On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM, Lufingo Sadiki wrote:
Wanandugu wa Bidii,
Nimeikuta hii headline hapa http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/africa/tanzania/6030.html na kwauapnde wangu nimeona makala nzima imependelea upande mmoja!
Naomba tujadili ili tusioelewa tujue nini kinaendelea kuhusu hili.
Mubarikiwe!
—
Lufingo Sadiki
BIBLE SOCIETY OF TANZANIA
Box 175, Dodoma.
The United Republic of Tanzania.
Cell: +255 786 076 565
Tel: +255 26 2324661
+255 26 2324459
2009/4/22 Mwana Habari
Barua ya Wazi kwa Rais Jakaya Kikwete
BURIANI TANZANIA … AU KILA LA HERI AFRIKA MASHARIKI?
Na Mlenge Fanuel
“Mtu akikushauri jambo la kijinga, huku anajua jambo hilo analokushauri ni la kijinga, na wewe ukakubali, basi atakuona, wewe zuzu!”
— Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere, 1994/5
Mheshimiwa Rais Jakaya Kikwete, Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, tafadhali isome barua hii ya wazi ya kukufikishia ujumbe kwamba Tanzania haiko tayari kujiunga na Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki (East African Federation, EAF) wala “Soko la Pamoja” la Afrika Mashariki, na kwamba Watanzania hatutaki Tanzania ijiunge na Shirikisho hilo.. Yatakuwa ni maafa makubwa kwa Tanzania na Watanzania iwapo Tanzania itajiunga na EAF hasa kwa mpangilio ulioko wa “fast track”. Ndiyo maana nimeanza na nukuu ya Mwalimu Nyerere, ambaye tayari baadhi ya watu, hasa wa nchi jirani za Kenya, Uganda na Rwanda, wameanza kumsingizia kwamba kwa kujiunga na EAF tutakuwa “tunamuenzi” Mwalimu Nyerere, huku wakijua fika ushauri wanaotupa wa kujiunga na Shirikisho na Soko la Pamoja la Afrika Mashariki hauna manufaa yoyote kwa Tanzania, wakidhania sisi Watanzania ni mazuzu tunaoendekeza wema wa mshumaa kuwaangazia wengine huku wenyewe unateketea, kwa minajil ya kupata misifa isiyo na tija.
Ni kweli Mheshimiwa Rais umeunda Tume ya Kupokea Maoni kuhusu Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki, lakini inatia mashaka iwapo huo siyo tu ni utaratibu uliouweka kuhalalisha maamuzi yaliyokwishafikiwa ya kuidumbukiza Tanzania kwenye EAF. Hii inatokana na muonekano kwamba Tanzania kujiunga na EAF kumeshaamuliwa tayari — kutaka watu tujadili siyo kiinimacho tu? Mheshimiwa Rais, palikuwa na muswada uliopelekwa Bungeni wa Tanzania kujiunga na EAF, ambao Waheshimiwa Wabunge waliukataa, na serikali ikabidi iuondoe. Lakini mchakato wa Tanzania kujiunga na EAF ukaendelea tu, na kupuuza maoni ya Wabunge wetu tuliowachagua watuwakilishe. Ikiwa sikusikiliza vibaya, katika Bunge la Bajeti 2006/2007, Mheshimiwa Waziri wa Afrika Mashariki aliliambia Bunge kwamba patakuwa na KURA YA MAONI kuhusu Afrika Mashariki. Matokeo yake tumeletewa Tume badala ya kura ya maoni! Kana kwamba hiyo haitoshi, iliripotiwa kwenye vyombo vya habari kuwa wewe Mheshimiwa Rais wetu, ulimhakikishia Rais Yoweri Museveni wa Uganda kwamba utafanya kila unaloweza kuhakikisha kufanikiwa kwa Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki, kwenye mkutano wenu uliofanyika Mwanza. Je, maoni tunayotoa Watanzania kukataa kujiunga na shirikisho si “kilio cha samaki — machozi yanakwenda na maji?” Wenyewe “wenye nchi” mshaamua mloamua?
Pana maswali mengi mheshimiwa Rais ambayo ukitupatia majibu utakuwa umetuwezesha Watanzania tulio wengi kuelewa kuhusu mustakabala wa maisha yetu na Tanzania yetu:
* Je, Ni sera ya CCM Tanzania kujiunga na EAF au Soko la Pamoja la Afrika Mashariki?
