Tasks ahead for new executives as Samia focuses on future

Dar es Salaam. Heavy tasks await newly appointed executives in key national installations made yesterday, with experts saying they were meant to enhance the squad to take off the sixth phase government’s venture.

In her key appointments, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, among other areas, dropped the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Director General, Brigadier General John Mbungo, replacing him with Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Salum Rashid Hamdun.

In this regard, Mr Hamdun, a former Regional Police Commander-Ilala was promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police and his tenure is set to take off on May 18 after the swearing in process.

These changes to the PCCB are likely, among other things, to accelerate the implementation of some of the recent directives issued by President Hassan to the institution.

Shortly after receiving the 2019/20 performance report from PCCB in late March, this year, President Hassan directed the agency to drop corruption cases which were baseless as well as those whose evidence had been ‘cooked up’.

This followed the fact that despite the PCCB taking 381 cases to court, the government managed to win only 271 in that period, which she found to portray a bad image to the government.

“The ones that you see have no basis should be dropped before they go to court. We had over 300 cases, and won only half of them, losing the rest is not a good image for the government,” the President was quoted as saying.

Also in the event the President underscored the need for the PCCB Act to be reformed so that it would match the current and future needs.

On the other hand, the President appointed Sylivester Anthony Mwakitalu as Tanzania’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) replacing Biswalo Mganga who was earlier this week appointed as High Court judge.

During Mr Mganga’s tenure as the DPP, there were complaints of delayed prosecution in the trials while the accused continued to be in detention resulting in a backlog of files at the office in the past few years delaying justice.

Also in yesterday’s list of appointees was former TRA commissioner Edwin Mhede who has been appointed the new head of the Dar Rapid Transit (DART) Agency replacing Mr John Nguya.

In the case of DART, for example, there have been long-term shortfalls which prompted Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa to visit the area recently where he noted a number of buses plying exclusive Dart lanes had dropped from 140 to only 85.

He said while Dart was meant to end Dar es Salaam’s transport woes, the vision was being delayed because of indifference on the part of the management.

On this, analysts were quoted as saying the project’s lackluster performance was a result of a lack of a solid management.

On the appointments, Dr Richard Mbunda, a political analyst, said the presidency was being practiced through appointments and it was constitutional.

“The constitution gives the President the powers to achieve the general goals of a government, but also to conform to the demands of his/her philosophy,” he said.

He says those who were in those institutions like PCCB had already had fingers pointed at them especially in the whole concept of people being bullied.

“Because she is coming in with a new administrative philosophy, she must hire different people who will fit her philosophy. We have seen this in the foreign ministry as well,” said Dr Mbunda.

But also the analyst said that the president did not have her nominee in Parliament who could protect her interests and that was why she probably made changes to the Clerk of Parliament.

For his part, Dr Edward Mbogoro, a development analyst based in Dar es Salaam said the appointments were very clear following recent concerns.

“For instance, Mr Hamdun has basically been a police officer who is no doubt able to deal with various cases, and the President now trusts him to address the challenges she had singled out.”

He said that the President trusted them that they would be able to clean up all the rubbish in those important areas and that was the job that awaited them.

“Basically they should not disappoint the President because she has trusted them, and I believe they will do well based on their records,” he said.