Politicians, bureaucrats
must tolerate criticism
by media, activists
PRESIDENT Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete has on several occasions made it clear that he likes constructive criticism against his administration. The president has clearly stated that he is not in favour of the usual praise songs and applause accorded to his predecessors even where things aren’t going in the right direction.
In recent days, some of the president’s lieutenants have vented anger and frustration but sometimes gone an extra mile by banning government critics. The weekly tabloid, MwanaHalisi was ordered to stop publishing for the next three months while some ruling party senior officials threaten to file libel suits against the tabloid claiming billions of shillings in damages.
It’s double punishment meted by the administration and its ruling clique to suffocate the independent media, which is an important player in nurturing a democratic society. You first close the paper and ensure that it is financially crippled and then proceed to file a libel suit.
Some of Kikwete’s lieutenants are allergic to criticism and one of the deputy ministers couldn’t hold her emotional feelings back when she accused HakiElimu, an activist group, of fanning the flames of hatred between senior public officials and ordinary people.
The minister aimed her shots at the popular Dar es Salaam-based activist group’s equally popular television spots depicting lost billions of shillings from the country’s External Payment Arrears (EPA) account and what such sums of money were capable of delivering in terms of social services to the public.
Any politician, bureaucrat or businessperson with questionable dealings will obviously hate HakiElimu’s popular radio and television spots, which place the blame where it properly belongs. Honest and responsible public officials should cultivate a relationship with the independent media and activist groups such as HakiElimu whose role is of fundamental importance in a thriving democracy.
The president has said it in public and if he seriously means it that he welcomes constructive criticism then organizations such as HakiElimu are his government’s true partners. Unless Kikwete meant politics by welcoming constructive criticism in his various public speeches, he needs to reign in some of his lieutenants who are allergic to opposing language.
We cannot build a responsible society when some senior public officials occupying high echelons of government and the ruling party, want to be cushioned against responsibility for violating the leadership code of conduct and the laws of our country.
Time has come when public officials who thought of making a fortune out of our scanty resources badly needed to pay civil servants a decent wage, construct classrooms and clinics in the neglected rural areas, should be held accountable before the law.
If such people are not prosecuted, then the public naturally feels cheated and behaves in a manner which the culprits will find unacceptable; but that’s their only way of venting their anger and frustration against a ruling clique that has, for many years, been irresponsible but unfortunately left unpunished. The days of such behaviour are over and Haki Elimu and other activist organizations are simply serving the interests of a frustrated impoverished public whose resources have been wantonly plundered by an irresponsible clique of the people they voted into office.
Our common responsibility is to target this group of irresponsible politicians, bureaucrats and businesspersons who have turned our country into a banana republic where corruption and embezzlement of public funds have become part and parcel of life.
This country cannot continue treading such a phony path. Let us come back to our senses and start choosing the path of responsible leadership, justice and equality for all as our constitution provides for. There should be no room for crooked public officials to escape from being held responsible.
In recent days, some of the president’s lieutenants have vented anger and frustration but sometimes gone an extra mile by banning government critics. The weekly tabloid, MwanaHalisi was ordered to stop publishing for the next three months while some ruling party senior officials threaten to file libel suits against the tabloid claiming billions of shillings in damages.
It’s double punishment meted by the administration and its ruling clique to suffocate the independent media, which is an important player in nurturing a democratic society. You first close the paper and ensure that it is financially crippled and then proceed to file a libel suit.
Some of Kikwete’s lieutenants are allergic to criticism and one of the deputy ministers couldn’t hold her emotional feelings back when she accused HakiElimu, an activist group, of fanning the flames of hatred between senior public officials and ordinary people.
The minister aimed her shots at the popular Dar es Salaam-based activist group’s equally popular television spots depicting lost billions of shillings from the country’s External Payment Arrears (EPA) account and what such sums of money were capable of delivering in terms of social services to the public.
Any politician, bureaucrat or businessperson with questionable dealings will obviously hate HakiElimu’s popular radio and television spots, which place the blame where it properly belongs. Honest and responsible public officials should cultivate a relationship with the independent media and activist groups such as HakiElimu whose role is of fundamental importance in a thriving democracy.
The president has said it in public and if he seriously means it that he welcomes constructive criticism then organizations such as HakiElimu are his government’s true partners. Unless Kikwete meant politics by welcoming constructive criticism in his various public speeches, he needs to reign in some of his lieutenants who are allergic to opposing language.
We cannot build a responsible society when some senior public officials occupying high echelons of government and the ruling party, want to be cushioned against responsibility for violating the leadership code of conduct and the laws of our country.
Time has come when public officials who thought of making a fortune out of our scanty resources badly needed to pay civil servants a decent wage, construct classrooms and clinics in the neglected rural areas, should be held accountable before the law.
If such people are not prosecuted, then the public naturally feels cheated and behaves in a manner which the culprits will find unacceptable; but that’s their only way of venting their anger and frustration against a ruling clique that has, for many years, been irresponsible but unfortunately left unpunished. The days of such behaviour are over and Haki Elimu and other activist organizations are simply serving the interests of a frustrated impoverished public whose resources have been wantonly plundered by an irresponsible clique of the people they voted into office.
Our common responsibility is to target this group of irresponsible politicians, bureaucrats and businesspersons who have turned our country into a banana republic where corruption and embezzlement of public funds have become part and parcel of life.
This country cannot continue treading such a phony path. Let us come back to our senses and start choosing the path of responsible leadership, justice and equality for all as our constitution provides for. There should be no room for crooked public officials to escape from being held responsible.
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