JPM’s bid to restore our culture must be supported

 

            After taking over from Jakaya Kikwete of whom one columnist once said had a country on out pilot, President John Magufuli changed Tanzania by piloting the plane by himself. His advent has recast Tanzania so as to send it back to the international limelight in what can be termed as the result of Magufulication. Practically, Magufuli has stridden where his predecessors feared to, principally on endemic and systemic corruption and disarming party networks within his ruling party. Whether Magufuli has transformed Tanzania or not, all depends on where one is located. For example, when Magufuli decided to take on systemic rot such as chronic and endemic corruption and lack of ethos, the world became aware of how rotten the country was. A man of his own, Magufuli decided to zero in wherever he thought had some problems. Remember academic cheaters and ghost workers? Remember those who were used to mission to town?

            Recently, Magufuli took on the monkey-see-monkey-do creatures whose minds cheat them that without adopting foreign nonsenses one is not modernised. Such deficiency-cum-dependency seems to have turned Tanzania into a cultural garbage bin wherein any dirty culture would get a fertile soil. As a result, Tanzania lost its culture and dignity in the name of art. It reached the point at which self-respecting people wouldn’t listen to some FM radios or watch TVs in the presence of their children or relatives. Now that Magufuli has decided to restore national culture, he must be supported.

            Thanks to Magufuli’s actions and spirit, I equate him with a true African parent. Every parent would like his or her children to follow his or her teachings wholesale, mainly if and when such teachings are acceptable according the mores and norms of the society. Every parent would like his or her children be good and successful. A good African parent jealously defends and teaches kids to follow instructions and intuitions so that they succeed. Do they follow and understand? Sometimes, yes, sometimes, no. Children’s behaviours and responses beg for parent’s efforts and wisdom. Sometimes, a parent needs to be strict; and sometimes, not. All depends on the issue at hand.

            As for Magufuli, he has real and unique love for his kids, Tanzanians. Do they understand his love missions and visions? The answer is yes and no.  Does he know how they arrogantly and ignorantly evaluate his mission and vision for them? A parent is like a dumpster. He or she must accept whatever comes from kids; and must accept their behaviours however bad or good they might be.  A family is like a country under polypartism. There are rebels, sycophants, patriots and letdowns. If you tell them to change for those with unbecoming behaviours. Usage is a chronic disease for both. A change is difficult to accommodate. Criminals hate the judge and the law but not their delinquency. This is natural; not new or old. To succeed in bringing up children uprightly needs maturity, patience and wisdom. It is like fishing. You don’t know if you’ll catch a fish or a gator. They all are yours.

            When it comes to Magufuli and Tanzania as to whether his move is constructive or destructive, it depends on a person to assess. Currently, common wananchi are happy, especially after reclaiming Tanzania’s lost glory which took a hit soon after Mwl Julius Nyerere retired. Nyerere’s exit ushered in lack of ethics, mega corruption, and above all, negligence and nihilism nationally. The country that used to be socialist soon saw the rise of a cabal of corrupt government officials and businesspeople who amassed wealth without any meaningful explanations as to how they made it.  Corruption and embezzlement of public funds became rife. It reached the point at which the country was given a moniker of shamba la bibi where shoddy investors could go, make a killing and leave scot-free. Tax was not effectively collected not to mention over expenditure. Leaders became globetrotters while the citizens needlessly cascaded into abject penury therefrom. Hospitals and schools were in a bad shape. Hardworking became a very expensive item to get in Tanzania. Essentially, the country was on edge.

            As a competent parent, Magufuli turned everything around. He wants to see his children working hard and earning justifiably and thrive and become self-reliant instead of begging.

            In a nutshell, if what Magufuli has been doing satisfies his children or not, it depends on who makes an assessment. Importantly however, a country needs to be placed on the right direction based on its self-consciousness and self-reliance. Time will come when Magufuli’s children will understand his mission and vision sometimes later in their lives after retiring as it is for Julius Nyerere who’s demonised when he’s in power to end up being revered posthumously.

Source: Citizen, Jan., 7, 2018.