HUU NI ZAIDI YA UHUNI WA KISIASA.

CCM wafanya mkutano kanisani, wampiga kiongozi wa kigango

Na Frederick Katulanda, Biharamulo

WAFUASI wa CCM juzi walivamia Kanisa Katoliki, Kigango cha Nyantakara kilicho Kata ya Lusahunga na kufanya mkutano wao, huku wakimshambulia na kumjeruhi katibu wa kanisa hilo baada ya kuwaamuru watoke.

Tukio hilo lilitokea juzi majira ya saa 3:00 asubuhi wakati wafuasi hao wa wanawake wa CCM, wakiongozwa na mtu mmoja aliyejulikana kwa jina moja la John, walipoingia kanisani humo kwa madhumuni ya kuchukua viti kwa ajili ya mkutano wao. Badala ya kuchukua viti, waliamua kutotoka na kufanyia mkutano huo kanisani.

Akizungunza na Mwananchi katekista wa kigango hicho ambacho kipo katika parokia ya Kaniha, jimbo la Kahama, Faustine Damas alisema wafuasi hao wa CCM waliingia kanisani na kuchukua meza ya kuendeshea ibada na kuigeuza kuwa meza ya wageni wao na baadaye kuendesha mkutano wao.

Alieleza kuwa alipofika kanisani alistaajabu kusikia nyimbo wa 'Tieni, tieni' ukiimbwa na baada ya kuingia ndani alikuta wakiwa wanaendelea na mkutano wao huku wakitumia meza kuu ya ibada, jambo ambalo lilimfanya ampigie simu katibu wa kigango hicho, Festus Masumbuko ambaye baada ya kuwaomba waondoke na kuwanyang'anya meza hiyo ya ibada, wafuasi hao wa CCM walianza kumpiga.

"Waliamua kugoma kuondoka na ndipo alipowanyang'anya meza ya ibada, lakini wakamvamia na kumpiga mateke na ngumi. Wamemjeruhi vibaya na pia wamemchania shati," alieleza katekista huyo.

Alisema kutokana na hali hiyo alilazimika kupiga kelele na ndipo wananchi walipofika na kumwokoa. Lakini wakati hali hiyo ikiendelea, mfuasi mmoja wa CCM alipiga simu polisi na kuwaeleza kuwa walikuwa wakifanyiwa vurugu na ndipo polisi walipoenda eneo hilo na kuwakamata wananchi waliokuwa wanataka kumuokoa katibu.

Wananchi hao wanashikiliwa na polisi kwa kufanya vurugu katika mkutano huku wana CCM wakiachiwa huru na kuondoka zao.

Kutokana na hali hiyo paroko wa parokia ya Kaniha, Padri Isaya Bahati ambaye pia ni msaidizi wa askofu wa jimbo la Kahama, alisema muda mfupi baadaye akiwa polisi kuwa amesikitishwa na vurugu hizo na kusisitiza kuwa kanisa kama nyumba ya ibada inapaswa kuheshimika kwa vile si uwanja wala ukumbi wa mikutano.

Alipoulizwa kuhusu suala hilo, naibu katibu mkuu wa CCM, George Mkuchika alisema hana taarifa ya vurugu za wafuasi wake kanisani na kwamba kwa kuwa amepokea taarifa hizo, atazifuatilia kwa kina.

“Ngoja nifuatilie kwa kina kujua ni nini kimetokea,” alieleza Mkuchika.

Kamanda wa polisi mkoa wa Kagera Henry Salewi alisema kuwa hakuwa kwenye eneo la uchaguzi na kumtaka mwandishi awasiliane na kamishina Telesphol Anaclet ambaye ndiye amekuwa akishughulikia masuala hayo. Hata hivyo, kamishna huyo alisema jeshi la polisi linaendelea na masuala yake hivyo lipewe nafasi ya kufanya kazi.

“Naomba mtuache tufanye kazi yetu sina cha kukueleza kwa sasa,” alisema kamishina huyo wa oparesheni maalumu ya uchaguzi na akakata simu.

Waliokamatwa na jeshi hilo la polisi wametajwa kuwa ni Evarist Dotto, Semen Elias, Mosha Makoye, Batista na Timetheo ambao walitambulika kwa jina moja.

CHANZO: Mwananchi

HITIMISHO LISILOHITAJI TAFAKURI YA KINA NI KWAMBA CCM IMEFILISIKA KISIASA,NA KATIKA KUTAPATAPA KWAKE IKO TAYARI HATA KUWEKA REHANI AMANI NA UTULIVU WA TAIFA LETU.

NA KWA JINSI ILIVYOSHINDWA KUJINASUA NA TUHUMA KWAMBA INAKUMBATIA UFISADI NA MAFISADI,NI DHAHIRI KAMPENI ZA 2010 ZITASHUHUDIA MAZINGAOMBWE,UHUNI NA UPUUZI ZAIDI YA HUU.DINI NI KITU HATARI KINAPOTUMIWA KWA MINAJILI YA UBINAFSI WA KISIASA JAPO BINAFSI SINA KIPINGAMIZI NA KUCHANGANYA DINI NA SIASA ALIMRADI WAHUSIKA WAWE MAKINI KUTENGANISHA LIPI LA KAIZARI NA LIPI LA KIROHO.

Read More

SIJUI TUAMINI LIPI KUHUSU KIFO CHA MICHAEL JACKSON!

Kifo cha mtu maarufu huambatana na kila aina ya tetesi.Na kifo cha Michael Jackson is no exception.Ukisikiliza,kuona au kusoma kuhusu kifo cha mfalme huyo wa Pop,unaweza kumhukumu kirahisi tu kuwa alikuwa mithili ya mfu aliye hai (dead man walking).Baadhi ya vyombo vya habari vinadai Michael alikuwa akibwia madawa lukuki ya kumudu maumivu ya mwili.Mengine yanadai alikuwa amekongoroka kupita kiasi.Gazeti moja limekwenda mbali zaidi na kudai kwamba eti miezi michache iliyopita,ilibainika wazi kuwa Michael alikuwa na miezi si zaidi ya sita ya kuishi.Lakini picha hizi zilizopigwa wakati wa rehersal zake zilizopangwa kufanyika O2 Arena mwezi ujao,zinatoa taswira tofauti kabisa.

Read More

MWANDISHI MWENZA WA BUNGE LENYE MENO ATIMULIWA BUNGENI NA MWANDISHI MWENZIE (SPIKA SITTA)

Bwana Mapesa,John Momose Cheyo,Mbunge wa Bariadi kwa tiketi ya UDP akitoka nje ya jengo la bunge baada ya kukumbana na makali ya viwango na spidi vya Mheshimiwa Spika Samuel Sitta.Ironically,Cheyo ni mwandishi-mwenza (co-author) wa kitabu BUNGE LENYE MENO.

CHANZO: Jamii Forums

Read More

TRIBUTES TO THE KING OF POP AT MTV AWARDS

Read More

R.I.P PROF HAROUB OTHMAN

NI PIGO KUBWA KWA TAIFA NA PENGO LISILOZIBIKA.

KWA MARA NYINGINE,TANZANIA IMEPOTEZA MSOMI MAHIRI WA KIMATAIFA.

NI PIGO KUBWA HASA KWA VILE TAIFA BADO LINA MAPENGO YALIYOACHWA NA WASOMI WENGINE MAHIRI WALIOTANGULIA KWA MUUMBA,KAMA PROFESA CURTHBERT OMARI NA PROFESA CHACHAGE S. CHACHAGE.