* Je, Ilikuwa kwenye ilani ya Uchaguzi 2005 ya Chama Tawala CCM Tanzania kujiunga na EAF?
* Je, Nani aliyependekeza Tanzania ijiunge na EAF? (Inabidi tumfahamu ili tuweze kumpamba maua iwapo Tanzania itafanya tunalodhani ni kosa la maisha la kujiunga EAF kumbe ikathibitika EAF ni manufaa tele kwa Tanzania ; vinginevyo inabidi tumfahamu ili tuweze kumzomea na kumuimbia nyimbo za kumsimanga pindi machungu ya EAF yatakapoanza kudhihirika muda si muda iwapo Tanzania itafanya kosa la maisha kujitumbukiza kwenye EAF. Vinginevyo itakuwa kama mikataba ya madini — hatuelezwi nani aliwaalika na kuingia mikataba na ‘wawekezaji’ kwenye migodi.)
* Rais Yoweri Museveni wa Uganda ameshajitangaza kuwa Rais wa Kwanza wa Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki — ikiwa na maana yote mengine yanayojitokeza sasa ni kuhalalisha na kusafisha njia ya Museveni kuwa Rais wa Kwanza wa Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki, hasa ukitilia maanani Rais wa Kenya na wewe Rais wetu mko kimya, ikielekea mmekubaliana na matamshi ya Museveni. Si hivyo?
(end of part 1)
* Kutokana na maneno yanayosemwa na Wakenya na Waganda, Wanyarwanda na Warundi, inaonekana kama vile serikali ya Tanzania HAINA UBAVU wa kusema HAPANA kwa EAF — kila mara Tanzania inazomewa inapohoji maslahi yake kwenye EAF — au inapotaka kutumia uhuru wake ISIJIUNGE na EAF. Hivi karibuni Waziri wa Afrika Mashariki wa Tanzania alisemwa kwenye vyombo vya habari kwamba hahudhurii vikao vya Afrika Mashariki — na kumfanya Mheshimiwa Waziri Mkuu ajitokeze kumtetea — na baadaye Waziri yule akaondoshwa toka Wizara ya Afrika Mashariki kwenye mabadiliko ya Baraza la Mawaziri uliyoyafanya hivi karibuni Mheshimiwa Rais. Ina maana Tanzania ni kama mbwa anayeelekea kwenye mdomo wa chatu EAF — amefyata mkia, anatoa kilio cha mwisho, na hana la kufanya zaidi ya kufanywa asusa na kumezwa — au si hivyo?
* Ni kwa nini Kiswahili SIYO lugha rasmi EAC, na badala yake ni kiingereza?
* Kama shida ni ushirikiano, kwa nini Tanzania isijiunge na Msumbiji na Zambia , na kutengeneza shirikisho?
* Kwa nini EAF inaharakishwa namna hii?
* Ni nini Tanzania inahitaji kwenye EAF ambacho haiwezi kukipata bila kuwemo kwenye shirikisho hilo ? (Mbali na ngonjera za kisiasa, pengine na watu fulani kupata posho za vikao vya EAC na baadhi kuandikwa kwenye vitabu vya historia, vitu ambavyo havimsaidii Mtanzania mpiga kura wako anayesubiri neema tele na maisha bora…)
* Pana bidhaa zipi za Tanzania hazifiki kwenye soko Kenya au Uganda , ambazo EAF itazifanya zifike sokoni?
* Nani atakuwa Amiri Jeshi Mkuu wa Majeshi ya Afrika Mashariki, na ni upi mchango wa EAF kwenye uvamizi dhidi ya DRC?
* Mheshimiwa Rais, hivi “Usalama wa Taifa” wa Tanzania una majukumu gani makubwa zaidi ya kulinda (uhuru) “Sovereignty” ya nchi yetu? Kwa nini “Usalama wa Taifa” haukupi picha kamili ambayo itakufanya usijisumbue hata kuja kutuuliza iwapo tunataka uhuru wa nchi yetu uondoke kupitia “soko la pamoja” na “Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki”, badala yake tukaendelea kulijenga taifa “letu changa” na kuulizana maswala ya maendeleo kama vile tutanufaikaje na maliasili tulizojaaliwa nchini mwetu?
