WATANZANIA ELFU30 HUPOTEZA MAISHA KWA KUTOZINGATIA USAFI

Na.Iman Musigwa

Jumla ya watanzania elfu 30 hupoteza maisha kila mwaka kutokana na uchafu wa mazingira

 

Katibu wa kampeni ya kitaifa ya usafi wa mazingira kutoka wizara ya afya na usitawi wa jamii Bw Anyitike Mwakitama amesema hali hiyo inatokana na usafi wa mazingira kuwa ya kiwango cha chini

Amesema tafiti zinaonyesha asilimia 12 tu ya kaya nchini ndio hutumia choo bora, huku asilimia 88 hazina vyoo ama vile vinavyotumika si vyoo bora

 

Katika suala la kunawa mikono utafiti wa hivi karibuni unaonesha kuwa asilimia 97 ya kaya hazina sehemu za kunawia mikono katika vyoo vyao hali inayo onyesha kuwa asilimia tatu tu ndio hunawa mikono baada ya kutoka chooni

 

Aidha ametoa wito kwa jamii kubadirika ili kuhakikisha usafi wa mazingira na wa mtu binafsi unadumishwa kwa kuwa kinga ni bora kuliko tiba

HATIMAYE VIWANGO VYA NAULI KWA VYOMBO VYA USAFIRI WA MAJI

Na.Edson Raymond

Mamlaka ya usimamizi wa vyombo vya usafiri wa nchi kavu na majini SUMATRA inatarajia kuweka viwango vya nauli kwa vyombo vya usafiri ambavyo hapo awali vilikuwa vinajipangia bei bila kuingiliwa na mamlaka hiyo

 

Afisa mfawidhi wa SUMATRA mkoa wa Singida Bw. Daniel Chilongani amesema hayo katika kipindi cha hoja ya leo kinachorushwa na standard redio

 

Amesema mpango huo utasaidia kupunguza malalamiko kutoka kwa baadhi ya watumiaji wa vyombo hivyo

 

Miongoni mwa vyombo vya usafiri ambavyo vitawekewa kiwango maalum cha nauli ni pamoja na Bajaji, Pikipiki maaruf kama Bodaboda pamoja na Taxi ambavyo awali vilikuwa vinajipangia bei zao wenyewe bila SUMATRA kuhusika.

 

Bw. Chilongani amesema kuwa ili kufanikisha jambo hilo kifaa maalum kitafungwa katika chombo hicho ambacho kitakuwa kinahesabu Kilomita na msafiri atatakiwa kulipa nauli kutokana na umbali utakaoonyeshwa na kifaa hicho

 

 

UTUMISHI WA UMMA WATAKIWA KUWA WAADILIFU

Na.Iman Musigwa

 

Waziri Ofisi ya Rais, Menejimenti ya Utumishi wa Umma Bi Celina Kombani amewataka wahitimu wa chuo cha utumishi wa umma kuonyesha uwezo wa kufanya kazi kwa kujituma na kumudu majukumu yao kwa uadirifu

 

Bi Kombani amesema hayo leo katika mahafari ya 16 ya chuo cha utumishi wa Umma ambayo yamefanyika katika tawi  la singida na kuwajumuisha  wanachuo wa utumishi tawi la Taboraoja pamoja na Singida

 

Aidha amewataka kufanya kazi kwa kuzingatia sheria kanuni na taratibu za utumishi wa umma ili kutoa huduma bora kwa wananchi

Akizungumzia kuhusu ajira Bi Kombani amesema serikali itaendelea kutoa kipaumbele cha ajira kwa wahitimu wanaomaliza katika chuo hicho kulingana na mahitaji ya serikali kwa wakati husika

A WEAVERING UNION

 

 

 

The East African Community (EAC) is the regional intergovernmental organization of the Republic of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Republic of Uganda with its headquarters in Arusha Tanzania. The Treaty for Establishment of the second East African Community was signed on 30^th November 1999 and entered into force on 7^th July 2000 following its ratification by the original three Partner States- Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Burundi acceded to the EAC Treaty on 18^th June 2007 and became full Members of the Community with effect from July 2007.

At the moment the regional integration process is at a high pitch as reflected by the encouraging process of the East African Customs Union and the establishment in 2010 of the Common Market.

The negotiations for the East Africa Monetary Union which commenced in 2011, and fast tracking the process towards East African leadership and citizens to construct a powerful and sustainable East Africa.

This far we have come has caused a lot in terms of money, resources, and time now what is happening to the union, these are the sentiments of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Following President Jakaya Kikwete’s speech on the 8^th of November 2013, there are things that are not right. Thus the intent to speak to the members of parliament on the last day of the parliamentary session which is against the norm in Tanzania.

