The Weekly Sneak: Resource Schmeesource

For the first time in over one hundred and fifty something weeks, I missed my column deadline in the EA. I wish I could blame it on my bad karma, but it wasn't even that. It was a technical glitch- thanks, Gmail- compounded by a whole 24 hours spent offline. Perfect record: gone, just like that. But as my very nice editor pointed out: it buys me a week off, so, like, chill. Anyways, coming to an East African near you next week is this week's offering:

"Territorial disputes are nearly as boring to keep track of as footballers' careers, but I tried patriotically to have some – admittedly limited- interest in this particular one. The story that is emerging smacks to me of colonial baggage, avarice and no small amount of military restlessness. Even as I am of a mind to scoff at the thought of boys in uniform and their toys in matching camouflage getting excited about mud-wrestling over invisible lines, I am aware that there is a seriousness to these matters that should never be disregarded. Land is becoming a surprisingly valuable commodity in Tanzania, appreciating with every prospector who comes to scratch and sniff at what useful things might be lurking beneath."

If you've been keeping even half an eye on the regional news you'll have noticed that East Africa in general and Tanzania in particular is brimming with natural resources of all kinds. Oh, frabjous day, callooh, callay. Let me explain my disinterest thusly: resource curse. Stuff underground, especially in Africa, is usually a precursor to massive amounts of misery.

Take Tanzania, for example. If I thought there was even an inkling of a chance that those in public service were capable of engineering contracts that would squeeze every penny's worth out of our natural resources for the good of the collective, I'd say dig that stuff up right now (in an environmentally friendly way, of course). We could use our mineral wealth to jump start all kinds of development projects that would drive us into a glorious near-future. I might despise Dubai's tacky parvenu ostentation and Saudi Arabia's neanderthal gender politics BUT I do admire how the Arab nations transformed from nomadic desert tribes to ridiculously wealthy citizenry in the blink of a petroleum discovery. And let's not forget: they gave us Al Jazeera.

But our truth is that present day Tanzanian politicians lack the wherewithal to master our potential for the greater good. The political will is just about nil, and I don't doubt for a second that any and all can be bought by local and international "investors" for a couple thousand dollars, maybe a couple of million. Those that can't be bought... aren't anywhere near the wheeling and dealing, now are they? We're doomed by the petty hungers and limited ambitions of the men and women in short-sleeved suits.

And so I see two things coming out of our resource wealth in the near future. First, it will engender opportunistic greed in our friends and neighbors such as the Malawi debacle has shown. If in doubt, ask the Congolese how that mess works out. Secondly, may I drw your attention to the platinum miners in South Africa who have been thoroughly done over by their own police force for getting in the way of vested interests. Cautionary tale? Sure. It's not like Barrick has managed yet to quell for good the rumors of their malfeasance here in Tanzania. But let's not forget that for such gross inhumanities to take place the responsible government must be complicit. And ours is a government just writhing with excitement at the thought of being complicit, given the right price...

Tanzania at 50: Confessions of a Couch Sweet Potato

There was a call for the Dar es Salaam Bloggers' Circle and TZ blogosphere to put up a post on the celebrations of Tanganyika's 50th Independence day which I fully intended to answer. But I spent most of the weekend on the couch at home napping to recover from the first summer cold of the season, watching the independence celebration on TV or reading other people's work. It was glorious. For the rest of the year I plan on basking in the afterglow of the climactic long weekend. TZ50+ will be recurring as a theme often enough in the coming years.

Here's some of the good read I have gleaned off my Twitter stream, and the Circle:

1. Shurufu's piece on nationalism and identity at this point in our history is thoughtful, if ambivalent at the end. Which is not a bad reflection of the state in which many of us youthful Tanzanians find ourselves.

2. Less emotive perhaps, Ahmed offers this piece in VijanaFM which ends on more of a challenge for Tanzanians to think and act.

3. The Creatively Maladjusted's piece on social media in TZ was a very nice bit of of journalism indeed. Food for thought if you're a socmed practitioner in this market.

4. Swahili Street with his finger on the political pulse manages to ground a very serious topic in a lucid way: the growing frustration of the young majority. It might be brief, but it is the best bit of thinking I have read about this to date, and definitely worth more commentary from social scientists.

5. Some great fact-based perspective from Daraja about the water supply in Tanzania, and what 'development' actually means in this sector.

6. And finally this interview with Seko Tingitana who produced and directed the excellently executed Mkwawa documentary.

And for dessert, some nice pieces from outside TZ:

1. Although they hid it in the middle of their article on the growth of African prosperity, I did find the Economist's pseudo-apology: "Since The Economist regrettably labelled Africa “the hopeless continent” a decade ago, a profound change has taken hold." What was that? Sorry, I didn't quite catch it... could you PRINT THAT BIGGER? Okay, thanks.

2. Last but not least, I really enjoyed Charles' article about African gender roles and contemporary masculinity. It'll put a smile on your face.

Tanzanian Woman of Note: Julie Makani Simba

Dr. Julie Makani recently won a 60,000 Pound Sterling prize from the Royal Society. Just to give you a woefully inadequate summary: she is a superbrain researching how to help increase the survival rate of children born with Sickle Cell Disease. You may call her Dr. Awesome. And then if the spirit moves you, which it will, you can show her love by supporting the Sickle Cell Foundation of Tanzania.