MUNGU ILAZE ROHO YA MAREHEMU MAHALA PEMA PEPONI,AMEEN

Read More

BECAUSE YOU'RE WORTH IT: COSMETICS GIANT L'OREAL FOUND GUILTY OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

L’Oréal, the French cosmetics giant, whose advertising campaigns proclaim “because you’re worth it”, was found guilty of racial discrimination for considering black, Arab and Asian women unworthy of selling its shampoo.

France’s highest court was told that the group had sought an all-white team of sales staff to promote Fructis Style, a haircare product made by Garnier, L’Oréal’s beauty division.

The word went out that Garnier’s hostesses should be BBR — “bleu, blanc, rouge” — the colours of the French flag. The expression is widely recognised in the French recruitment world as a code for white French people born to white French parents, a court was told, in effect excluding the four million or so members of ethnic minorities in France.

La Cour de Cassation, the equivalent of the US Supreme Court, said that the policy was illegal under French employment law, upholding a ruling given by the Paris Appeal Court in 2007.

The judgment was a significant blow to the image of the world’s biggest cosmetics group, which has spent millions of dollars in global advertising campaigns featuring stars such as Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria, Penélope Cruz and Claudia Schiffer.

That image already suffered a battering when L’Oréal executives were forced to deny claims that they had lightened the singer Beyoncé Knowles’s skin for a campaign last year. The ruling also hinted at widespread prejudice among French shoppers since L’Oréal believed that they were more likely to buy shampoo from white sales staff, the court was told.

The ruling will fuel anger among black and Arab French people, who complain that they face widespread discrimination when seeking employment.

The court ruled that Adecco, the temporary recruitment agency whose Districom division hired the hostesses, was also guilty of racial discrimination. The Paris Appeal Court had fined both L’Oréal and Adecco €30,000 (£25,500) and ordered them to pay a further €30,000 each in damages to SOS Racisme, the anti-racist campaign group, which brought the case. The court upheld the fines but told the appeal court judges to reconsider the damages.

L’Oréal expressed “disappointment” at the judgment, which ends three years of legal wrangling over the discrimination claims. Adecco declined to comment.

Samuel Thomas, the vice-chairman of SOS Racisme, described the ruling as a “very great victory”. He said: “Whatever the size of the company, none is able to escape prosecution.”

The court was told that a Districom executive had sent a fax to its headquarters in 2000 saying that Garnier’s hostesses should be aged 18 to 22, wear size 38 to 42 clothes (British sizes 8 to 12) and be “BBR”.

Prosecutors said that Garnier wanted to exclude members of the ethnic minorities on the ground that they would be less likely to sell its shampoo in French shops. The court was told that only 4.65 per cent of the hostesses hired for Garnier’s campaign were black, Asian or Arab.

Before the BBR fax went out, the agency had been offering a pool of candidates in which 38.7 per cent were from ethnic minorities, suggesting that they had been blocked during the final stages of recruitment.

Districom employees said that they were given oral instructions to favour white sales staff. But Thérèse Coulange, the deputy managing director of Districom, who sent the fax, said that she had merely wanted hostesses able to “express themselves correctly in French”. She said that the fax had been a personal initiative and not the implementation of company policy.

Laurent Dubois, Garnier’s former managing director, told a lower court that he had “never given the slightest order to discriminate against anyone” and described racial prejudice as “foreign to L’Oréal’s genes”.

SOURCE: The Times

Read More

KIFO CHA MICHAEL JACKSON: JE KILA CHOZI NI LA SIMANZI?

Kifo!

Yaani,licha ya kumaanisha mwisho wa safari ya uhai wa binadamu,kifo huambatana na matukio ya ajabu kabisa ambayo pengine yangepelekea tifu laiti marehemu angeweza kuyasemea.Nikupe mfano hai.Kabla ya kukutana na mauti,marehemu mama yangu aliugua kwa takriban miaka mitatu.Japo kwenye mambo ya imani za kidini tunaambiwa uzima na uhai ni mipango ya Mungu,mara kadhaa mikono ya binadamu wenzetu huhusika kuharibu au kutokomeza kabisa uhai wa binadamu wenzao.Maelezo ya kitabibu yalitufahamisha kuwa marehemu mama alifariki kutokana na sehemu kubwa ya ubongo wake kuathiriwa na mishtuko ya moyo (strokes) miwili aliyopata wakati wa uhai wake.

Mshtuko wa kwanza ulichangiwa na kitendo cha mtu wa karibu na marehemu.Alimfanyia tendo ambalo lilimwacha marehemu akisononeka hadi anaingia kaburini.Ni hadithi ndefu,na kwa vile pengine hapa si mahala mwafaka kuweka kila jambo wazi,nachoweza kukielezea ni namna mhusika huyo (alomtenda ubaya mama hadi akaishia kupata mshtuko wa kwanza wa moyo) "alivyojibaraguza" wakati wa mazishi ya mama Juni 2,2008.

Kuna takriban nyakati tatu hivi katika msiba ambazo kwa hakika zinatia uchungu usioelezeka.Kwangu,kwanza ilikuwa ni wakati wa taarifa kuwa "mama yako amefariki".Kwanza unaona kama ni utani,kisha inakuwa kama ndoto,lakini pindi akili inapofunguka na kugundua si utani wala ndoto,hapo ni bwawa la machozi,sambamba na mayowe ya kilio,na wengine huishia kumfuata wanayemlilia (kifo kinazaa kifo kingine).Pili ni wakati wa kuona maiti,aidha mortuary au wakati wa kuaga maiti kabla ya mazishi.Yaani hapo kumbukumbu zote za uhai wa marehemu zinakurejea.Tatu ni wakati wa kutumbukiza jeneza kaburini na kisha kufukia kaburi.Maneno "wewe xxx (jina la marehemu) mavumbini ulitoka,na mavumbini utarejea" (kwa sie Wakristo) ni machungu na yanaumiza mno!

Nirejee kwenye matukio ya siku ya mazishi ambayo laiti marehemu angeweza kusema lolote muda huo...!Tukiwa makaburini,yule kiumbe niliyemtaja awali kuwa alimtendea mama kitu kibaya kilichopelekea stroke alikuwa ameshikiliwa na watu wawili wakimdhibiti asijitumbukize kaburini!Yaani ungedhani ndio mtu mwenye uchungu mkuuuubwa kuliko hata sie wengine tuliokuwa tunajitahidi kujikaza japo kwa shida.Kwa sekunde kadhaa nilibaki nimeduwaa nikishangaa usanii wa mnafiki huyo.Huyu ni mtu aliyemchukia marehemu mama hadi siku anafariki,sasa iweje leo apandwe na uchungu kiasi cha kutaka kuingia na mama yangu kaburini?Laiti ningekuwa na bastola muda huo pengine saa hizi ningekuwa jela!

Hilo ni tukio la kweli.Ukitaka kushuhudia unafiki wa daraja la kwanza,nenda msibani.Sio kila chozi linalotiririka na yowe linalopigwa ni matendo ya dhati.Kuna wanaolia kutimiza wajibu na wengine "kuua soo".Utamliliaje mtu ulokuwa unamchukia wakati wa uhai wake?How come mauti yawe na thamani zaidi ya uhai?Au hayo yanafanyika kwa vile marehemu hawezi kuamka na kumsuta mtu?

Twende kwenye kifo cha Michael Jackson.Moja ya mambo yatakayokumbukwa zaidi kuhusu msanii huyu ni kipaji chake cha muziki kilichopelekea kupachika "cheo" cha mfalme wa pop duniani.Lakini ni jambo lisilofichika kwamba kwa miaka kadhaa kabla ya kifo chake hapo juzi,Michael alikuwa maarufu zaidi kwa vituko kuliko muziki wake.

