Driving forces of abuse of HIV funds

By Elias Mhegera August 6, 2012

DIVERTING and abuse of donor funds is a common problem in Africa and many other parts of the world. This was revealed recently during the International AIDS 2012 Conference.

Dr Fatma Mrisho the Executive Director of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) was asked how does deal with this problem and her answer was “it is through a continuous advocacy and some prayers”.

This answer reflects that even Tanzania has not been able to deal properly with the problem of misuse of donors funds. Several times and in various fora it has been discussed that such funds do not reach the targeted people.

The conference to discuss the challenges to tackle new infections was conducted in Washington DC and Dr Mrisho was one of the panelists.

Tanzanians and other foreign dignitaries were invited to view a recorded session and later on experts were allowed to answer questions in response to the presentation.

The event was conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the National Institute of Medical Research on Wednesday last week.

Other presenters at the Washington DC event were    Dr Mariangela Simao, from Switzerland,    Deborah von Zinkernagel, the United States,    Raymond Yekeye, Zimbabwe   and Marieke van Schaik, Netherlands.

The moderator at the event was    Alvaro Bermejo. In The Tanzania session respondents were Brian Rettmann, Tanzania’s President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Country Coordinator.

Another respondent was Dr Luc Constatine Tanzania’s Country Coordinator UNAIDS. The two respondents concurred in one point that good implementation of programmes stems from a good policy framework in combating HIV/Aids.

“It is only after establishing a good policy framework that the Government’s investment in HIV/Aids programme will yield fruits,” commented Rettmann.

He added that in essence there have been many discussions on this subject but the main problem is that they do not create new awareness in the problem.

On her part Ms Petronella Mwasandube, Health Care Systems expert had this to comment “ we must act more professionally and seek for new solutions to the existing problems.

The presenters warned that there is a reduced donor funding which threatens to undo successes in the global response to HIV/AIDS. The funding provided from donor countries decreased by 10 percent in 2009-2010.

Dr Alex Ngaiza a technical adviser on HIV/Aids said that there was a need to continue with media campaigns on the use of condoms and other safer methods in order to avoid new infections.

 “We must not only advocate for increased donor funding, but also invest wisely, and hence the media is very important in disseminating messages against new infections,” he commented.

The panel also advised stakeholders to be innovative and design financing tools for raising large scale funding from non-government sources such as the introduction of an AIDS levy and lotteries.

Moreover they advised that the use of ARVs should not be taken as patients and the community in general as a cure to the HIV/Aids but as a tool for health care and quick recovery.

February 18, 2013

By Elias Mhegera

Stakeholders in the water sector have asked Tanzanians to support the government’s initiatives in providing clean water in both the urban centres and in the rural sector.

This call came on Thursday last week when these stakeholders attended a one day seminar on clean and safe water by experts from the Nippon Poly-Glue Co Ltd from Japan; the seminar was conducted at the residence of Japanese ambassador to Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.

Commenting after a water purification experiment was Allen Mweta, the Principal Engineer, Rural Water Supply in the Ministry of Water who appreciated that the simple purification process by this company will rescue a good number of Tanzanians from the rural sector who are highly affected by water borne diseases.

“There is a need to mitigate together between the government and investors both local and foreign in order to find how the private public partnership strategy can work in the provision of clean and safe water,” he commented.

Earlier the Japanese Ambassador to Tanzania Masaki Okada said that his country had supported the provision of clean water in many countries through after realizing that it has proven to be of high quality and trustworthy.

He acknowledged that the service is simple and affordable to people of low incomes. “This technology is suitable even to people in the rural areas of Tanzania because it does not demand costly investments,” he said.

The initiator of this technology Dr Eng. Kanetoshi Oda, chairman of the Poly-Glu Social Business Co Ltd said that his company finally managed to come up with successful results after a scientific research of more than ten years.

“We are in many places with a severe demand of clean water, like Somalia, Bangladesh, with an aim of ensuring that every villager gets clean and safe water, we have organized safe water committees, in so doing we have created jobs apart from providing clean and safe water.

He boasted that the core element of operations of his company has always been to make local people understand that they are able to make a new supply water point by themselves through the profit from the business.

“We have managed to create model water supply points, we have demonstrated that our business can improve people’s health, create jobs, and make a profit to water management committee too,” he concluded.

For his part the Bukoba Regional Commissioner Fabian Massawe thanked the Japanese Government and the Poly-Glu company for making his region a pilot study since many dwellers was being affected by water born diseases.  

