By Kiranga
A spectre is haunting Tanzania – the spectre of colloquialism. Almost all aspects of our nation, from the common man’s market to the hallowed halls of academe are plagued by this prevailing pestilence. If you think that statement is exacting exaggeration for poetic effect think again. To take just one example I could exhibit some Iiterature from The University of Dar-es-salaam – official website literature, not some lagging student’s handiwork – whose horrendous repeated butchery will make my categorization of “colloquialism” seem rather lenient, even downright enabling. A grave and catastrophic nonchalance is permeating our nation even as you read this. It’s gravity, partly from the systemic way it engross everything while remaining transparent like a colorless odorless poisonous gas, and partly from the exponential perpetuation from an unchecked disease, is naturally of a deadly type. I thought this sufficiently disconcerting to be declared upfront.
I should also add that this epidemic is especially apparent during this election season. The officialdom’s manifesto and opposition’s counter-manifesto are both anemic. I wanted to label the documents laughably unconvincing but then there is nothing funny about our poverty. These papers, all opaquely charted by diktats from onlooking bureaucrats, career politicians, their obscurantist ombudsmen, catering courtiers and habitual hangers-on whose motivation largely can’t span very far from politburo salivation and power politicking lack substance and smacks of populism, the usual “talk-much-but-say-nothing-boilerplate” and intelligence insulting propaganda. The real substance of the said manifesto is nowhere to be seen in spirit. Not the serious part that could be counted as free from obvious shameless politicking. I do not see a serious policy based politics, not in the campaigns, not in print journalism, the expected formal arena nor the airwaves not even the less reputed blogosphere.
Not that the policies would make much sense were they to be seen anyway. One only has to listen to the Prof. Baregu vs. Col Kinana BBC exchange to get a sense of colloquialism, lack of urgency and perspective prevalent in our nation. Inquiring minds would ask why so? I dare not only ask why, but also answer why would anyone in position trouble with the rigors of a taxing formalism – complete with policy positions, convincing economic data and models, that could not be appreciated accordingly by the vast majority of the populace? Why so especially when one presumably could get away with insubstantial but potentially arousing fluff -a.k.a the lower end of propaganda- that can be sucked up like poisonous candy that is going out of style? Why talk policy to people who will only confuse it with the police, whom they view unfavorably due to repetitive brutality? If the populace is not forcing a policy based politics, why should the so called leaders (more like misleaders) pursue a policy based politics which will mean knowing the issues better and possibly forging ways to institute viable solutions?
By no means am I suggesting that the people are not asking questions and making all the right noises, in fact people from Mbeya to Manyara, Dar to Kigoma are asking all the right questions. But this is largely done from the span of happenstance, with hardly a grassroots organization like Haki-Elimu figuring predominantly. Of course people will ask about having access to decent water, but where is the follow up? Who is telling the government on behalf of the lake zone people that, if you officials do not use our tax money to provide us with a new ship, in place of the now almost 15 year old empty promise (turning into the third election as an empty promise) we will be forced to do something? Where are our civic organizations to fight this governmental complacency?
I even suspect that the said complacency has caused some of these things to operate at the subconscious level amongst our leaders. They did not grow up in an era of policy articulation and accountability, theirs was an age when party loyalty and respect for the elders was paramount, the rest is details that could be filled by a few technocrats. This is very dangerous in our current model. The people expect leadership from our leaders, the leaders are more concerned with appearances and fluff than a visionary policy based politics, as a result you end up with a leadership vacuum. And as Niels Bohr said, nature abhors a vacuum, instead of a vacuum our politics descend to the lowest energy level, the lowest common denominator, fluff, name-calling, personal attacks and ungracious backstabbing.
From the beginning of our self-government, down to our present day republic union we have been afflicted by this cancerous flagrant nonchalance. In the beginning it was taken as a matter of fact that the enterprises of documentation and formalism were largely foreign and fairly unimportant to warrant a serious concern. Why over-intellectualise matters in a nation of a largely illiterate populace? But some say it is little things like that that end up mattering enormously in a butterfly effect. And though we are still afflicted by ignorance, we boast a small cadre of intellectuals capable of both instituting and enforcing strict adherence to policy and it’s express articulation.