Marehemu huwa hasemwi vibaya,na hiyo ni sehemu ya unafiki wa wanadamu wengi.Yayumkinika kusema kwamba Michael,kabla ya kesi ya udhalilishaji wa watoto,aliwapa kisogo watu weusi.Alitumia sehemu kubwa ya maisha yake kutafuta "uzungu" (kuwa mtu mweupe zaidi ya rangi ya mwili).Alipokumbwa na kesi hiyo,sapoti kubwa haikutoka kwa Weupe wenzake" bali Weusi ambao walifumbia macho dharau ya mfalme huyo wa pop dhidi ya asili yake.

Wapo wanaoona kifo cha msanii huyo mahiri kilikuwa kikijijenga kadri siku zinavyokwenda mbele.Hauhitaji kuwa mtaalam wa mwili wa binadamu kugundua kuwa transformation ya Michael kutoka mtu mweusi kuwa mweupe zaidi ya weupe wa kawaida ingeweza kuhatarisha afya yake.

Kulikuwa na tetesi kuwa alikuwa na kansa ya ngozi,just like tetesi kwamba kuna wakati pua yake "iling'oka"!Ukichanganya na vituko kama kumning'iniza mwanae katika dirisha la chumba kilicho juu ghorofani,kuficha sura yake na masks za ajabu ajabu,nk ni dhahiri kuwa alikuwa anajitengenezea njia ya mkato ya kumrejea Muumba.

Hata hivyo,ni muhimu kutambua kuwa kuna watu waliomfikisha Michael hapo alipofia.Inaelezwa kuwa mwanamuziki huyo alikuwa mhanga wa manyanyaso dhidi ya watoto yaliyokuwa yakifanywa na baba yake mzazi.Japo mzee huyo,Joe Jackson, alionekana kuwa bega kwa bega na mwanae wakati wa kesi yake (Michael) lakini hiyo haikusaidia kukwepa hisia za baadhi ya wachambuzi wa tabia waliokuwa wakimtuhumu kuwa ndio chanzo cha "kuharibika" kwa mwanae.

Yote katika yote,kwa vile wengi wetu tumemfahamu Michael kutokana na kipaji chake cha muziki,huku tukielezwa kwamba huenda kifo chake kimetokana na overdose ya painkillers alizokuwa akitumia ili arejee jukwaani kutuburudisha,ni dhahiri kwamba historia itamtendea haki ya kuendelea kumheshimu kama MFALME WA POP!Na katika hilo,kuna kila dalili kwamba atarejea kwenye chati za muziki duniani kutokana na kupanda kwa mauzo ya albamu zake kama sehemu ya kumbukumbu.

Read More

SCIENTISTS CLOSE IN CURE FOR HIV INFECTION

By Gatonye Gathura, Citizen Correspondent, Nairobi

Scientists have found a way of eradicating HIV infection from the human body by "smoking" out the virus from its hideout cells. The new approach is to kill the hideout cells plus the virus.

The current anti-Aids drugs only destroy viruses circulating in the body but some manage to hide in particular immune system cells and continue replicating, hence the patient has to remain on medication throughout.

The new development by a team of American and Canadian researchers is the second indication that a cure for the disease that continues to afflict more than 1.3 million Kenyans and many more globally may finally be within reach.

In February, researchers in California developed a gene therapy with the capacity of eradicate HIV from the body and have since put 12 people on clinical trials. The study is still ongoing though it is said to involve a complex process that could make it very expensive.

Published on Sunday in the Nature Medicine journal, the new study says HIV and Aids can be treated through a combination of targeted drugs together with current anti-retrovirals.

"This radical new therapy would make it possible to destroy both the viruses circulating in the body as well as those playing hide-and-seek in immune system cells, says Dr Rafick-Pierre S�kaly, of the University of Montreal, Canada.

Other participating groups included the universities of McGill and Minnesota and the National Institutes of Health, the latter is the US federal agency responsible for overseeing government-sponsored biomedical research.

Current anti-retroviral treatments are not able to eradicate the virus from the body because some disease agents hide in particular cells where the existing treatments cannot reach. These researchers have now identified these cells and found a way of reaching them.

The new approach, says the team, is to use drugs to kill the cell containing the virus while giving the immune system time to regenerate with new cells. This could much cheaper that the gene-therapy technology.

"Once the virus is hidden in these reservoir cells, it becomes dependent on them: if the cell lives, the virus lives, but if the cell dies, so does the virus. As such, destroying these immune cells will allow for the elimination of the resilient or hidden parts of the virus," says Dr Sekaly.

While the team acknowledges that a product is still several years away before becoming a reality for patients, they are excited of the breakthrough which they say opens the way for therapies that are completely different from current ones.

SOURCE: The Citizen

RELATED STORY: a pilot project that is helping a Tanzanian community make its own probiotic yogurt for HIV-infected locals and empowering women in the process.

Read More

TISHIO LA NJAA KILOMBERO NA ULANGA

Ifakara katika picha niliyopiga mwezi Mei mwaka jana.

Mji una neema ya ardhi yenye rutuba inayokubali kilimo cha mpunga,mahindi,na mazao mengine lukuki.Ungetegemea mapinduzi ya kijani yaanzie sehemu kama hizi lakini kama kawaida ya wanasiasa wetu,maneno meeengi huku vitendo vikiishia kwenye michakato,mikakati,vipaumbele,semina elekezi na ubabaishaji mwingine kama huo.Habari hii hapo chini licha ya kunigusa kutokana na ukweli kwamba wilaya ya Kilombero ndio nyumbani,pia inawakilisha matatizo yanayowakabili mamilioni ya Watanzania wanaotegemea kilimo kama njia pekee ya kuwawezesha kuishi.Isome kwanza:

Kilombero, Ulanga wahofia njaa

na Joseph Malembeka, Kilombero

BAADHI ya
wananchi wanaoishi katika wilaya za Kilombero na Ulanga mkoani Morogoro wameiomba serikali kuingilia kati ununuzi holela wa mazao ya chakula unaofanywa na walanguzi sasa.

Ombi hilo limekuja kutokana na ongezeko kubwa la wafanyabiashara kuingia wilayani humo na kununua kwa kasi mpunga ukiwemo uliovunwa na uliopo mashambani.

Wakizungumza na Tanzania Daima juzi, John Lyapi na Selemani Kinana walisema kama serikaliikifumbia macho suala hilo kuna hatari ya wakazi wengi wa wilaya hizo kupata baa la njaa mwaka huu.

Lyapi alisema kwa sasa walanguzi hao wamevamia zaidi katika tarafa za Malinyi na Mtimbira na kuwarubuni wananchi kuwauziampunga wao kwa sh 5,000 kwa debe na huku wakiwafuatilia hadi mashambani.

Alisema kutokana na wengi wa wakulima kwa kipindi hiki wanatokea mashambani inawawia vigumu kukataa kupokea fedha hizo, kwani wengi wao huwa kama wanaanzamaisha mapya majumbani baada ya kuhamia mashambani kwa muda mrefu.

Naye Kinana mkazi wa Kilombero alisema kila kukicha bei ya mazao ya chakulaimekuwa inapanda na kushuka kutegemeana na kuongezeka kwa walanguzi hususanwakubwa.