Ooooh. I. Love. It. When a Tanzanian woman gets recognized for her brilliance. Instant feminist energy recharge. Context: a number of weeks ago, The East African had as its insert a special on the women leaders of East Africa. Which immediately raised the question of proportional representation. Truth is that many of us living outside Nairobi damned a very good piece of work with faint praise because, well... there weren't as many Tanzanian women as we had hoped to see. It may be that our regional rag doesn't know better. And its not like Tanzanians make it any easier for them.

This can mainly be explained by the Tanzanian modesty thing... actually, I just realized that discussing the Tanzanian modesty thing takes a lot of work so I'll save that for another blogpost.

Dr. Makani has been doing her righteous work for a long time now and has finally been outed. I am a big believer in respecting people's privacy, but there's a feminist agenda that's lagging in this country. A bit of promo work so that people get to understand just how bad-ass daughters of the Tanzanian soils can be is overdue. Our boxy little socialist suits and affable smiles are hiding a plethora of skills and achievements from the world.

So one of these days, while Julie is trying to get some work done, I'm going to take my chances and breathe down the back of her labcoat while asking intrusive questions for the blog. And she's going to have to suffer through it :)

A Note to Binyavanga: It Can Be Done.

Score. Two great pieces going around that combine personal observation with Bigger Picture reflections on the soul of Tanzania. Nothing wrong with the impersonal reportage style of writing that dominates much of the blogosphere. Facts here, cross-references there- all very solid, and admirable, and useful in terms of pushing whatever development or intellectual agenda there is. But sometimes, it is nice to hear from... people. Which is what makes Binyavanga Wainaina is so eminently readable.

M.G. Vassanji asks: "In Tanzania, is it that they complain too much or they expect too much?" You know, the magic of that first line that gets the core question exactly right? Years of practice, man. Years of practice. Frigging beautiful when it is done right.

Pernille has come up with a different set of observations and personal experiences which lead to a similarly conflicted opening statement:

"'What I love about Tanzania is the deep complexity and the massive contrasts'. I can hear myself formulate this pretentious sentence at a presentation somewhere in Denmark where I have to pass on the idea that I know exactly what's going on between me and Tanzania. Being honest - I am not perfect - this is also the kind of relationship which on occasion makes me so kali that I long for the Danes' obsession with organising things and sticking to plans; their telling the plain truth and not fearing consequences; and with their 'we're all equal and all entitled'."

Heh.

What I like most about these is that they are outsider/insider perspectives of Tanzania that manage to expose something about the core of our society. This place isn't just complex- it is complicated too. The minute you convince yourself that you know exactly what is going on, and you have mastered the country, Tanzania is likely to buck you like spastic ostrich. Even if you are the President. She's wonderfully egalitarian that way. Its nice to read folks who get that about her.

Wikileaks Tanzania Files: We're Just Not That Into You.

The Wikileaks files on Tanzania were released a couple of weeks ago. I am a newcomer to the Wikileaks phenomenon because when the organization emerged as a contender in the media world, I think I was distracted by something else. So this is the first time I have actually read Wikileaks products. I have to admit that the Tanzanian files weren't as... confidential... as I was hoping. I thought we'd be swimming in dusty documents that had been finangled from seriously deep storage, but what we got was a parcel of internal communications between the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam and Washington as well as other American missions in various countries. The reaction in the media etc. has been relaxed because the cables aren't Tanzanian documents. So, you know, whatever.

Daraja and Swahili Street posted the two commentaries that I have enjoyed most, thanks to the light-handed analysis. I don't think it is possible to read too deeply and conclusively into the leaked cables, but they are invaluable in two important ways. The first is new information about what the GoT gets up to. It isn't all exciting, there is plenty of incredibly boring administrative twaddle in there. But every so often a gem emerges that gives some insight into what taxpayer money is being used for in our diplomatic missions, who has been where and why and the myriad little rituals of international relations. That's entertainment.

The second is finding out what America is up to with regards to Tanzania. I can't even tell you how fascinating I find this aspect of the cables. The selection of topics, the routine intelligence work, the relationship with Washington and other Embassies. The interpretations that the Embassy has of Tanzanian behaviors, its successes and failures in coercing the GoT to do its bidding. Even something so simple as keeping track of who was writing the cables, their tone and thoughts, the concern with image management. Imagine what it is like being the minion chained to a desk in the basement, reading the Tanzanian soul for the American people. Yes, I might have read too much Tom Clancy.

I know I shouldn't get too excited because: how did the cables leak? They might have been unimportant enough that they were leaked defensively to provide a distraction. They might, in fact, be worthless. No point in avoiding that suspicion (hey, everything I know about espionage I learned from a bestselling novel, and I know that goes for you too). However, if this is truly how America is operating in TZ... interesting. Now. If we could get the Chinese communications from their mission(s) in TZ, that would ice the cake

The Weekly Sneak: African Social Intelligence

The UK riots, eh? Who could have predicted that? Well, most social scientists, actually. Here's a great post that gives a brief breakdown of the circumstances leading up to the explosion we just saw. I imagine this is just the beginning- like Columbine spawned a series of copycat crimes, this youth-anger-slash-and-burn method of social protest might just gain legitimacy as a form of "revolution." Look what happened after the Arab spring: a global obsession with reproducing the phenomenon.

