A friend sent me an email attachment with the following message. I wish to share it with you. I think it is a good food of thought.
Paradox of our times
Today we have bigger housesAnd smaller families; More conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees,But less common sense;More knowledge but less SOUND judgement.
We have more experts,But more problems;More medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast,Get angry too quickly, stay up too late;Get up too tired, read too little,Watch TV too often, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions,But reduced our values.We talk too much, love too little and lie too often.
We have learned how to make a living,But not a life;We’ve added years to life, not life to years.
We’ve taller buildings,But shorter tempers;Wider freeways but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less;We buy more, but enjoy it less.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, But have trouble crossing the street to meetThe new neighbour.
We’ve conquered outer space,But not the inner space.We’ve split the atom, but not the prejudice.
We write more, but learn less;Plan more but accomplish less.
We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait;We’ve higher incomes, but lower morals.
We build more computers to hold more information,To produce more copies, But have less communication.We are long on quantity,But short on quality.
These are the times of fast food and slow digestion;Tall men and short character;Steep profits and shallow relationships.
More leisure and less fun;More kinds of food, but less nutrition;Two incomes, but more divorce;Fancier houses, but broken homes.
That’s why I propose, that as of today,You do not keep anything for a special occasionBecause everyday that you live is a special occasion.
Search for knowledge, read more;Sit on your front porch and admire the view without Paying attention to your needs.
Spend more time with your familyAnd friends, eat your favourite foods,And visit the places you love.
Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment;Not only about survival.
Use your crystal goblets.Do not save your best perfume,Use it every time you feel you want it.
It goes on and on…..
Wana-mtandao ni kina nani katika
Tanzania ya leo?
Kwa kipindi cha mwaka mmoja na nusu hivi kumekuwa na habari nyingi magazetini juu ya kikundi kinachojulikana
kama Wana-Mtandao. Habari juu ya kundi
hilo zimekuwa zikimhusisha kwa karibu kabisa Rais wa Awamu ya Nne, Bw (Dr?) Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. Habari hizo zimekuwa zikidai kuwa kazi kubwa ya kundi
hilo la Wana-mtandao ilikuwa kufanikisha kumuingiza madarakani Rais Kikwete. Kufaulu kwake kupata nafasi ya kuwakilisha Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) katika Uchaguzi Mkuu uliopita na hatimaye kuchaguliwa kwake kuwa Rais vinasemekana kuwa mafanikio makubwa
sana ya kundi
hilo.
Kwa kufuatilia habari hizo, mtu unabaki na maswali mengi
sana kichwani. Moja ya maswali hayo (ambayo sidhani kuwa nina majibu yake) ni kuwa hivi Rais Kikwete ni mteule wa CCM au wa Wana-Mtandao? Swali
hilo linazaa swali jingine: Je, ikiwa Rais Kikwete amepitishwa na Wana-Mtandao hata kufanikiwa kuwa Rais wa Awamu ya Nne, je, yeye katika nyadhifa alizonazo sasa hivi, anawajibika kwa nani? Kwa Wanamtandao? Kwa CCM? Au kwa Wananchi (
kama mimi)?
Katika kufuatilia habari za Wana-mtandao na kutajwa mara nyingi kwa Bw. Kikwete kuwa mmoja wapo wa Wanamtandao ni jambo ambalo kamwe Mheshimiwa (Naamini bado hatutumii neno Mtukufu) Rais Kikwete hakuwahi kulikana. Sijawahi kusikia akikana kuwa yeye si Mwana-mtandao. Nakumbuka tu kuwa aliwahi kusema kuwa CCM ni moja na kuwa wale wote waliokuwa kwenye makundi yanayounga wagombea wengine wa nafasi ya kuteuliwa kuiwakilisha CCM katika Uchaguzi Mkuu waache makundi
yao na kubaki katika CCM moja.
Katika kusoma kwangu magazeti siku ya leo, nikakuta kisa hiki katika Gazeti la Mwananchi Jumapili la tarehe 5 Novemba 2006.
