Lissu now hits city streets in style

Dar es Salaam. Chadema vice chairman Tundu Lissu, who doubles as the party’s presidential candidate, yesterday shopped at the Mlimani City Mall and Manzese Market, just a day after using the city’s Rapid Transport system to the Kariakoo Market for the same purpose.

Mr Lissu, whose seven-day campaigning suspension ends today, was on Tuesday blocked by police on the outskirts of the city while on his way to Mlandizi to attend closed door party meetings.

However, the former Singida East MP and Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) president, arrived at Mlandizi where he attended the indoor meetings after law enforcers, who spent seven hours at the scene, had left the area.

The National Electoral Commission (NEC)’s Ethics Committee issued a seven-day suspension to the outspoken politician after finding him guilty of violating the electoral code of ethics.

During his yesterday appearance, Mr Lissu purchased various products including consumables, drinks and clothes at the shopping mall.

At the Mlimani City Mall, Mr Lissu, who doubles as the party’s head of Legal Affairs, attracted a huge gathering, some of who took selfies with him.

The situation was more remarkable at Manzese Market where a huge crowd followed the vocal politician all the way as he went on shopping, with some chanting, ‘President…President…President’.

Speaking on the situation, Mr Lissu said he didn’t invite anybody to his shopping tour; rather citizens were self-motivated to give him a company, “There wasn’t a way I could chase them away, after all this isn’t campaigning.”

He said the two-day tour of the markets has enabled him to understand how markets operate in poorly developed facilities after the country’s planning system stopped working many years ago.

He said markets needed to have well developed infrastructure consisting of water, toilets and exit roads that would easily enable rescuers to reach the area in case of disasters such as fire outbreaks. “At the Mlimani City, I managed to buy rice produced in Mbeya, which is a good thing. But, the disappointing thing is that most industrial products are the imports as we have failed to protect domestic industries, therefore, failing in the market competition,” he said. According to him, during his visit to the Kariakoo Market, traders expressed their tax outcry, some saying their businesses have collapsed due to heavy taxes while others cited products’ seizures by tax responsible authority.

“Now tax is killing the economy instead of enabling it to prosper. We will have a huge job of re-constructing the country if elected after October 28, General Election,” he said. Responding to a woman, who sought to know the party’s plans for citizen’s health services, Mr Lissu said the party’s manifesto pledged universal health insurance cover for Tanzanians and non-citizens, people of all ages and that no expectant mother would be charged during delivery. “This is how health insurance cover in other countries operate. Once people depend on going deep into their pockets for them to be treated most of them will end up dying,” he said.

Yesterday, it wasn’t easily established where Mr Lissu will restart his campaigns after the seven day suspension.