It was disclosed during the question ad answers session that even regions with high concentration of fluoride like Arusha, Singida, Manyara and Kilimanjaro will benefit trough this technology which is able to remove the destructive chemicals that affect water users.

Photo:

A woman who was caught up in search of water in Mbeya, Southern Highlands of Tanzania

 

Religious clerics: return the constitution process to the citizenry!

By Elias Mhegera

March 26, 2014

Contacts: Tel: 0754-826272 email: mhegera@gmail.com

Tanzanians have once again been warned not to lose the track from the peaceful political terrain of mutual understanding which has identified this country for decades.

The call was made at a one day symposium at the New Africa Hotel; Dar es Salaam City Centre on March 26, and it was organized by the Konrad Adanauer Stiftung (KAS) in collaboration with the Inter-Religious Council for Peace Tanzania (IRCPT).

Calls for peaceful discussions on the draft constitution were started by Judge (rtd) Raymond Mwaikasu Chairman IRCPTs’ Board of Trustees, who counseled members of the Constituent Assembly (CA) to respect suggestions from the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC)

He counseled that Judge Warioba who represented the CRC which he had chaired did not present his personal opinions, but those of Tanzanians at large, and those of people his team managed to interview, and according to researches that it conducted during it’s tenure.

The KAS CEO, Mr Stefan Reith reiterated that it was in 1964 when KAS was invited by the founding father of this nation Julius Nyerere to facilitate the construction of Kivukoni College the main motive was to enhance leadership in a newly independent country by then.

He said that the meaning of participation of his organization was meant to contribute to the ongoing process of formulating a new constitution. He said that the vital role of the religious leaders is important because their congregants are in Dodoma as well.

For his part the moderator at the event Mr Salim Zagar reminded that efforts to get a new constitution had started long time ago and that the IRCPT has been part of this effort though then in a different name.

“this efforts started way back in 2003, then 2009 in a meeting at the Economic and Social Research foundation  ESRF, then since 2010 particularly after the General Elections the main opposition party Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA)  came out very vehemently in support of this bid,” he commented.

He reminded that it was again in 2010 when the IRCPT came out with 18 propositions of which 10 have been accepted in the Draft Constitution.

Earlier Mr Israel Ilunde from the Constitutional Forum well known as Jukwaa la Katiba said that he was happy to see that the Draft Constitution had sought for the institutionalization of the leadership code which is a good thing.

Also he cherished the move to abolish was offshore account for any public leader. For his part Auxiliary Bishop of the Dar es Salaam Archdiocese, Titus Mdoe expressed his disappointment as the process for getting a new constitution has been manipulated in order to further certain political agenda.  

Rev. Fr John Solomon, Secretary for a Peace Committee in Dar es Salaam says that the president was wrong in addressing Tanzanians in a style of a party leader than head of state.

“I fear that already the power mighty have already prepared their own constitution and that It seems the new constitution will just favour the ruling CCM than what the citizenry at large wishes,” he commented.  

A Muslim cleric Sheikh Ali Mosse said that the existence of God should be clearly stipulated in the Constitution and that non-believers should not be allowed to contest.

Rev. Chediel Sendoro called for more wisdom from the power mighty calling them not to hijack the constitution process anyhow. He called for members of the CA to maintain National cohesion. 

Sheikh Athuman Mkambako was wary as he wanted to know why there is a fear if one part of the Union was to join international organizations. Although he did not mention any name of an orgnisation but one could infer of Zanzibar’s attempt to join the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).

 The answer was immediate from his colleagues that there are certain items of international cooperation which for some reasons needs mutual consensus before one partner in the Union can join.

Eventually servants of God came up with twelve resolutions that will be tabled in Dodoma to members of the CA. Namely; that they must come out with a people’s constitution.

Secondly that the new constitution must indicate vividly the existence of God the Almighty and that God’s sovereignty than that of individuals should be the goal. Fourthly they counseled that the Constitution should join people than separate them.

Fifthly they warned of party fanaticism as it could destroy the ongoing Constitutional process. Moreover they were categorical that this is not a CCM’s constitution and therefore the Government and the CCM itself should not hijack the process.

They called for full attendance participation during the CA sessions. Moreover they warned members of the CA to abstain from non-constructive agitations. Ninthly they called members of the CA not to count on numbers but pertinent issues for mutual benefit of all Tanzanians.

There was a call to respect differing opinion, and that the CA is not an avenue for cheap popularity and finally those who want to criticize anyone should do so in a respectable way, without attacking one’s party but issues in hand.