Alisema endapo serikali itakabiliana kikamilifu na walanguzi haoitasaidia kuondoshwa chakula kingi wilayani humo na kunusuru janga la njaa.

Kwa mujibu wa wakuu wa wilaya hizo Evarist Ndikilo (Kilombero) na DkRajabu Rutengwe (Ulanga) kwa nyakati tofauti walisema tayari halmashauri zimeagizwa kuwatangazia wananchi kuacha mtindo huo.

Walisema mbali na kupiga marufuku kwa wananchi kuuza vyakula pia wanakusudia kuweka sheria itakayowasaidia, iliwaweze kujikwamua na janga la njaa kwa kutouza vyakula hivyo.

CHANZO: Tanzania Daima

Mkuu wa wilaya ya Kilombero anaweza hata kuamuru jeshi la polisi likamate wanaouza chakula,lakini haitokuwa ufumbuzi wa tatizo hilo.Bottom line is,watu wanauza akiba ya chakula chao ili kukabiliana na ugumu wa maisha.Unadhani kuna mkulima anayependa kula mbegu?

Hivi kwanini hizo trilioni moja na ushee zilizotengwa kukabailiana na msukosuko wa uchumi zisiangalie walalahoi kama hawa?Katika mpango huo ambao bado nina wasiwasi unaweza kuishia kuwa-bailout mafisadi kama si kuzua EPA nyingine,wakulima wa kawaida wamepewa kisogo licha ya hadithi za KILIMO KWANZA.

Ukitembelea Ifakara katika kipindi hiki cha mavuno utapata picha moja ya kusikitisha.Wakulima wa mji huo wanatumia takriban robo tatu ya mwaka kulima mpunga (na kilimo cha mpunga kiko very demanding huku kikitegemea kudra za Mungu kwenye hali ya hewa).Baada ya mavuno,mji huo unafurika wanunuzi wa mpunga na mchele,huku wengine wakiufuata hukohuko mashambani.Kwa vile muda huu wengi wa wakulima huwa hoi kiuchumi,bei ya mpunga na mchele huwa ni karibu na bure.Pia baadhi ya wakulima wenye mahitaji mengine muhimu kama vile nguo,sukari,nk huamua kupokea bidhaa hizo badala ya fedha (barter trade) alimradi siku ziende mbele.Na muda si muda,wakulima hao hujikuta wameuza hadi mbegu na kurejea mahala palepale walipoanzia: hawana hela,hawana chakula.

Tuna wizara ya wajibu wa kushukulikia kilimo,na tuna wizara yenye wajibu wa kuwasaidia wakulima kupata masoko ya kuaminika ya mazao yao.Pia tuna wizara inayowajibika na masuala ya ushirika.Kwa makusudi,wizara hizi zimebaki majina tu japo utasikia zinatengewa mamilioni kama sio mabilioni,sio tu kwa ajili ya "kuleta ufanisi" bali pia huduma za ukarimu-chai,chakula,nk.

Tuna takriban Watanzania wenzetu 50 wenye wadhifa wa uwaziri au unaibu waziri.Sehemu kubwa tu ya fedha za walipa kodi inatumika kuwahudumia waheshimiwa hawa.Lakini ni ukweli usiopingika kuwa utendaji kazi wao ni chini ya kiwango.Walikabidhiwa dhamana ya kutekeleza kaulimbiu ya MAISHA BORA KWA KILA MTANZANIA lakini yayumkinika kuhitimisha kuwa sanasana wamefanikiwa kujitengenezea maisha bora wao wenyewe na "wafadhili wao wa kisiasa".

Kwa mmiliki wa makazi hayo pichani juu,habari za Maisha Bora kwa Kila Mtanzania ni kama utani mbaya kwake.Japo amezungukwa na ardhi kijani yenye rutuba,hajui jioni itakuwaje let alone hiyo kesho au msimu ujao wa kilimo na mavuno.Ukimwambia kuwa kuna kaulimbiu mpya ya

KILIMO KWANZA anaweza kukushushia ngumi!

Read More

NIXON SUPPORTED ABORTION FOR MIXED RACE BABIES

On Nixon Tapes, Ambivalence Over Abortion, Not Watergate

By CHARLIE SAVAGE

WASHINGTON — On Jan. 22, 1973, when the Supreme Court struck down laws criminalizing abortion in Roe v. Wade, President Richard M. Nixon made no public statement. But the next day, newly released tapes reveal, he privately expressed ambivalence.

Nixon worried that greater access to abortions would foster “permissiveness,” and said that “it breaks the family.” But he also saw a need for abortion in some cases — like interracial pregnancies, he said.

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he told an aide, before adding, “Or a rape.”

Nine months later, Nixon forced the firing of the special prosecutor looking into the Watergate affair, Archibald Cox, and prompted the resignations of Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus. The next day, Ronald Reagan, who was then governor of California and would later be president, told the White House that he approved.

Reagan said the action, which would become known as the “Saturday Night Massacre,” was “probably the best thing that ever happened — none of them belong where they were,” according to a Nixon aide’s notes of the private conversation.

Those disclosures were among the revelations in more than 150 hours of tape and 30,000 pages of documents made public on Tuesday by the Nixon Presidential Library, a part of the National Archives. The audio files were posted online, as were a sampling of the documents.

The tapes were recorded by the secret microphones in the Oval Office from January and February 1973. They shed new light on an intense moment in American history, including Nixon’s second inauguration, the Vietnam War cease-fire, and the trial of seven men over the break-in at the Democrats’ headquarters at the Watergate complex amid mounting revelations about their ties to the White House.

The tapes also capture more mundane details of life in the White House — conversations about what to pack for a trip, when to schedule a trip to the barber, whether the president’s wife would enjoy going to Trader Vic’s for dinner.

Most segments of the tapes relating to the Watergate scandal, which would lead to Nixon’s resignation 20 months later, have already been released. But there are some new materials that were previously held back because the audio quality was so poor that archives officials could not be certain whether they contained discussion of any classified topics. Improvements in audio technology have allowed archives staff to clear additional ones.

They include a Jan. 5, 1973, conversation between Nixon and his aide Charles W. Colson in which they discussed the possibility of granting clemency to E. Howard Hunt Jr., one of the Watergate conspirators, according to a log compiled by archives staff. Scholars say the same topic was addressed in several other tapes that were previously made public.

The documents also include nine pages of handwritten notes by a domestic policy aide about plans for what the White House would say about the dismissal of the Watergate special prosecutor, Mr. Cox.

The tapes also provide new material about the circumstances surrounding the Paris treaty to end the United States’ military involvement in Vietnam.

A call between Nixon and Mr. Colson just after midnight on Jan. 20 showed that Nixon anticipated, when the treaty was announced, that he would be vindicated for continuing to bomb North Vietnam. He especially relished the hit that he believed members of Congress who opposed the war — whose public statements he pronounced “treasonable” — would suffer.

Several conversations center on the pressure Nixon placed on South Vietnam’s president, Nguyen Van Thieu, to accept the cease-fire agreement. Ken Hughes, a Nixon scholar and research fellow at the Presidential Recordings Project at the University of Virginia, said he was struck by listening on one of the new tapes to Nixon’s telling his national security adviser, Henry A. Kissinger, that to get Thieu to sign the treaty, he would “cut off his head if necessary.”

Mr. Hughes said the conversation bolstered his view that Nixon, Thieu and Mr. Kissinger knew at the time that the cease-fire could not endure, and that it was not “peace with honor,” as Nixon described it, so much as a face-saving way for the United States to get out of the war. In 1975, North Vietnam would violate the cease-fire and conquer South Vietnam.