* Kwa kuitumbukiza Tanzania kwenye “Soko la Pamoja” la Afrika Mashariki, huoni kwamba utakuwa umekiuka kiapo ulichokula cha kuulinda uhuru wa, na mipaka ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania ?
* Kulikuwa na sababu gani ya kupambana na Idd Amin aliyetaka kipande “kidogo tu” cha nchi yetu, ikiwa leo tunaigawa sandakarawe nchi nzima kwa kisingizio cha soko la pamoja?
* Tanzania itaondoka SADC? (Tayari nchi nyingine za Afrika Mashariki zimeanza kutuamuru tutoke SADC. SADC imeweka bayana kwamba wakati umefika wa kuchagua kati ya EAF au SADC.) Unadhani itakuwa ni busara kuondoka SADC? Kwa nini usitoe tamko kwamba Tanzania ya kesho ni ndani ya SADC?
* Je sisi wananchi wa Watanzania tutaulizwa kuhusu kujiunga na “Soko la Pamoja la Afrika Mashariki” au ni uamuzi uliofikiwa tayari kwamba tutajiunga na soko la pamoja la Afrika Mashariki?
* Huo Mkataba wa EAC/EAF uko wapi ili tuweze kuuona na kuusoma? Ni Watanzania gani waliousoma na kuuridhia kwamba SASA tunaanza kuwa kwenye mchakato wa kuelekea kwenye Shirikisho? (Inaripotiwa kwamba Tume yako ni sehemu tu ya taratibu ‘chovu’ za mchakato huo…)
Watanzania tutafanyaje ili kuondoka kwenye EAF, iwapo Tanzania ijajikaanga yenyewe kwa kuingia kwenye EAF? Vipengele vya kujiondoa kwenye EAF viko wapi? Hautakuwa ni uhaini kuzungumzia kujitoa EAF, kama ambavyo si ruksa kuzungumza kujitoa kwenye Muungano wa Tanganyika na Zanzibar ?
Mheshimiwa Rais Jakaya Kikwete, maswali hayo na mengine mengi yanaleta changamoto kwako binafsi kwamba zawadi kubwa kuliko zote unazoweza kutupa sisi Watanzania, ni kutukabidhi Tanzania yetu yenye “sovereignty” ileile au zaidi ya uliyokabidhiwa pale utakapoacha madaraka mwaka 2010 au 2015, panapo majaaliwa.
Hildegarda Kiwasila Aug 28 (6 days ago)
date Aug 28, 2009 1:30 PM
subject Re: Is Tanzania: Slowing Down EAC Integration over Land Concerns?
Kwa jinsi tabia na desturi zetu zilivyo, hakuna tutakachojiunga kufanya na kufanikiwa east Afrika na Afrika. Vinaibuka vita wakati wa uchaguzi, vurugu haziishi nchi hadi nchi. Sasa tunajiunga halafu kila mara tunapokea wakimbizi kutoka nchi jirani ambao wanaingia na kuuza silaha kwa debe la mahindi, kuvamia benki na mabasi ya abiria, ujambazi unakomaa daily, mbuga za wanyamapori wanamaliza wanyama na pembe zao haya yote kuyatatua inatushinda.
Tunataka tuongeze ugeni wa kujazana tena wa nini? Ajae aje kama mwekezaji. haina maana kuuliza maoni halafu ukaendelea kama ulivyotaka kufanya katika akili yako. Kama wabunge walikataa hakuna tena mjadala. Hiyo siyo demokrasia kuamua utakavyo kiongozi.
Kinachotakiwa ni ardhi yetu, kwao huko ardhi ni ya mtu binafsi, huku ni mali ya umma shamba la bibi. Tayari hatujatoa vitambulisho watu wanamiliki ardhi wasio watanzania. Tunashindwa kuwafidia wa Mbagala kwa haki, Mbezi-Kimara kuhamisha watu na fidia ndogo; Pande Bagamoyo wanapiga kelele. Hatumudu kutengeneza nyumba yetu na kuiweka safi mgeni anaingia akae wapi na bado kuchafu?
Kuna baadhi ya nchi Mtanzania unaheshimiwa na unapendwa. lakini baadhi ya nchi jirani pamoja na kuwapokea kama wakimbizi kuwaweka na kumaliza misitu na wanyama wetu bado wanatudharau. Na ukiingia nchi yao utawingwa kama sungura uliwe nyama. Kama ni uchumba bado ndoa na mnanyanyasana ninyi wapenzi ‘Ya nini kuoana au kufunga ndoa?’