Photo

        Auxiliary Bishop of the Dar es Salaam

        Archdiocese, Titus Mdoe

KEPA joins hand in efforts to find an amicable constitution…

Contacts: 0754-826272 mhegera@gmail.com

By Elias Mhegera

The call to respect people’s voices in the process of formulating a new constitution has reached a high peak as the civil society organizations (CSOs) are championing for their rightful position.

Many debates have been conducted so far in support or opposition to the three-tier government structure that was proposed by the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) which was chaired by the former Premier Joseph Warioba.

One of such fruitful efforts was convened by Kepa an international NGO originating from Finland in collaboration with other NGOs like the Tanzania Constitutional Forum, well known in its Kiswahili acronym of JUKATA and the Tanzania Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO).

The main discussion was centred on the theme “New Constitution for CSOs rights-based advocacy work”. Explaining the essence of the seminar was Mr Masud Hossain the Kepa-Tanzania country’s director who said human rights are essential in guaranteeing democratic rights and improving governance in general.

 “Kepa is a stakeholder being an NGO, and for the fact that the CSOs are becoming more serious partners in development, therefore the meaning of this seminar is to chart out how NGOs can make a positive contribution in the formulation of the new constitution from a CSOs perspective,” he said.

Further, he challenged CSOs in Tanzania to enhance their position and take their rightful position in the systems of check and balance emulating the Finnish model which he boasted that has been appreciated as the homeland of associations.

Speaking on the development of NGOs in Tanzania was Zaa Twalangeti, Programme Manager at TANGO who highlighted on how the CSOs now have become a institutions to reckon with in the power fabric of Tanzania.

“In the 1990’s, Tanzania was spurred on by a liberal market ideology and economic instruments, and through disillusionment with the post-independence one party-state, the civil society shifted its fight to poverty and economic hardships brought about by under-development…

“This time around the role of civil society spanned the political arena and became an instrument for promoting the well-being, influencing public policy, reducing poverty and administering humanitarian aid”. He said.

This statement was a reference to how political parties have dominated the Katiba process particularly the formation of a new federation whether to retain a slightly modified two-tier Government or to establish altogether a three-tier Government which the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has vigorously rejected.

But Humprey Polepole a Commissioner from the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) is bold in defending the Warioba’s Commission which came up with the three-tier Government much to the jubilation of the CSOs, opposition parties and the citizenry at large in Mainland Tanzania.

He disclosed that if the new constitution is to be approved and become operational will have many provisions which adhere to the Bill of Human Rights than the previous one of 1977.

“Development organizations should work in ways which strengthen accountability of governments to people living in poverty, particularly ensuring that citizen’s can hold governments to account in regard to human rights obligations” he said.

He revealed that human rights were given an impetus because the focus was to have a long-term working constitution which also adherers to international standards given the fact that now there are many interactions globally which also seeks for more accountability and transparency.

“Human rights-based approaches to development ‘empowers’ the beneficiaries of development, by making them the active participants of the development process, and by giving greater legitimacy and moral force to their demands,” he added.

Responding to these presentations was Mr Deus Kibamba the chairman of Jukwaa la Katiba (JUKATA) who said that good as it is the Draft Bill did leave certain elements of ambiguity which needs to be worked upon by the CSOs.

He said that there was a need of a thorough research on the implications of reducing Union matters from 22 as per the 1977 constitution to seven. He reminded that in the 1964 there were 11 issues which were doubled to 22 in 1977.

He also queried that there was no enough media engagement in order to enlighten citizens. Moreover, he questioned the extent of dialogue in analyzing issues, shortage of capacity building and even coming up with clear terms of reference.

It was during the debate that issues of divergence from the CSOs cropped up.  For instance Bubelwa Kaiza the executive director of the Concern for Development Initiatives in Africa (ForDIA) said that some NGOs in Tanzania are not serious therefore causing disharmony in the working of the CSOs.

But this was reduced by Israel Ilunde, Executive Director, Youth Partnership Countrywide (YPC) who said that the CSOs operate under very difficult circumstances from lacking resources both human and financial which cripples their working. “In my case I approve the efforts by the NGOs so far,” he said.

It was decided that NGOs should form strong networks in order to enhance their position when championing for people’s rights and other democratic requirements. Also it was decided that CSOs in Tanzania should amplify the provision of civic education and debates on pertinent issues which have been neglected.

Photo

Chairman of the now defunct Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), retired judge, Joseph Warioba

 

Tanzanians should go above cheap politics…

Contact: 0754-826272 mhegera@gmail.com

By Elias Mhegera

It is true that this has been going for quite some time that a receiving country has a right to approve or reject a diplomat from a sending country at its own resolve.