Well (expletive deleted) that. While I am all for cultural exchange, I am decidedly a cultural relativist, and in many ways a total Afrocentric conservative. And this ka-"youth culture" that is emanating from the American mediatainment industrial complex has created a global fetishization of youth that I often find completely abhorrent. Women's magazines horrify me with their sexualized emaciated prepubescent children passing as supermodels, hip hop terrifies me with its vastly unchecked misogyny, violence and consumerism... anorexia, bulimia, self-hatred, botox, cutting, rioting, plastic surgery, preserved Hollywood celebrities who pervert our notions of what a forty- or fifty- year old looks like in real life... young Tanzanian women with perfectly beautiful pear shapes worrying about whether they are skinny enough or not...

Some aspects of what passes for "modernity" can just go straight to hell as far as I am concerned.

Too long it has been desirable (expected, frankly), for Africans to look Westward and Northward and take our cues from there. We have internalized this message, unfortunately. I can see it in the Facebook updates of people demanding that we bring violent means of conflict resolution to Tanzania to change our internal relations of power. That this is said with no irony whatsoever (violence in the service of... peace? in Tanzania of all places?) makes me wonder how self-aware we are as Tanzanian youth. Also, just how much world history we understand...

Anyways, I do think we've got something precious that apparently the UK could use more of. I call it Utu, although it goes a little bit beyond that. So this week, I took the UK riots as a jumping-off point to say to my peers: yeah, we got problems. But let's step away from all the cultural and political copycatting and handle our business like some well-raised, intelligent, self-aware Tanzanians. If we don't, we'll only end up in the same tight spots when its our turn to be called Elder. And won't that be a bitch to explain? The UK riots are the horrible lesson we don't have to live through to learn.

"Which leads me to the notion of respect for elders. This one is a double-edged sword: anyone who has spent five minutes watching Bunge TV will know that age does not automatically confer good sense, wisdom or even good manners. Sometimes drastic measures are needed to discipline our elders when they misbehave, since the worst of them believe complacently that age will protect them indefinitely from critical scrutiny. However, even as angry youth we cannot afford to ignore the ways in which our society provides for inter-generational conversation and mutual support in the things that matter. Those who have walked before us do know one or two lessons about life that are worth learning, wisdom does have its place in life."

Besides, we have a legacy to respect here. Mwalimu was barely in his thirties when he took command of a new country and foxed his way through the Cold War to protect a fledgeling country from predation. Most of his cadres were hardly old enough to shave. I can bet you that the previous generation didn't earn us the international reputation we enjoy by being hot-headed dingbats. Yeah, youth is cool, but maybe we can learn a thing or two from the old revolutionaries. They actually earned their stripes.

Oh, yeah. So this is for the EA. Which is owned by the Aga Khan, a mzee poa if there ever was one (and he started out pretty young). I expect to be thoroughly caned for my conservatism this time around :)

Karibu Tanzania...

The Board of Tourism has been trying to brand Tanzania for a long time. While I think it is ridiculous in a third-world-shady way to brand an entire country, it is a necessary evil of the modern tourist industry. Since we do put a quarter of our landmass under protection so that we can pimp... I mean conserve nature, we might as well get some crispy fresh dollars out of the process. They have come up with a slogan and I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised.

Tanzania: Feel great with friends.

No references to Kilimanjaro, no tacky animal print, no saccharine Zanzibar myth-making. Just a focus on the people and the quality of your experience here. Another way of saying: Karibu. I could live with that. If you want to comment or suggest an alternative to the people in power, email them at: brand@tanzania.go.tz

The Leadership Question

Couple of nights ago, a group of thirty or so folks gathered in a meeting room at a hotel in Dar es Salaam, convened by YES Tanzania*. The organization had put together a discussion involving four panelists: three parliamentarians from three different political parties, and one free-range blogger/columnist who doesn't quite know how she ended up there. The discussion topics: Leadership, Energy (electricity, really), Constitution and Loliondo. Oh, and Chatham Rules applied which basically means that I can tell you what went down but I can't tell you who said what. Sorry.

As these things go, it was an intensely informative experience and I am still digesting. But I'll give you at least one impression per issue discussed:

1. Loliondo: I am so glad we talked about it. Everyone wanted to talk about it. We'd either been there, or knew someone who had been there, or were skeptics about the whole thing. What was really interesting about that topic was the fact that we were all more keen to share thoughts and experiences than to condemn each others' competing views. I think that maybe we needed the catharsis of free and open dialogue. Democracy in action: not contention, not consensus, but freedom of speech, in search of understanding.

2. Energy: uh, guys. This thing is one complicated ball of knotty problems that leads straight into the heart of our obsession with corruption, lack of accountability, reformist agendas in the current government and the ins and outs of professional politics. Not only did we meander back in history to 1992 when the first power shortage crisis hit the country, we got a glimpse into how things really get done in this country just by listening to one industrialist, one banker and three politicians recount the events of the past nearly twenty years while give some personal commentary. In a nutshell, don't get too excited about this problem being solved overnight. It's going to require some serious muscle.

3. The Constitution: Constitutional law is not for the faint-hearted. This topic was fielded by one particular politician who rapid-fired in Kiswahili over a broad range of issues about the Articles of Union, the Union itself, the legal soundness of our Constitution and a host of other things that I am not sure I can even begin to explain here. It's complicated? Doesn't even begin to cover the nuances of the multilayered cake that is our legal foundation. Wow.