There are meetings that have taken place whereby Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda were in attendance excluding Tanzania and Burundi which is also member states of EAC. Three  meetings to be precise, first one on the 24^th and 25^th of June 2013 in Entebbe Uganda, the second one on the 28^th of August 2013 in Mombasa Kenya, and the third one 28^th October in Kigali Rwanda and Tanzania and Burundi were not involved.

President Jakaya Kikwete states that it is true that two or more member states of EAC are not denied to have unions and agreements in doing various things. Even the Tanzanians have such unions and agreements with various countries that are member states of EAC.  These unions and agreements can also be made on issues and ideals that the EAC union has decided on to be implemented, permission has been granted to any country that is ready to implement it by itself or with the help of any other member state. Regardless of that, member states are not supposed to have such unions and agreements on issues and ideals of that are in the program of the whole EAC treaty thus affecting the whole union in a way.

With respect to the communiqué that was given after meeting together as EAC as a whole, there are eight things that were decided to be done by the member states with intention to enhance integration of the member states of EAC.

 

They are:

1.      To build a modern railway line that pass through Mombasa (Kenya), Kampala (Uganda), Kigali    (Rwanda), then Bujumbura (Burundi).

2.      To build an oil pipeline from Kenya to Southern Sudan through Uganda.

3.      To build an oil processing plant in Uganda.

4.      To start a Single Customs Territory for East Africa.

5.      To hasten the union to have a common constitution that will help govern all the member states.

6.      To fast track having Single East African Community Tourist Visa.

7.      To come up with a plan enhance the use of member states identity cards to access the member states.

8.      To increase electricity generation and distribution among the member states.

It is evident that in this list their ideals that affect the union as a whole and others that do not. For instance, there are four ideals in this list that can be allowed to be done by member states without getting the permission of other member states.

First is the generation and distribution of electricity. East Africa has plans to come up with East African Power Pool, regardless of that, generation and distribution of electricity is a member state’s mandate. It is the member state to decide on when and how to do it. But still fellow member states are segregating Tanzania in the plans of building the East African Power Pool, a plan that was conceived by EAC whereby we are a member state.

The second issue is to build an oil purification plant in Uganda. Likewise this is not for the EAC to decide when and how to do it but for the member state Uganda or the member states she chooses to link up with. President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda told us all the member states about the plans in regards to building the oil processing plant, we were happy for him, and having the realization that now we can have oil near us made us very happy. He even invited us to participate in the building of this plant but of late it is like he has decided that Tanzania is no longer important in these plans.

The third issue was to construct an oil pipe from Kenya to South Sudan via Uganda. Same to this it is for the member states that are involved to decide not the EAC as a whole as it is for them to benefit by reaching their markets. Regardless of that I was informed that the EAC has discussed about starting to construct the pipe from Eldoret (Kenya) to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi this should be via Tanzania on the South Western side of Tanzania.  As it is now, the agreement will not materialize because I have not gotten any news concerning the construction of the pipe yet.

The fourth issue and the last one among the four that I had mentioned, was building a modern railway line from Mombasa to Kampala to Kigali finally to Bujumbura. This, Tanzania doesn’t have any problem with it at all. Like I mentioned it’s a member state’s mandate not the EAC’s. Still it is right to acknowledge the construction of infrastructure such as railway lines, roads, air travel, and water travel that connect East Africa and these are among the issues that are given first priority by the union. The EAC makes plans as one that is why we have East African Railway Plan, East African Road Network and Lake Victoria Development Program on the Lake Victoria. With this in mind, I expect that the Railway line from Mombasa to Kigali and Juba would have a branch that would join the main Railway line and the Tanzanian Railway line just like Moshi-Voi-Taveta railway line that was left to us by the colonist. We expected this with the aim of joining the East African Market whereby I believe that Tanzania is an important stake holder. But as far as I can see, our fellow member states do not want that.

I must confess that it is really worrying and we have all the reasons why our fellow member states of EAC have decided to segregate us? What happened since the meeting we had in Arusha on 28^th August 2013 and June 24^th 2013 that led to the decision of strengthening intergration of EAC that now there is favourism? It has never been like that in EAC.

In the remaining four issue that we decide and the implementation was planned for by the EAC as a whole, two of them we do not have a problem with. The two are the use of member state identity cards as passport for entry to member states and a Common East African Tourist Visa. This is because we decided that the member states that are ready can start implementing them. But when it comes to Single Customs Territory with East Africa, I think our fellow member states have gone against what was decided as EAC union.