The tapes also include a phone call from February 1973 between Nixon and the evangelist Billy Graham, during which Mr. Graham complained that Jewish-American leaders were opposing efforts to promote evangelical Christianity, like Campus Crusade. The two men agreed that the Jewish leaders risked setting off anti-Semitic sentiment.

“What I really think is deep down in this country, there is a lot of anti-Semitism, and all this is going to do is stir it up,” Nixon said.

At another point he said: “It may be they have a death wish. You know that’s been the problem with our Jewish friends for centuries.”

The documents also include three newly declassified pages from a National Security Council brief discussing secret Israeli efforts to build a nuclear weapon.

SOURCE: The New York Times

Read More

MVUTA SIGARA MDOGO ZAIDI KULIKO WOTE DUNIANI

Ana umri wa miaka miwili tu,lakini anavuta pakti zima la sigara kwa siku.Huyo ni Tong Liangliang,mkazi wa mji wa Tianjin nchini China.Dogo huyo anaaminika kuwa ndio mvuta fegi mdogo zaidi duniani,at least miongoni mwa waliojitambulisha kama watumiaji wa tumbaku.

Tong alianza kuvuta fegi akiwa na umri wa miezi 18 baada ya baba yake kumpatia mche kwa minajili ya kupunguza maumivu ya henia aliyozaliwa nayo dogo huyo.Kwa sasa hakuna dalili za yosso huyo kuachana na sigara kwani amekataa katakata ushauri wa kumtaka a-quit.Pia kiserengeti boy hicho hakioni aibu kuomba sigara pindi kikutanapo na mvutaji mwingine,na husononeka anaponyimwa sigara.

Mwaka 2005,mkazi mmoja wa China alituma maombi kwenda Kitabu cha Rekodi za Guinness akitaka atambuliwe kama mtu aliyeanza uvutaji sigara akiwa na umri mdogo zaidi (duniani),ambapo alianza kuvuta fegi akiwa na miaka mitatu.Japo ombi lake lilikataliwa kwa minajili kwamba "rekodi" hiyo ingechochea tabia mbaya,ni dhahiri kwamba hata ingekubaliwa ingekumbana na upinzani kutoka kwa Tong.

CHANZO: Finchannel.com

Read More

JE SIKU KAMA HII ITAFIKA KWA WAMILIKI WA KAGODA?

Just in case sura ya mwenye gwanda la jela na pingu mkononi ni ngeni kwako,basi huyo ni bilionea Sir Allen Stanford.Unadhani kuna siku majambazi wa kampuni ya Kagoda watakuwa katika hali kama hii?Sijui wewe unaonane,lakini mie sidhani kama hilo litatokea hasa ukizingatia kwamba wanufaika wa ufisadi (kisiasa) wameshaanza kutembeza mabakuli kwa maandalizi ya uchaguzi mkuu wa mwakani.And guess what,wafadhili wakubwa ni haohao tunaowaita akina Kagoda.Nani mwenye jeuri ya kukata mkono unaomlisha?

Read More

HABARI ZA KIFO CHA MICHAEL JACKSON ZASABABISHA INTANETI "KUZIDIWA UWEZO"

Kwa mujibu wa TMZ.COM (katika tafsiri isiyo rasmi)

Kufuatia habari za kifo cha Michael Jackson,watu luluki walikimbilia kwenye intaneti kiasi kwamba mfumo mzima (the World Wide Web) ulisimama.Social networks kama Facebook,Twitter,MySpace,AIM-zilikuwa miongoni mwa maeneo ya mtandao yaliyozidiwa na wingi waliotembelea maeneo hayo.Japo zote ziliendelea kufanya kazi (kufunguka) lakini kasi yake ilikuwa ni ndogo mno kutokana na wingi huo wa watu waliokuwa wakizitembelea.Mara ya mwisho kwa mtandao kukumbwa na idadi kubwa namna hiyo ni tukio la kuapishwa Barack Obama.

Read More

HONGERA HASHEEM THABEET

Kwa mujibu wa MZEE WA CHANGAMOTO,Hasheem Thabeet amenyakuliwa na klabu ya mpira wa kikapu ya Memphis Grizzlies katika draft ya NBA.

Hii ni miongoni mwa njia mwafaka-na nafuu-za kuitangaza Tanzania.Kila la kheri Hasheem.Mafanikio yako ni zaidi ya kufanikiwa kimichezo,umeingia kwenye orodha ya vitambulisho vya Tanzania kama vile Mlima Kilimanjaro,madini ya Tanzanite (japo mafisadi wamepania kuyamaliza kama walivyomaliza dhahabu ilivyo huko Tulawaka),Hifadhi ya Selous na vivutio vinginevyo.Kuna cha zaidi kuhusu mafanikio yako.Umevunja "utamaduni" wa Kitanzania wa ku-settle for less.Angalia timu yetu ya taifa,kwa mfano.Tumekuwa na Maximo kwa muda sasa,na wajuzi wa michezo wanatuambia tumepiga hatua.Kupiga hatua kwa kutoka sare na Senegal?Angalia Simba na Yanga,kila msimu wanahangaika na "wachezaji wa kimataifa",lakini huhitaji kuwa mtaalam wa soka kumaizi kuwa ma-pro" hao ni wababaishaji tu na hawajasaidia kuzifanya klabu hizo zitambe katika anga za soka la kimataifa (na tunaambiwa kocha wa Yanga ni profesa wa soka!Lakini msimu wa pili huu hakuna kombe la kimataifa na wana-Yanga wameridhika,sio na mafanikio ya klabu yao bali kuwa na kocha mgeni "profesa wa soka").Angalia baadhi ya mitazamo yetu.Shangwe na vigelegele tukisikia Zeutamu kakamatwa ilhali majambazi wa Kagoda bado wanapeta,na huku tukizugwa kuwa eti ufisadi wa Meremeta na Tangold ni siri za taifa! (Na kweli ni siri maana ni nadra kwa wizi kufanyika hadharani).

Mafanikio yako yanaweza kuwa chachu kwa Watanzania wengine kuondokana na unyonge wa kifikra kwamba kila baya linalotusibu ndio destiny yetu.Na ni kwa namna hiyo ndio mafisadi wanazidi kutufisadi kwa vile wanatambua unyonge na udhaifu wetu wa kukubali matokeo kirahisi.

Hongera sana,Hasheem.Sote tunajivunia jina lako.

Read More

UNAFIKI HUU BUNGENI NI SEHEMU YA KAMPENI ZA 2010

Hili ndio "BUNGE LENYE MENO"!Juzijuzi mbunge mmoja wa CCM kaomba Mungu alilaani Baraza la Mawaziri kwa kushindwa kutimiza majukumu yake.Mwingine kadai serikali ina ugonjwa na inahitaji maombezi (na kwa kawaida magonjwa yanayohitaji maombezi ni yale yasiyotibika kama vile ukimwi,nk).Jana mbunge mwingine wa chama hicho tawala amewafananisha mawaziri na mbwa.Na pengine moja ya mambo yatakayokumbukwa zaidi katika historia ya bunge letu tukufu ni jinsi kikao hiki cha bajeti kinavyoonekana "mwiba mkali" kwa mawaziri,at least according to walio mahiri katika kuripoti pasipo kusoma kati ya mistari (reading between the lines).

