simbadeo2000

Dar. Unatambua baadhi ya majengo yaliyo kwenye picha hii?

Ni leo 14 Januari 2008, makutano ya Barabara ya Msimbazi na ile ya Mhonda, Kariakoo Dar es Salaam. Hapo bila kutoa kati ya 100 na 200 huvuki. Au ukiwa radhi basi jitose kwenye maji hayo. Kufa kufaana, wahenga walisema. Miundombinu!!

Ni leo Jumatatu tarehe 14 Januari 2008 kwenye makutano ya Barabara ya Msimbazi na ile ya Tandamti. Ama kwa hakika bado tuna safari ndefu katika kuboresha miundombinu yetu. Kumbuka kuwa mvua za vuli ambazo kwa kawaida hunyesha Novemba had Januari katikati hatukuwa nazo safari hii. Leo mvua imenyesha, mafuriko tayari barabarani. Kaaazi kwelikweli.

Then it was my turn also to pose before the camera. This time Lyimo was the cameraman. In red, it’s Dan. Seated, it’s Martina. Centre, it’s I. It’s me. Thought that it would be good readers and contributors of this blog have a look at me as well. It’s possible we meet a lot in streets just like we do here on this blog. Thanks to the cameraman for a good shot.

From left: Dan Mfikwa, book editor; Martina (Italian intern); and Fraternus Lyimo (IT Manager). Working in harmony. Learning. Growing. Enjoying. Producing. Wadau nawapa hi.

Muscles at work. Muscles always at work.

Earn your bread, put muscles to work.

African muscles, who is it that benefits from your work?

You work hard. You’re not idle, not at all.

You work, and work and work, but who enjoys your sweat?

Muscles at work. Big volume production. Low value at market. Low value. A thousand tons of produce, end up earning you just a few shillings.

Ooh, these chains. When is your produce going to earn you a decent earning? A decent life? Better life for every mlalahoi, when?

Improve market value of your produce. Yes. Process your agro-products. Yes. Export. Quality. Processing. Export. Keys to your salvation.

Kuanzia kesho (bado dakika 20 muda huu ninapoandika) umeme nchini Tanzania utapanda kwa asilimia 22. Ni ongezeko kubwa hasa katika kipindi hiki ambapo thamani ya shilingi imeshuka sana.

Pichani ni wateja waliofurika pale PATCO Supermarket, BP Dar es Salaam International Airport. Niliipiga saa 1.30 usiku, yaani kiasi cha saa 4.30 kabla ya kuingia mwaka mpya 2008. Wateja hawa wameamua kununua umeme leo kwa wingi kabla bei mpya kuanza rasmi hapo kesho tarehe 1 Januari 2008.

 Watu wanazidi kuwa ‘cost conscious’. Yule mlalahoi kama mimi anayenunua umeme wa shilingi 10,000 itampasa kuanza kulipa wastani wa shilingi 12,200 kwa umeme kiasi kilekile. Yeye akienda leo kununua umeme huo haokoi fedha nyingi. Lakini kibopa ambaye matumizi yake ni shilingi 100,000 basi kama alikuwepo kwenye msululu huo aliokoa shilingi 22,000. Unaweza kuona jinsi fedha inavyoanza kuwa kubwa.

Mungu ainusuru Tanzania. Umeme unavyopanda ndivyo bei za bidhaa nyingine nyingi zitakavyopanda. Sasa hivi tutasikia kuwa magazeti bei imepanda. Internet pia itakuwa gharama zaidi. Lo, Mungu tunusuru.

Hii ni TAZARA Dar es Salaam. Ni kituo kikuu cha Mamlaka ya Reli ya Tanzania na Zambia. Ni moja ya miundombinu muhimu kupata kujengwa baada ya UHURU. Kwa mwongo mmoja wa mwanzo tangu kuwapo kwake, hii ilikuwa FAHARI YETU kubwa. Kadiri siku zinavyopita, tunazidi kupoteza FAHARI hii. FAHARI YETU inageuka kuwa AIBU YETU.

Je, tumeshindwa KUJITAWALA? Tumeshindwa Kujiongoza? Kwa nini inapotupasa kuendesha mambo yetu wenyewe MWISHO huwa wazi, KUANGUKA? Kwa nini? Je, jina hili alilowahi kutamka Frantz Fanon: The Wretched of the Earth inaweza kuwa sahihi? Are we the wretched?

Hivi, nani anawajibika kwa hali ambayo TAZARA leo hii imefikia? Nani? Hivi, kwa nini tusimfahamu, akatueleza kuwa ilikuwajekuwaje hata akatutia AIBU hii kubwa? Sidhani kama tuna haja ya kumdai mengi huyu ndugu, ni maelezo tu kwa ufupi kutoka kwake. Hatutamwambia kuwa yale mapesa aliyochota huko aturudishie, hatutamwambia kuwa sasa tunakunyang’anya yale majumba uliyojenga kule Marekani, hatutamwambia kuwa rejesha mapesa yale uliyoweka kwenye akaunti za SIRI kule Uswisi.

Tutamhimiza tu kutupa MAELEZO ya aibu hii, basi. Inatia uchungu sana. Aibu yetu imekaa mahali ambapo kila anayepita anatukebehi nayo. Mgeni. Mwenyeji. Mlaji. Njia panda ya lango la kuelekea DUNIANI. Lango lililopewa jina la shujaa nambari wani wa nchi hii. Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere. International Airport.

HUZUNI. AIBU. FEDHEHA.

10-hour old baby. Martina. Human life is complex. Human life is a mystery. Human life is precious. There is never enough justification to terminate human life. Never. Arbortion is unacceptable. Capital punishment should be stopped once and for all.  The world will be a lot better without the punishment.

Tunatoka mbali. Literally, ‘We come from very far away’, actually meaning ‘we come frome helplessness to full self-freedom’. From a state in which we cannot do without others to a state in which we can do on our own.

Protect life. Give life. Keep life.

It is 00:47 local time here. It’s Christmas Day. May I wish you a very warm, happy and merry Christmas!

All best wishes during this festive season.

Above is Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania as seen from the front. Hope you enjoy the scenery.