4. The leadership question: well, this was my area of "expertise" actually. As the only civilian on the panel I was duty-bound to push the question of what leadership actually means for people in the public life. And what that, in turn, means for the people whom they have sworn to serve. What I hoped to convey in the discussion was that leaders need to be exceptional. They need to inspire us and make us confident of their principles and character. They need to rise above the demands of populism, of pettiness, of selfish desire in order to reach for the ultimate goal- real public service, and a legacy worth the sacrifices. I sort-of managed that (because public speaking is one of my seven circles of hell) but I didn't have to worry- between the moderators and the professional politicians things got taken care of.

I despair, sometimes, as maybe you do. It can be hard to believe that any of the political craziness is going to result in anything good. I mentioned that the other panelists were from three different political parties. Well, I wish you could have been there to see what collaboration looks like when politicians show that Tanzania matters more to them than differences in ideology. Socialist, conservative or liberal- in the end they all turned out to be Republicans. I found that reassuring, even if I am not naive enough to think that these magical moments of conviviality can be allowed to see the light of day in our current political environment.

Let me conclude with this sentiment: leadership isn't a superpower. Some people have it more than others, which is good because someone has to do the dirty work of governing. Awed as I might have been by the strong Alpha/Beta Male waves of political accomplishment in which I was smothered, I did get to glimpse one thing: they're just people. Unexpectedly sweet**, and subject to all the same vagaries of life that you are. If they can do it- heck, if I can dare to join them in a debate- then you can damn well believe that you can too.

Well, you can try anyways :)

*YES Tanzania is a registered non partisan and non profit organization that intends to bring together, network and provide positive - constructive platform for Tanzania young senior executives from public, private and civil society to discuss, connect, celebrate and showcasing their achievements on various leadership based issues for better Tanzania.

YES's Philosophy is "To enable young executives to stay connected and to become better leaders, as well as to promote thought leadership and constructive engagement”

** Yes, I am aware that I shouldn't get too fond of politicians. But I was literally in the middle of three vortexes of intense Tanzanian Charm Offensive of the political Super variety. I didn't stand a chance.

The King's Diary: The Importance of Fighting Corruption

Dear Me

I have come to appreciate the importance of anti-corruption work. The other day I used the TKP’s anti-corruption drive to purge from the party my biggest opponents. And last week, our donor friends offered $ 100 million in return for a long overdue anti-corruption report. Making money has never been easier!

The Kingdom has benefitted in many ways from this anti-corruption survey. First, when after many years of haggling the TKP agreed to the survey, we received good marks (i.e. money) from our friends. Then we refused to release the results for 2 years. Our friends got so frustrated that they offered big money if we did. So in a demonstration of sincerity I ordered the release.

After I ordered the release we tried to pull another trick by distinguishing between releasing in principle and when to release but this did not fly. So we published the report on a web link that does not function. But somehow the report did come out.

Not that it matters. There is hardly anything new in it. 86% of households consider the traffic police corrupt. Duuuuh. 73 percent believe that the judiciary is not fair or impartial. Oooooh. That compromising civil servants is an important way to maintain loyalty to the TKP and that this, in turn, keeps the country stable is something that donors fail to grasp. But never mind.

The survey did contain some useful information as well. 57% of households do not dare to report a corrupt act for fear of victimization or because they would not get protection. Good to know the TKPs system of repression remains effective!

As for next steps, with the report in hand I am going to ask the donors to address the corruption as identified. I did the same with the ICF, and received a lot to reduce roadblocks (sic). I am quite convinced that the donors will agree with me that major investments in computers and vehicles as well as elaborate ethics training and salary increases are likely to help bring down corruption. It will cost a fortune, but it’s worth it. Not?

Anti-corruption .... I love it.

Media and Accountability: Livebloggin the Tanzania Media Fund Forum

Good morning Dar-es-Salaam! I'm wearing my semi-professional hat today and liveblogging from the Tanzania Media Fund Forum that is being held at Mlimani City as I type. The basic concept behind the Tanzania Media Fund is simple and straightforward: to support the development of a free, fair and accountable media sector in Tanzania. A pretty big project in many ways, which you can read more about on their website.

This event is meant to showcase TMF's successes, will feature a hot debate about Media and Accountability and a keynote address by the guest of honor, the Deputy Minister for Information, Sports and Culture Dr. Fenella Mukangara. The event is also being liveblogged/tweeted by my fellow social media URLs: JamiiForums, VijanaFM, TMF and hopefully Udadisi (where, oh where is my favorite die-hard Afrosocialist?). Check them out.

I am watching the TMF documentary as we speak, and it is quite an interesting mix of people. Just spotted Mrema in one segment endorsing TMF, and some testimonies from practitioners. Stepping outside the big media houses, it's evident that there is a lot of untapped potential in our pool of journalists. Makes me wonder: is our media quality being compromized by the journalists themselves, the media market or some other factor? If you have questions or comments I'm online so email elsieeyakuze@gmail.com or tweet MikocheniReport. Look forward to hanging out with you.

Observation: I am the only woman at a table of six online journalists covering the event. Online journalism, a new frontier for fellow fempundits? Weigh in.

The King's Diary: Agriculture, First.