But the recent rejection of a proposed new Germany Ambassador to Tanzania Ms Margit Hellwig-Boette who had completed her term of service in Kenya could raise some eyebrows in the diplomatic circle at least here in Tanzania.

This is because the diplomatic world knows it well that a sudden change of attitude is always an earlier warning sign, and for that matter, some homework has to be conducted in order to get explanations on the underlying circumstances which dictated the Tanzania’s decision.

But analysts could go an extra-mile and associate this decision with political developments in this country whereby some countries including Germany have been associated with the ever growing popularity of the main opposition party Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA).

The diplomat in case has had a good record of championing for human rights in Kenya as well as supporting the international initiative through the International Criminal Court (ICC),  concerning the Kenyan 2007 post-election violence which culminated in the loss of hundred lives of innocent people.

It can tell that the Dar es Salaam either is not happy with this diplomat on the pretext of what might befall the Tanzanian mighty politicians if things will not augur well in regard to the respect of human rights.

To elucidate this and enlighten readers’ minds is when the Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung (KAS) through its country’s resident director Stefan Reith and another official and researcher Danja Bergmann published a report of their findings on a startling security situation in this country in late June 2013.

As it was anticipated simple minds from some unqualified spin doctors jumped into a conclusion that the KAS had a religious agenda in that this international foundation originating from Germany is a wing of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and therefore its alliance with CHADEMA is more of a religious alliance than a political one.

In an instance a segment of non-serious observers might be led to believe in this cheap propaganda, but  serious mind will go an extra mile and discover that not accepting ‘comrade criticism’ from well-wishers of this country like the KAS will just create a bad omen than bring hope to the fast waning away peace that this country used to enjoy.

If it is not for cheap propaganda, the culture of impunity and lawlessness that are finding a permanent space in Tanzania could eventually lead to more severe shortcomings, never witnessed within the 50 years plus since the independence of this country. 

A list of such nasty events is rather long, the bombing of Roman Catholic congregation at the St. Joseph Olasiti in Arusha on May 5, 2013, another similar incident in Arusha again during the CHADEMA meeting on June15, 2013 and yet another bombing in Arusha on April 13, 2014, the killing of a humble and unarmed journalist DaudMwangosi, the killing of Catholic priest Fr. EvaristMushi in Zanzibar, to the torching of churches in Mbagala and Zanzibar.

As if this is not enough, there is the throwing of acidic materials to foreign volunteers and even the killing of a Pastor Mathayo Kachila of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Tanzania (PAGT) in Buseresere, Chato district, in Geita region on a simple matter of beheading cows is not good signs of any peaceful country.

These nasty incidents instead are good indicators of crumbling state machinery. Therefore it is irrational to condemn whoever strives to improve the situation through comrade criticism and a friendly advice as the KAS did to Tanzania. 

Moreover, it is not proper to chastise the good relations between KAS and CHADEMA because German foundations are not new to Tanzania. Spanning from the mid-60s as it has been with the SPD-FES and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi which started in 1965.

On the other hand, another foundation the FNS, which is linked to the FDP is a closer associate of the Civic United Front (CUF), all these shares experiences and political strategies of survival and tactics in the political game, in so many ways.

It is sad indeed to notice that the co-operation between CHADEMA and KAS is seen in the light of a hidden religious agenda, even more so, that this party is registering continuous political vibrancy because of this ‘external influence’.

Instead, the situation should be discussed in the light of a growing failure in satisfying  the disgruntled youngsters who were promised of a million jobs in the 2005 General Elections by the incumbent President Jakaya Kikwete, a dream that remain unfulfilled to date (2013).

Therefore CCM lost in all the major cities of Tanzania with big concentrations of the street hawkers ‘machingas’ as it happened in Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, Ubungo and Kawe in Dar es Salaam, to municipal towns like those of Iringa and Shinyanga not forgetting the tiny island of Ukerewe and this has nothing to do with KAS, but unemployment and youngsters frustrations in general.

Problems like unemployment needs a long term plan and they cannot be resolved anyhow trough Police intimidations, brutality and harassment of journalists who are seen as agents of the opposition. Neither serious problems of this country can be resolved by hijacking the constitutional formulation process.

Promoting religious animosity could serve short term interests, but leave the country with unhealed wounds for quite a number of years to come. On the opposite, the KAS stands out to be the giant organization for finding an amicable solution of religious tensions in Tanzania through sponsoring a number of conferences on interreligious dialogue.

A number of publications  are available both at the KAS offices, in Dar es Salaam, at the Inter-Religious Council for Peace Tanzania(IRCPT) offices and to its members partners like the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT), Tanzania Episcopal Council (TEC) and the Free Pentecostal Churches of Tanzania (PCT).

