Tanzania political maturity deserves emulation

 

THE East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of seven partner states: The Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of  Congo (DRC), the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The EAC is home to an estimated 283.7 million citizens, of which over 30 per cent is urban population. With a land area of 4.8 million square kilometres and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$ 305.3 billion, it bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects for the renewed and reinvigorated EAC.

Since assuming power, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has not minced words that political rivalries and endless politics will not put food on the people’s tables, will not address challenges facing a common Tanzanian in his/her village and instead breed only divisions and name-callings.

In her walk the talk, she has extended an olive branch to fellow Tanzanians who had sought asylum in foreign lands simply because they felt they could not reason in the same page with the government-that should not be the case.

To show that Tanzania is first in any sphere of reasoning and politics, President Samia yesterday, while gracing the International Women’s Day surprised many with her unique style of leadership to show that politics should not be the basis to put the citizens in groups/factions, because Tanzanians want one another for collective development.

Her school of thought is that political reconciliation can build bridges between opposing parties, and help repair fractured relationships. It can help break the cycle of violence and build a more peaceful common future, and ultimately sustain peace, which the founding father of the nation, Mwalimu Juilus Nyerere and past regimes longed for.

With reconciliation closing the gaps and building new relationships, individuals and parties’ perceptions will be changed in order to overcome hatred and mistrust, which made a section of the citizens to label those opposing their ideas as enemies.

Tanzanians want development and that will not be realized in an environment where political parties and individuals with different ideologies fail to reconcile and forge a joint front for the sake of the country.

Once there is an understanding among the leaders, definitely their followers will think of development that is the goal of every Tanzanian and more so others in the bloc.

It is time also for other member states to think of going the Tanzania style no matter how painful, severe or embarrassing their problems are, because with reconciliation, definitely a lot of focus will be put in development and cohesion of the bloc.