What are these ministers up to?

THE other day I was at a pub quaffing liquor when the radio announced the rants of two ministers. They are thundering at Reginald Mengi for committing a sacrilege - touching the untouchable ’fisadis.’

Firstly, I thought liquor was taking its toll on my upstairs. I, thus, tried to ignore the whole brouhahas and bugaboos thinking it were but ’njaa.’ But when the morning papers quoted these winos, I decided to send them these salaams.

You know what. It needs the courage of the mad. Who could believe that ministers of the same power-that-be could dress themselves down by standing by and with the fisadis as opposed to wananchi?

What fancy pants! Mr President, though you are left with a few days in office before the next poll, fire these guys. Records show they have always been chewing what they cannot swallow.

Going back to this despicable act, my heart asked me: Does it mean the ’fisadis’ are now hiring ministers to intimidate and ultimately silence us? Do they know they’re enjoying all those yum-yum, thanks to our taxes? In law, the conspirator is as guilty as the doer.

Let’s look at it the other way. Why ministers always keep mum when it comes to pressing matters such as smoking out ’fisadis’ but the same jump into the bandwagon of defending them? Once a ’fisadi’ always a ’fisadi.’ Jesus once said: ’’You’ll know them by their fruits.’’ And verily he added: ’’The one that's going to betray me is the one with whom I share the table.’’ And, indeed, Judas Iscariot did! How many ’Judas Iscariot’ do we have out there.

There’s this tendency of misconstruing and misuse of law. One of the said heartless ministers said. ’’How can Mengi judge whilst he is not the court’’? Folks, what is wrong up there? Mengi did not judge. He cannot be such goon. He reported what he knows would add up to President Jakaya Kikwete’s calls that we give him the names of sharks so that he can deal with them as we did in albino indiscreet killings. Were we court to do the same as we were asked by the same government? ’Huu nao ni ufisadi’ of its kind so to speak.

One thing dresses down all those ’fisadis’ defending their colleagues. When one of the alleged sharks, Jeetu Patel, was approached by the media to reciprocate, he said: Mengi has constitutional right to say whatever he deems fit. If the alleged person sees it this way, what gears you to defend the person whose defence has already been heard.

Rostam Aziz said: ’’..it is illogical to argue with Mengi.’’ In other words, he had nothing to dispute. As for Yusuf Manji, he said Mengi is not civilized as if what was disputed was whether Mengi is civilized or not! If the alleged persons are looking into and taking the matter that way, where do these ministers scoop their standpoint? Who sent them?

The other minister said Mengi is abusively using his media empire to demolish others! What bullshit. What should he use if politicians can use their parties and ministers their office that belong to wananchi? For these myopic ministers, nobody has the say except politicians! This country does not belong to politicians but Tanzanians in the first place.

If others can use their media empire to trash Mengi why shouldn’t he use his to fight graft instead of condoning it as others do? Mengi founded his media many years ago. Others found them to see to it that their masters are wheeled in power so as to defend and feed them. Refer to Dr Harrison Mwakyembe who contended that Rostam got his thanks to EPA monies by the way of Kagoda. Who is wrong in this case ’waheshimiwa’?

Let me emphasize it. Mengi is not stupid to usurp powers that he knows belong to the so-called extra debito judiciae or the fountain of justice. My foot! Mengi has never been such a charlatan like several everyone can name, so to speak.

If the said ministers stand to what they said, chances are fisadis’ money is at work believe me! If any sane person can accuse Mengi of wrong doing by helping the government to get the sharks it’s always ask wananchi to bring forth, this person must either be one of them or working for them. If Mengi can use his media to fight graft so be it even if this means to offend fisadis - like those erroneously accusing him of wrong doing for taking on ’fisadis’.

I just can't understand yet. How can a minister whose government has always made us believe is fighting corruption jump into the bandwagon of cheerleaders and conspirators? Why should we turn our country into that of the frogs? You know what happened when frogs misbehaved? God punished them heavily as they found themselves choosing between a stock and a stork.

I still can't believe that some ministers supposed to be geared by the spirit of serving their country were, instead, driven by their stomachs and their master fisadis. Let the guys defend themselves. For those that want to defend them, do it in the right manner. Let the lawyers defend them shall they prefer to institute charges against Mengi.

Joji and Sofi, what's wrong with you before whom everything was put in the agora that the sharks are almost behind all stinking ulaji? Does it mean you're the ones I said the other day, that prefer to use Indians simply because they're easy to get rid of and repatriate?

Let me wrap up this way. Being a minister does not make you a god or a person who knows all. Importantly, one can be a minister and still be ignorant and corrupt as it happened to others whose offices were used to burn our fingers.

Those who shack up with fisadis should put up or shut up instead of dreaming about dictating our wars against graft. Otherwise, ’mmechemsha’ though you say Mengi is the one who boiled down. It�s you and shame on you.
Source: Thisady April 29. 2009.