Sina maneno ya huruma kwa baadhi ya wabunge hawa wa CCM.Ni wanafiki wanaohangaika kutumia vizuri nafasi hizi za mwisho mwisho kujitengenezea mazingira ya kurejea bungeni hapo mwakani.Lakini ili haki itendeke,ni vema kuwatofautisha wanafiki hawa kwa makundi.Kuna kundi la wabunge waliojitokeza mapema (kabla hata ya joto la uchaguzi wa mwakani halijaanza kupanda) kukemea ufisadi na vitendo vingine vinavyokwaza maendeleo ya taifa letu.Sio siri kwamba wabunge kama Selelii,Kimaro,Killango,Mwambalaswa,Mwakyembe na wengineo wamejitokeza kuwa sauti adimu ndani ya CCM dhidi ya ufisadi.Na tunafahamu vituko wanavyofanyiwa na watu walewale wanaopaswa kuwaunga mkono.

Kundi la pili ni la wababaishaji walio njia panda; upande mmoja hawana nia ya dhati ya kupambana na ufisadi au pengine ni sehemu ya mfumo unaodumisha ufisadi,upande mwingine wanafahamu fika kwamba miongoni mwa ajenda za uchaguzi mkuu ujao ni ufisadi na namna wawakilishi wetu walivyoshiriki katika mapambano dhidi ya ufisadi.

Pia kuna makundi mengine mawili: la kwanza linajumuisha wababaishaji wanaokwenda bungeni kwa vile tu ndio mahala pao pa kuchuma shs 7,000,000/= za mshahara kiulaini.Hawachangii hoja,hawaongei lolote japo si mabubu,wapo wapo tu.Kuwepo au kutokuwepo kwao bungeni hakutambuliki kwa vile wanaongeza tu idadi ya wabunge.Kundi la pili ni la watetezi wa ufisadi.Hawa ni wepesi wa kuomba mwongozo wa Spika kila maslahi yao au ya wadau wenzao wa ufisadi yanapoguswa.Nadhani mmesikia "Dokta" Mzindakaya alivyotumia Maandiko Matakatifu kutetea ufisadi .Ila hawa wanaocheza na vitabu vya Mungu,nadhani ndio wanaostahili kulaaniwa zaidi kwani wamevigeuza kama manifesto za usanii wao wa kisiasa!

Uzuru wa makundi haya mawili ya mwisho-la tatu na la nne-ni kwamba angalau yanajumuisha wabunge tunaofahamu wanaposimamia.Aidha ni wazembe na mabubu wasioongea (aidha kwa aibu ya kuongea,au "heri mie sijasema",au uzembe tu) au ni watetezi wa mafisadi.Hawa si wanafiki as such kwa vile wameji-identify kwetu kuwa ni viumbe wa namna gani.

Tofauti kati ya makundi hayo ni ndogo mno contrary to inavyosomeka na kusikika kwenye vyombo vya habari.Hapa nataka kuzungumzia makundi mawili ya mwanzo-la kwanza na la pili.Hawa wote ni wana CCM,na kwa namna yoyote ile hawawezi kujitenganisha na matatizo yanayosababishwa na chama hicho tawala.Na hili si la kufikirika kwa sababu tayari wengi wa wabunge wa kundi la kwanza wamekuwa wakikumbana na kadhia mbalimbali kutokana na msimamo wao dhidi ya ufisadi,na guess what,kadhi hizo ni kutoka kwa wenzao ndani ya CCM.

Mawaziri wanaolaaniwa na kufikia hatua ya kuitwa mbwa wanatoka CCM pia.Hii sio vita ya wenyewe kwa wenyewe kama inavyoweza kutafsiriwa kiuzembe.Huu ni unafiki,period.CCM isingefika hapo ilipo laiti "wapambanaji hawa" wangekuwa na mkakati wa dhati wa kuleta mabadiliko ya kweli.Wanachofanya muda huu ni cha kibinafsi zaidi kuliko kitaifa.Wanaweza kurudi bungeni hapo mwakani baada ya wapiga kura wao "kuzugika" na CVs za wawakilishi wao tangu 2005 hadi 2010.Kurudi kwao bungeni kutapelekea CCM kuendelea kuwa yenye wabunge wengi bungeni,na hivyo kupelekea kuendelea kwa haya tunayopigia kelele kila siku.

Siamini kama kuna mkakati kwa Selelii na wenzake kuleta mageuzi ndani ya CCM.So far,kelele zao hazijasaidia kukitenganisha chama hicho na ufisadi,implying that kelele zao zimebaki kuwa kelele tu.Wana options mbili: waendelee kupiga kelele lakini wabaki kuwa sehemu ya chama kinachohusishwa na ufisadi au wajondoe ndani ya chama hicho na hivyo kubainisha kuwa kuwa kwao ndani ya CCM ilikuwa ni sehemu tu ya maisha yao ya kisiasa lakini cha muhimu zaidi kwao ni Tanzania na ustawi wa Tanzania.Yes,si lazima kuwa mbunge wa CCM ili kupata fursa ya kupigania maslahi ya taifa.Mifano hai ipo;Dkt Slaa,Zitto Kabwe,nk sio wabunge wa CCM,lakini sote tunafahamu michango yao katika kupambana na ufisadi.

Unafiki wa wabunge hao wa CCM unasababishwa na kitu kimoja kisicho na msingi: UBINAFSI WA KISIASA.Ni hivi,kwa CCM,umoja na mshikamano ndani ya chama hicho ni muhimu zaidi kuliko umoja na mshikamano wa taifa.Na hilo ni matokeo ya chama hicho kuamini kwamba ni chenyewe tu kinachoweza kudumisha mshikamano na umoja wetu.Kwa lugha nyingine,kimebinafsisha uwezo,dhamira,jitihada na nguvu za Watanzania zaidi ya milioni 35 ambao si wanachama wa chama hicho (takwimu za karibuni zinaonyesha idadi ya wanachama wa CCM ni takriban milioni 4 tu).Japo ni kweli kwamba chama hicho kimetoa uongozi uliosaidia kudumu kwa amani na mshikamano huo,Watanzania wenyewe ndio waliofanya kazi ya msingi zaidi kufanikisha hilo.Upendo na upole wetu (ambao mara nyingi umeishia kutumiwa vibaya na wanasiasa walafi) ndio sababu kuu ya kwanini tumeendelea kubaki kisiwa cha amani (kwa maana ya kutokuwa vitani).

Ni ubinafsi wa kisiasa unaopelekea CCM kuweka mbele maslahi ya kisiasa badala ya maslahi ya taifa.Sote tumeshuhudia mara kadhaa wabunge wa chama hicho tawala wakiitisha vikao "vya kuwekana sawa" kila zinapojiri hoja nzito bungeni.Kuwekana sawa kwa maslahi ya nani?Hivi cha muhimu ni hoja ipite tu au ipite ili ilete mabadiliko chanya kwa wananchi?

Lakini ili upate mfano sahihi zaidi kuhusu ubinafsi wa wabunge hawa ni pale Dkt Slaa alipotamka bayana kwamba mishahara ya wabunge ni mikubwa mno kulinganisha na hali halisi ya uchumi wetu.Kwa umoja wao (huku wakipata sapoti kutoka kwa wabinafsi wengine waliojificha kwenye vyama vya upinzani) walimzomea Dkt Slaa na kumzongazonga kana kwamba kawatukana.Hivi ina maana wabunge hawa wanaotuzuga kuwa wanatetea maslahi yetu hawaelewi kuwa wakati wao wanazawadiwa takriban shilingi 7,000,000/= mwezi (wastani wa shilingi laki 230,000/= kwa siku sawa na takriban shs 10,000/= kwa saa) takriban Watanzania 36,000,000 wanaoishi kwa chini ya shilingi 3000/= kwa siku?

