“DR. MUGUFULI’s FOUR LEGENDARY SUCCESSFUL YEARS”

                                                                                          

The heading of this article, is a quotation from an advertisement which appeared prominently on the front page   of   the  DAILY  NEWS,   for   several  days leading  to  5^th  November,  2019. The advertisement was inviting “all development partners to share with the public, what they have been able  to  achieve  during  the  four  years  of  Dr.  John Pombe Magufuli’s Presidency.” The advertisement further said that their submissions would be published on Tuesday, 5^th November, 2019,  the  fourth  anniversary  date   of  President   Magufuli’s  accession  to  the Presidency. I, too, had received a separate personal invitation from the   DAILY NEWS,  asking  me  to  write  a  piece  for  their  supplement   to  be  published  on  that  day;  but  instead,  I  chose  to  write  this  article.The correct way of assessing a leader.

The Holy Bible, in LUKE  9: 18 – 21 says as follows:- “And as he was saying his prayers, his disciples were there with him.  So, he asked them:  what does the assembled congregation say that I am?   And they answered thus:  Some of them say you are John the Baptist; but others say you are Elijah; and yet others say that you are one of the  ancient  disciples  who  has  risen  from  the  dead.   He asked them again:   How about you yourselves, who do you think I am?   And   Peter answered:   You are Christ, the son of God . . .” (These lines   also appear in   MARK  8: 27– 30; and in MATTHEW  16: 13 – 16.)

For the purpose of this discussion, the above quotation is quite instructive, in the sense that it reveals the most perfect, or God  inspired  way,  of  assessing  a  leader ;  which  is  to  ask  the  people  who  know  him,  to  state  their  personal  opinions  regarding  that  leader.  Thus, what the DAILY NEWS was doing is precisely that, namely, asking the people who know President Magufuli, to state  their  personal  opinions  regarding  his performance,  during  his  first  four  years  in  office.  

What other people have said.

And  indeed,  many  different  people  have  taken  the  opportunity  of  his  fourth  anniversary  “on  the  throne”,   to  express   their   varied  opinions  in  assessing   President  Magufuli’s  performance  during  that  period;   including   some   devoted  Tanzanian  scholars,  who   did  not  even  wait  to be  invited  to  make  such  assessments.                      

I happen to know one such scholar whose name is Nkwazi Mhango, a Tanzanian academic pundit currently living and working   in Canada, who appears to have an insatiable appetite for writing books!   For he already has more than twenty published books, with a few others waiting in the queue at different Publishing Houses; and  is  still  working  on   new  ones,   including  the  forthcoming  one   (whose preparatory   work  he  is  kindly sharing  with  me). The   title of his new book will be “Why Magufulication will One Day Change Africa’s Destiny: the Man who Makes Things  Change.”.  

 It appears that   certain innovative academicians, the likes of Professor Patrick Lumumba, and a few others, have    invented an entirely new concept, which they baptized in  the  name  of  “Magufulification.” Apparently, this is because they are very strongly convinced, that “President Magufuli’s   style of leadership needs   to be given a conceptual dress,  so  that  it  can  be  well  studied  and  analyzed,  in  order  to  make  others  benefit  from  it”. That is an excellent, commendable   idea; because   President Magufuli’s unique style of governance, quickly won the hearts of  Africa  right  from  the  beginning  of  his  tenure.         

For example, the DAILY NEWS of 9^thDecember, 2015; said this: “President John Magufuli has become a continental icon within just one month in office, even without crossing  the  country’s   borders.”   It reproduced   a number of captions from   leading newspapers in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe; all of which had showered praise on Dr. John Magufuli’s exceptional performance. One commentator   called this phenomenon “Magufuliphoria”; which has   now been supplemented   by   the newly born “Magufulification.”             

Nkwazi   Mhago  submits,  in  his  new book’s  Preface,   that  “Under  Magufulification,  Tanzania  has  registered  some  positive  changes   which,  by  design  or  fashion,   go  against  the  norms  of  dependency  and  failures  that  have  always  plagued  African  countries  . . . President  Magufuli  has  made  a  true  and willing  sacrifice  for  the  love  of  his  country  and  its  people.  This is indeed unique for a leader who occupies the seat that has made many others   abuse it.” That seems   to be what justifies his presumption   that “Magufulification will one day Change Africa’s Destiny.” May his sweet   dreams, come true.  Amen.        
My own personalized assessment.

Many of those who have published their contributions   in assessing President Magufuli’s performance, appear to have   concentrated largely   on the obvious, namely, on his “governance delivery performance”; that is  to  say,  his  performance  in  the  delivery  of  goods  and  services  relating  to  the  country’s  development.   But that should be   pretty   obvious; for, as  the Kiswahili   proverb   says, “Mwenye macho   haambiwi  tazama!”                             

President Magufuli’s   achievements   are so glaringly conspicuous, that they can be readily noticed by anyone and everyone.  These  include  his  most  effective  tax  collection  drive,  which  has  enabled  massive  investments  to  be  made  in  all  kinds  of  infrastructure  development  projects,   specifically,  in  many  mega   new   projects  relating   to  Education,  Health  and  the provision  of  clean  water  both  in  the  rural  and  Urban  areas; his  successful  introduction  of  ‘sanity’  in  the  Public  Service; his  sterling   efforts  in  combating  corruption,  and  in  poverty  alleviation;  et  cetera.                                                                      

 I will therefore, avoid that well-trodden   footpath   and, instead, attempt to follow the direction that has been set by those leaned academicians referred  to  above,  which  is  to  focus  on  President  Magufuli’s  unique  style  of  governance.   
President Magufuli’s   unique style.

