MARA HII URAIS WA MUUNGANO NI ZAMU YA ZANZIBAR

Imeandikwa na Stonetown (Kiongozi) Miaka mitatu kutoka sasa, Tanzania itafanya uchaguzi wake mkuu utaohitimisha miaka kumi ya utawala wa Rais Jakaya Kikwete. Tanzania kama nchi nyengine duniani, inafata mfumo wa demokrasia ya vyama vingi. Katika mfumo wa vyama vingi, na iwapo kuna demokrasia ya kweli, basi ni matarajio yetu kuwa chama chchote kitakachoshinda kitapewa haki yake na ridhaa ya kuongoza nchi. Lakini pamoja na hayo, suali la uwiano wa Ugombea wa kiti cha Urais kwa pande mbili za Muungano, limekuwa likipuuzwa sana kuanikwa katika mijadala mbalimbali nchini. Suali la makubaliano ya mapokelezano ya wadhifa huu mkuu wa nchi baina ya sehemu mbili za Muungano, haujawekwa sawa na ni moja kati ya changamoto kongwe zinazoungana na mkururo wa kero za Muungano hapa nchini. Tangu tuungane, ni miaka takribani 49 sasa. Wakati Zanzibar ikiwa na marais saba tangu 1964, Jamhuri ya Muungano ndio inatimiza nusu tu ya wale waliokwisha tawala Zanzibar, ikiwa na marais wane tu hadi sasa. Mara baada ya Muungano, Rais wa kwanza wa Tanzania, Mwalim Julius Nyerere, alishika hatamu ya kuiongoza Jamhuri hadi pale ‘alipong’atuka’ madarakani kwa hiari yake mwaka 1984/85. Katika kipindi hichi cha miaka 20, Mwalimu hakuwahi kueleza wala kufafanua lolote kuhusu mpokezano wa madaraka kwa zamu baina ya nchi zetu hizi mbili. Naamini alifanya hivi sio kwa kutojua umuhimu wa kitendo hicho muhimu. Kitendo ambacho kingeashiria usawa mkubwa na haki inayosimamiwa na Muungano wetu. Mwalimu hakulijadili hili kwa sababu alijua wazi kufanya hivyo kungeviza ajenda yake binafsi ya kuimeza Zanzibar ndani ya matumbo ya Tanganyika na kuiondoa kabisa katika ramani ya dunia. Hili ndio lililokuwa lengo lake, bila shaka. Mungu akikupangia nakama, huna ujuzi wala ujanja. Kwani hayati Sheikh Abeid Karume, ambae ndie aliyekuwa Rais pekee wa Zanzibar aliekuwa akithubutu kumhoji na kumjibu Mwalimu lolote, lakini lakuvunda halina ubani, Sheikh Karume alikufa mapema mno. Tena wakati huo anakufa, bahati mbaya zaidi, ilikuwa Muungano huu haujawa na sura mbaya iliyo wazi wazi kama sasa, japo kiwingu cha dalili hizo mbaya kilianza kuonekana kwa mbali. Sheikh Karume akauwawa, na sababu ya kifo chake, ikafikichwa fikichwa, kisijulikane cha ukweli hadi leo.Ni begeje tu. Na kwanini, watu washuhulike na hili wakati, kufa kwa panzi ni neema ya kunguru? Aliekufa ndio kafa! Rais Jumbe, alijaribu kwa sana kuhoji hali kama hii. Lakini alichelewa mno.Na kwa jinsi Mwalimu alivyokuwa amejipanga kikazi kiulinzi na kiusalama, juhudi za Sheikh Jumbe zikawaka na moto. Zikaunguwa na kusakatuka kama kijungu cha dagaa tonge, kilichosahauliwa na mpishi aliekwenda kujisuka akisahau kuwa moto hauna sumile. Sheikh Jumbe akang’oka kama Mbuyu uliopigwa halbadiri ya mbayana. Akakunguzuka na mashina yake yote! Njia nyeupe! Baada ya majaribio haya mawili ya kujitokeza kwa Wazanzibari waliowakijifanya hawaogopi kumuhoji Nyerere, kilichofata ni mpango wa kudhibiti nani awe Rais wa Zanzibar. Ikawa Rais anaewekwa huku kwetu si katika yoyote anaeweza kuuhoji wala kuujadili Muungano, ‘imma faimma’ Nyerere awe hai, au awe ameshakufa. Na hili likafanikiwa. Bahati nzuri tu ‘Mtu si mbwa’. Hawa unaowaona walihoji kidogo wakaitwa ‘samaki’ na wavyele wao, ni matokezeo tu. Kwani haki haizami na dhulma haidumu. Viongozi wetu wa Zanzibar, ni watu waliopangwa maalum kufuata utaratibu waliopangiwa na wakubwa zao kule bara. Na kwa maana