Hadi kufikia tamati yake na mabiloni kadhaa kutumika,kikao hiki cha bajeti kitashuhudia kila aina ya vituko kutoka kwa wanafiki hawa.Ukidhani hizo dua dhidi ya mawaziri na "matusi" ya kuwaita mbwa ndio hatua kali kabisa,subiri usikie "makombora" zaidi.Na kama kawaida ya vyombo vyetu vya habari,kurasa zitapambwa na maneno mazito kama "Bunge moto juu","Wabunge wachachamaa",na ubabaishaji mwingine kama huo.Lakini pamoja na yote hayo,makadirio ya wizara za mawaziri wanaoombewa dua mbaya na kuitwa mbwa yatapitishwa na wabunge haohao wanaotuzuga kuwa "wana hasira na mawaziri".

Read More

BREAKING NEWS: MICHAEL JACKSON AFARIKI

Breaking News hii ni kwa mujibu wa TMZ.COM ambapo wanaeleza

Michael Jackson Dies

Posted Jun 25th 2009 5:20PM by

TMZ Staff

We've just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50.

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.

A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived. A cardiologist at UCLA tells TMZ Jackson died of cardiac arrest.

Once at the hospital, the staff tried to resuscitate him but he was completely unresponsive.

We're told one of the staff members at Jackson's home called 911.La Toya ran in the hospital sobbing after Jackson was pronounced dead.Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Story developing...

Read More

BERLUSCONI AKANUSHA KUNUNUA NGONO KWA CHANGUDOA

Pichani,Berlusconi akijifuta jasho baada ya kutwanga swali kwenye mahojiano na kituo kimoja cha runinga kuhusu tuhuma zinazoweza kuotesha nyasi ndoa yake na mkewe anayeonyeshwa kwenye background.

Waziri Mkuu wa Italia,Silvio Berlusconi,amekanusha madai kwamba alinunua huduma ya tendo la ndoa kwa changudoa mmoja,Patrizia D'Addario.Kiongozi huyo machachari na mwingi wa vituko,anakabiliwa na shinikizo la kisiasa kufuatia madai hayo ya kujimwayamwaya na kimada aliyekuwa miongoni mwa waliohudhuria pati iliyoandaliwa na Berlusconi.

Hadhi ya mwanasiasa huyo tajiri imekumbwa na migogoro lukuki,na hivi karibuni alikuwa na tuhuma za kuvunja amri ya sita na binti wa miaka 18,Noemi Letizia (pichani chini)

Kwa jeuri,Berlusconi amekanusha madai ya kununua ngono huku akikisitiza kwamba "Sijawahi kuona raha ya kununua ngono badala ya ujasiri wa kutongoza".

Vyama vya upinzani pamoja na Kanisa Katoliki wanamtaka Berlusconi kujieleza kuhusiana na skandali hiyo iliyoibuliwa na tume moja ya kuchunguza rushwa huko Italia ya kusini,ambapo inaelezwa kwamba kimada mhusika (kushoto,pichani chini) aliieleza tume hiyo kuwa alilipwa na Berlusconi ili kumpa huduma ya ngono na ana mkanda uliorekodi tukio hilo.

Yote haya yanajiri wakati mke wa Waziri Mkuu huyo akiwa kwenye taratibu za kuomba talaka huku akimtuhumu mumewe kwamba anapendelea sana dogodogo.

CHANZO: itn

Na sie tungekuwa na uhuru wa kuweka ishu kama hizi hadharani,sijui nani angesalimika among vingunge wetu!

Read More

ASKARI POLISI ADAI FIDIA BAADA YA BOSI WAKE KUMFANANISHA NA OSAMA

Kontebo wa Polisi,Tariq Dost (pichani juu) amefungua mashtaka dhidi ya mwajiri wake na Mamlaka ya Polisi ya eneo la Midlands,hapa Uingereza, kutokana na matamshi ya mwaka 2007 kwamba anafanana na gaidi nambari wani Osama bin Laden (pichani chini).Nadhani kisa ni huo "mzuzu".Je wanafanana?

CHANZO: The Daily Mail

Read More

DR SLAA: I'LL GO PUBLIC IF BUNGE BLOCKS DISCUSSION ON ISSUES OF NATIONAL INTEREST

Slaa up in arms on 'silencing' in House
By Faraja Jube Dodoma

Karatu MP Willibrod Slaa has threatened to "go public" with what he said were issues of national interest the Parliament blocked him from tabling in the august House on Monday.

Some MPs heckled the firebrand opposition leader as he stood up in parliament on Monday to give a speech on the Prime Minister's Office 2009/10 Budget.

Dr Slaa had reportedly prepared a vitriolic attack on former President Benjamin Mkapa and the Government over alleged mismanagement of funds.

Before giving his speech, the Chadema leader was reminded to respect the Parliamentary Standing Orders and warned not to breach the law in his presentation.

But in an interview with The Citizen yesterday, Dr Slaa said the National Assembly Speaker, Mr Samwel Sitta, had no right to block debate on sensitive public issues.

He said: "I have written to the Speaker asking him why unnecessary restrictions are being imposed on MPs who want to discuss matters of public interest in parliament."

He threatened to go public with the same issues he was barred from presenting in parliament saying he had the right to let people know about matters that affected them.

"If they don't want us to speak in parliament, it will reach a point where the only reasonable thing to do is table the agenda to the people," said Dr Slaa.

CCM MPs accused the opposition legislator of attempting to use the platform to launch a verbal attack against Mr Mkapa.

Mr Mudhihir Mudhihir (Mchinga-CCM) defended the former president saying he had done "a lot of good things but people want to see the negative only".

"It was under his leadership that this country recorded significant increases in Government revenue," the MP said, praising Mr Mkapa's administration for containing inflation and opening a number of trade opportunities.

Another CCM legislator, Dr Chrisant Mzindakaya (Kwela), tried to have Dr Slaa blocked from presenting his speech at all.

But even when he finally gave his speech, the opposition leader was forced to skip tabling his prepared questions on controversial deals the Mkapa administration allegedly signed.

And in an apparent reference to Dr Slaa, Dr Mzindakaya lashed out at "jealousy hypocrites and good-for-nothing crusaders against corruption".

"Those who criticise Mr Mkapa are agents of the Devil and loafers who have done nothing in life, but are motivated by jealousy and hatred. They are themselves corrupt people," he said.

But Dr Slaa insisted he would not relent on the issues he was barred from talking about saying the Constitution and Parliamentary Immunities and Privileges Act guarantee MPs the freedom to challenge the Government in the parliament.

"I will not accept such moves by anyone any more. This is all compromising principles. But I will stand up for my principles and for justice. We all have the right voice our concerns," he said.

Dr Slaa, who had prepared his disputed speech as a shadow minister, said the Government was obliged to respond to all queries raised by MPs in parliament.

"Even if the issues are sensitive, this is the whole purpose of raising them so that people can know and be informed about what is going on," he said.

"But there has been a tendency to block all sensitive issues from being discussed in parliament," he added.

Before he gave his controversial speech, Mr Sitta told the opposition MP he had read the speech and warned him against making statements that breached parliamentary regulations.

The Speaker had also ordered Dr Slaa not to use abusive language against a former president or discuss issues that had been lined for debate during the session.

Earlier, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Governance, Mr George Lubeleje, a CCM MP, had tabled the committee's position against Dr Slaa's speech.

However, the opposition leader retorted: "Why must I have any confidence in the committee or Speaker's office if they insist on imposing on us?"