Dear Me

Almost two years ago the Agriculture Matters Initiative was launched. It has worked wonders. The Kingdom imported hundreds of tractors and sold them at throw-away prices to those we owe for their support during the elections. We’re inviting plenty of large scale investors to buy big tracts of land (at a reasonable commission of course) and have introduced a fertilizer voucher scheme that generates very smooth pays offs to my people.

The Agriculture Matters Initiative has also helped keep the inquisitive donors at bay. As the Kingdom’s homegrown plan to address poverty, their rhetoric of country ownership leaves the foreigners little choice but to embrace the initiative. Even the smarter foreign sponsors who smell a rat (after all which country asks the business sector to develop its poverty reduction strategy?) prefer to ignore the initiative’s inconsistencies in the interest of good relations.

Now that our self-promoting scheme is bearing ‘results’ and paying my supporters handsomely, complaints crop up. The other day an academic argued that the credit window of the Agriculture Matters Bank is not pro-poor because it only allows loans of at least Kingdom Shillings 100 million, a massive amount. Well, of course, the amount is massive. These loans are meant for my supporters; not for peasants! It was a great move to state that small cultivators should organize themselves into groups to qualify for the loans. They’ll never manage to do that.

While I will deal with the academic who raised the loan issue, the fact that people start to express concern demonstrates the need to be careful. I should avoid that the Agriculture Matters Initiative creates dissent amongst my most loyal power base: smallholder farmers. It seems that the Initiative creates fear of being displaced from agriculture, their livelihood, because of losing their land to land grabbing large-scale investors.

The remarks by the former Secretary General of the United World, who leads another large scale agriculture initiative, were helpful. He stated that “responsible large scale farming systems can play an important role in directly supporting small farmers through technical advice, transfer of new technology and support and access to markets”. Maybe I can tell my supporters to change tack a bit and make sure that in addition to enriching themselves, also peasants benefit. And possibly I can hear more from the former Secretary General when he visits the Kingdom: he really seems to understand our situation.

23 March 2011

* A quick apology: this post is terribly late as I have been lax in my blogging lately. As punishment The King has given me a manual lawn mower and ordered me to clear up the Ikulu grounds. I guess it's better than the dungeons.

Coming Attractions!

One of the best things about this blog is that it has given me friends in art places. Hehe, get it? Friends in art... nevermind. But you know how it is- this is a small city. Hang around people's porches ling enough and instead of getting arrested for stalking, you end up bumping into some creatives. And creatives do cool stuff.

Coming to an Alliance Francaise near you: capturing light on the ocean with paint. Origins is a collection of painting by Nadir Tharani- author, architect, artist. Here is a brief interview by VijanaFM profiling Nadir and his work. It opens tomorrow and will be running until the 8th of April and from the little I have seen if you love the color blue the way that I do, you better go treat yourself.

Then, there is Jazz. I love Busara, really, but I have always thought that this coast is very well suited to a Jazz festival. Turns out that other much more able people have been working on this idea for a while now. This April, the first steps are being taken in that direction and it's looking good so far. Check out the First Dar Jazz Event on their website and enjoy.

Still Perfecting Regime Change Half a Century into Post-Colonialism

Watching what's going on in Libya, with Muammar Qaddafi slaughtering his own citizens, and the aftermaths of elections in Uganda and Cote d'Ivoire amongst other places, it is hard to believe that so many Africans are having to fight for their liberty... again. The irony is that the worst offenders on the continent seem to be former "liberators" of their countries. Kagame, Uncle Bob, Qaddafi, Museveni. Even in countries where elections are held, it seems that handing over power is a difficult thing to do.

What does this mean for Tanzania? I tend to look to South Africa rather than our neighboring countries* in order to try and imagine a potential political trajectory. Although the question has been kicked around here and there, I really can't imagine the North African/Middle East revolts reproducing themselves here. We're too differently organized, and there isn't a Grand Unified Cause yet to bring Tanzanians together across the country in solidarity to overturn a system as deeply entrenched as the CCM political structure. Besides, our Presidents don't make particularly good targets seeing as they respect their term limits, which means the goalposts are moving every ten years or so. Which means you have to target the whole party. Which is damn hard to do.

South Africa (specifically the ANC) has made some interesting choices in it's recent political life. The post-Madiba Presidents have come with incredible liabilities attached: Mbeki mishandled the HIV/AIDS issue with surprising incompetence, and then there's Jacob Zuma who has, with the help of his protege Malema, made a joke of the Party. Corruption, failure to deliver services as promised to the poor majority, a visible income gap growing between the BEE class and regular folks who have no access to kickbacks. Sound just like home :) Since the ANC, like CCM, is not the personal fiefdom of one crazed old freedom fighter but is rather made up of several groupings of ambitious power-brokers, no one is going to get a chance at leading the country until The Establishment is well and truly ready to give in.

We've proved by the ballot that we are quite comfortable continuing with a CCM government, no matter what the more vigorous malcontents might say in the press. I guess most of us are quite pragmatic that way: better the devil you know. Judging by the way our opposition is behaving on the mainland- Zanzibar is exempted as a GNU- we're obviously not ready for a party change here. And if you think we are, I ask you to consider this: if the formal opposition in Parliament has been unapologetically hogged by one opposition party with no remorse for alienating its natural allies, what will they get up to when they have access to all the public monies and the power that comes with government?