Tuimarishe mipaka yetu ulinzi, wanaoingia humu kiujanja ujanja tuwaondoe; kama kuna ushirikiano ARDHI haimo katika ushirikiano. Tuwagawie wananchi hati miliki ili wasisumbuliwe na kuhamishwa hamishwa kila mara kwa vile ardhi inasimamiwa huko juu. Vita haviishi nchi za Afrika muungano wowote kibiashara, soko etc kuwekeza kwa pamoja utatuletea shoti tu sisi watanzania. Waje wawekezaji sio wahamiaji na wafanye biashara sokoni sio majumbani. Na mfanya biashara aishie katika wigo ulioweka hatutaki kumuona mwekezaji Mchina anakuwa machinga anatembeza maua barabarani au anauza karanga-no. Waje watoe na ajira kwa wabongo yenye mishahara mizuri. Sio unafungua kiwanda unajaza hata dreva kutoka nje ambaye analipwa poundi elfu 2 (shs millioni 6) wakati mmbongo hana ajira au analipwa shs 100,000/= za udereva-kwa mwezi hapana.
Sam Wangwe Sep 2 (15 hours ago)
date Sep 2, 2009 9:41 AM
subject [Re: Is Tanzania: Slowing Down EAC Integration over Land Concerns?
Tanzania is in a dilemma. It doesnt know whether to join EAC and risk
competition from member countries, mostly kenya or Abandon EAC dream
and risk being alienated from the block.
During Nyerere’s time, they tried to disown EAC, to a point of banning
kenyan goods that were flooding its market. Nyerere went ahead to
import food from Netherlands! The result was an economic disaster
since food became too expensive and economy stalled.
Things have changed since then.These are not Nyerere-kenyatta’s time.
Tanzania cannot afford to ignore globalisation concept. It will not be
good for the country and will not be good for the rest of EAC
community. I just hope that reasoning will prevail. When other
countries like Rwanda and Burundi are fighting to join EAC, these
dudes are busy contemplating leaving? Their big problem is the fear of
competition and currently, economies are being shaped by being
competitive. Tanzania wake up!!
Khadija AbdulRazak Sep 2 (15 hours ago)
date Sep 2, 2009 9:49 AM
subject Re: Is Tanzania: Slowing Down EAC Integration over Land Concerns?
We’re not afraid of EAC but sacrificing our land.
EAC without equity will be implausible
KENYA’S media lately unleashed accusations and curses against Tanzania
thanks to the sin of not complying with their demands.
One of the articles fired salvos, ire and tantrums, not to mention
dirty language. It reprimanded and accused Tanzania of not consenting
to free movement and land acquisition by citizens of other member
countries of the East African Community.
’’Tanzania is proving to be a liability in EA integration’’, read the
article.
We’d rather shrug this straitjacket off than enter a forceful marriage
of convenience if need be.
Interestingly, the myopic author shamelessly said, “Tanzania greatly
likes to be recognized for her ’internationalist’ policies, with her
leaders spending more time strutting the world than they do in their
own country, though the facts show they are quite parochial.”
By the way, who’s parochial in reality? We may be. But we’ve nary
butchered one another simply because we’re from different tribes.
Kenya’s allegations may be right to some degree.
Under our internationalism we’re accused of made it possible for
erstwhile foes President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga
to sit together and resolve their differences.
And Kenyans, thanks to that breakthrough, are relatively enjoying
peace after butchering one another.
Again, when one sees how our leaders ’waste time globe-trotting’, one
should as well have seen how his own legislators do not want to pay
tax on top of amassing big chunks of land while the majority of their
people suffer for lack of the same.
Also, Tanzania is blamed for not consenting to the so-called free
movement. Other EAC members would like their nations to use identity
cards for travel in the region in lieu of passports. They would like
to abolish work permits in the region, not to mention free land
acquisition.
Another thing, however weak, is that we’re afraid of Kenyan vibrant
economy. Blindly and shamelessly they say: ’Tanzania is dirt poor, its
economy a fraction of Kenya’s. Further, it lacks the dynamism and
skills to drive its economy forward at the pace of its neighbours.