We had our 11^th meeting for the heads of the member states which took place on the 28^th of April 2012 in Arusha Tanzania. We accepted the decision to start Single Customs Territory. In regards to this decision, all member states will be independent on issues of tax collection as still is now. But on goods that cross borders to their destinations within member states, search and tax collection will take place in the first station that the goods are then no payments until its destination. The tax that was collected will be sent to the member state in which is the recipient of the goods after verifying that the goods have crossed the border.

Due to this decision the heads of the member states were to come up with a team of ministers to make a team committee that would ensure that this happens smoothly and correctly. Feedback about the chosen minister was supposed to be given during the 15^th meeting of member states on the 30^th of November 2013. Now how comes these three member states i.e. Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda decide to implement all these by themselves excluding other member states. What are they implementing and why are they doing this?

Concerning East Africa’s Political Federation, its tale is still the same as the tale of Single Customs Territory. In the 14t meeting of the heads of member states that took place on the 30^th November 0f 2012 in Nairobi Kenya, we received feedback on how far the issue of Political Federation is. In meeting it was decided that member states consult each other more concerning this issue of East Africa’s Political Federation and all the other EAC ideals that were given by the team that was given the mandate to see the smooth running of these implementations. It is expected that the team of ministers will give feedback concerning EAC’s Political Federation during the 15^th meeting of the heads of member states which will be held in November ( this month)2013. Then how comes our fellow member states decide to go ahead and hasten Political Federation.

I always ask myself a lot of questions with no answers concerning what is really going on with my fellow leaders, the three heads of states and why? Is it that my fellow leaders have lost faith in East African Union, and is it that they want to form another union? Do they hate our country thus they have decided to do whatever it takes so that we pull out from the union! Or is it that they hate me! I WOULD LIKE TO ASURE MY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT THAT WE DON’T HAVE ANY PLANS OF PULLING OUT FROM THE UNION. WE ARE THERE TO STAY.

Tanzania has wronged neither the whole union nor any member state, and the truth that it is a resilient, obedient and faithful to the union. We do our duty to the union as it is required to completion for development and integration of East Africa. The reason why our three fellow member states decided to implement the union’s ideals by themselves we do not understand.

We are meant to understand that when they were asked why other member states are not included, they say that they have just gone ahead and when we are ready we can join them, this means that there is a coalition of the willing. Then who is not willing? It is not right for some members to meet without inviting the other member states then they say that they are the ones who are ready and start to implement EAC’s ideals and us who are not invited, we are the ones who are not ready according to them. The allegations are not true. It is prudent to say the truth, if they invited us and then we declined, then they are right to say that.

There have been allegations from some of us, that Tanzania doesn’t have a heart of clear vision of enhancing integration of East Africa. For that reason it has been said that our country has been a stumbling block in development of East Africa’s integration and that Tanzania is delaying the rest. They are saying that were it not for Tanzania’s sluggardness East Africa would have been far ahead in development. This statement has been repeated a lot of times, making other member states and even the world to believe so.

From the depths of my heart I would love to say that the allegations are not true, besides even the reasons that were given don’t hold any waters. The allegations don’t resemble any truth about Tanzania and the citizens of Tanzania. The citizens of Tanzania are great believers of unity and integration of East African countries and also the whole of Africa. We have evidence of that in action by bringing together our two countries to one nation i.e. Zanzibar and Tanganyika which is now Tanzania. The unity of our two countries is the only one that has lasted the longest in Africa.

Tanzania is a faithful member of East African Union especially in implementing EAC’s ideals and decisions concerning integration. If there is anything we have done wrong as per the requirements, it would be because of foundation issues but not because of ignorance to the union. We really respect the union and we give it first priority. There is no reason for us to have gotten involved, used our money and time and even given our ideas to enhance and develop the union this far, the we be the first to lead in not cherishing it and to weaken its development and stability. This is worrying and we cannot fathom it. As it is said, whoever abuses you doesn’t choose for you the abuse.

According to me, outstand on hastening integration and land issues, employment and immigration, maybe are the reasons of the allegations that are made on us which are not true. I do not believe if there are any other reasons. Regardless of all that it is quite hard to decipher that difference in our stand in those issues would make our fellow member states refuse to involve us in East African ideals and all along we have been working together.

Tanzania has been persuading its fellow member states to work on the integration of East Africa step by step just like we decided in the meetings held be EAC. We don’t have problems with increasing speed of integration of East Africa but we should take a step at a time, let the speed be reasonable not too fast. Accordingly as decided by East Africa, we are supposed to start with establishment of customs union, then establishment of East African Community Common Market, then common currency lastly political federation.    