Kama wewe hujakisoma basi fuatilia hapa chini. Ukiunganisha na kisa anachosimulia Ndugu Ndesanjo Macha juu ya Nchi ya Usingizi na Kampuni ya Chai, nadhani utabaki unaguna nakujiuliza, hivi
Tanzania hii inakwenda wapi? Mbona u-makundi unaingia kwa kasi namna hii? Tulidhani kuwa tumeushinda ukabila
Tanzania (kumbe kuna ukabila wa aina nyingine unaibuka). Tulidhani tumeushinda udini
Tanzania (kumbe kuna udini wa aina nyingine unaibuka. Katika kitabu chake kinachoitwa The Wretched of the Earth, Bw Frantz Fanon alionya takribani miongo mitano iliyopita kuwa Waafrika tutaendelea kugawanywa kwa misingi ya kikabila, kidini ( labda na sasa kivikundi (ni vya maslahi??)).
Yaelekea kundi la Wana-Mtandao ni kundi lenye nguvu kwelikwei hasa ukizingatia kuwa kwa sasa ndiyo wameshika hatamu ya kuongoza nchi (hiyo ni ikiwa Mheshimiwa Rais hatakana kuwa yeye pia ni Mwana-Mtandao). Kundi hili bila shaka lina nguvu kubwa ya kisiasa, kiuchumi na bila shaka kijamii.
Basi hebu fuatilia hapa chini habari za wana-mtandao na CCM
yao.
Dhambi ya makundi yaitesa CCM (Mwananchi Jumapili, 05 11 2006)
Na Mwandishi WetuDHAMBI ya makundi ambayo inaelekea kuwa utamaduni wa Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), sasa imeshika kasi kiasi kwamba mivutano ya kimakundi imesababisha kuahirishwa mara nne kufanyika kwa uchaguzi wa katibu wa Kamati ya wabunge wa chama hicho, Mwananchi Jumapili imethibitishiwa.
Kulingana na vyanzo vya habari vya ndani ya wabunge na uchunguzi wa uliofanywa na Mwananchi Jumapili, kinyang’anyiro cha kumpata Katibu huyo ambacho hatimaye jana kilimalizika kwa kada mwandamizi na anayetajwa kuwa mwanamtandao, Ali Ameir Mohamed kuchaguliwa kwa kura 112 dhidi ya 64 za Kapteni George Mkuchika na 12 za Ruth Blasio Msafiri, huenda kikaendelea kutanua mpasuko wa ndani ya chama hicho ambao umevaa sura ya makundi.Awali, kabla ya uchaguzi wa jana, kumekuwako na minong’ono na malalamiko ya chini kwa chini kwamba baada ya uchaguzi mkuu kumalizika, makundi yaliyokuwa yamekigawa chama hicho badala ya kumalizika, sasa yanaonekana kuzidi kushamiri hasa kutokana na jinsi nafasi za kimadaraka zilivyogawanya baada ya Rais Jakaya Kikwete kuingia mdarakani.
Nafasi ya Katibu wa Wabunge wa CCM tangu kuanza kwa Bunge la vyama vingi nchini, imekuwa nyeti kutokana na mfumo wa utendaji na kudhibitiana ndani ya chama, mara nyingi wabunge wa CCM hufanya kwanza mkutano wa kamati hiyo kukubaliana mambo ya msingi kabla ya kupitishwa kwa miswada au hata bajeti ya serikali.Mwenyekiti wa kamati hiyo, ambayo katika siku za hivi karibuni inaonekana kupunguza kwa kiwango kikubwa si tu uhuru wa wabunge bungeni, bali hata uchangamfu wa bunge kwa ujumla wake katika kujadili miswada na hoja zinazowasilishwa kwa umakini na uadilifu wa mioyo yao.Hadi jana nafasi ya Katibu wa Kamati hiyo iliyokuwa ikishikiliwa na Juma Othman N’hunga, ambayo ilikuwa ikigombewa na wabunge watatu wa CCM, ilionekana kuwa mtihani mgumu kwa makundi hayo, moja likiwa ni la wanamtandano na lingine walokuwa nje ya mtandao uliofanikiwa kumweka Rais Jakaya Kikwete madarakani.