In 2005, with the election of our fourth president, we have witnessed largely ambition triumphing over ability like no time before. A case of winning for the sake of winning, with neither vision nor competence. Completely with “policies” spanning a mile wide and an inch deep. Promising the moon for the price of a shoestring. A tactic CHADEMA seems to be imitating closely with their Santa Claus clauses manifesto. Appearances and slogans trump genuine and viable objectives. Apart from the central government, tasteless and even illegal tabloidism is openly masquerading as freedom of speech. Unrestricted and profane. The Socratic mantra of “those who lead cannot, those who can lead do not” manifested in the flesh. Who in his right and ethical mind is going to even entertain a money centred parliamentary race, forget the presidential. Contrary to the commonly circulating myth, there is no messiah. Even the opposition is mostly a fraud. It is only surviving due to a natural need of the hoi polloi, namely that unjustifiably mundane desire for a hero that abhors a vacuum, and would fill a leadership vacancy with any next best thing that hasn’t had the dirtying responsibility of running a government, breathing or not.
It is not that there are no good policies on paper completely, far from it and I daresay we can even get pompous. It is just these policies, good and bad, realizable and Machiavellian propaganda largely never get to figure in the everyday discussion which is usually clouded by things like Mrs. Kikwete’s role in the campaign and the possible infidelity of Dr. Slaa, important matters of organizational fiscal and moral responsibility in their own right, but should these matters choke grand vision level policies?
The onslaught of outlandish if not dubious campaign promises is documented by Richard Mgamba in an extensive and informative piece at IPP-Media. We have heard it all, from the one about a laptop for every pupil (Kikwete), to government funded education for all during primary and secondary education (Slaa). The 14 year old MV Bukoba replacement promise that is about to span it’s third election made the Mgamba piece especially sombre.
As I was writing this, I was informed that president Kikwete was touting what he is pushing as an endorsement from the Obama administration, from president Obama himself to be exact. It is reported that shortly before ascending to the stage for a campaign speech in Iringa, the president was called by the American ambassador. The ambassador apparently wanted to convey the warm congratulatory words, whether diplomatic niceties to be considered as such or a concrete endorsement as president Kikwete is making the whole thing to be remains to be seen, but the colloquialism of taking something from a last minute call, and working it into the prepared campaign speech with no further verification will one day end up embarassing us all with a spoofed president. Tanzanians simply do not need Obama to tell them who can run Tanzania better. Obama knows of this truism which gave him reason not to tout his “outside the USA” popularity, the Berlin speech being a prime example, as a campaign plus. Even our president embraces colloquialism. At another campaign rally in Kigamboni he quipped “Mswahili uongo, hachoki”. Silencing rumor mongers that Kigamboni was being sold to George W. Bush In an ironic way he was the Mswahili , generalizing to what amounted to what some strict observers would categorize as a lie.
One may ask where are our intellectuals? Are they too prudish to muddle in the maddening mud of elective politics? Speaking of intellectuals, I almost forgot Dr. Baregu is one of them, apart from the reserve and more effort at eminence than a mental gladiatory combat he evinced, one could hardly tell this is a doctor talking, not just a mswahili with cultivated graces. Indeed are they any better? Especially since they are soaked in the same society we all are, one with a penchant for disregard of formalism and cold facts .
This colloquialism even makes it across our borders. I will narrate one poignant anecdote. Our minister for energy went to Japan to market our energy potential. Some Japanese investors gave advanced notice that they wanted to talk about natural gas projects, only natural gas prospects in Tanzania. They invited him to a very posh hotel, only to hear the very same minister say “I am here to talk about potential for exploitation of minerals for nuclear energy, the Japanese investors were flabbergasted and could be heard muttering “This is why we cannot do business with Africans” a broad miscategorization, but I can understand their frustrations. What is with this colloquialism culture?
When president Karume of Zanzibar (the son) was pressured to make one of his minister responsible for some transgressions committed, the president replied with unusual candor that we do not have a culture of responsibility that would warrant a resignation. Point blank. A systemic unaccountability, a pandemic irresponsibility. The making of demigods.
