Tanzania: Magufuli Backed On Foreign Trips

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Tanzania: Magufuli Backed On Foreign Trips

4:11 CAT | 05 Feb 2016

In file Club of Mozambique / John Magufuli.

A cross-section of academicians, politicians, diplomats and other stakeholders have come out strongly in defence of President John Magufuli’s decision to delegate foreign trips to other government leaders.

National Assembly Chairperson and Special Seats Member of Parliament (CCM) Mary Mwanjelwa said every regime has its own style of leadership and Dr Magufuli has his own style.

“If President Magufuli is not attending the meetings, it is because he has other commitments and hence his decision to delegate the responsibility to others,” Ms Mwanjelwa noted.

Head of Political Science and Public Administration Department at the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Benson Bana, faulted those criticising Dr Magufuli, stressing that the president is setting the nation in order.

“Those criticising the president have nothing better to do. It is for the president to decide which meetings he wants to attend and which he wants to delegate to the vice-president or the prime minister who can also serve the purpose,” he emphasized.

Dr Bana said the president’s priority at the moment is directed within the country, addressing woes facing the public — coupled with his need to ‘set the house in order’.

“The presidency is an institution and Dr Magufuli has the right to decide who attends which meetings… It’s not like we were not represented in the African Union (AU) Summit… the vice-president was there representing Tanzania.

We should let the president make his own decisions,” Dr Bana, who is also the Chairman of the Research and Education for Democracy in Tanzania (REDET), added.

The Board Chairman of the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), Ambassador Christopher Liundi, said the president has the right to decide on own style of leadership.

“He can delegate duties to the vice-president, prime minister or ambassadors to attend such meetings because he is tied down with other commitments to the public of Tanzania,” he said.

The veteran politician, administrator and diplomat said even Founding Father Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was also criticised for travelling abroad. “And indeed, former President Jakaya Kikwete was also criticized for travelling abroad more often”.

“We must give President Magufuli time to plan his own way of leading the nation and delivering on his promises to the public,” he explained.

Former CCM Secretary General Yussuf Makamba said the president has his own style of leadership and a lot of work ahead of him, including various appointments that needs to be made.

“We must respect the president and his style of leadership. We should let him lead the nation in his own way, otherwise we will not see the difference between his leadership and the past leadership,” he stressed.

The President of Tanzania Teachers’ Union (TTU), Mr Gratian Mukoba, said President Magufuli is busy working to deliver what he promised Tanzanians and should not be distressed. “He has only five years in office. As much as it might seem a lot of years to some, it is a very short time.

We all should give him time and space to work for Tanzanians,” he explained. President Magufuli is not the only African president who has chosen to delegate most of his foreign meetings to vice-president, prime minister and ambassadors representing the country abroad.

Botswana President Ian Khama was once quoted saying he has only been outside the country five times; one to the UN General Assembly, two to both AU and SADC conferences.

Lt. Gen. Khama had said that Botswana has vice-president, foreign minister and ambassadors to represent the country, urging that he was elected by Motswanas to listen and solve their problems. He personally flies his helicopter outside the city to the villages every evening – sitting and chatting with ordinary Motswanas around bonfires as they dwell on how to solve their pertinent problems.

As a result of President Khama’s steadfastness and excellent leadership, Botswana is one of the few fastest growing economies in Africa and its per capita is over 3000 US dollars.

Source: Tanzania Daily News