I don't doubt that there will come a day when even the idea of a CCM government will be untenable, and a viable alternative will present itself. It's even possible that we'll change parties without any loss of life or property in this idyllic future. In the meantime, there's a lot of groundwork to be done by the citizenry, and not the political class, to foster an environment where Tanzanians feel personally invested in and capable of contributing to the country. I believe the term is active citizenship? I live in hope.

BTW, despots are usually easy to spot: they tend to cultivate colorful, bizarre habits. Qaddafi's Jheri Curl hair products have obviously pickled his brain due to long use. Never, ever, ever tolerate a leader who looks like an escapee from the Koffi Olomide School of Manly Beauty. Or one with a fly whisk/animal print hat/ white handkerchief/vegetarian with a predilection for twins/dandy tendencies/fondness for the White Hunter look...

*I think we have a few more political similarities with SA than we do with our fellow EAC countries, actually. Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda apparently don't really do peaceful regime change, and Kenya seems to be looking for it's internal coherence with both hands and a flashlight. While I wish them the best and reluctantly agree that the EAC might have some economic utility, as a Tanzanian I want no part of the political federation scheduled for 2013...

Jazz, The Military and Democracy Too.

To follow up on the Gongo la Mboto munitions dump explosions, Swahili Street has put up some links to excellent articles about the military in Tanzania. Not easy to find this kind of information, so the links are quite valuable.

Better late than never: FREE Jazz tonight at the Black Tomato from 6:30-8:30 pm- Top Brass. Yeah, it's army guys...

And a little something something that brings gaming joy to political buffs: I can't recommend this simulation enough. It really brings a touch of perspective about the interesting complexities of keeping a votership happy. Kinda like SimCity or Flight Sims, but for wanna-be politicians :) Just be warned, it takes a LOT of effort not to get booted out within a couple of cycles.

A Culture of Accountability: Off With Their Heads!

A bit of a discussion about the aftermath of the bombings came up, and I expressed my deep skepticism about any calls for resignation at this time. Fellow blogger hj had this to say in response:

"I don't think it's just political posturing or unfocused anger that is pushing for these calls of resignation. The situation in gongo la mboto is simply a microcosm of a larger problem at hand. Accountability and governance isn't just donor-ingratiating jargon. Yes, a resignation or dismantling of the government structure may not do much good, but what is the alternative. There is more at stake here then simply a power shift, this may be an opportunity to cultivate a culture of responsibility and engagement rather than complicity, armchair activism and rhetorical spin."

I really like that last part: "this may be an opportunity to cultivate a culture of responsibility and engagement..."

As it happens, this afternoon the Army called a press conference to partially inform the public about the Gongo la Mboto events. Even more shockingly, the two high ranking officers tasked with the job- Brigadier General Leonard Mndeme and Brigadier General Paul Mella- did their best to answer journalists in a courteous and informative manner (they didn't always succeed, but they tried). When challenged as to whether the report of the commission tasked with investigating this event will be made public, considering that the report on the Mbagala bombings was not, Brig. Gen. Mella had a telling moment. He joked that with the current parliament that we have, it would be difficult not to make the report available to the public.

Accountability is indeed not donor-ingratiating jargon- if anything I would argue that donors should stay far away from that party.* However accountability is also not a top-down game, you can't parachute it in with a couple of high-profile resignations. It has to be demanded and fostered at the grassroots level and become an inalienable component of our understanding of professionalism in the public sector.

I am not against the resignations per se, but I do think that they lose their impact as a political tool when used improperly. Case in point: Former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa** resigned in 2005 over the Richmond/Dowans scandal. In 2011 he is back in parliament as Chairman of the Standing Parliamentary Committee for Defence, Security and Foreign Affairs. Dowans is being paid taxpayer money for not producing any electricity, and we are experiencing 12-hour power cuts that have already caused a number of small industries to shut down, rendering their employees jobless. Who is laughing now?

During the army press conference, there was no sign of our Minister of Defence and National Service, Mr. Hussein Mwinyi. Chief of the Armed Forces General Davis Mwamunyange was also conspicuously absent. We haven't been told anything about the officers who were directly in charge of that munitions dump. These are glaring holes in the story, a story we are yet to piece together. A resignation based on a general principle of accountability is fine, but I would rather a resignation or three based on evidence, facts and direct culpability. That, I would find deeply and lastingly satisfying.

But, more importantly- how do we make sure that Gongo la Mboto's events spur us to create a culture of responsibility and engagement? And specifically, what tools can we bring to bear in the effort? I want to go back to the Army press conference. Major Mela essentially promised by implication that the report would be made available to Bunge, which is the people's organ of government.

We are not privy to cabinet deliberations but I can guarantee you that within seconds of that document hitting Bunge, wenyenchi will be all over it like flies on a warm glass of Safari. In fact, in the past five or so years parliament has arguably done more to foster accountability (however hairy and inconsistent the ride has been) than any other tool/method/forum outside of independent media. None of this would even have been possible if certain politicians hadn't used that platform to blow things wide open a few years ago where government is concerned. Now, if only we can stop the habit of letting politicians bribe us for our votes during elections, we might have a fighting chance at this good governance thing.