It is very true that we did not conquer with hastening the issue of political federation before concluding the other issues that were first. And we did that in good faith which is the union being built on stable grounds. And the stable ground is no other than integration of markets by having a common customs union, common community market, and common currency that is stable in the market, and work to benefit all the member states as expected and equally.

We must acknowledge the truth that development in economy is the main reason why a country chooses to join the union and continues to be a member state of EAC. In that if economy is developing steadily, we are building a strong foundation for political federation to flourish and last longer. If these three steps will not be dealt with to completion and all the member states feel that they are not benefiting as expected, the union will weaken thus its existence questionable.

Tanzania is one of the countries that want all the steps to integration taken systematically one after the other without missing any step. We would like political federation to be the last to be implemented.  This is not only my stand as the head of state or the government’s stand, but the stand of all the citizens of Tanzania and they are the highest in population in East Africa.

Without any doubt, all of us remember that in the year 2006, heads of states come up with a special committee from each member state. Their duty was to gather information from the citizens on the union of East Africa. In Tanzania, the committee was led by Professor Samuel Wangwe and from his research, the committee stated that 74.4% of the Tanzanians are supporting the union, and 24.4 % of the 74.4% are the only ones who are supporting the hastening of integration.

This report shows us the truth on how the citizens of Tanzania feel concerning the union and the speed of implementing it. Many Tanzanians are for the union of East Africa but the implementation to be done in required speed, their is no need to hasten the union. Tanzanians want the union to be done deligently and we go a step at a time just like it was stated in the treaty that brought about the idea of East African Community.

The policy and stand of the government of United Republic of Tanzania goes hand in hand with that one of the citizens of Tanzania. That is why we conquer with the outcome of what that meet in 2004 led by hon. Amos Kimunya then the attorney general of Kenya. This committee was created to come up with ways and strategies of hastening the process of East Africa integration.

 

The treaty of EAC has given information on the duration of implementing the stage o custom union but it has not given the duration of the other steps. To correct this mistake, and aiming at hastening the union, the committee was given the mandate of giving ideas of doing so. The committee did a good job by getting different views on how they feel about hastening the union from all member states.

Taking Tanzania as an example, the committee led by Hon. Amos Wako recognized how the citizens of Tanzania felt concerning issues on land, employment and the decision to leave these issues to be dealt and decided on by the member states themselves. Concerning the issues on integration, the committee suggested that the ideal of customs union to be left until it reaches the maturity stage of five years. From the duration of implementing that is before it is reduced. For example, they suggested the preparation of making a common market to start even before the ideal of custom union is brought to conclusion so that by the time it is done, common market should have started to be implemented. The same way after that ideal starts, preparations to start the ideal of monetary union should have commenced. When that ideal starts preparations to start forming a political federation should have commenced. The committee has also suggested that the way to come up with a decision on political federation, the member states should decide by voting. In regards to that decision, Hon Amos Wako and his partners, we Tanzanians don’t have any problems with it.

After a splendid job done by East Africa concerning the development of East African Union, it is really worrying to see that the opposite is taking place. Issues that are causing unrest on the ideals and issues that were already decided and worked on by EAC. We are really getting problems when other states segregate others and do things that are not in line with plans of EAC. If this does not change, I don’t know how the journey to integration will be.

Our country would love to see East Africa join, and be one, a union which is strong, stable and with developments. A union that is transparent and all the member states are benefiting from the union and are happy about it. Tanzania doesn’t have any problems with hastening EAC’s ideals of integration, but we have a problem with getting to other ideals without concluding the first ones in the list. We are humbly asking our fellow member states to be very careful in every step we are taking. Without doing that, the union will be grounded on weak foundation hence its stability and existence will have a lot of challenges. We would not like what happened in 1977 to happen again.

 

I would love to confirm that Tanzania will continue to be a member and getting involved in any issues concerning EAC and continue to enhance integration of East Africa. We will do all we cane to ensure that the union doesn’t weaken or even die. And if by any chance the union weakens or dies, Tanzania should not be held responsible for that, or even blamed or sited as the source of its weakness or death. That is the reason why, we will never grow tired of talking to our fellow member states to make sure that that the union continues to grow and flourish. We shall continue to remind each other on the importance of working on strengthening the union other than weakening it. We shall continue to remind each other the importance of respecting the needs and rules that govern the treaty that started the union, its ideals and decisions that are as a result of the meetings held by heads of member states. If we do that EAC will last long, stand strong and benefit member states and its citizens just as are the reasons of creating the EAC union.