Is it the right time to
persecute Mkapa?
NKWAZI NKUZI MHANGO
Canada.
NO joke. Former president Benjamin Mkapa is in hot soup. His dirty linens are scattered everywhere for every eye to see!??
When some of us wrote agitating that Mkapa be prosecuted, his whiz kids and sympathizers, especially his party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, despised us as being jealous and myopic.??
This kit and caboodle of swindlers has been issuing threats that if we bring the former head of state to book, our country will cascade into witch-hunting! Shall we foolishly white wash matters pertaining to the rights of our people really?
Are we going to be the first? Big nope.?? Now the heat is on.
Member of Parliament for Vunjo (CCM), Aloyce Kimaro, decided to take the bull by its horns. Fortunately Kimaro is a CCM member per se and MP.?? What does this mean really? Corruption does not pay.?? If you ask me the above question whether in bed or in bibs, I shall reply proudly and loudly, yap. The time is very right to do so urgently.??
We used to laugh at Zambians when they were prosecuting their corrupt rulers-cum-looters. Now look!
The same shame-cum-imbroglio is amidst us testing our tenacity and accountability.??
There are those who say Mkapa should not be disturbed simply because he is on retirement, while others go a mile ahead contending that he enjoys immunity But again, this badly construed and abusively used immunity does not provide or cover Kiwira, Mkapa’s wife, son, in-laws and friends, because they were not presidents. So in a simple logical parlance, these can be persecuted without breaking any law. Kiwira was not part of Mkapa’s presidency and Mkapa was not even the minister responsible for business.’
Canada.
NO joke. Former president Benjamin Mkapa is in hot soup. His dirty linens are scattered everywhere for every eye to see!??
When some of us wrote agitating that Mkapa be prosecuted, his whiz kids and sympathizers, especially his party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, despised us as being jealous and myopic.??
This kit and caboodle of swindlers has been issuing threats that if we bring the former head of state to book, our country will cascade into witch-hunting! Shall we foolishly white wash matters pertaining to the rights of our people really?
Are we going to be the first? Big nope.?? Now the heat is on.
Member of Parliament for Vunjo (CCM), Aloyce Kimaro, decided to take the bull by its horns. Fortunately Kimaro is a CCM member per se and MP.?? What does this mean really? Corruption does not pay.?? If you ask me the above question whether in bed or in bibs, I shall reply proudly and loudly, yap. The time is very right to do so urgently.??
We used to laugh at Zambians when they were prosecuting their corrupt rulers-cum-looters. Now look!
The same shame-cum-imbroglio is amidst us testing our tenacity and accountability.??
There are those who say Mkapa should not be disturbed simply because he is on retirement, while others go a mile ahead contending that he enjoys immunity But again, this badly construed and abusively used immunity does not provide or cover Kiwira, Mkapa’s wife, son, in-laws and friends, because they were not presidents. So in a simple logical parlance, these can be persecuted without breaking any law. Kiwira was not part of Mkapa’s presidency and Mkapa was not even the minister responsible for business.’
After all, we elected Mkapa to rule our country not to ruin and loot it. This is why we would like to see Mkapa behind the bars should he be found guilty.?? Accountability and rule of law Mkapa used to sing day in day out, require us to do so for the good of our country. That will save our sickened economy!?? Lets face it point blank.
Mkapa abused and misused the office of president and the country as a whole. Refer to how we suffer from the anathema of hiked power tariffs simply because Mkapa and his cronies brought a bogus company in which they had their vested personal interests as opposed to all codes of conduct.??
My major questions today are, what precedent are we setting for current and future heads of state if we let Mkapa get away with it?
I am not intending to get a dig in his family. But do his wife, son and friends as well deserve and enjoy immunity? ??
Apart from being unpardonable, sacrilegious things Mkapa did cannot be treated just like common managerial slip-ups. Not at all. They are serious offences involving sabotaging the nation.??Hither is where slapping Mkapa on the face so as to send clear signals to all those contemplating to commit the same, is sine qua non.
Silence is gold. But this is relative. There are issues that do not need silence. Mkapa has arrogantly and shamelessly maintained silence! Phew! Why shouldn’t he be presumed guilty because of his silence?
I know Mkapa very well. He is an orator, tough and argumentative. If what is being said about him were mere lies and jealousy as he would put it, he would have not maintained such unreasonable silence.??
The urgent and right thing for Kikwete to do is to distance himself and let Mkapa face the music as reciprocation for abuse of power.
I strongly urge Kikwete to back off from Mkapa.?? On the same footing, even the parliament should strike off the much touted immunity that Mkapa has so as to let the judicial process take its course.??
As for Mama Mkapa, their son Nicholas, daughter-in law, Foster, former minister and associate, Daniel Yona and others must be brought to book as soon as possible.?? Better with the nation that lives on the spirit of the law than the one that fears to do justice just because it fears some bigwigs.??
Tanzanians have proved to be tough when it comes to corruption. It has caused them a lot of miseries. They are not mincing words. They are saying it loudly: We want Mkapa and his company before the court. They want their Kiwira back. They want their country back as well. They, too, would like Kikwete to expediently and transparently set records straight on this.
Should he stay put to see to it that his predecessor is not brought to book, he’’ll be sending mixing signals that he aims at what Mkapa committed. Will he allow such wrong perception of himself just to spare his predecessor? Time is there to rightly tell. What a baptismal by fire and a test to his seriousness and cleanliness!??
To cut a story short, let the nation stand together in the war against corruption. Let us face whoever takes part in corruption regardless of his status. Indeed, the time is very ripe for Mkapa to come clean on the allegations. Failure to do this, he should be brought to book even today.? The wisdom of today is ’truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it, ignorance may deride it, malice may distort it but there it is Winston Churchill.?
Let us face the moment of truth as far as Mkapa’s legacy and deeds are concerned.?
nkwazigatsha@yahoo.com
From: ThisDay
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