Even tiny Rwanda has a better capacity than [what] can be said of
Tanzania.’
What nonsense! If this is the case, then why are Kenyans hollering for
not joining them? Shall integration be an in-thing, we still can join
Mozambique or even Zambia.
They erroneously aver that we are giving the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC) too much. So be it, if it protects and
safeguards our interests. ’Tanzania’s generally confused posture comes
out in its obsession to belong to the SADC,’’ they add.
Let me tell our integration tutors one thing. They’re the ones who
introduced the East African passport. This consumed a lot of money in
printing and designing not to mention purchasing them.
We challenge Kenyan authorities to harmonize their land policies and
equally re-distribute land to the landless majority — our landless
brethren and sisters in Kenya.
It is an open secret that almost all fertile land is in the hands of a
few foreigners or rulers who grabbed it from the wananchi.
Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda would like to see ’East Africans’
acquire land in any state they deem fit. But again, apart from
Tanzania, which country still has land for such purpose?
We know, in Kenya much of fertile land is owned by a few select in
power or that used to be in power. In a word, Kenya has a very nasty
land policy that for long has left the ordinary people landless and
sidelined.
For instance, the family of the country’s first president, Jomo
Kenyatta, owns a chunk of land the size of Nyanza Province.
Similarly, that of his successor, Daniel arap Moi and Kibaki’s also
own big parcels of land not to mention former British settlers. In May
2006 Cholmondeley, grandson of Lord Delamere, shot dead an innocent
Kenyan for trespass on his Soysambu farm.
In other words, Kenyan rulers, even Rwandans, are looking for free
land to offer to their man-made landless majority. Before we do so,
let greedy rulers re-distribute the parcels they are holding without
even putting them to use.
Another point is, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have big
populations compared to the size of their land. So, instead of
planning and controlling their population, they’d like to dump that
burden to Tanzania!
True, if Tanzania consented to this ploy, the future of its coming
generations would be doomed. Look at this reality in numbers. Burundi
is 27,830 sq km with a population of 8,691,005 or
315 people concentrated in a square kilometre.
Rwanda is 26,338 sq km with a population of 8.3 million that is set to
double to 16 million by 2020. Its population density is the highest in
Africa and has risen from 183 per sq km in 1981 to 345 per sq km in
2000.
Rwanda’s rural population per square kilometre of arable land was
around 901 in 1999 — one of the highest in Africa.
Kenya is 582,650 sq km with a population of over 30 million. Density
is 2 settlers per sq. km, while in the rich and fertile western
region, population density goes up to 120 settlers per sq. km.
Uganda is 241,139 sq km with a population of at least 27.7 million and
a density of 241 per sq km in 1999. Its population is projected to
explode to approximately 66,305,000 by 2050.
Tanzania is 945,100 sq km and, according to the United Nations, had an
estimated population of 36,977,000 in 2003. The population density was
then 39 per sq km.
Demographic realities are not something to ignore. Even the superpower
and richest country of the world, the US, is currently erecting a
3,200 kilometre fence on its border with Mexico to curb illegal
immigrants. But Mexico like Kenya does not see this.
Another killer point, Tanzania still remembers the loss suffered from
the 1977 debacle of the first East African Community as a result of
megalomaniac rule in Kenya and Uganda.
History is a good judge. Shortly before attaining independence in
1961, Tanzania wanted to delay its autonomy until all colonies in East
Africa were ready for the same status. What exemplary pan-African love
and spirit!
We better go or remain solo than being shuffled and bussed in a
bandwagon for our peril.
Nkwazi Mhango
We, Tanzanians are determined. We can not be simply dragged to the EAC by any one unless we wish to do so. It is not the right time for us to either join the common market or political federation
Why?
Tanzania stands in a position of loosing instead of gaining. We dont have any kind of goods to sell in Kenya either. Kenyans are undermining Tanzanians always, they see as if they can determine our fate.
Secondly, we have many virgin natural resources as compered to any of EAC states. Kenyans would like to come and colonize us for the second time. We got independence in 1961, so no one should come and rule us again.
Again we have sovereignty of our natural resources, why should we be forced to surrender them to foreigner? Never ever! But more importantly, is the EAC only solution towards poverty alleviation? No way, we shall join when we are ready and not being pushed by anyone.
The time for Tanzania has not come.