Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, February 12, 2024.
Why Samia’s Vatican visit matters
In her black hijab and a gold coat with black print that fusion a blend of African Kitenge and Western-style long coat, President Samia is seen smiling with the Pope who is in his usual white robe..
This image in itself speaks a thousand words, to the world or at least to about 10 million Catholics who reside in Tanzania.
The Holy See Press Office reports that President Samia met with the Holy Father Francis on February 12, 2024, and subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
It’s reported that President Samia and Pope Francis spoke about the church’s role in the provision of social services in Tanzania, challenges faced by Tanzania, and the exchange of views on the regional situation and current international events, with the two agreeing on the ever-greater commitment to the promotion of peace.
Started in 1868, the Catholic church is the oldest in the country. In education, the church has about 240 pre-primary schools, 147 primary schools, 245 secondary schools, 110 vocational training, 13 teachers training colleges, and four universities. Read the full story here.
Edward Lowassa’s contested political legacy
Evidently, the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) wants to win political capital from the death of Edward Lowassa, who died on February 10, 2023. It began with the announcement of his death by Vice President Philip Mpango. President Samia Suluhu Hassan then condoled with the family of Lowassa, who briefly served as Prime Minister between 2005 and 2008.
CCM announced that it had suspended ongoing party engagements down South. The national broadcaster TBC – the government’s mouthpiece– has been running special tributes for Lowassa since the announcement of his death.
Senior former and current government officials have sent condolences and tributes to the late premier. It is, however, puzzling why CCM is so keen to own and embrace a leader who they shunned, disparaged and mocked. Further intriguing is the ambivalent tributes from CHADEMA – the party Lowassa joined after his humiliation in the 2015 CCM nomination process. Read the full analysis here.
Motorcades and Bodabodas: The green saviour complex?
One of the things that really annoys me when watching almost any film about Africa, be it Blood Diamonds, Biko, or movies about Rwanda, is the white saviour complex. You cannot have Africans doing it for themselves, doing it on their own, succeeding on their own.
There must always be some funky white guy who makes the difference between success and failure. Sure, the whites may be around, and some may even support, but are they really the deciding factor between success and failure? It maintains a false or lying narrative, which impacts our consciousness.
However, more recently, we have seen the rise of a new phenomenon, the green saviour complex currently epitomised by the travels of a man whose motorcade is even longer than his official title and who distributes largesse to a lucky few who happen to get to the front of the queue.
How many people could solve their problems with the money used in motoring around the country with an entourage to gladden the heart of any king or queen? Thousands of litres and poshos, or allowances, to save one child and hold one minister to account.Read the full analysis here.
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One Response
CHADEMA committed a political harakiri when they ditched charismatic Dr Slaa and embraced scandalous Lowassa. It was an act of opportunism that destroyed Chadema when Dr Slaa rightly protested and left the party. Chadema wrongly thought Lowassa would bring massive CCM followers but that never happened. In fact he himself reverted to CCM as another act of opportunism. Today CCM are using his demise as electoral campaign by trying to score political gain