KIKWETE SACKS SIX CORRUPT CABINET MINISTERS

Mustafa Mkulo who until 4th of May, 2012 was Tanzania's Finance Minister, paid the price for graft allegations in the country.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has sacked six of his senior cabinet ministers amid allegations that they were involved in corrupt activities. In an unprecedented move, Mr Kikwete who is just beginning his second and last term of office surprised many of his contemporaries when he gave marching orders to Mustapha Mkulo who has been the country’s Finance Minister.

Energy and Minerals Minister William Ngeleja, Tourism Minister Ezekiel Maige, Industry and Trade Minister Cyril Chami, Transport Minister Omari Nundu and Health Minister Haji Mponda followed suit. Sacking senior cabinet ministers in Africa is almost unheard of. In neighbouring Uganda, calls to President Yoweri Museveni to sack senior cabinet ministers who have been drugged screaming before courts of law and censored by parliament have gone unanswered.

In a cabinet reshuffle that not only surprised the country’s opposition but also his own contemporaries, Mr Kikwete said from now on, the accountability of his ministers would be taken seriously. “It is not enough for a minister to take responsibility alone but the new approach is that even those who caused mishap will be taken to task as well.

Commenting on the sacking, Sarah Hermitage, a British human right activist who together with her husband lost their farm to corrupt Tanzanian businessmen, dismissed President Kikwete’s action charging that during his time in office, Tanzania had become more corrupt. “Anyone with an ear to the ground in Tanzania cannot fail to hear the rumblings of dissent amidst the young, intelligent and educated Tanzanians who are simply sick of the increasing misuse of public funds and Kikwete’s refusal to deal with corruption,” she told The London Evening Post.”

Hermitage said one ought to remember that Kikwete himself has in the past been at the centre of corruption charges. In allegations made by the whistle-blower site WikiLeaks, a US diplomatic cable alleged President Kikwete had accepted bribes from a Dubai-based investor. But Benson Bana, head of the University of Dar es Salaam political research think-tank said: “The president has been responsive. He has listened to members of parliament and to the voice of the people. He has done wonderfully.” Bana went on to add: “The ministers were sacked due to a lack of accountability. The ministers failed to deliver and some were accused of mismanaging the ministries … the president have responded positively.”

John Mnyika, publicity director of Tanzania’s main opposition party, the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo warned President Kikwete against simply reshuffling the cabinet. He urged him to take legal measures against ministers implicated in graft practices. There was little hope, Ms Hermitage opined, that Tanzania’s young, dynamic and deserving youth would see any improvement in the country’s governance in the foreseeable future.

Tanzania is a hot prospect for oil and gas exploration by international firms. Like its neighbour Mozambique, large deposits of natural gas have been discovered offshore. The East African country has extensive mining interests, including gold, coal and iron ore which have also attracted large foreign investors. Businesses have long complained graft is one of the main reasons for the high cost of doing business in Tanzania.

source: http://www.thelondoneveningpost.com/africa/kikwete-sacks-six-corrupt-cabinet-ministers/