Friday, December 5, 2008

LAND and IDENTITY CARD(PASSPOT) ISSUES should REMAIN SECURITY CONCERNS FOR TANZANIA WHILE NEGOTIATING ON EAC INTEGRATION

Can you guys see the problem with our Government approach.They have been pretty much dictated their agendas by our friends, We dont have agendas of our own.
We wait, what they have to put on table and we then respond to their abuse, by shrugging our shoulders, as usual Moaning and whining, without counter attacking the motions proposed for our benefits, and then resolve with solutions, and thats is the art of agrerement I guess.
I would think for now, the best way is to stall this process all together for indefinite period of time until we know the art of negotiating, and let them forge ahead with what they agreed on without our signatories, and we will remain committed for future cooperation or cooperating on other many issues like trades and education.
And yes our negotiating presentative and his co, seems very much dont have a clue about the immense and importance of these discussion, Did we put any propasals of our own, or we just want to join EAC, or have we been drugged all along na kutongozwa by our neighbouring countries on their issues and agendas, and we decided to give them the KISS?
Can someone explain that to me please? I think these thorn issues of LAND and identity cards, should remain as very much as SECURITY issue for Tanzania for a number reasons which I will highlight on this comment.
he best way for government is not allowing being dictated their agenda by other foreign countries, particularly UGANDA and Kenya, which pretty much have huge land problems and IDENTITY problems(tribalism, civil wars, and others). They cannot liquidate their tribalism problems with expense of our own security by listening to their agendas, I trully believe they need land reform more than we need, but that does not mean we do not have problems on our own yard. it will be best for us to highlight their land problems and stop talking about our land, we owe to do some research and investigate their problems, it is our neighbour but it seems to me we dont know much about them, than they do about us.
HIT them hard on their tough, talking about their problems in response, WE DONT HAVE HUGE problems, but they have A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEMS. Why not forge ahead with other issues and stay away from these objectionable issues for a time being, they want cooperation they must listen on what we have to say, surely UK maintains its own Pounds in EURO Zone but commited to the EU Community, surelly Mexicans never been given US passports/or a common passport to travels to US or CANADA freely but still remain in NAFTA agreement.
Talking about NAFTA why not have this mini agreement, like trades and Education cooperation and forget about full integration for time being. We can only forge agreement, based on mutual benefits, therefore Uganda and Kenya should respect our decision, and NOT DICTATING agenda on our expense.
We need tough politicians with breadth of knowledge and diplomacy, and I dont see that on our negotiating EAC minister. Mr. Aboud,This is the message to HIM, Highlight their recent problems of tribalism and land problems, can the minister google stuff, or is he techno phobic, just a little help on his behalf, does he know that UGANDA land problems started in 1900, and THATS the problems still persist despite number of agreements since then, yet no resolution to be found, or their problems will be resolved once we(Tanzania) give in to their so called STALLING AGENDAS(land) - can you smell rotten fish ?
you can read more on this link here: http://allafrica.com/stories/200712070013.html">UGANDA land problems - AllAfrican and you can find some info on Uganda tribal problems here Uganda: http://allafrica.com/stories/200809110911.htmlThere Should Be No Shame in Tribalism - Prof Lugemwa
They have smart ways, and nice ways of justifying their tribalism, their constituents presentation in BUNGE of uganda is totally dominated by tribalism, their agenda is totally discord to the central government, Tribes first, UGANDA second, we definetely dont what that on our back yard. We all know about tribalism in Kenya, I dont need to highlight on this blog, but you can go ahead and read more about Kenya land problems, even Koffi Anan former UN secretary, this is what he had to say following a peace resolution signed between fighting factions after the recent turmoil election in Kenya.
"We must tackle the fundamental issues underlying the disturbances -- like equitable distribution of resources -- or else we will be back here again after three or four years," former U.N. chief Kofi Annan He is actually talking about land problems in Kenya, You can read full article here:POLITICS'>http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40968">POLITICS: Kenya’s Problem Goes Beyond Ethnicity and Elections
The Question is do we want to spend the rest of our life time, resolving their problems, Let them learn how to leave together, and then we can discuss about identity and land issues.The country has just been on war footings, we are talking about integrating onto our midst. What kind of union is that. In matter of fact we are giving them a favour by allowing ourselves listening to them, while still in civil wars on their yard.
They should be thankfull for that. and if they are sincere enough about this whole thing, then they should start listening to what we have to say, and go ahead discuss other issues, and not discussing about passports and identities as hindrance issue and stoping in discussing others.
EXPANSIONISM is their REAL AGENDA???.
Some may say they are looking at long time approach, make your own anaylysis and conclusion.
By Mchangiaji.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is astonishing, this is their motive all along, and on my eyes this is theif final assault, once succeeded thats it! Watakuja kutupora ardhi yetu, kama yao, hili nakubaliana nalo kabisa tunajiweka kwenye position mbaya kabisa na ni hatari kubwa kwa nchi yetu.

