By Allan Fisher, Montreal
9/26/2020: AMERICAN’s House of Representatives’ resolution 1120 on Tanzania deserves a special place in the smelliest trash bin.Without realizing the changed times in our space, the resolution is archaic and disgraceful.
I was enraged when my eyes scanned it. This is what Mandela warned that Americans can never qualify to police the world. We have many similar examples. This time again, they are releasing a stupid resolution to thwart Tanzania from exercising accountability over its natural resources. This is the issues at stake.
This silly resolution on Tanzania, a beacon of stability in sub-Saharan Africa, needs to be rubbished and quashed as a piece of used toilet tissues. Not in this time and space. The demands are uncivilized and dangerous on the freedom and prosperous of any African nation leave alone the developing world.
Tanzania is the richest African nation in natural resources. It also has a rich liberation history than any other country on the continent. It is now on the West’s spotlight, when the incumbent President John Magufuli started to spearhead Tanzania’s struggle for economic liberation which saw the country entering in the middle income bracket in July this year. Clearly this is what you hate.
Economic War on Africa
This is not a war on Tanzania alone but it is for the rest of the African countries which have always sought to liberate themselves economically. The West hates to see any attempt of an African country rising economically. This is not just rhetoric but the reality for which Africa must rise up and take charge.
Africa’s economic independence is not good news to the Americans. They are trying to use the human rights card as a pretext to sabotage efforts by resource-rich African nations to develop. China and Vietnam overcame this imperialistic menace.
On 17 September, 2020, the US House of Representatives passed Resolution 1120 that books Tanzania on the Human Rights ticket. However, this resolution is not really on human rights violations. This is a simple pretext.
It is the struggle for plundering Tanzania’s natural resources. It also wants to force Tanzania to yield into the corona virus conspiracy. Tanzania had her way to manage the virus. They did not deny its existence.
The Resolution 1120 on Tanzania which is a shame came when Tanzania became a middle income country in July, 2020. The reforms in Tanzania saw large scale public investments in energy supply, industrialization, health, minerals, education and many others.
Tanzania is but the 7th most peaceful nation on the continent, most peaceful than the US, according to Global Peace Index 2020. The US is trying to make up these claims to gain access to plunder mineral resources.
It is a shame that Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-California), a black woman in the US, leads out in this shameful project to try and thwart Tanzania’s booming economy with Christopher Henry Smith (R-New Jersey). She would turn her guns against the oppressive justice system in US which sees brutal police killings of the black folks.
Human Rights and Multi-party democracy in Tanzania
The ruling party, CCM, the oldest ruling party in Africa, on its own motion and without any remorse, voted to approve Tanzania’s re-entry into multi-party democracy.
It has been fairly competing with other political parties. Tanzania is a model of an emerging democracy in Africa. It is politically stable nation and will remain stable despite your sinister motives to derail her development trajectory.
Politics in multiparty country should always be competitive. We witness a lot of fouls in the US elections now and before. Tanzania could be better in the democratic processes than the US except that you far much better in branding.
On Press freedom, and freedom of expression, assembly, and association
Some of these laws you blame them on Dr.Magufuli because you did not do your homework properly. Most of them were either enacted or processed before Dr. Magufuli came to power. The Cybercrimes Act of 2015, the Media Services Act of 2016 had its processes months before Magufuli was President and they were participatory.
The Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations Act of 2018 emanate from the main law which was enacted in 2010, five years before Magufuli became Tanzania’s President. Did you want Tanzania to consult America every time they wanted to enact a law?
On independent collection, dissemination, and publication of statistics
I am sure you do not have the moral right to condemn Tanzania on muzzling freedom of expression when you have the worst world record in your own country.
Any nation on earth uses correct statistics to plan its own development. The law just seeks to satisfy that need. Is there anything wrong with a demand for correct statistics?
The media in Tanzania is free. As in the US, in Tanzania the media too operate within the ambit of law and professional ethics. The stories, therefore, are expected to reflect truth, accuracy, objectivityand balance. The media need to remain professionally impartial.
In a worse reference, in 2019, President Donald Trump attacked news media outlets, characterizing them as, among other things, “the enemy of the people.
A few times your own President ordered CNN reporter to be thrown out of the Press Conference room. Dr. Magufuli has never done that before and he will not do that because he is civilized.