Mvutano ambao ulijitokeza tangu Bunge la sasa lianze ni mgombea wa wanamtandao kutokukubalika kwa wabunge walio wengi, hususan wale ambao si wa kundi lao.Waliokuwa wanachuana kugombea nafasi hiyo ni Ruth Msafiri (Muleba Kaskazini), Ali Ameir (Fuoni) na Kapteni Mstaafu George Mkuchika (Newala).Tangu kundi la wanamtandaao liibuke rasmi kabla ya uchaguzi mkuu uliopita, limekuwa likifanikiwa kupitisha watu wake katika nafasi mbalimbali za uongozi ndani na nje ya chama.Moja ya mafanikio makubwa ya kundi hilo ni ushindi wa kishindo wa nafasi ya Spika wa Bunge, Samuel Sitta, ambaye kampeni kubwa iliyoendeshwa kumuunga mkono si tu ilimfanikisha kumwangusha mwanasiasa mkongwe na Spika wa zamani, Pius Msekwa, bali lilimfanya Msekwa aanguke katika uchaguzi huo kwa aibu kubwa.Nguvu ya wanamtandao ilianza kuonekana walipofanikisha uteuzi wa Rais Kikwete kuwa mgombea urais wa CCM baada ya kuwabwaga wagombea wenzake tisa kupitia chama hicho kwa kishindo, wakiendesha harakati zao nje kabisa ya mfumo rasmi wa chama hicho na hususan Kamati ya Taifa ya Uchaguzi iliyokuwa ikiongozwa na aliyekuwa Katibu Mkuu Philip Mangula.
Lakini, kwa sasa nguvu za kundi hilo zinaonekana kufifia kufuatia upinzani mkali wanaoupata kutoka kwa wana CCM wengine ambao wamedhamiria kuwathibitishia wana mtandao hao kuwa hawawezi kupata kila wanachotaka.Uthibitisho wa hili, ni mchuano mkali wa kugombea nafasi hiyo ya katibu wa wabunge wa CCM, uchaguzi ambao unaelezwa kuahirishwa kwa mara ya nne tangu Bunge la awamu ya nne lianze kazi na hatimaye ukafanyika jana katika mazingira ya siri kubwa.Hakukuwahi kutolewa sababu zozote rasmi za kwa nini uchaguzi huo umechukuwa muda mrefu kufanyika, lakini duru za kisiasa ndani ya wana CCM zinasema ni kutokana na hali ya upepo kuonekana kutokuwa upande wa wanamtandao.Kutokana na hali hiyo, uchaguzi huo umekuwa ukiahirishwa mara kadhaa katika vikao vya bunge vilivyopita, katika kile kinachoelezwa kuwa ni wana mtandao kujaribu kununua muda ili waweze kupata idadi ya kura za kutosha za kuwezesha kushinda.Mbali na Katibu wa Kamati ya Wabunge wa CCM kuwa ni nafasi nyeti na yenye nguvu katika kusaidia ushawishi wa miswada ya serikali bungeni kupitia mikutano ya nje ya Bunge, pia anakuwa anakuwa moja kwa moja mjumbe wa Kamati Kuu ya CCM.
Kamati hiyo ni muhimu sana kwa kuwa yeyote aliyemo humo anahusika moja kwa moja na maamuzi muhimu na nyeti ya chama na hata kuweza kushawishi maamuzi si ya chama tu, bali hata serikalini.Katika kipindi hiki ambacho wana CCM wanajiandaa kwa uchaguzi mkuu wa chama chao hapo mwakani, ujumbe wa kamati kuu ni hazina muhimu kwa yeyote mwenye dhamira ya kugombea nafasi mbalimbali za uongozi ndani ya chama hicho kwa kuwa mchujo wa majina ya wagombea huanzia katika kamati kuu.Uchaguzi mkuu wa CCM mwakani, pia ndio utakaotoa dira ya mwelekeo wa uchaguzi mkuu wa mwaka 2010, hivyo kila mwenye dhamira ya kugombea, hivi sasa anaangalia uwezekano wa kuwa na idadi ya watu wa kutosha ndani ya kamati hiyo ili waweze kumuunga mkono wakati wa mchujo na kupitisha jina lake hasa katika nafasi za ubunge.Mathalani, ukweli kuwa katika uchaguzi mkuu wa mwaka 2010 CCM itapaswa kuwa na mgombea mpya katika nafasi ya urais wa Zanzibar kwa kuwa rais aliyeko madarakani Amani Abeid Karume atakuwa amemaliza rasmi muda wa uongozi kikatiba, unazidi kuifanya nafasi ya ujumbe wa Kamati Kuu kuwa lulu katika chama hicho.Ameir, kwa mfano, anaelezwa kuwa pamoja ya kwamba ni mwanamtandao, pia yuko karibu na mwana CCM mmoja wa visiwani ambaye anatarajiwa kuchukua fomu za urais wa Zanzibar muda ukifika, hivyo kuwa kwake katika Kamati Kuu kutaongeza nguvu kwa mgombea huyo na kuimarisha mtandao.