I want to make one last point. Dramatic, emotionally charged events with high loss of life such as Gongo la Mboto excite us, understandably, to examine issues of accountability and governance with great immediacy. Off with their heads! But... every year far large numbers of us are dying thanks to poor healthcare, access to medicines, clean and safe water, antiretrovirals, safe birthing services... you get the drift. Sadly, these every day stories are not sexy outside of NGO circles. We would rather see Mwinyi or Mwamunyange be fired in disgrace and savor that moment than storm the walls of the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education and demand their heads on a platter. For that matter, we don't even know how much money the Army spends on toys and guns when the budget for Health is so horrifyingly inadequate.

I worry that if a scapegoat is identified and "forced" to resign, our nimble thespians will put on a satisfying show on the political stage and nothing else. We the people will buy tickets to the public political beheadings and go back home... to our powerless, waterless houses to put our kids to sleep, praying they don't get malaria and that maybe they will learn to read and write when they go to school tomorrow, that we'll still have that small factory job that's earning us a wee bit of a living, that when we go to hospital we'll have enough saved up to bribe the nurses into selling us medicines that were meant to be given for free, that the government will not sell off to much of the Strategic Grain Reserves to Kenya as this is a drought year and the price of food is already going up...

I would rather wait and see what's going to be done about our weapons storage/management issues, compensation in disasters, settlement policy with regards to military bases and real accountability in a meaningful way, without the distraction of a public hanging.

*... yeah, this is one of those things we kinda need to do for ourselves. As it is, the government is far too concerned with being accountable to donors while it ignores local watchdogs and voters.

I Did Not Have Sexual Relations With That Company...

Remember when Bill Clinton was in the throes of denying his affair with whatsername, the White House intern? Yeah. Tragic, wasn't it? If Bill had just manned up, the world would have been spared all that tedious American puritanism and barely louche jokes about cigars and stained dresses. Decorum, people, is one part savvy and four parts sheer balls.

So, yesterday Jay Kay denied having any sexual relations with Dowans, or knowing anything at all about anything that might be useful to anyone. In a nutshell he said: "I'm clueless. And, I'm powerless too. So don't bother me."

Dude. Seriously? Or, as we say in Bongoland: Duh?! Aiseee....

Sure, we understand plausible deniability. Even understand that Jay Kay was probably not directly involved in the cooking of the Richmondowans books. Because that would take foresight, skill and a certain savoir-faire that we can't accuse Jay Kay of possessing following his recent statements. Hell, TIA: we even understand that it's perfectly acceptable for a rich/powerful/politician dude to throw his friends under the bus for expedience. Sure.

But irrefutable PR disasters? That's just not how we want our Presidents to roll. Which is why I gotta ask: where in the world is the Ikulu Director of Communications? If I held that job (CJ Craig, what what!) and my boss was about to put his foot in his mouth and eat it with ketchup, I would engage him in a flying tackle that would knock his presidential ass out long before he could say anything so damaging to the Office of the Presidency. I mean, c'mon! Half a decade of independence, one pan-african hero, a towering (ahem) international political reputation and our President thinks it's a good idea to come across as a developmentally challenged head of state?

...flying tackle for sure. Because no matter how ignorant you are, as a President and (theoretically) a paramount leader of an independent nation, there is one thing you are not allowed to do: cheerfully admit your fricking incompetence to the world. Jeez, Ikulu: can I buy you a clue?

The King's Diary: Have I Been Too Soft?

Quick Note: I asked His Excellently Handsome Highness about how he would like to handle questions/discussions. HEHH prefers that all queries and comments be directed to the comments section where he will answer on occasion, and perhaps even deal with weightier issues in other Diary entries. So please feel free to use the comments button.

Dear Me

When I looked out of my bedroom window this morning, I counted 17 ships waiting to dock. The sight spoiled my mood. In January 2009 I ordered the port authorities to find ways to ease the congestion and for a while the situation improved. Now I realize this may not have been the result of their hard work but of the global economic downturn. Either way, the situation is as bad as it used to be.

My orders are being ignored and the more I think about it, the angrier I become. The port authorities are not the only ones to defy my orders. The other day the Prime Minister even felt compelled to reiterate to the regional leaders the need to follow my directives. How insulting. Nobody should have to be reminded to follow my demands!

Have I been too soft? This tradition of impunity may be good for maintaining peace and quiet, the TKP loses legitimacy as a result. I recall a survey from 2008 in which 68% of the respondents state that the government does badly in improving the living standards of the poor and 62% state the government does poorly in creating jobs. 50% even considers I handle the economy badly. Well, the latter may be true. Creating opportunities for my supporters to grow rich is not necessarily good for growth. But maybe the situation got out of hand.

I recall how the representative from the Empire of the East mentioned that in the Empire officials can be corrupt but that they are disciplined if they do not deliver economic growth. So why should I allow my officials to be corrupt AND hinder growth. In the Empire they hang indisciplined people but this is not our custom. Yet stripping officials from their citizenship and confiscating their assets I could do.

Question is, can it be done without harming myself. It would be unwise to go after the former King for instance, because the day I step down I might receive a similar treatment. Nor should I go after those who supported me to become King: they still have the power to push me out. But what if I go after some less influential officials? Like the port people? Hmmmm .... something to consider.

A Little Help From My Friends

Sorry- I didn't mean to be so offline in the first weeks of January but somehow they always get away from me. Like, the year officially starts in February which is great because it's also the shortest month of the year...