I can pick from anywhere. CHADEMA’s boilerplate doublespeak of clean water accessibility promises to the populist free education for all at the primary and secondary levels. The latter is a mostly not only impractical venture, but even if by a scripture like miracle were it to be possible and successful, presumably from a more efficient system of revenue collection as it’s supporters claim, paying for the education of all, including those who can afford to pay for their own education is at the very least uneconomic. Especially for such a cash strapped nation.
The CHADEMA manifesto reads like a cleverly written holiday present wish list for a scheming poor parent with neither ability nor intention to deliver. Too much too fast, hardly convincing. The party has a plan to institute a non-contributory universal social pension (CHADEMA Election Manifesto 2010-2015 pp 64).The Americans with their more industrialized economy, technological advancement, and an 88%-plus employment even during these hard times for the global economy, do not have a universal non-pension program. In fact their contribution based Social Security system instituted by President Roosevelt during his “New Deal” era is projected to run dry by 2037 (see the “US News and World Report, “How to Prepare for the End of Social Security”) . In Africa, South Africa and Senegal have means tested systems, while Namibia, Mauritius and Botswana have universal pension. The trend is clear and logical. The only countries supporting a univesal non-contributory pension system in Africa have small populations – around 2m- and GDP Per Capita over $ 6,400. Namibia, Mauritius and Botswana have GDP’s Per Capita of $6,400 , $12,400 and $13,000 respectively and populations of 2.1m, 1.3m and 2 m respectively, while Tanzania has a GDP Per Capita of $1400 and a population of around 44m people. All figures are 2009 World Bank estimates and reflect Purchasing Power Parity.
How CHADEMA will fund a non-contributory, and as if that was not enough universal social pension, in a cash-strapped country like ours, while at the same time funding a universal primary and secondary education, is an unexplained and unquestioned mystery. I have never heard anybody so far questioning this pension. I am not even sure that people actually do read these documents. CHADEMA wants to give pension to everyone over 60. The only explanation they give is that they will set apart 1% of GDP for this cause – more zealotry than an economic enterprise, so a cause it is, noble one I might add, but still uneconomic. How do you know that 1% of GDP is going to be enough to pay a reasonable pension? Unless you want the propaganda and populism effect, the pension must be reasonable, what have we learned from the American social security system and an aging population?
I immediately get the question, where will the incentive to contribute to a pension fund come from, if at all this government pension is to be a meaningful one? This should be a huge issue prompting a torrent of discussions. But, we are not policy based. We would rather dwell on fluff than fiduciary integrity, fiduciary integrity is geeky stuff for policy wonks anyway. They will sort it out. I am afraid it is not only the general population who has this mindset, even the likes of Prof. Mwesiga Baregu (a former UDSM don) and Col. Abdulrahman Kinana (a Harvard graduate), did not explore policy issues to this depth. To say that CHADEMA is overambitious and naïve is an understatement, people who are always looking for a motive will override the naiveté part – a party with scholars and learned lawyers cannot be that naïve – they will see this as a Machiavellian propaganda.
To be continued…
Related links:
Sio kama raia hatutaki kujua mchanganuo wa hizo ilani na ushahidi wa namna zitakavyoweza kutekelezeka lakini raia wa chini hana sauti ya kumfikia mgombea kikawaida kwa namna siasa za Tanzania zinavyoendeshwa.
Hilo lilikuwa ni jukumu la waandishi wa habari wa ngazi mbali mbali kuweza kutufikishia sauti zetu, badala yake uandishi wa maneno mengi bila ya uthibitisho wala vielelezo umetawala.
Vikundi visivyokuwa vya kiserekali navyo vimetuangusha, vinaogopa kuhoji serikali ( ambayo inapelekea kuogopa kuhoji upinzani pia) kwa sababu za kuganga maslahi.
Nakubaliana na muandishi kuwa labda viongozi hawaoni haja ya kuingia kwenye details kwa sababu wananchi wengi wao wameridhika na siasa za mdomo mtupu na ahadi za kuvutia.
Hyperkei,
Ni kweli vyombo vya habari vimelegea katika hili. Na kwa kweli vyombo vya habari vinaweza kuchangia zaidi katika kuelimisha jamii na kutoa vipaumbele katika mambo fulani. Rafiki yangu mmoja aliyewahi kuwa mtangazaji wa redio alikubaliana na mimi niliposema kwamba mtangazaji wa redio pamoja na programme director anaweza kufanya wimbo fulani au msanii fulani kuwa maarufu, kutokana na nafasi yake kama mpangaji wa nini cha kusikilizwa. Kwa hiyo hili nalielewa na nimesema wazi kwamba siridhishwi na mijadala ya sera kwa undani inavyotolewa na vyombo vya habari vyote. Nafikiri ungependa kuona tunaanzia hapo.