Lakini wabunge wa CCM wenyewe wanasema, wanataka kuitoa nafasi hiyo ya ukatibu kwa mtu ambaye atatetea, kuwatumikia na kulinda maslahi ya wabunge hao kwa dhati ndani ya chama na si vinginevyo.Katika uchaguzi wa UVCCM kwa mfano, inadaiwa kuwa Kapteni Mkuchika alikuwa akimuunga mkono Nape Nnauye aliyekuwa akigombea nafasi ya uenyekiti wa jumuiya hiyo sambamba na Dk Emmanuel Nchimbi ambaye ni mwanamtandao wa kutupa, aliyeshinda nafasi hiyo.Nchimbi kwa sasa ni Naibu Waziri wa Kazi, Ajira na Maendeleo ya Vijana.Lakini jingine lililokuwa likifukuta chini kwa chini kwa wanamtandao katika harakati za kumpigia debe chaguo lao, zilitokana na habari kuwa Rais Jakaya Kikwete alijitoa katika kampeni zozote za nafasi hiyo, na akaonya jina lake kuhusishwa na uchaguzi huo.”Rais amewaambia (aliwaambia) hao wanamtandao wasimhusishe kwa lolote na uchaguzi huo, na kwamba yeye hakutuma mtu yeyote kugombea nafasi hiyo, na hii ikazidi kuwavunja nguvu wanamtandao na kuongeza nguvu katika kundi la Mkuchika,” kilisema chanzo cha habari.Suala la wanamtandao limezua mkanganyiko mkubwa ndani ya CCM, na katika kikao kimoja cha Halmashauri Kuu (NEC) ya CCM mapema mwaka huu, ilimlazimu Rais Kikwete kutoa ufafanuzi juu ya kundi hilo na kutangaza kuwa kundi hilo limekwishazikwa na kwamba CCM ni moja.
Kufifia kwa makali ya kundi la wanamtandao kulionekana Alhamisi katika shughuli ya uchaguzi wa wabunge wa Bunge la Afrika Mashariki uliofanyika bungeni mjini
Dodoma, ambako mgombea, Dk Norman Sigalla, aliyetajwa kuwa alikuwa akipigiwa kampeni na kundi
hilo katika uchaguzi huo alidondoka.
Here is another article I had published on the Daily Times, April 2005. In case you did not get a copy of the paper or you wish to remind yourself some of the things you read on it, please read this…
After the ‘Vatican Conclave’ now it is the ‘Dodoma Conclave’
In the recent past, Tanzanians have witnessed great historical events, those events that would surely go into history books for hundreds of generations to come. First was the death of Pope John Paul II and his subsequent dramatic burial that pulled millions of people physically to give him last company in Rome and those hundreds of millions others who followed on the event through their TV screens, Internet, the Radio and Newspapers.
The second event was the election of the successor of the late Pope John Paul II. This was another dramatic event with all the mysteries surrounding the election, which only a few people under the sun do experience, that is, the College of Cardinals, and our country was lucky to take part in it through Cardinal Polycarp Pengo. We do not know much about what was going on in the ‘Vatican Conclave’, only those who were there physically know it.
What do we have to learn from these two world events? I believe there is a lot to learn, especially now that our country is closely drawing towards its yet another general election. Generally, elections might mean the passing out of the former leadership, regime, philosophy of governing and ushering in a new kind of leadership, regime and philosophy of governing.
The late Pope John Paul II attracted millions of supporters and admirers. His philosophy of governing, if not of leading, was the philosophy of love, compassion and justice. After him, the ‘Conclave’ ushered in another person, Pope Benedict XVI with his new kind of leadership, new philosophy and new vision. The two men were never and will never be the same, each was unique with his own qualities and visions.