Others are the Muslim Council of Tanzania (BAKWATA) and the Hindu Community all these efforts cannot be undermined. Moreover, publications that have been sponsored by KAS for O-level on Civics, and A-level secondary schools in General Studies to as far as Climate Change are indications of a good motives rather than devastative ones.

Photo

 The bombing of Roman Catholic congregation at the St. Joseph Olasiti in Arusha on May 5, 2013

Killing of Fr. Mushi: religious bigotry or?

By Elias Mhegera, Feb 2013

The death of a Catholic Priest Fr Evarist Mushi has just been a catalyst for a serious discussion on religious bigotry in Tanzania which was neglected for quite some time.

Opening a two days seminar discussing the preservation of peace in Tanzania on 20 and 21 was the Resident Director of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Stefan Reith who called for religious leaders from all sects to work on peace as a necessary prerequisite for development and harmony.

“Tanzania has a big history of peace and harmony, people of all religious have been living together without confronting each other, the recent developments are worrisome, we should overcome emotions when dealing with religious matters,” he said.

But during the main discussion accusing fingers were directed towards the two Governments both the Union and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar because religious rallies attacking other faiths have been there for quite some time but no tangible action was taken.

The seminar that was convened by KAS in collaboration with Inter-Religious Council for peace Tanzania (IRCPT), in the name of Interfaith Dialogue in Tanzania proved to be a milestone in recent times.

In question was the timing of commotions that were unprecedented before with many analysts pointing external elements due to the nature commotions and extent of damages that these tensions are causing to this country.

Rev Mushi who passed away on February 17 is a victim of negligence and unequivocal long term ill plans by criminals who are camouflaging themselves as proponents of certain religious interests.

Condemnations from all over the country including the USA, and European Union indicated that this killing has been given due weight in many circles domestically and internationally as well.

Efforts by the KAS and IRCPT have been there for long time but the tempo now has changed due to this event. For instance this seminar went hand in hand with the launching of a book on Peace, Love and Development being a reflection of a similar meeting that was convened last year immediately after commotions in Mbagala which led to destruction of church properties.

Ms Jacqueline Aisaa student at the Institute of Financial Management (IFM) says that she has been hearing incitements for a number of years but she never thought they could read to such catastrophic results.

“Whenever I pass along some corners in Dar I hear people preaching and even rebuking other faiths but I do not take those nasty incidents seriously, even if my religion is being attacked, but today I can understand to what extent these unauthorized rallies are devastative,” she confesses.

She was referring to the rallies which are common in the Dar es Salaam city particularly in densely populated areas like Mwenge, Buguruni, Ubungo, Mbagala, Manzese and other outskirts where the common grievances of Muslims are aired every now and then.

The common cry of Muslims as frequently addressed by their ‘activists’ spate from the education sector in that Muslims are lagging behind because they are neglected or deliberately segregated. Another claim is that the Islamic Kadhi courts are being objected in an attempt to turn a deaf ear to this faith.

Moreover it is the claim that it is the leaders from the Christian denominations which influence for the failure of the Tanzania Government to join the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), and therefore this is a hindrance to their developments.

Frank Chuwa a representative of the youth of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), he says he has been hearing devastative campaigns from ill motivated propaganda.

Campaigns that some churches own big portions of land could cause natural hatred of people belonging to the condemned churches. He warned that it was high time that these religious rallies are banned indefinitely.

In one instance one cleric from the Christian denominations admitted that there is a proliferation of new churches which some lack a requisite background and therefore could be agents of some foreign elements, today in Mbeya alone there are more than 200 of these denominations,” he commented.

When this commentator finished his contributions there were claps and banging of support from the Muslim clerics who found this self confession from Christians was a good omen.

But it was Khamis Ali Mohamed from the GNRC-Africa who warned that even in the Islamic faith there are preachers who have been using house of worship as halls for political agenda he cited Uamsho in Zanzibar as being an organization which was registered as a religious entity but it has turned itself into a political movement.

This did not augur well with some clerics from the Zanzibar isles who were not satisfied with these utterances and would justifiably conclude that they are sympathetic to the Uamsho cause.  

From the Ahmadiya Islamic wing was Abdulrahman Ame who defended one Mohamed who had previously condemned the Uamsho group “whoever defends Uamsho wants to demolish the whole Islamic faith, this is inacceptable,” he concluded and in away revitalized the whole debate.

Photo

Fr. Evarist Mushi who was shot dead in Zanzibar on February 2013