We are open up for exploitation by these thugs! Same EAC passport??? Euro have their own passport, Mexico, Canada and US have their own too despite the fact that, they are cooperating on trade, in matter of fact the US, are now building a wall on their borders to stop the influx of illegal immigrants, why allowing tribalists to be our neighbours, imagine that?

Does mexico fighting civil wars???? They still want to stop them.

They need years to learn to live together before we even welcome them on our borders.

NO! NO!

Anonymous said...

The common people, the citizens of Tanzania are not aware of these issues, they need to know and understand our dealings with other countries especially this issue of EAC.

You ask the common person in Shinyanga, Mtwara, Morogoro, and other regions, you will be astonished to find out that, they dont really know about our dealings, government dealings on EAC.

We need to inform them, educate them, and understand what this is all about, currently they DONT know! these should be on public domain, and not just on internet, papers or government cabinents should be out there on every corner of our country through our parliamentry presentatives to District Commissioners! to balozi.

Informing them and educate them about these very important issues, and decisions we are about to make, currently there is none of that. You will be astonished to hear their voices, and suggestions. After all the government is working for them.

If you would ask the government, i dont think, they do that. There is information VACUUM, a gap between the government and us, we therefore we need a leadership, which can create those rapport by informing people about these. Right now I dont see any.

From what I gather, I can see 90% or more are against these, why government go ahead, being dragged all along.

Thanks Very Much

Anonymous said...

Je in upole, ambayo unatusababisha mpaka tunafikia maamuzi ya ajabu, ijapokua si vigumu kusema hapana, hii kwetu sisi inatishia amani.

Lazima, to maintain ukarimu wetu na itikadi zetu, lakini vile vile tuwe tunajua mipaka yetu, once those lines are crossed we should look and stare at our brothers/sisters onto their eyes and say these few words, we appreciate your efforts and thank you very much for your propasals but, we believe these pretty much cross the nerves of our thin hair.

The integrtity and principles of our own, must be respected and your going beyond our means by asking us to abandon our land and identity to quest your appetite. We are sorry. THanks BUT NO thanks!.

Then, we hope they should understand our concerns, but at the same time let us open up our culture and attitudes toward them, I am sure they will learn few things from us, these should be our direct respond to them. We are very much optimistic people in nature, thats why we give these things a chance for a second time.

It is like holding a carrot stick, whip them and teach them few things, about humbleness and attitudes toward one another in Tanzania. It happens naturally to us, we should study it, and write about it, and probably provide them with books how we leave together. How we are able not kill each other for our brotherhood and sisterhood.

Yes, showing our vibrant and different people of different walk of life, mingles together and work together, without tensions and throwing assaults at each other, and this is the Tanzania we know today, and it is Tanzania we should protect, I am optimistic they will learn few things from us, we must treat our strongest point, and show case it as our greatest achievement despite our impoverished, lack of technonology, industries and so on.

WE STAND TOGETHER ON THIS.

May god bless GREAT nation of TANZANIA. AMEN!

Anonymous said...

Our fear is not Kenya or anybody else but a straitjacket.


EAC without equity will be implausible

Nkwazi Mhango
St. John's NL Canada


KENYA’S media lately unleashed accusations and curses against Tanzania thanks to the sin of not complying with their demands.

One of the articles fired salvos, ire and tantrums, not to mention dirty language. It reprimanded and accused Tanzania of not consenting to free movement and land acquisition by citizens of other member countries of the East African Community.

’’Tanzania is proving to be a liability in EA integration’’, read the article.

We’d rather shrug this straitjacket off than enter a forceful marriage of convenience if need be.

Interestingly, the myopic author shamelessly said, "Tanzania greatly likes to be recognized for her ’internationalist’ policies, with her leaders spending more time strutting the world than they do in their own country, though the facts show they are quite parochial."

