WHO TO Blame Civilians OR THE Government?
It is 52 years since the United Republic of Tanzania got her Independence from colonial Rule as in 1960 December, the demeanor hasn`t changed to positive real since then but getting worse and worse each day that passes. Corrupt individuals and unethical individuals are destroying the nation. Even civilians have made their mind corrupt, professional individuals get their academic professions through corruption. Everyone in the nation is blaming the other while the government is blaming the civilians for not cooperating with her to capture the corrupted individuals the civilians turns the same crying to the government what remains is nani amfunge paka kengere?.
It is a while since Tanzanian citizens have been crying, suffering, blaming and condemning the Government for being corrupt. Even sometimes showed their anger by destroying few materials of the suspected leaders to be involved in corruption demeanor. However, sometimes citizens appear before the media giving out their views by condemning the Government for being lazy and allowing corruption to the maximum with no disciplined measurement given to the victims.
While citizens face such situation the Government hasn`t slept on bed as a patient in ICU (Internal Care Unit) but has shown up their concern and declare to fight against corrupt individuals regardless of their titles and positions they hold in the Government. Gone far and formulated the committee to fight against only corruption famously Prevention of Corruption Bureau.
While rulers and the ruled face such situations each on their own context, the whole nation has lost its credibility before the eyes of the donors and other supporters from all over the world. Some among the donors and supporters did cut off their support towards the government because of the claims that happen but worse enough not even the leaders have been able to explain the happening situation.
But if someone had to ask who to blame between the Government and civilians? Or should real the Tanzanians blame their leaders for being corrupt or should blame themselves for allowing such situation?
For the sake of records a leader is an individual from a certain society who is determined and commits himself to rule/work for his entire society; if that is the case A leader is a member of such society which implies that, if the society is corrupt even the elected leader will be corrupt since it is the demeanor he grew in.
It is very rare to harvest mangoes from vegetables, recall this Swahili proverb motto wa nyoka hafundishwi kuuma. If the society has raised such individual in a corrupt demeanor dont be surprised when such individual become a leader and run his rule in a corrupt way. Or do we expect such individual nurtured in a corrupt demeanor to change when he becomes a leader? That is impossible because he won`t think if it`s wrong no matter how other people may say.
I think we should ask ourselves who starts corruption a leader or a citizen. Or both fall in the track at the same time?
See this, when you visit a hospital (may be taken your child) and find a long queue and decide to bribe a nurse to make you a pass for seeing the Doctor while the ones you met there are suffering in the queue, who advises you to do that? And if that baby grows up dont you think he/she will use the same system? Now is that the leader advising you to do that?
May be not involved in that, when traffic catches your vehicle and illustrate plenty of mistakes that you should overcome but instead you bribe him so as to let you pass and since even the traffic hasnt taken lunch he accepts that money, who has advised you do that, a leader?
Fine, what about this, you visit the Court and meet the Court Clerk instead of asking for help you provide some money before under the fact that you are being generous and thinking that your file will be attempted by the Magistrates being the first one without thinking of what will happen in the future when you the same court but this time having no money?
Thought of this, visiting the Police station because of a certain case committed, ere knows that you are a victim and you decide to bribe the Police Officer to make it look vice versa, is there any leader advising that?
How about visiting the school and handles plenty of gifts before the headmaster under the fact that you are being generous to that school but conditioning the same headmaster to cover up for your baby taking studies there, is there any leader advising you to do that?
When you decide to visit the Church carrying lots of gifts for the pastor and asking him to cover up for you before the followers regardless of the mistakes you make, is that God advising to do that? Or a leader?
we recently, have heard that some of our leaders are using the fake/adopted academic certificates and of course as usual we pretended to be surprised! But lets ourselves, is it the first time to have heard of that? If a parent can take a risk of buying a fake certificate so as to join the college or any school why not the leader? May be it was bought by his parents? I dont intent to say that our leaders should proceed with evil things that they are doing but I`m trying to show the roots of such evils and who is the source? In such case parents are the ones to blame because they use lots of temptations for the sake of their children but comes to them its normal but for the other its ni motto wa Fulani, acha yampate? but mind you mwenzako akinyolewa zako tia maji otherwise it will turn the same to you.
Doctors and Nurses are professional and ethical to their field but we tempt them by bribing them so as to take a closer care to our patients rather than other as if they are our private Doctors and nurses, and if they fail to perform their duties by asking the bribe we blame them while its ourselves who nurtured them in such situation!
I think you should be asking yourself what do I intend to say, its this whatever is happening in our country and daily life we are the sources of it? we are the ones to be blamed not the top leaders. Just remember leaders comes from our society, they are our children, parents, brethren s, sisters and brothers so, whatever that they are, should blame ourselves for growing them so. Exactly kwanini kumlaumu dobi ali tunaijua hali ya nguo? If you have spoiled do you expect the laundry person to turn it into being new? Dont we know that mtoto umleavyo ndivyo akuavyo?.
We civilians have created this situation by ourselves while being well-off now that we are pure tunalia, hatukujua ukicheka na nyani utavuna mabua right?
If we think of getting out of this demeanor, should start changing our minds from being corrupt and see that each service is there for us and so no need of bribing. However, we should know that, its not any political party which can change/solve this situation but citizens themselves can under the scenario that should begin by changing their mind set up from corrupt to equity; otherwise, the country will proceed to suffer until there happens individuals who will change our society`s evil corrupt built mind into equity and fare mind.
Frankly, there is no need of being surprised by what our leaders are doing because whoever that they are, its the society which grew them in. the fact that they taking a huge bribe its because of mbuzi hula sawa na urefu wa kamba yake but in reality they have no difference with you who bribes the traffic on the road for the sake of business.
We should ask ourselves, have we adopted leaders from abroad to come and rule our country? Is it not that they are members of our society? Are they not our children, not our parents not our brethren s? Where did they read what they are doing if not from us (society members)?
Biologically, the child acquires nature from the parents and nurture from the environment born and living in. if thus the case do we need to ask who taught our leaders to be corrupt? Of course they have been born in a corrupt society and grew up there, why shouldn`t they be corrupt?
For the believers, the bible says mbona unaona kibanzi kilicho ndani ya jicho la mwenzio hali hulioni boriti lilo ndani ya jicho lako?
One can say, Tanzanians should blame themselves because they created and allowed this situation since ere. To get out of that truck, should stop proving a small bribe for their entitled services, change their mind from being corrupt and leaders will have no base, otherwise the situation will be worse than how it is currently as regardless of the fact that it is 52 years since the United Republic of Tanzania got her Independence from colonial Rule as in 1960 December, the demeanor hasn`t changed to positive real since then but getting worse and worse each day that passes. Corrupt individuals and unethical individuals are destroying the nation. Even civilians have made their mind corrupt, professional individuals get their academic professions through corruption. Everyone in the nation is blaming the other while the government is blaming the civilians for not cooperating with her to capture the corrupted individuals the civilians turns the same crying to the government what remains is nani amfunge paka kengere? and no one is ready kumfunga paka kengere because they all are involved.
Like late Dr. Martin Luther King Junior once said I have a dream that there will come a time when all Tanzanians will understand this situation and resolve it through changing their mind from being corrupt, until then, ethical society will raise ethical who will run the country in an ethical way and change the demeanor we are facing.
However, if there is anyone who shares the same view as mine let us unite together to fight against corrupt society and educate the society members for the sake our nation.
God bless Tanzania.
Prepared by the Lugeiyamu Felix; the second year student at the Open University of Tanzania, doing the bachelor of Arts in Mass communication.
For contact flugeiyamu@gmail.com/flugeiyamu@yahoo.com
