzania utapotezwa! (another huge applause).
Tumekuwa serikali ya kupoteza watu. Tumekuwa hatuna tofauti, na serikali ya Iddi Amin iliyokuwa inapoteza watu. State Research Bureau. Hakukuwa kuna kitu kinaitwa "SRB" ya Iddi Amin? We have become a nation with murder squads! Nani aliyemteka Mohamed Dewji? (A background commotion is heard in the crowd but Tundu carries on). Nani aliyemteka Roma Mkatoliki? Nani aliyemteka mwandishi Azori Gwanda? (the commotion is getting even louder now). Nani aliyemteka Ben Saanane? Nani aliyemuua Alphonce Mawazo? It cannot be."