He questioned the Speaker's application of the Parliamentary Standing Orders to the contentious issues of Meremeta, Tangold, Mwananchi and Deep Green Finance companies.

Last Friday, Dr Slaa asked the Government to respond to allegations of funds mismanagement involving the four companies that have become subjects of public debate.

"I was just questioning the Government over the embezzlement of Sh155 billion in Meremeta and not about the issues pertaining to national security," he said.

Mr Sitta postponed the debate to this Monday saying the Government should be given time to prepare its response.

But Dr Slaa also questioned the Parliament barred debate on the CAG report. "Where does the Speaker obtain the directive to block the debate?"

On the PMO's 2009/10 Budget estimates, the Chadema leader queried the allocation of billions of shillings to entertainment and hospitality, which he said had nothing to do the welfare of people.

He had to put up with sporadic interventions, mainly from Mr Philip Marmo, the minister of State in the President's Office (Good Governance), who also serves as coordinator of parliamentary activities.

Mr Marmo wanted, among other things, the Speaker to reprimand Dr Slaa for his reference to the amount of funds set aside for particular votes in the Government's Budget.

However, Mr Sitta said there was nothing wrong with the MP debating the Government's budget priorities.

SOURCE: The Citizen

Read More

VYOMBO VYA DOLA VINAWADEKEZA MASTAA WETU

Kama hujawahi kuhudhuria matamasha au maonyesho ya wasanii wetu huko Bongo,wala usidhani ume-miss raha pekee.Kuna karaha pia,hususan ile inayotokana na mastaa wetu kudekezwa kupita kiasi na vyombo vya dola.Kwa kifupi,huko ni bangi nje nje,wasanii hugeuka madikteta wanaoweza kufanya lolote lile hadharani ikiwa pamoja na unyanyasaji wa waziwazi dhidi ya dada zetu.Na baada ya "unga" kugeuka "kilevi cha kawaida",wengi wa wasanii hao hujitundika madawa hayo vya kutosha pasipo hofu ya kuchukuliwa hatua na vyombo vya dola.

Nadhani wapo wanaokumbuka msanii mmoja wa bongefleava aliyekamatwa na bangi katika mkoa mmoja wa nyanda za juu kusini.Ni Daz Baba wa kundi lililokuwa likijulikana kama Daz Nundaz.Iliishia kuwa amekamatwa tu,wala hakukuwa na taarifa za msanii hiyo kufikishwa mahakamani au hata kupewa onyo (si lazima kila kosa limaanishe kifungo).

Twende kwa baadhi ya marapa maarufu Msafiri Diouf na Banza Stone.

Haihitaji upelelezi kujua kuwa wanatumia kilevi haramu,lakini dola haijihangaishi kuwachukulia hatua ambazo licha ya kuwaadhibu zingesaidia pia kuokoa maisha yao kwani ni dhahiri kwamba mwisho wao sio mzuri.

Kuna msanii anaitwa Chid Benz.

Licha ya sifa yake ya kufanya vizuri zaidi anaposhirikishwa kwenye nyimbo za wasanii wengine (wanaita "kolabo" as corruption ya neno collaboration) zaidi ya nyimbo zake mwenyewe,mwanabongofleva huyo ni maarufu pia kwa vurugu na vipigo kwa wasanii wenzie.Dola imeendelea kumwangalia tu,hali inayoweza kupelekea Chid Benz kuamini kuwa yuko juu ya sheria kutoa kipondo kwa yeyote yule anapojiskia kufanya hivyo.

Leo,kwenye tovuti ya Global Publishers kuna habari kwamba msaanii Khaleed Mohammed,almaaruf T.I.D,amemjeruhi mwanafunzi mmoja wa kike baada ya kumshushia kipigo cha nguvu.Kwa mujibu wa tovuti hiyo,T.I.D nasakwa na polisi na "hajulikani alipo".Nisingependa kutoa hukumu kwa vile mie si mahakama,lakini napenda kukiri kwamba nilishangazwa na habari kwamba msanii huyo alikuwa miongoni mwa waliopewa msamaha na Rais katika maadhimisho ya siku flani ya kitaifa.

Sikushangaa kwa vile aliyesamehewa ni T.I.D,bali vigezo vilivyotumika kumpa msamaha huo.Kwa tunaofahamu ukweli kuhusu kesi hiyo,yayumkinika kuwa maombi ya msahama ya mtenda kosa kwa waliotendewa kosa yalisikilizwa,na kwa vile waliotendewa kosa ni "wenye kuwezesha jua liwake au lisiwake",yaani "the powers-that-be",msanii huyo akajumuishwa kwenye msamaha wa Rais.

Tukio hili la sasa ambapo T.I.D amerejea kosa lilelile lililompeleka jela in the first place,sio tu linazidisha hisia kuwa wengi wa wasanii na mastaa wetu wanaringia ugoigoi wa wanadola wetu katika kuchukua hatua inapostahili,bali pia ni fedheha na aibu kwa suala zima la msamaha wa rais.Navyofahamu,msamaha huo huzingatia tabia ya mfungwa,afya yake,idadi ya siku zilizosalia katika kifungo chake,na pengine kikubwa zaidi,mwenendo wake pindi akipewa msamaha huo.

Ni dhahiri kwamba jinsi jeshi la Magereza "lilivyojichokea" si rahisi kwake kukamilisha vigezo hivyo vyote.Na katika jamii ambayo mwenye fedha ni mithili ya mungu-mtu huku ufisadi ukishamiri kila kukicha,yayumkinika kuamini iwamba misamaha ya rais imekuwa ikitumika ndivyo sivyo.

Hivi tunajenga jamii ya aina gani?Wkati wenzetu katika nchi zilzoendelea wamefanikiwa kwa kiwango kikubwa kudhibiti uvutaji wa sigara katika maoneo ya mikusanyiko,sie tunaelekea kuruhusu uvutaji wa bangi kana kwamba ni kitu halali.Nilisoma mahala flani kwamba msanii mmoja wa filamu za kibongo alichomoa bastola hadharani kisa wapita njia walimlalamikia kwa kupaki gari lake barabarani.

Jeuri hii wanaipata wapi?

Hypothesis yangu ni hii: itikadi ya ujamaa iliifanya sehemu kubwa ya Watanzania kuwa wanyonge wasio na stahili ya kuwa karibu na makundi yenye nguvu au mvuto kwenye jamii hiyo e.g. wanasiasa,wasanii,nk.Japo tunadai kuwa ujamaa umekufa,mentality ya itikadi hiyo bado iko hai na inatuathiri katika namna tunavyodili na watu hao walio kwenye "makundi maalumu" kwa mfano "mastaa wetu".Polisi wa trafiki anajiuliza mara mbilimbili "kuipiga mkono" Benz au Vogue,kwa vile akilini mwake,dereva wa gari hilo ola thamani anaweza "kuhatarisha ajira yake".Mtaani,msanii anageuka "mungu-mtu",wananchi wanatamani kuwa karibu nae,angalau kugusana mabega nae,wanadola wanachelea kumchukulia hatua (pengine kwa kudhani kuwa kwa vyovyote vile msanii hiyo atakuwa na connection na mtoto wa kigogo flani),na upuuzi mwingine kama huo.

Sio kwamba ujamaa ni mbaya per se.Kuna mazuri flani,ila hapa nimezungumzia legacy ya itikadi ya ujamaa katika upande hasi.Pengine kunahitajika mjadala wa kitaifa kutafakari mambo kama haya.

UNAONAJE?

Read More