Is Zanzibar a county or a country?

The heat is on. Bigwigs, in Zanzibar and Dar es salaam, are in a hot soup as they are faced by a heck on union. Noises are heard everywhere. They’re dissenting and conflicting ones. Trust is gone. And on its place there are misunderstandings and misleadings.



There are those saying the county of Zanzibar is a country. They say. It must be recognized as thus and it will remain so ad infinitum to loan words from Ali Juma Shamhuna who recently said so!

Others are saying. Zanzibar is a county that was a country before it united with Tanganyika to make Tanzania. This stand, for the first time, has united all Zanzibar people from all political divides.

This is the county that was a country that wants to go back to being a country within another! Is this possible within the union?

Others think. The Zanzibar Revolution Government must be struck off so as to have one country-Tanzania. This, in the main, is the take of Mainlanders. Zanzibar people are agitating for three government in lieu of one that will take away their prestige. What is not clear is where will the funds to run and finance three governments will come from for such country in destitute that depends on begging? Those propounding this are not giving any alternative however.

Now the discussion is quarrelsome and murky. A few days ago, I heard some parliamentarians in the union house saying the solution for all these bugaboos and brouhahas is to strike off the so called government of Zanzibar. Will Zanzibar swallow this bitter pill?

While this was uttered in Dar, in Zanzibar, the deputy chief Minister, Ali Juma Shamhuna does not want to hear anything of this nature. Supported by former old guards like Adam Mwakanjuki and of course by Amani Karume though not expressly, not to mention the non-status ones, Shamhuna is ready for whatever.

There are those saying this is is but a litmus test to President Jakaya Kikwete and CCM in general. Things become even worse for Kikwete thanks to his predecessor’s role of a lame duck as far as tackling union matters is concerned. The country is currently fractured. No one knows for sure what will follow. The future of the union and the country in general are doubtlessly unpredictable.

For long, union matters have been swept under the carpet by CCM’s maneuvers in Dodoma. But this time chances are anything can happen.
Today I will take words and statistics from Kongwa’s MP Job Ndugai who avers that his constituency has the population of 300,000 just like Pemba. But Pemba has many MPs in the union Parliament while Kongwa has only Ndugai. It is very logical.

It is make or break. Hear what Lucas Seleli MP for Nzega-CCM has to say. "Firstly we better kill the union God forbid, you will later laugh at me, but the peace that prevailed in 50 years will never be available, the loss of breaking the union will be bigger for the other side (Zanzibar)"


He went on saying that Zanzibar people are humiliating Mainlanders for making laws which govern Mainland whilst Mainland does not do so for Zanzibar.

Such fierce words from CCM's stalwarts can not be underestimated. Something is cooking up there in the upper echelons of power.

Now this being the language of the business in the house and of course in the government, what else are we waiting for? Where will we import the likes of Mwalimu Nyerere to prevail and preside of the matter?

Will the currently brains really solve this problem and do away from this impasse?

Seriously mark my words. Shall the union ‘be killed’ those enjoying fat pecks for being rulers will never enjoy the calm, peace and gains they are now abusing.

When one looks at the geopolitical map of Tanzania, indeed Selelii is pretty right. Zanzibar will be ungovernable possible thanks to the long time division and marginalization of its population based on ethnicity.
And this is an open secret that those feeling marginalized will like to see the union going.

Is this really a reasonable thing to do?
Time will rightly tell.
Source:Thisday August 29,2008.