I won’t beat around the bush. I heard President Samia Suluhu Hassan honestly and succinctly saying that the reports of the Judge Chande Commission she formed to probe the October 29 sacrilege belongs to her. I wholeheartedly congratulate her on this openness shall she accurately, faithfully, and openly address the root causes of the above fatal and shameful event that culminated in 518 deaths, as per the commission’s findings.
I simply argue that, if the report of the commission belongs to the president, does it mean that even its findings, and recommendations so, too, are? If that’s the case however convoluted it is, whose money did the commission spend and why? Is that what Tanzanians deserved and expected? Is it a solution? Is it the right way to go in our quest to address and thwart the catch-22?
Let’s start off from here. President Samia recently said “hii ni ripoti ya Rais. Aliyeunda tume ni Rais, kwa hiyo wasitokee watu wengine wakadai umiliki wa ripoti hii, ni ripoti ya Rais. Tume za huko nyuma zilikuwa zinabanwa kimya kimya, mimi nimeamua tuambizane, lakini ripoti ni mali ya Rais.” I don’t want to misconstrue or spoil what the president said.
Let’s start off from here. President Samia recently said “hii ni ripoti ya Rais. Aliyeunda tume ni Rais, kwa hiyo wasitokee watu wengine wakadai umiliki wa ripoti hii, ni ripoti ya Rais. Tume za huko nyuma zilikuwa zinabanwa kimya kimya, mimi nimeamua tuambizane, lakini ripoti ni mali ya Rais.” I don’t want to misconstrue or spoil what the president said.
Again, if we honestly and openly face it, whose report is it? Who wanted it and what for, and why in the first place? I strongly intreat the president to let we, the people own the report, its findings and recommendations. It’ll dispel the wrong notion that there’s something fishy the authorities intend to conceal especially when were refer to the words “tume za huko nyuma zilikuwa zinabanwa kimya kimya, mimi nimeamua tuambizane, lakini ripoti ni mali ya Rais. This may be misconstrued or even inferenced as the intention to butcher the report.
We all know. There are chronic root causes that led to the October 29 mass slaughter as they revolve around injustices mainly the absence of freedom, corruption, inconducive environment for doing business, mismanagement of public funds and resources, poverty, unemployment, and above all, ineptitude. Historically, these problems didn’t commence yesterday under Samia. They’ve been seething for long, precisely since independence and others just recently.
I don’t seek to blame, convict, or exonerate anybody but put the records straight. The creation of the commission emanated from our quest to heal the injuries we as a nation. It all revolves around how the conflict was handled, or should I say, mishandled. For, soon after the bloodbath, the authorities made many bloopers and convoluted and confusing statements alleging without substantiating that protesters were hired and sponsored by the ‘enemies’ of our country.
Firstly, the authorities didn’t name names. Nor did it print a picture of how this plot escaped the scrutiny of our intelligence.
Secondly, the participants were ‘drugged mercenaries.’ For, Tanzanians known for their peaceability, wouldn’t commit such a sacrilege. Where were they from, who, and why? The authorities didn’t even bother to answer these key questions, which would have acted as a hunch of unearthing and thwarting the entire dud that resulted in the miscarriage of justice.
Thirdly, in law, he/she who alleges must prove or qui dicit, non qui negat. Thus, the authorities bear the burden of proof. That’s so to avoid offering a carte blanche for malicious people to maliciously make allegations to punish or tarnish their enemies.
Fourthly, if we honestly and seriously underscore the triggers of the conflict and the quest to address it, do truly the Judge Chande Commission report belong to the president really? I humbly beg to honestly agree to disagree with the take of the president. For me, and perhaps for all Tanzanians, though the commission is known as the presidential commission and Judge Chande Commission respectively, belong neither to Chande personally nor the president. They belong to the people as the funders and stakeholders besides being the victims of the bloodbath in question who own everything in their country.
We all know. There are chronic root causes that led to the October 29 mass slaughter as they revolve around injustices mainly the absence of freedom, corruption, inconducive environment for doing business, mismanagement of public funds and resources, poverty, unemployment, and above all, ineptitude. Historically, these problems didn’t commence yesterday under Samia. They’ve been seething for long, precisely since independence and others just recently.
I don’t seek to blame, convict, or exonerate anybody but put the records straight. The creation of the commission emanated from our quest to heal the injuries we as a nation. It all revolves around how the conflict was handled, or should I say, mishandled. For, soon after the bloodbath, the authorities made many bloopers and convoluted and confusing statements alleging without substantiating that protesters were hired and sponsored by the ‘enemies’ of our country.
Firstly, the authorities didn’t name names. Nor did it print a picture of how this plot escaped the scrutiny of our intelligence.
Secondly, the participants were ‘drugged mercenaries.’ For, Tanzanians known for their peaceability, wouldn’t commit such a sacrilege. Where were they from, who, and why? The authorities didn’t even bother to answer these key questions, which would have acted as a hunch of unearthing and thwarting the entire dud that resulted in the miscarriage of justice.
Thirdly, in law, he/she who alleges must prove or qui dicit, non qui negat. Thus, the authorities bear the burden of proof. That’s so to avoid offering a carte blanche for malicious people to maliciously make allegations to punish or tarnish their enemies.
Fourthly, if we honestly and seriously underscore the triggers of the conflict and the quest to address it, do truly the Judge Chande Commission report belong to the president really? I humbly beg to honestly agree to disagree with the take of the president. For me, and perhaps for all Tanzanians, though the commission is known as the presidential commission and Judge Chande Commission respectively, belong neither to Chande personally nor the president. They belong to the people as the funders and stakeholders besides being the victims of the bloodbath in question who own everything in their country.
Essentially, the president didn’t privately fund the commission from her pocket. Even if she did, given that she acts vicariously, namely, on behalf of the people, everything minus the bloodbath belongs to the people, we the people. If this rationale applies, the president must similarly own the massacres of our people.
Seriously, we must separate between the president as a person and as an institution whose legality and powers come from the constitution, which belongs to the people but not to the president. I honestly beg the president to abandon the position she’s quoted taking. For whoever pays the piper calls the tune.
Seriously, we must separate between the president as a person and as an institution whose legality and powers come from the constitution, which belongs to the people but not to the president. I honestly beg the president to abandon the position she’s quoted taking. For whoever pays the piper calls the tune.
Therefore, if indeed, the president owns the commission, its findings, and its report, she does so on our behalf but not on her behalf. Again, I congratulate the president on saying it point blank. For, it’ll help us to decide on the ownership even before interrogating and working on the report of the said commission if we’re satisfied with them.
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