hii hakuna aliyewahi tena kuhoji kuhusu mgawano wa nafasi ya Urais wa Muungano. Ambapo, penye Uungwana na haki ndani ya Muungano huo, bila shaka tulikuwa tupokelezane zamu. Hata kama tuko katika mfumo wa vyama vingi kiasi gani. Kwa upande wa CCM bara, hili walikuwa walione pia. Hasa wao wakiwa kama chama chenya nguvu na chenye kushika hatamu. Ipo haja, tena bila kuzozana, kuipa nafasi Zanzibar kuongoza katika Jamhuri ya Muungano, tena katika wadhifa wa Urais, jambo ambalo linaonekana kuwa zaidi ya ndoto ya ‘Alinacha’ kwa sasa. Suali la kumpa Mzanzibari Urais wa Muungano ni ndoto ya Alinacha kwa sababu nyingi. Kwanza tuchukulie chama cha CCM kiwe na matumaini makubwa ya kushinda. Ukweli ni kwamba CCM na Muungano ni mtu na mama yake mzazi. Nasema ni mama kwa sababu hutokea watoto wasio baba kabisa, wala watu wengine, lakini hakuna mtoto asie na mama. Na mapenzi ya mama kwa motto hayana kifano chake. Na tunategemea vivyo hivyo kwa mtoto na mama yake. Kama haya ni kweli, na dhamira ya Muungano ni ile ile ya kuelekea nchi moja. Tena wakati ambao Wazanzibari wanahitaji ‘kupumuwa’ kwa nguvu zote. Hili ni gumu. Isitoshe, ukiwauliza zamu ya Zanzibar lini, wanakujibu kuwa Mwinyi alikuwepo hapa. Hivi Mwinyi ni Mzanzibari? Kwa kigenzo kipi? Na haya naawe huyo Mzanzibari kama ataamuwa kujinadi hivyo, lakini sula linabaki kuwa Marais wawili sasa, yaani miaka 20, Urais uko bara. Kuna ubaya tena gani wakitupa tena kumi, kama kweli tuna nia njema?Hapa panahitajika tuwe wakweli wadadisi kidogo juu ya hili. Ama kwa upande wa CHADEMA, naona wazo hili si mahala pake hata kidogo. Ingawa CCM na chadema lao moja, na ndio ukaona CHADEMA iliibuka tu kutoka katika ombwe, na kuja kuwa chama chenye nguvu hata kuliko CUF kule bara ambayo ilikuwa inaimarika vizuri siku hadi siku. Lengo, ni kuiondoa na kuizima nyota ya CUF kule wakiamini kuwa, kuanguka kwa CUF bara ni mafanikio makubwa ya kuzima nguvu ya wazanzibari kutaka kujitawala na ‘kupumuwa’. Na hili wamefanikiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa. Kuna kila dalili kuwa CHADEMA, hawana mpango na Zanzibar zaidi ya kuimaliza zaidi. Na kama hili linasomeka hivyo katika ajenda zao za siri, hawana mpango wa kumpa Mzanzibari nafasi yoyote ile hata ya Ubunge sembuse Urais. Na hii ni kwa sababu moja kuu: CHADEMA ni wabaya zaidi kuliko CCM, kwani ubaya wao haujifichi. Isitoshe, mfungamano wao mkubwa na kanisa ambalo kwa kiasi kikubwa ndio linaloipa kiburi CHADEMA, unaifanya hali ya uwezekano wa Zanzibar wa kuwa na nafasi kubwa kama hio katika Muungano kuwa ya tembo kupenya tundu ya sindano. Pamoja na hayo, tusikate tamaa. Ipo haja kwa kila mmoja wetu wakiwemo viongozi kuhoji nafasi ya Zanzibar katika uongozi wa juu wa Serikali ya Jamhuri ya Muungano. Ijapokuwa tunaonekana kukubaliana na kuridhika kabisa na kitazonge, na changa la macho la kupewa kwetu Umakamo wa Rais. Nafasi ambayo haina athari yoyote kwa taifa zaidi ya kufunguwa vikao, kujulia wagonjwa na kuhutubia mikutano ya mazingira na Ukimwi. Pia tumeridhika na suala la Rais wetu kuwa Waziri katika Jamhuri ya Muungano, jambo ambalo haliingia akilini kabisa. Maana naamini wazi Makamo wa Rais bara, kiitifaki ni mkubwa zaidi kuliko Waziri, ambae pia ni Rais akiwa Zanzibar. Huu ni mchezo wa kitoto au wa kuku lala, tustiane majivu ya macho. Ukweli tunatakiwa tusitosheke na hapo. Tuhoji, tudai, na tutoe kauli moja, ‘Mara hii Urais wa Muungano, ni Zamu ya Zanzibar’. Tuwatazame na pumzi zao! Natoa hoja.

