The big question: What guides Samia’s leadership philosophy? – 3

By Marie Memouna Shaba

Is the role of the Constitution to guide or to implement? In my opinion the Constitution as the mother of all laws must have all the relevant and basic instruments that will guide the making of laws of the country for a long time.

Our ancestors in their wisdom chose to put ujamaa and self-reliance as the guiding spirit we need to build our nation as opposed to individualism and dependence. We were determined to maintain a resource-based economy because we are endowed with it rather than a money-based economy which we don’t even know how it works.

The Constitution guides leaders and the citizens to be on the same wavelength. It does not matter whether you are capitalist, landowner or a political party, what matters is the guidance in the Constitution – people first. Every nation has its own identity and business ideology is irrelevant. They say the dollar is green and does not discriminate! Even terrorist buy weapons with dollars!

 For 25 years, our DNA was known as wajamaa, but after that we got cold feet. We feared being isolated from the global village. Before we close the current circle, the four pillars that make the leadership philosophy of Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, can be an important transition for us to dig our souls and find our DNA, our identity. As 2025 approaches, it can be an important new beginning because we have seen it all, heard it all, said it all and done it all. It’s now time to rebuild our nation for the better.

It’s possible that SSH never expected to carry the responsibility of more than 60 million Tanzanians on her shoulders in such a short time. She is now a symbol and role model on the capability and capacity of women at the highest level of public leadership.

I don’t think she just jumped from the bed and uttered the four tenets. She is a seasoned leader in her own rights. She held several leadership positions in politics and worked with communities. That gave her exposure and experience. It’s human, especially when you get bitten by political bug, to dream and wish to go to the next level. It’s important for anyone who aspires to lead at any level to prepare themselves and be a seasoned and time-tested leader.

Read: From clerk to commander-in-chief: President Samia's inspiring political journey

We have capable female leaders in all walks of life who have been dancing in the dark because nobody appreciates or knows them because they have no one to light a torch for them. I’m sure Bibi Titi Mohamed, with all her leadership qualities, would have ended like many other TANU women. She was not favoured. She proved herself and was lucky Mwalimu Nyerere saw her ability to lead and supported her growth as a leader. Where she had weaknesses, she was supported and was never marginalised just because she was a woman.

Today, capable women and men are marginalised due to party politics or faith-based reasons. They may be deemed too radical or a threat to other people’s positions. This is breeding hate and revenge among citizens and is not healthy competition. We are slowly reaching the cut-throat competition in politics like what was seen in the early years of capitalism. It’s not surprising that today many young and old people of all social positions feel they can lead the nation just because they are popular or rich!

That selfishness you see in capitalism is happening before our very eyes.

At this point, there is no one to blame or bless. The wind has rocked our boat for many decades and we have failed to control it. We now need to learn how we can control the boat against the wind. What must we do now to get the tomorrow we want?

Leadership, like poison, is not tested. The nation as whole has to be well prepared spiritually, physically, emotionally and intellectually. The SSH philosophy takes us deeper than what we think. We have to decide on our DNA and where we want to go and how we’ll get there. Why are some people messing up with our DNA?

(to be continued tomorrow)