Ndipo hapo sasa sisi “citizen journalists” na wadau wengine wenye maoni ya kuboresha mambo tunapotakiwa kutoyakalia. Tumezoea kuambiwa jukumu la ulinzi wa nchi ni la raia wote, sioni kwa nini tusijipe jukumu la kutaka ukomavu wa kisiasa na siasa za sera pia. Naelewa kuna kitu kama “kumlaumu muhanga”, lakini kuna wenzetu ambao wamepata elimu na ujuzi tosha kuweka mambo yatakayowapa waandishi fulani changamoto ya kusema kumbe si kweli kwamba wananchi hawataki kusoma cold facts na sera.
Ingawa waandishi wana jukumu kubwa kuelimisha jamii – wanalipwa kufanya hii kazi- lakini kuna mambo mengi yanaingilia hili, mambo ya siasa, utashi, uwezo na hata kukata tamaa tu. Ni kazi yetu sote kukumbushana kila mara tunataka kwenda wapi na tutafikaje huko.
This indifference that you see in the majority of our populace is what we here have tried to advocate against. At first I thought this lack of concern was a Tanzanian thing, but I was surprised to see our neighbours complain about similar things (see. Kuweni Serious initiative from Kenya). Well at least they create tools that question such attitudes.
In TZ, most of us are mostly excited about head-line type of politics (e.g. “Kikwete ashikwa pabaya”, or “Sheikh Yahya apasua jipu”). Civil organizations that are to be formed to address such issues are generally highly dependent on funding, and no one can do anything without a small posho (this is even in the higher ranks: in Zanzibar last week, some opposition party candidates didn’t attend a public presidential debate just because there was no posho for them!)
It would be appeasing to see a grass-roots mass activism, say 2-3 years before the elections asking questions on matters highly important for the electorate. This last-minute excitement on matters political irks me.
I sense that the general consensus is that the public media should be at the fore-front to do the general check-and-balances, at least by raising and following-up some of the concerns of the public. I am waiting to see a Rachel Maddow-type of journalism in our beloved nation.
Wadau–
Democracy in uneducated population is tyranny. The biggest democracy in the world (as they call it) United States is poised to give at least control of “The House” to Republicans, despite what an independent, knowledgeable voter would call an obstructionist agenda towards everything Democrats proposed. And to make it worse, their remedies to revive US economy would only exacerbate the fragile economy (according to independent economists). Despite all these facts, American voters are going to give the majority back to them. Despite the presence of a vast populace of informed journalism.
My point is, if in our country we are going to rely on an informed citizens to make an informed vote, we will be doomed. It never happen. Most regular voters do not have time to analyze if free education chorus would also increase the quality of education? and how about widens the inequity? And politicians are taking advantage of that. They poll test catch phrase words like “Hope” au slogans “Maisha Bora Kwa Kila Mtanzania”. And people obviously respond. In a way, democracy if not used appropriately can create orchestrated chaos.The truest genius of Mwalimu Nyerere was to withhold democratic elections until the literacy rates were about 90% Luckily, for our country the choices in this elections are clear, at least for presidential candidates.
But essentially, we will have to find a way to deal with political amateurs who happened to be very good politicians.
But, how the hell do you explain wasomi walioko madarakani ambao wanaendelea na “siasa za kishabiki”? I am really convinced they know inside-out what’s happening…
Mikocheni Report Blog ilikuwa na kura za maoni kipindi fulani kilichopita kuhoji Tanzania inahitaji kiongozi wa aina gani:
“Would Tanzania benefit from an efficient benevolent dictator at present?”
Rais fulani hivi, mkali kama mwalimu wa hisabati hivi; anayeweza “kutembeza viboko”! Au kuna njia nyingine ya kuleta mabadiliko na kuelimisha umma? Kwasababu, kwa mwendo huu, miaka 10 ijayo tutakuwa hapa hapa.