... right, you're here for content. Let's get to it then. First up, a bit of discussion on the issue of the Constitution. As you may know from the papers, Jay Kay has listened to the recommendation of his Grand Vizier and his government will set up a Commission to Review the Constitution. Commission my African Heritage! That's the kind of "maybe" that really means "no, dear." Anyways, I am in favor of a review but I have to admit that talking to a few brainiacs here and there and reading a little bit has made me wonder about how well-prepared I am to even broach the subject. Swahili Street has a very valid, fundamental point to make about the simple issue of Which Constitution Are We Talking About, for example. Since I gotta do my homework am gonna be quiet on this until I have more of a sold platform to rant from.

According to the recent TMR poll on said Constitution, 3/11 have read the whole hog (well done!), 5/11 of you haven't (why not?) and another 3/11 of you have read bits and pieces (i'm with you there). Big deal? I'm not sure what to make of these numbers yet except to say that obviously the majority of us have bumped up against the constitution at some point. I wonder if we wouldn't benefit from that interesting exercise that happened in Congress recently...

This is an interesting article on the issue of governance, or rather the role of politics in development. It's amazing that something so self-evident actually has to be "discovered" or discussed as thought it is new thinking. When did humanity forget that "Good" Government= Agreed Results= Happy, Amenable Citizenry? I suppose I should be pleased that this train of thought is getting attention from the Men in Suits rather than sarcastic. But, you know? Africa works exactly the same as anywhere else, dude.

That demonstration in Arusha that ended in violence? We can expect to see more and more violent conflict erupting as we wrestle our way out from under the sweaty thumb of the state. We're the same people who stone ministerial and presidential motorcades. I hate this bullish attitude, and as a pacifist I don't believe in (and will not be convinced to believe in) violence as a reasonable agent of positive change. Not one bit. But as an indicator of frustration- especially young male frustration? It doesn't get any more explicit than that.

Question is... what's The Establishment going to do about it? We're watching you...

One final point, appetite whetter. Remember this great story? I know some y'all read it even if you avoided the comments section like the plague. Well, I am happy to announce that TMR may be hosting a few more of Neema's writings in the very near future! Keep tuned in.

A Christmas Allegory

When I was a kid, I used to get told stories all the time. There always seemed to be an older relative around who could be cajoled into telling us about Abnuasi (sp?) or any number of tricksters. These stories were almost always quite dark and some were frankly revolting... none of that Disneyfied twaddle for us pre-TV kids, no Hakunarrrr Matatarrrrrr here.

What was really good about these stories, this dying art, is how very best of them could condense deep insights into human nature and the way of the world into a half-hour's entertainment. Politics, thrift, love, loyalty, cunning, competitiveness, character... a philosophical answer to almost any issue lay just one story away.

So when I came across this great allegory* a couple of days ago, I thought y'all might enjoy it too. It's a fun read for the big kid in you and has some rather interesting things to say about "a richly-endowed country, possibly Tanzania"'s contemporary history not to mention our development policies... and our leadership. I'll tell you this much- it doesn't exactly paint Bongo as an Emergent Democracy.

I have a few things to say about the political reading- I find that it could be more nuanced- but there is something to be said about the way in which we are often run more like a monarchy which kow-tows to patriarchal and hereditary power than a Weberian bureaucracy. Still, the story is the most candid, nimble and humorous piece of musing on Tanzanian development I have read in a very long time. Love it? Hate it? Holler in the comments section.

*You have to click on 'view' in the right hand bar under 'Current News' to read The Choice.

Just Desserts

Yup, that was the sound of my government flushing yet another decent civil servant down the toilet. And to imagine there's former ministers who are still MPs, walking around with the temerity to claim that they are innocent and... wait for it... "misunderstood". I beg to differ: no one is more misunderstood than honest public servants, all three of them. Heh.

Before Tido Mhando joined the national broadcaster, there was TVT. To say that it sucked would be to heap far too much praise on it. What it did, in fact, was embody the worst aspects of a captive party mouthpiece with tricks employed by the likes of Mobutu in the 1980s. Although Mobutu's propaganda machine had some pretty unbelievable craziness* going for it which made things interesting. The only thing TVT had going for it was access to archival footage.

Then Tido came home from a long stint at the Beeb, got hired by The Establishment and apparently decided to put the Public back in our public broadcaster. He's had a four-year run. It has been glorious, each year better than the last. So you can imagine, I have been laboring under the impression that the Kikwete administration is genuinely media-friendly.

Which doesn't mean that The Establishment feels the same way. I suppose it was only natural that it punish Tido and team by firing him unceremoniously. TBC's election coverage was too focused, too professional, too non-partisan, too bloody detailed and well-researched. If I was a zealous apparatchik, I imagine I would fire him too for having the audacity to do his job.

If this firing thing really sticks, it's going to be very interesting to see what happens next. I certainly look forward to making fun of his successor. If we're lucky, perhaps Tido will stick around to teach aspiring Tanzanian broadcasters how to do their job, because lawd knows we could do with some standards.

What's the lesson here? Work for this here government at your own peril. Unless you're a kleptomanic "misunderstood" "socialist", in which case you'll feel right at home.

*Like, the daily broadcasts would start with an image of Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku wa Zabanga and all his titles descending from the skies to the strains of the national anthem. And at night, naturally, at the end of the broadcast he would ascend again into the heavens. It has to be seen to be believed :)