The Chant of Savant

Friday 1 February 2008

Mkapa, Kikwete and Meghji, the ball is in your court.

Today’s pointblank is to pore on two or more prominent and controversial figures in our country that are supposed to expediently and reasonably rejuvenate their honour or their tarnished names -as politicians would put it.


Anybody conversant with accountability as means of proving innocence of somebody will agree with us: Zakhia Meghji, minister for finance’s resignation is long over due. On the same footing, even the former president, Benjamin Mkapa is duty bound -as per the norm and constitution- to break his silence with regards to all allegations surrounding him.

Will the duo of the trio embark on the fulmination to suing all tongue wagers agitating they be brought to books? Nay! This can’t be let alone helping them. For those who opted for this derangement ended up in shame tail in legs. Doing this will add more valour and vigour to Dr. Silaha who seems to be hell bent to knock sense in some bumpkins.


Anybody well versed in legal matters will agree with us once again: what Meghji did -by admitting- she was cheated by former Governor of BoT, Daudi Ballali so as to illegally consent to payment to ghost companies like , Kagoda, Jeetu Patel’s and other Peculators, is nothing but self incrimination or self-inculpating in legalese.

In law, objecting to making an admission can be taken as refuting allegations. This is the way Mkapa chose. But again, in the court of the people, the rules are totally different. The judges in this court are not learned brothers and sisters. Thus technical legalese does not apply; even lacunae may sound different.

This being this, truly, Meghji has no reasons whatsoever to remain in the office of the minister. How can she whilst she consented to the firm that peculated our money? How can she whilst she lunged our economy in lumping danger?


This aspect of things does not affect Meghji alone. It applies even to President whose silence and consent with regards to ufisadi is creating dismay and make may chafe the country over. This state of silence and denial is transcendental. Mkapa sought not to answer to all-seem-to-be-real-and-plain-true allegations against him. Will this solve the problem and avert him the danger he eminently faces? Is Mkapa embarking on the art of a wise monkey that sees nothing and says nothing? Contemporary thinkers have Mkapa as an expounder and extemporizer of the doctrine of lazy thinking in ruling, running and ruining a state. Will Mkapa, his wife, kids and other consigliore survive in the future shall we have a new responsible person on the helm?


I vividly still remember Mkapa, the firebrand, leathery and doyen in calling names. Had what is alleged been wrong and inaccurate, he’d not fall short of calling --those egging on him to come clean or face auto-da-fe-- freebooters, लोवे children, putains even the like of merry-andrew. It seems. Mkapa, who used to call us names, was unaware of satirizing the other Mkapa behind the curtains we know now! What a faux pas!

On Meghji with her lugubrious job, one can lucubrate: she must go before being told to do so. This is but most honorable way to show sense of accountability and responsibility in the first place. As for President, his silence and obscurantism are seen by other quarters --especially opposition-- as condoning corruption! Does he cognize this?


Will Meghji wait for President to lug her out? How does she take this lusus naturae so openly known by every eye? Will President extend his powers of clemency to Meghji as he did to Mkapa et al? Shall this happen, isn’t another abuse of powers in the first place?

Meghji stay is nothing but flouting the office she has already upbraided. Will President macerate towards this chicane?

As for Mkapa, though we’re told not to disturb the old man who is supposed to enjoy his yum-yum and chapattis in his world of merry-go-round with his wife, the pains and twangs of our money still force us not to.

How can we swallow our pride to stomach this whilst we are cascading into abject poverty? How can we let him swim in profusion and opulence whilst we are sunk in impecuniosities?

This reminds me of King Lear in Shakespeare and Oedipus in Sophocles. Mkapa’s coming clean and Meghji’s resignation will "turn all these pains and outrages, the cruelties and atrocities into a means of sell-liberation, thus giving us an inner solace which can not be attained by any other way."

If anything, this forces me into re-mourning for Edward Sokoine especially when I recall how he sternly dealt with economic saboteurs and the likes. Of all this sends me back to grieving for Mwalimu Julius Nyerere who died a pauper but protuberant and saintly as far as economic shames are concerned.



So it should be noted. The contumely of the trio namely Mkapa, Meghji and president among others, will never do them good; but otherwise. The wisdom here is to hark and heed vox populi vox dei in that the voice of the mass is the voice of God. For by and large and in the main, the ball is indeed in their court come what may.

Let us face it point blank and faute de mieux. Ada ya mja kunena.

OFF THE CUFFS: I read of the denial by CCM treasurer, Rostam अज़ीज़, which in the sense is an admission that his party swindled our money though by then he was not a treasurer. The damage has already been done though. What is CCM waiting for? To add salt to injuries, the same CCM-cum suspect of BoT fraud, is saying: all found to have embezzled our money must be brought to book and their loots being taken. Will CCM survive shall the truth be put to agora? As for another killing point, president Jakaya Kikwete came with a new booze. He urged the ministers and MPs doing politics and business to choose either of the duo! Why doesn't he want to declare his wealth? Let him be reminded point blank. We need our houses and actions not sweet words.
Guys, what are you waiting for? What do I know?

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