Zitto wants ex-leaders to rein in Magufuli

Dar es Salaam. The opposition ACT-Wazalendo yesterday appealed to Tanzania’s retired presidents to rein in President John Magufuli, saying the new Head of State was leading the country in the wrong direction.

ACT-Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe said the retired presidents and religious leaders should engage Dr Magufuli with a view to having him tone down his “dangerous rhetoric” and decisions, which were “tearing apart the nation’s social fabric and setting the stage for an economic crisis”. Speaking yesterday after the party’s Central Committee meeting in Dar es Salaam, Mr Kabwe warned that letting President Magufuli continue on the path he had chosen would lead to disunity and hatred among the people and harm the economy, something that would be difficult to reverse.

“We are appealing to religious leaders, retired presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Benjamin Mkapa and Jakaya Kikwete and other respected elders in our country to have the courage to warn President Magufuli that he is fomenting hatred and disunity that could lead to the disintegration of the nation,” said Mr Kabwe, who is the Kigoma Urban MP.

However, in an swift rejoinder, the State House and CCM spokespersons, Mr Gerson Msigwa and Mr Christopher ole Sendeka, respectively, defended President Magufuli and hit out at the opposition leader.

They said President Magufuli would continue to discharge his duties diligently and according to the law without being distracted by the lamentations of political parties.

“The Attorney General has clarified on complaints by the Opposition and the Head of State has no time for them as he is busy serving Tanzanians,” Mr Msigwa told The Citizen by telephone.

Mr ole Sendeka said the ruling party stood by remarks the President made in Zanzibar and told the Opposition to stop grumbling and join in efforts to develop the country.

“I know that Zitto Kabwe is bitter because some of his associates have been purged from the government and is now attempting to demonize the President. I challenge him to come out and state who is behind his utterances,” he said when reached by telephone.

Mr Kabwe made the remarks when reading out resolutions of the Central Committee that met for two days to review the state of the economy, the political situation and national unity. The meeting also tackled other internal party matters, including audit reports and endorsement of regional party officials.

The meeting said it was perturbed with recent remarks by the President in Zanzibar, which “planted seeds of discord” and other decisions of the executive “which are undermining the economy”.

Mr Kabwe said statistics released by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) showed a downward trend in growth.

He said President Magufuli travelled to Zanzibar not to address political tensions, but to further whip up emotions and sow more discord.

Mr Kabwe added that it was shocking to see the ruling CCM, which was founded by Mwalimu Nyerere, allowing President Magufuli to trample on democratic principles and cause hatred in society.

“The President has disregarded the rule of law and is running the government at whim, which is dangerous for the wellbeing of the country and its people,” said Mr Kabwe, who noted that restricting political activities by the Opposition parties was not only illegal but a manifestation of dictatorial rule.

“We condemn and oppose any attempts by the government to disregard the Constitution and rule of law. We will join forces with other parties and like-minded groups to defend democracy, freedom of speech and rule of law. All Tanzanians who love this country should stand firm and reject discord being sown by the CCM government.”

The ACT-Wazalendo party leader said while they welcomed efforts by the President to fight corruption and instil discipline in public service, his approach was not sustainable.

“We reiterate that anyone in leadership who believes they can fight corruption by trampling on democratic principles and disregarding the rule of law should be rejected,” Mr Kabwe said.

On the economy, Mr Kabwe said several growth indicators showed a sharp decline that could be blamed on some of the government’s actions.

He said the foundation of economic growth over the years had been creating a conducive environment for investment by both local and foreign investors.

“The rule of law is a critical ingredient and no single individual should be allowed to undermine economic growth.”

The MP said that according to BoT statistics, GDP declined by four per cent in the first six months of the new government from 9 per cent in December 2015 to 5.5 per cent currently.

Mr Kabwe added that investment in the construction sector had declined, recording a growth of 7 per cent in the last six months compared to 13.8 per cent last year, while growth in the transport sector had dropped from 14.5 per cent to 7.9 per cent.