Julian Assange’s Criminal Indictment
The public release of a criminal indictment of Julian Assange, creator of WikiLeaks, for alleged violations of the Espionage Act prompted widespread concern among journalists that the government could begin prosecuting media outlets that publish classified information—even if release of the information is in the public interest.
This has been done on America’s soil.
Violation of Freedom of Expression and Press Freedom in US
These cases are very fresh. Following the police merciless killing of a black man, George Floyd, the protesters were shot at. The authorities across states banned demonstrations and curfews were imposed. Isn’t this against what you call freedom of expression?
Journalists covering the demonstrations were blinded, arrested. Police attacked journalists covering US protests.
The Watchdog in US received over 400 reports of press freedom violations during the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis which sparked a wave of protests against police brutality.
That the US has its democratic challenges too. How many times President Trump removes from office an official who tries to stand in his way? He has been doing that to obstruct justice. Robert Mueller and former FBI Director James Comey were a few cases in point. Presidential elections have issues.
Rallies and operations of nongovernmental organizations;
Tanzania allows political rallies. However, there is procedure to achieve it. On the contrary, in the US, in June this year, the police in US rounded up and arrested over 10,000 protesters around the country. Many of them non-violent.
The American police used pepper spray, rubber bullets, teargas and batons. I was asking myself, why you did not leave them to demonstrate for as long as they wanted if it was indeed a democracy. So, all countries do not entertain violence in the name of human rights. Tanzania also strives to sustain peace.
Like in the US and the UK, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) must adhere to the laws of the land if they wanted to operate in their countries. They are required to conform to the country’s laws and norms. Tanzania does the same.
Holding Perpetrators Accountable;
Tanzania is governed by the rule of law. Tanzania is a peaceful nation. Their leaders from both the ruling party and the opposition parties could walk in streets freely. However, the country is not immune to crime. The crime does not choose faces as politicians and non-politicians live and relate with the public.
However, crime rate in Tanzania is much smaller compared to the US. In Tanzania, once investigations are concluded, successful prosecution is done in the courts of law. A good example is the murder of Dr. Mvungi whose perpetrators were recently sentenced to death by hanging.
On the contrary, deaths in the hands of law enforcement agencies in the US are about 1,500 people annually. Brazil is a little above the US rate.
Combating Corruption in Tanzania
President Magufuli has won accolades from all over the world on conducting crusade on graft than any other leader in Africa. He has been a model and has thus far received a number of awards for fighting corruption in Tanzania.
Ordinary Tanzanians are happier today than it was five years ago. There are medical supplies in hospitals, roads are constructed, tenders are won on merit not through corruption, corrupt executes are being axed and many other achievements in efficient management. Public services are accessed quicker than at any other time in Tanzania’s history.
President Magufuli does not tolerate corrupt elements in his Government. He does not look at one’s face. He has thus far fired a number of top Government officials, including Ministers, whose hands were tainted by corruption.
The Tanzanian President respects genuine and reasonable business contracts. Some of the contracts could merely be looting the country of its resources. In the event of such contracts, Tanzania called for negotiation which would usually end in amicable settlement to achieve a win-win situation.
Democrats nearly obstructed Trump from running for presidency because of hiding his reports on tax returns. Most of your multinationals, especially the mineral companies, for many yearswere evading the right tax.
The Magufuli administration reached amicable settlement. The standoff was resolved. Being a rare pro-business leader, he agreed on terms. It is just a question of accountability of natural resources.
On COVID–19
Tanzania never denied existence of COVID-19. If so, there was no point of upholding precautionary measures for COVID-19. The President, Vice President, the Prime Minister and Minister for Health guided the public on exercising precautionary measures to keep healthy.
The Tanzanians washed their hands, sanitized their hands, put on masks and tried as much as possible exercising social distancing. They also held three days of national prayers. God heard their prayers and healed their land.
Tanzania’s President deserved an award for showing leadership in coronavirus pandemic. When a goat, papaya and a bird tested positive for COVID-19, the whole world would have praised Dr. Magufuli who had spent many years working in labs around the country before becoming a politician.
Sweden too did not lock down and did not experience many deaths like those which opted for lock down.
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