Cardinal Joseph Latzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI is well known for his well-defined stands, vision and line of thinking. These are obvious in the hundreds of volumes he has written, his apostolic preaches and the like. He has, indeed worked out his way to where he is now.
Very soon the ‘Dodoma Conclave’ in our country would take place. It will be another historic moment for Tanzanians to demonstrate how much mature they have become since they gained their independence. The kind of person the ‘Dodoma Conclave’ would give to Tanzanians would tell this, and may be 50 years to come, we, or those who will be there will be able to analyse critically the decisions and choice to be made in the ‘Dodoma Conclave’.
Several questions crop up to mind when we compare the ‘Dodoma Conclave’ and the ‘Vatican Conclave’. Most of the questions find no answers to them, while some questions bring up some of the major and minor differences between the two ‘conclaves’. One difference is unlike the ‘Vatican Conclave’, the ‘Dodoma Conclave’ would have some women voters in it. The number of the voters would be bigger compared to the former. The voters would be of different ages, some of them a little bit young, with less experience, less education and the like, while the former was composed of somehow people who are advanced in years, well educated and experienced in handling various matters.
The question that lingers on our minds is and has been: ‘What kind of person is Chama cha Mapinduzi going to give to us?’ Is it going to be a person with mere experience and who has been on board the out-going government? Is it going to be a person with both experience and vision? Is it going to be a person who simply wishes to enter into our history recording?
The task facing the ‘Dodoma Conclave’ is not an easy one. As I said, history is going to judge the present generation for the kind of leader the ‘Dodoma Conclave’ is going to present to us.
Vatican elected a visionary person, a person with solid experience on various matters, a person with a well-defined philosophy of life for which he might even die in order to defend it. In other words, a person who is unshakable and knows where he is going.
This is also the kind of person that we want to take over from the incumbent President Benjamin Mkapa.
Listening to the explanations given by all the eleven CCM contesters, I had difficulties in establishing the visions of these people, why do they really want to be nominated for the presidential post, where do they want to take the country to? What are their philosophical convictions, that is, if they have any?
This has been my biggest worry after having digested what our ‘possible’ future leaders presented to us. I was somehow moved by what Mr Simba said on the last day he returned the nomination forms: the division of the national wealth within countries for the rich and the poor countries. The analysis was very insightful such that I started to somehow understand the basis of his philosophy of ‘uzawa’. Unfortunately, he did not explain how he would see to it that the middle class, which is still weak in the country, would be created and enlarged reducing the percentage of the poor many.
I was moved because he sounded to have a vision, a philosophy for which he has convinced of himself and was probably committed to implementing it. I do not mean that what the other contesters was meaningless, no, but they lacked some coherence of what they said and how it could be reflected on real life, on the field, because, saying that ‘I will fulfill all what has been given in the CCM election manifesto’ is not enough, or at least this is what I think.
Implementing what has been outlined in the CCM election manifesto as I said above is not sufficient, one needs to prove to us that what the manifesto says is what he really believes in, in other words, it has to blend with is philosophy, his line of thinking, he has to assimilate it into his own personality.
Therefore, it is my sincere hope that CCM will bring us from its ‘Dodoma Conclave’ a visionary leader, a leader who has a philosophy of life that blends well with the requirements of the country in this challenging era of globalisation, a person who can stand and defend what he believes in.
We have witnessed in most African countries how leaders have had to bow to external pressure simply because they had no philosophies of their own. Just imagine, even a diplomat representing a developed country might have a stronger say than president of the country in which he lives. It is time now we get a leader who would say ‘no’ and mean ‘no’ and say ‘yes’ meaning ‘yes’. And each time he give a ‘no’, he would have an explanation as to why he said ‘no’; and the same when he says ‘yes’.
Not many people today would support Comrade Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe over his stand. Somehow, he has proved himself as man of principles, saying ‘no’ where he meant ‘no’ and saying ‘yes’ where he meant ‘yes’. I believe that many would very much agree with me that such also the stand of the Late Julius Nyerere, Father of the Nation. He was a man of principles, was visionary and had a strong philosophy of life that he was ready to defend wherever.
So, we are all eyes to see what the ‘Dodoma Conclave’ is going to give.
