No longer at ease Tanzania island of peace––––Part three

After exploring the genesis and the results of the just ended monkey on the back that left Tanzania with egg on its face, in this last instalment, we can report some new findings and propose what’d be done and how it’d be done. 

        Jokes aside, the Tanzania we used to know is long gone. It’s embroiled in a catastrophic embroglio. Its hyped-up cohesion, harmony, and unity are also long gone. Therefore, it needs practical and true rejigging and reconciliation from its intranational conflict. Will Tanzania crack the hard nut and save itself from itself? It’s hard to tell without the likes of Mandela and Nyerere.
How and where to start? 
Accurate answers:

         i) Tanzania must locate, isolate, and admit all flaws, which triggered the conflict. 

        ii) Nay, it can’t reconcile itself without accepting that it’s the root causes of the quandaries and quagmire. 

        iii) Tanzania should avoid looking for somebody else to blame. For example, plagued rulers have claimed that demonstrators were foreigners! How, who are they, if indeed, they’re, and why? 

    President Samia retorted that Tanzanians can’t do that! Really? 

        iv) Authorities need to be true to themselves and all Tanzanians. For, it’ll help to show genuineness and willingness. The island of peace will be resuscitated if rulers do and preach justice for everybody. 

        v) Tanzania should start to do and preach justice instead of clinging on its empty clangour and tarradiddle of peace without justice.
Practically, the authorities must earmark the parties to the conflict, release all detained opposition leaders, demonstrators, and pardon each other to build trust for reconciliation can start. Thereafter, the authorities must admit mistakes, then move together and move on. 
        Absolutely, there can’t be any reconciliation without the trio facing each other and telling the truth. The authorities must tell the whole truth and listen to other truths pertaining to the conflict at issue.
What are the root causes?
Demonstrators said clearly that they opposed (and still do) chronic abductions, corruption, despotism, forced disappearances, injustices, joblessness, murders, nepotism, partyism, the absence of the new constitution, and a truly Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which all stakeholders should equally and fully participate in its making. Such bottlenecks must be genuinely and practically addressed, and justice should be done and seen done. 
    Symptomatically, another problem revolves around the abuse of police forces and power and gross human rights violation as recently evidenced in the post-demo brutalities and bloodbaths. Thus, Tanzanians must persecute all the culprits regardless of their affiliations or positions as they immediately release those in custody. 

        Then, parties must be ready for a give-and-take process wherein mutual understanding must lead the process. Further, dented rulers must agree  to relinquish their positions to allow the creation of a transitional government to conducting new credible, fair, and transparent elections wherein all stakeholders must equally and fairly participate agree and decide on their informed modality.
Why fresh elections?
As per regional and international observers, which form the backbone of credible, fair, and transparent elections, there were no elections. They lacked important qualities such as credibility, fairness, peace, and transparency. For example, the Civic Front (CUF), one of at least credible opposition parties issued a scathing report demanding Tanzania to form a transition government that’ll conduct elections thereof since there wasn’t any election.             So, too, the SADC observers concluded and reported that Tanzania elections didn’t meet standards. For example, there are reports that there were many more police officers at certain voting stations than voters. 

        The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) report signed by Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, former Botswana President, concluded that “the 2025 Tanzania General Elections did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections.” 

        The EU concluded that “the lack of level playing field in the run up to the elections was marked by reports of abductions and disappearances and violence limiting the civic and democratic space.” Of all observers, it was only the EAC, which ‘congratulated’ Tanzania on its elections. 

    Blimey, it’s easy to know why the ECA littered with autocrats of the sort did that. Many Tanzanians and the world at large wondered how’d a president that garnered close to 100% be sworn in hurriedly without any public participation if indeed she truly got that figure. 

        That said, the authorities are panting on how to save face. Due to that many famous artists are vigorously at work trying to dupe and calm youths to create and offer an opportunity for national reconciliation. Again, considering what’s ongoing wherein hundreds of demonstrators were recently charged with treason, Tanzania is likely to flounder and squander this golden opportunity.
Conclusion
Let’s agree. Tanzania is a horrible catch-22. To survive, the above recommendations, inter alia, must be worked on. Habits sometimes end up being faults. Demystify myths and move on Tanzania japo maji yameishamwagika. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. The jury is still out though.

Source: Daily Monitor today, Sunday.