Bagonza: freedom, development are inseparable

Karagwe. “Freedom is development and development is freedom,” says the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) Karagwe Diocese, Dr Benson Bagonza as he tries to explain why freedom and development are inseparable.

During an exclusive interview with The Citizen, the bishop raised concerns that in recent years, the culture of public debates in the country has become a rare, especially in universities and even within representative organs including ward councils, Bunge, political parties and various social groups.

He was expressing his views on the importance of freedom of expression, debates and opposing thoughts built on the foundations of unity in the struggle for bringing about own development in Tanzania.

“You cannot bring about development without freedom and you cannot be free without developing,’’ he says.

He argues that debates and constructive arguments enabled the Founding President of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere to build a nation with people, who can think differently and who can make and defend their points without adversary or affecting the foundations of peace, unity and solidarity.

“During the first phase administration; the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) was the fountain and kiln of mature thoughts with arguments that aimed at building the nation. But it is unfortunate that that has declined,” he says.

He says it is high time the country created a system and a culture, from primary to secondary schools including higher learning institutions, of making students think, deliberate, innovate and put their thoughts in trial so to know whether they work.

The bishop also suggests that the country’s system of awarding degrees and PhDs should be rectified by offering opportunities to students to invent subjects, methodologies, collect study data and prepare a system of teaching and convincing their teachers about the studies they have carried out.

“The emphasis in most of our African colleges has been on a panel of teachers to assess the works of students and decide which student deserves to be awarded a Master’s degree or a PhD degree. Let’s produce students who can think, discuss, innovate and test their thoughts,” he says.

He says the second way of restoring the freedom of debates and mature thoughts is to have a new constitution that will regulate, give and protect the freedom of expression, free debates and opposing thoughts without waiting for the courtesy of leaders.

“In accordance with the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, citizens are the foundation of all authorities as the government gets its power and authority from the citizens, who are represented by Parliament,” he says.