Indeed, President Magufuli’s unique style of governance “needs to be given a conceptual dress.”   For it is his distinctive style of governance that distinguishes him from  many  other Presidents  in  Africa  and  elsewhere.    My   own   observation of President Magufuli’s style, persuades me to describe him variously as follows: - Firstly, that he is a “doer”, or a man of action i.e.  a person who actually does things, rather than just talking about them.   In other words, a man who “takes the bull by the horns”.   Secondly, that he is ‘a man of his word”, that is to say, a person who actually does whatever he promises to do.   A person who ‘walks his talk”.                     

And thirdly, that he is an “innovator, that is to say, a person who boldly introduces new ideas, and/or   new ways of doing things.                                                                      

In my considered opinion, during the four years that President Magufuli has been in office, he has amply demonstrated that he  possesses all  these  special  qualities,  and  in  surplus  abundance. The following selection  of  his  campaign  promises,  and  his subsequent  actions  in  implementing  them;   will  help  to  prove  this   point.

        Take, for example, his campaign promise of “kuleta  mabadiliko  yenye  tija”  i.e.  to  bring  substantive  change (as  opposed  to  mere  cosmetic  changes  being  promised  by  the  Opposition),           He  started  saying  so  in  his  campaign  speech  in  Kigoma,  on  16^th  September,  2015;  when,  obviously  with  a  touch  of  humour,  he  declared  that  the  Opposition  UKAWA’s  acronym  “M4C” (Movement  for  Change);   actually  stands  for  ‘Magufuli  for  Change’.   He was strategically challenging the opposition Presidential candidate, whose campaign was premised almost entirely on the slogan of “bringing   change.”

        “Mwenye macho, haambiwa  tazama.”  We are all witnesses to the fact of the hugely significant changes, both minor and major ones, that   President  Magufuli  has  successfully   introduced  in  the  management  of  the  country’s  affairs.  The  minor  changes  include  the  cancellation  of  some  of  the  grandiose  national  celebrations  that  involved  huge  expenditures  of  public  money;  and  re-allocating   such  money  to  selected  infrastructure   development  projects;  while  the  major  changes  include  the  significant  enhancement  of  tax  revenues   (from  the  former  few  millions  to  the  current  trillions  of  shillings),  with  its  attendant   development   benefits.                     

          And in   particular, his unprecedented success in introducing new legislation to combat the blatant exploitation that was being   practiced in the rich mineral sector, by some unscrupulous foreign companies.   Undoubtedly, that measure was   a very bold action on the part of the President; which   has resulted in surprisingly huge   increases in the Government revenues accruing from that   sector.                                            But, it should also be noted and appreciated, that this ‘boom’, was a direct product of yet another   aspect of President Magufuli’s ‘unique’ leadership style,  namely,    that  of   his  impromptu,  unscheduled,  inspection  visits  to   certain  carefully  selected,  important  functional  areas  of  government  operations.   In this   case, it was the Dare es Salaam Harbour; which, on that fateful day for the wrong doers concerned, he   decided to visit without prior notification; and that is when he noticed  a  large  collection  of  containers  waiting  to be  exported.   He became   suspicious and wanted to know their contents. Thus, as a man of action, he immediately initiated   the investigation process that culminated in the discovery of the existence of a grand tax-evasion scandal.

            A faithful   disciple of Mwalimu Nyerere.

            Another distinguishing factor in President Magufuli’s unique   style of governance, is his apparent   determination to build on   the foundations which were laid by the departed father of our nation, the late President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. Right from the beginning of his tenure, President Magufuli has, consistently and continuously, demonstrated this determination.    Furthermore, there are certain striking similarities in his, and Nyerere’s, choice of issues to be given priority; as well as in the massive, positive public responses to their initiatives.   Two examples will help to prove this point: -

i) Putting the greatest emphasis on tax collection. 

Mwalimu Nyerere said this: “corrupt Governments do not collect taxes”; or, in Kiswahili: “Serikali ya wala  rushwa  haikusanyi  kodi,   kwa  sababu  inawatumikia  wenye  mali.” President Magufuli’s bold actions in dealing with the grand tax evaders, is clear testimony of his determination to walk in the footsteps of Mwalimu Nyerere; and, by extension, also proof   that his is NOT a corrupt  Government.    In  fact,  President  Magufuli’s   unprecedented    success  in  tax  collection,  is  what  has  enabled  him to  make  yet  another  major  stride  in  following  the  footsteps  of  Mwalimu  Nyerere,  namely  the  completion  of  the  mega  infrastructure  projects   relating  to  moving the  Government  capital  to  Dodoma  from  Dar  es  Salaam;  and  the  construction  of  the  Rufiji  River  hydro electricity  (Stigler’s  gorge)  project.  Both of which were top priority projects in President Nyerere’s Administration; and very dear to his heart.   

 ii)   In the matter of leadership ethics.

It has been authoritatively said in the books of knowledge, that “ethics is the heart of leadership”, in other words, leadership is the   sine qua non of  a  good  leader.  President Magufuli   has   also, very seriously and dutifully, embarked on the important task of implementing Mwallimu Nyerere’s   well-known stance on the all-important question of leadership ethics; which  is  what  actually   moved  him  to  include  the  “leadership  code  of  ethics”  in the  Arusha  Declaration  of  1967.                                                             

Thus, in pursuit of that particular objective, President Magufuli has given priority to three specific ethics-related   governance areas.  These are: (a) eliminating wasteful and   unnecessary public expenditures; (b) fighting impunity in the public service; and (c) tackling corruption, the evil that has   mercilessly plagued our nation.  All these actions provide adequate proof   of   his determination to walk, steadfastly, in the footsteps of Mwalimu Nyerere. So: “hail to the Chief”, the Nyerere of  the  present  generation.                                     piomsekwa@gmail.com/0754767576.

Sources: Daily News and Cde Msekwa Himself.