NBC’s Managing Director, Lawrence Mafuru resigns

The managing director of National Bank of Commerce (NBC), Mr Lawrence Mafuru, has resigned from the financial institution to which he had been reinstated about two months after a three-month suspension spell. Mr Mafuru was suspended by the board of directors in July to pave the way for investigations into alleged irregularities within the National Bank of Commerce (NBC).

The allegations which originated from a whistleblower report raised issues around irregular governance practices, fraud and corruption against the NBC executive management team. The statement issued upon his reinstatement in October, and which was signed by board chairman Dr Musa Assad, pointed out, in part, that, the board “had resolved appropriately all the matters arising out of the investigation.”

Mr Mafuru told The Citizen yesterday that his resignation starts effective December 24 as he looks for other opportunities, “I am a professional banker and think it is high time I pursued other opportunities outside the bank,” he said, adding: “After four years of a very progressive career at NBC, first as country treasurer since August 2007 and later as chief executive officer since June 2010 to date, I think that it is appropriate to seek other challenges elsewhere and allow others to steer the ship at NBC.”

The head of Marketing, Communications and Corporate Affairs at NBC, Ms Mwinda Kiula-Mfugale , confirmed to The Citizen that it was true that Mr Mafuru has resigned, but said she would issue a statement only after getting instructions from the board of directors.

Mr Mafuru was appointed managing director of one of the largest financial service providers in Tanzania in June 2010, succeeding Mr Christo de Vries from South Africa.

NBC is one of the oldest banks in Tanzania, tracing its origins to 1967 when the government nationalised financial institutions, including banks, before the banking industry was deregulated in 1991.
In 1997, NBC was split into three separate entities – NBC Holding Corporation, National Microfinance Bank (NMB) and NBC (1997) Limited.

In 2000, South Africa’s Absa Group Limited acquired a majority stake in NBC (1997) Limited. The government retained 30 per cent shareholding and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, took a 15 per cent stake.

Speaking of the success he has had with the bank in the four years that he worked with it, Mr Mafuru remarked: “ I am very satisfied with the success I have had especially on the transformation agenda of NBC operations. We now have a much cleaner balance sheet, a stronger pool of talented young men and women; our customer experience has improved relative to where we are coming from and even more important we are well positioned for strong and sustainable growth in the next three years.”

He added: “On a personal note, I have had the opportunity to grow and develop professionally – I have grown both as business manager and a leader not only in the bank but also at industry level where I was privileged to serve as Chairman of Tanzania Bankers Association; I take pride that I also have been actively involved in shaping the future of banking in Tanzania.”