Mwinyi: Projects will continue despite opposition claims

Pemba. Zanzibar’s President, Hussein Mwinyi, has said various development projects will continue to be implemented despite claims from opposition party ACT-Wazalendo that the isles government is awarding tenders without an open bidding process.

Dr Mwinyi named some of the projects that are under implementation including Amani Stadium, urban and rural roads.

Speaking on July 15, Mwinyi, who doubles as the Vice Chairman of Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), at conference with the party’s cadres in the Pemba, said the opposition always finds something to point fingers at.

"When we came into power in 2020, during Covid-19, there were no funds at all, and we reached a stage where development projects stalled, they were the first to say nothing was done. What could we do while at a time when the pandemic ravaging the entire world?" he queried.

He added: The following year they claimed we were implementing projects like building schools, district hospitals, and water projects for Sh32 billion using Covid-19 relief funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Dr Mwinyi said, the government has now doubled the amount from Sh32 billion to Sh64 billion to implement various projects, however, the opposition says they do not adhere to the open bidding process.

"I just say there is no need to listen them. We will build sports stadiums, Amani will be built like those in Europe. Sometimes when we decide not to answer, it's not because we don't have answers, what we're looking for is peace, we wouldn't want to spend valuable time on platforms instead of encouraging development," Mwinyi expressed.

On his part, the party’s deputy secretary general-Zanzibar, Mohamed Said Dimwa, said they work on opposition views and opinions that they find relevant.

"In one way, we take their views and work on them because they help us a lot, but there are others we leave to themselves," he said.

The two’s remarks by the Dr Mwinyi and Mr Dimwa comes nearly two months after the ACT-Wazalendo poked holes into how the government had awarded contractors tenders for the renovation of Amani Stadium, management of the Malindi Port, and some other projects in contravention of the Procurement Act of 2016.

Speaking at a rally on May 28, 2023, Ismail Jussa, a member of the Central Committee of ACT Wazalendo, said the awarding of various tenders was dubious and did not adhere to the procurement laws of the country.

In his reply, Dr Mwinyi told journalists upon his return from his visit to Qatar on May 30, 2023, that those who were criticising the procurement procedures were envious because his government has implemented development projects in record time, preempting detractors of the anti-government agenda.