President Kikwete
President Jakaya Kikwete’s speech during Bunge’s official inauguration on Thursday was largely welcomed warmly yesterday, although most commentators said the danger remained in the government’s commitment to implementing the promises outlined by the President.
Political and business leaders, a top diplomatic official as well as a cross section of other Tanzanians described the speech as well intentioned, concurring however that challenges for the new government lay ahead.
Some interviewees, nevertheless, felt the promises made by Kikwete sounded very familiar and were similar to those the government had made in the past.
The Civic United Front (CUF) national chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, said there was “nothing new” if the government would not move to implement the promises.
During his speech in Dodoma on Thursday, President Kikwete said his new government would concentrate on transforming the country’s economy to meet the 2025 Vision to strengthen the middle-income class.
The president said his government would increase budgetary allocation to agriculture as a way of improving the sector that 80 per cent of the country’s population relied on. He promised there would be enough efforts to improve revenue collection and provide capital to small entrepreneurs to push their business.
But Prof Lipumba who ran for the presidency in the just-ended General Election and came third was cautious when asked to review the speech. “Everyone knows that the President gave a lot of promises during his election campaigns. His speech was a repetition of such promises but let’s wait and see… He has a mountain to climb,” he said.
Prof Lipumba whose party has entered into a power-sharing arrangement with CCM in Zanzibar said President Kikwete missed other important issues like changes in the electoral process.
He said it was important that the question of unemployment, especially among the youth in urban areas, be looked into.
“Industrialization is important if we want to curb this problem; not every youth in this country can do business,” said Lipumba.
Dr Haji Semboja of the Economic Research Bureau (ERB) at the University of Dar es Salaam said the President was always let down by the team he selects to assist him realise his promises.
“Less capable people are appointed to take up positions which are very competitive. These people will always work for their own good, as opposed to the betterment of the community at large,” said Dr Semboja.
He said the President would have to blame himself if his promises are not accomplished because he was the one who gave them and he had the authority to appoint the personnel to help him realize them.
The Dean of Diplomats, Mr Juma Mpango, of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the speech gave a clear direction for the country in the coming five years.
“The President covered almost every sector that is focused on developing Tanzanians. We could see the good intentions in his speech come to fruition, except that they need committed people to implement,” Mr Mpango said.
He said every state needed vision which the people and the government, and even those in the private sector, could follow. The chairperson of the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), Ms Esther Mkwizu, said the speech gave some encouragement to the private sector.
“We have been getting feedback from our members countrywide saying that there was some positive mention and recognition of the role of private sector,” she said, noting that TPSF welcomed the pledge to reduce bureaucracy that had been hampering business interests.
“We hope that he will pick ministers who are committed to improving the lives of Tanzanians, if the promises given by the Head of State are to be realised,” she said.
A majority of ordinary citizens said they would not immediately say whether they would benefit from the policies outlined unless their personal lives changed for the better.
Mr Steven Kandanga, a long-distance truck driver, said the President gave many promises that sounded good “but he was short on how exactly the poor were targeted from the outset.” He said the cost of living, with the constant increase in food prices was his main headache that needed an answer.