By the way, who’s parochial in reality? We may be. But we’ve nary butchered one another simply because we’re from different tribes. Kenya’s allegations may be right to some degree.

Under our internationalism we’re accused of made it possible for erstwhile foes President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to sit together and resolve their differences.

And Kenyans, thanks to that breakthrough, are relatively enjoying peace after butchering one another.

Again, when one sees how our leaders ’waste time globe-trotting’, one should as well have seen how his own legislators do not want to pay tax on top of amassing big chunks of land while the majority of their people suffer for lack of the same.

Also, Tanzania is blamed for not consenting to the so-called free movement. Other EAC members would like their nations to use identity cards for travel in the region in lieu of passports. They would like to abolish work permits in the region, not to mention free land acquisition.

Another thing, however weak, is that we’re afraid of Kenyan vibrant economy. Blindly and shamelessly they say: ’Tanzania is dirt poor, its economy a fraction of Kenya’s. Further, it lacks the dynamism and skills to drive its economy forward at the pace of its neighbours. Even tiny Rwanda has a better capacity than [what] can be said of Tanzania.’

What nonsense! If this is the case, then why are Kenyans hollering for not joining them? Shall integration be an in-thing, we still can join Mozambique or even Zambia.

They erroneously aver that we are giving the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) too much. So be it, if it protects and safeguards our interests. ’Tanzania’s generally confused posture comes out in its obsession to belong to the SADC,’’ they add.

Let me tell our integration tutors one thing. They’re the ones who introduced the East African passport. This consumed a lot of money in printing and designing not to mention purchasing them.

We challenge Kenyan authorities to harmonize their land policies and equally re-distribute land to the landless majority -- our landless brethren and sisters in Kenya.

It is an open secret that almost all fertile land is in the hands of a few foreigners or rulers who grabbed it from the wananchi.

Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda would like to see ’East Africans’ acquire land in any state they deem fit. But again, apart from Tanzania, which country still has land for such purpose?

We know, in Kenya much of fertile land is owned by a few select in power or that used to be in power. In a word, Kenya has a very nasty land policy that for long has left the ordinary people landless and sidelined.

For instance, the family of the country's first president, Jomo Kenyatta, owns a chunk of land the size of Nyanza Province.

Similarly, that of his successor, Daniel arap Moi and Kibaki’s also own big parcels of land not to mention former British settlers. In May 2006 Cholmondeley, grandson of Lord Delamere, shot dead an innocent Kenyan for trespass on his Soysambu farm.

In other words, Kenyan rulers, even Rwandans, are looking for free land to offer to their man-made landless majority. Before we do so, let greedy rulers re-distribute the parcels they are holding without even putting them to use.

Another point is, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have big populations compared to the size of their land. So, instead of planning and controlling their population, they’d like to dump that burden to Tanzania!

True, if Tanzania consented to this ploy, the future of its coming generations would be doomed. Look at this reality in numbers. Burundi is 27,830 sq km with a population of 8,691,005 or
315 people concentrated in a square kilometre.

Rwanda is 26,338 sq km with a population of 8.3 million that is set to double to 16 million by 2020. Its population density is the highest in Africa and has risen from 183 per sq km in 1981 to 345 per sq km in 2000.

Rwanda’s rural population per square kilometre of arable land was around 901 in 1999 -- one of the highest in Africa.

Kenya is 582,650 sq km with a population of over 30 million. Density is 2 settlers per sq. km, while in the rich and fertile western region, population density goes up to 120 settlers per sq. km.

Uganda is 241,139 sq km with a population of at least 27.7 million and a density of 241 per sq km in 1999. Its population is projected to explode to approximately 66,305,000 by 2050.

Tanzania is 945,100 sq km and, according to the United Nations, had an estimated population of 36,977,000 in 2003. The population density was then 39 per sq km.

Demographic realities are not something to ignore. Even the superpower and richest country of the world, the US, is currently erecting a 3,200 kilometre fence on its border with Mexico to curb illegal immigrants. But Mexico like Kenya does not see this.

Another killer point, Tanzania still remembers the loss suffered from the 1977 debacle of the first East African Community as a result of megalomaniac rule in Kenya and Uganda.

History is a good judge. Shortly before attaining independence in 1961, Tanzania wanted to delay its autonomy until all colonies in East Africa were ready for the same status. What exemplary pan-African love and spirit!

We better go or remain solo than being shuffled and bussed in a bandwagon for our peril.
Thisday December 3, 2008.