I would like to give some comments regarding what Jen and Dean have written on Political Incompetence:

I do agree in what they have written and it seems that they have critically analysed Mzee Nyerere’s period, Mzee “Ruksa’s” period and Mr.Mkapas period. It is actually true that Mzee Nyerere was not a good friend of IMF and World Bank, as he did not want to put a poor country deeply in debt. He wanted to use Tanzanian’s natural resources in a better way than that now conducted by Mr.Mkapa’s CCM consisting of “looters, profiteers” and bandits.

Mr.Mkapa as a leader has to bear the consequences of being blamed for not cleaning up those corrupt and misbehaved ministers and Prime Minister.

Education

Being educated is not a guarantee that you are not ignorant. There many doctors and professors in Mkapa’s CCM government but they are all ignorant of the fact that the policy they are pursuing is leading the country to deeply economic catastrophe. “The more people are educated the better the country and utilisation of citizen’s education, talents and skills if fundamental attribute of a developed society”.

Competence

“Most Tanzanian professional who are educated, live and worked abroad”.” Yet most are wiling to contribute in advising the President, Ministers…Mr.Mkapa should have tapped into these resources for advice”.” We take pride in helping our country”!

I here give an example of a competent Tanzanian living in Denmark/Sweden who was going to be employed by DANIDA (The Danish Government Organization)/SIDA (The Swedish Government Organization) in order to work in Tanzania. But when the Tanzanian government was approached by DANIDA/SIDA it categorically refused that Tanzanian (with a Danish/Swedish –citizenship). The argument given by Tanzanian government was “Why is that Tanzanian living abroad”. What can you call this ignorance or what?

Employment, Privatisation and Natural Resources

“Why does this country allow mining of Tanzanite, gold, diamonds and other minerals to be shipped and processed outside the country?”. Well mining creates employment whereas privatisation creates unemployment in the country. The government has to construct a processing plant in order to produce gold-copper concentrate and thus creating more jobs in the mining sector. Most of the country is not yet completely explored and that is the reason why we now find alluvial gold deposits in Tanga Region .

Roads and infrastructures

We cannot even construct bridges while we have competent engineers living abroad who are ready to help. Evey year the Chalinze Bridge causes traffic problems during rainy seasons. The Regional Manager for the Tanzanian Road Agency (TANROADS) admits that  “at the scene of disaster that the steel culverts could not endure heavy torrents”. Why can’t we follow the example of Sweden and Denmark? They have taken a loan and build bridges across the sea between “Malmö in Sweden” and Copenhagen. Every single vehicle crossing the bridge has to pay around 350Dk(3500Tsh). Only strong winds can cause the bridge to be closed. If others can build bridges, which are 18km, long (like the one inside Denmark) how could we fail to build the Chalinze Bridge which is less than 5km long!

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