{UAH} Edmund/Pojim/WBK: Clocking 100:Magufuli keeps nation on a high - News | The Citizen
|
3:31 PM |
No comments |
Clocking 100:Magufuli keeps nation on a high - News
Dar es Salaam. Whichever way one looks at it, Tanzania's new President is currently the man of the moment.
His words and actions, from the day he was sworn in to succeed Mr Jakaya Kikwete as the country's fifth Head of State, have set tongues wagging far and wide.
'Bulldozer' is the nickname they gave him during the charged 2015 General Election campaigns. It denoted toughness in the leader who was out to make things happen.
And President John Pombe Magufuli has so far not disappointed. He has taken into office with gusto, and has lived the spirit of his campaign in a true fashion.
Today as he marks 100 days in office, it is clear Magufuli, 56, has earned friends and foes alike as he steadies the boat for his presidency over the next five years.
Having emerged victorious from the bruising battle with a bolstered opposition, the President has demonstrated that he is keen to deliver on his promises.
From the first day in office, his word and deed has been keenly followed. Every one of his single step is calculated and weighed in carefully as the public is wont to discern a pattern, if any.
So, is Magufuli going to be the Nyerere reincarnate? What difference will he show from his predecessor Jakaya Kikwete? Is his going to be a one-term president? How will he fit in the CCM behemoth? These are some of the questions that have pre-occupied the people in the early days of JPM's presidency.
For starters, it is clear the President has so far demonstrated that he would vigorously fight corruption. It was one of his campaign promises. Within a few days of his leadership, Magufuli cracked the whip, throwing out of office top officials of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) over a tax evasion scam at the Dar Port.
He extended the broom to the private sector, with scores of businessmen lined up for charges in court in the crackdown on tax evaders.
Dr Magufuli's style has quickly earned him praise, but also drew murmurs among a section of the population, especially the legal fraternity. His critics worry his zeal to force a change may lead him to infringing on the rights of those targetted by the anti-corruption crusade.
The President has adopted a no-nonsense approach as he implements reforms in public service. He's stormed public offices unannounced, doing a head count and dismissing absentees. He is a disciplinarian, so he has warned he will not tolerate lazy and thieving civil servants.
A raft of cost-cutting measures he's adopted to fix the rot in public service has raised his rating among ordinary Tanzanians. These include his decision to ban non-essential foreign travel and holding of meetings in hotels by senior government officials. He has also barred fancy national parties, which used to be a source of ill-gotten money by government officials.
He didn't end there. His decision to merge ministries and appoint a leaner cabinet has been met with praise. He has also stolen the heart of the outside world too, with many cheering him on on online platforms.
But how long this honeymoon lasts is anyone's guess. For now, the Tanzanian leader is hogging the limelight, attracting mostly positive headlines.
And Dr Magufuli has shown flickers of what silent critics are warning may be his dark side of the story. The closure of Mawioweekly tabloid by hawkish Information minister Nape Nnauye is one example. Another red herring is his administration attempt to control the movement of foreign diplomats. He's already made his intentions known that he would cut donor dependency.
The opposition has also accused the President of playing hide and seek over the Zanzibar political crisis to serve the ruling party's interests at the expense of stability.
The all-barrel approach to issues has earned the bulldozer the 'dictator' and 'mad' tag, a charge he was forced to deny recently on the Judicial Service Day.
Dr Magufuli said he had been forced to act the way he has in the few days in power to "restore sanity in the use of public resources."
Whether or not Dr Magufuli is already sitting pretty at State House is a question for another day. What is obvious is that the fifth President has set the tone for his administration. Those serving under him are only better dancing to his tune.
(Additional reporting by Saumu Mwalimu)
0 comments:
Post a Comment