2013-09-01 Letter from Tanzanian inmate in Hong Kong
(Comments welcome here)
New
Era: A Drug Free
Those
who live in
Now I am aware of the fact that there are those who would contend that we
live in the most ghastly period of our country’s history.
They would argue that the rhythmic beat of the deep rumblings of
discontent from our brothers in Zanzibar (Semi-Autonomous Archipelago), the
rising trend of drug trafficking, corruption, poverty, political tensions and
the widen gap between the haves and have nots (the rich and the poor) as the
rich get richer and the poor get poorer (which is absolutely the vice-versa of
our nations’ policies “Ujamaa” (familyhood).
Most people would argue that Mwalimu Nyerere(Baba Wa Taifa) has
died with his policies such as the Arusha Declaration Act (Azimio la Arusha),
which are all indicative of the deep
Most Tanzanians would argue that we are retrogressing instead of progressing. They would argue that we are facing more challenges more than what we had faced during the time of colonialism (the time we were under the pressing yoke of British). But far from representing retrogression and tragic meaninglessness, the present tensions in our country today represent the necessary pains that accompany the birth of anything new. Long ago one philosopher argued that Justice emerges from the strife of opposites, and he preached a doctrine of growth through struggle.
It is both historically and biologically true that there can be no birth and growth without birth and growing pains.
Whenever
there is the emergence of the new we confront the recalcitrance of the old.
So the tensions which we witness in
Brethren, we are all familiar with the older order, right? I’m talking about the older which is passions away (Drug Trafficking – trade, corruption) we’ve lived it, we have seen it in local and international aspect in the form of “Execution of our brothers and sisters the death of our compatriots associated with drugs, long incarcerations of our brothers and sisters in foreign lands, and locally we’ve seen it through our junkies brothers and sisters. We can turn our eyes to Mainland China and notice dozens of our compatriots waiting executions and others serving life sentences.
We
can turn our eyes to
Our government is always mute as a dumb man, no politician has ever spoken out publicly about the growing trend of drug trafficking and the number of Tanzanians who has been executed or serving long custodial sentences for drug trafficking in foreign lands, nobody wanted to rock the boat, sorry, did you just ask me why they didn’t want to rock the boat ? Because most of them are the Big Fish in the drug trade “Wadau Wakubwa Katika biashara yackwa za kulevya ni Vigogo – wanasiasa”. You got me right ? That’s the simple truth and that’s why nobody wanted or had the balls to rock the boat.
But there came a time when we (small fish) got tired. There came a time when we got tired of being silent and suffering. There came a time when we got tired of being plunged across the abyss of exploitation where we experience the bleakness of nagging despair. There came a time when we thought that our silence is a betrayal to our fellow compatriots and our beloved nations (unpatriotic).
So in the midst of our tiredness we decided to break the silence (we decided to rock the boat). We decided to rise up against the wanton corruption in our country, we decided to fight the Evil “Drug trade” by exposing the drug barons, their accomplices (crooked politicians), we decided to rise up and fight against corrupted law Enforcement Agencies (Police, Customs and Exercise, Airport Authorities, Anti-narcotics Bureau). We decided to rise up by naming and shaming Legislators, businessmen and even religious leaders who are involved in the “Evil” drug trade, we decided to rise up to protect our country and international community against the Evil Drug-trafficking as well as creating awareness to our compatriots who may be falling in the traps of the drug barons – Recruitors.
As a result of our rising no Tanzanian has been arrested in August here in HK. (It’s a record, since hardly a week used to pass without several arrests), we’ve also learned that there is an ongoing investigation in Tanzania linked to the case of the two female individuals “Tanzanians” who have been arrested in South Africa in connection with drug trafficking (we have learned that four security officers in the Airport have been detained in connection with the arrest of those two movie-stars-drug trafficking case.
So we are progressing and not retrogressing and our activities have yielded some results so far. But let nobody fool you, all of the loud noises that you hear today from the legislative hall (chimwaga) in terms of “separating business from politics and implementing a radical reform in drug laws, are merely the death groans from a dying system”. The older order is passing away, the new order is coming into being.
Now as we face the fact of this new emerging era, we must face all the responsibilities that come along with it. As you know, a new era brings a lot of new challenges, and we must be ready to face the new challenges come with it.
Brethren, I have talked about the new age which is fast coming into being. I have talked about the fact that God is working in history to bring about this new era. There is the danger, therefore, that after hearing all this you may get impression that we can just sit down, and do nothing, waiting for the coming of the inevitable. You will feel somehow this new era will roll in on the wheels of inevitability, so there is nothing to do but waits on it. If you get that impression you’re the victim of an illusion wrapped in superficiality.
We cannot just sit down and wait, we must speed up the coming of the inevitable. Now it is true, if I may speak figuratively, that the old man drug-trafficking is on his deathbed. But bear in mind that history has proven that Drug-Barons have a last-minute breathing power, and the guardians of the status quo are always on hand with their oxygen tents to keep their cash-cows alive.
Brethren,
drug trafficking is still a fact in
We must continue to fight corruption and drug trafficking in order to speed up the coming of the new era (the inevitable). We must continue to gain the Ballot by any means possible. We have to stop and take a look at ourselves, we have to start reevaluate ourselves. We must start to build up our self-esteem and say to ourselves that I’m somebody and I can make change in my community. Our religions revealed to us that God created all people equally and loves all of His Children, and that every man, rich or poor, educated or uneducated Christian or Moslem, Pagan or Hindu, able or disable, a son of a president, or a son of a beggar, is significant on God’s keyboard.
We have to start to build a new sense of self-respect, a new sense of dignity and destiny to ourselves. Don’t allow any politician to try to fool you or school you, don’t sell your vote for few shillings, T-shirt, a piece of cloth (Khanga) or a plate of Rice (Pilau), don’t get twisted by their sweet words on their campaign trails, vote for a leader based on his ability, credibility determination to bring change to our nation, and integrity.
Vote for the leaders who are clean and fearless, who can stand against corruption, drug trafficking, embezzlement of governments’ assets, a leader who can use our natural resources to change the livelihood of the people, not a leader who can put his 10% (ten percent) kickback fast and the interests of the nation last, real leaders like “Mwl. Nyevere” and “Moringe Sokoine” not a leader who will launder millions of pounds, stashed in foreign bank and when enquired he replied it’s just a few cents (viji-cents).
We must continue to gain the ballot. The ballot is the one of the basic keys to the solution to our nation problems.
Until we gain clean and dedicated leaders with great integrity through possession of the ballot we will be convenient tools of unscrupulous politicians. We must face the appalling fact that we’ve been betrayed by the ruling party (Chama Cha Mapinduzi) and most of the opposition are puppets of the ruling party but there is need of change.
We must get rid of all corrupt politicians, we must get rid of all drug-trade associated politicians, we must get rid of all coward politicians who cannot stand for Justice, we must get rid of all unpatriotic politicians, who don’t have the love for the country and people. We must use all means democratically to remove all bad leaders, we must use all legal and moral means to remove all corrupted tainted leaders. We must continue to struggle through legalism and legislation to bring justice and equality. Yes, we must have tough laws against drug trafficking and corruption, the corrupted leaders must be punished harshly as the drug traffickers, Corruption Legislation should be tough as Drug Legislation. The fact is we cannot draw a distinct on between a drug trafficker and a civil servant who embezzles government money or a corrupted leader.
Brethren, I am inspired by CHINA - political trial of a former high ranking politician and a politburo member – princeling - Mr. Bo Xilai, who has been prosecuted for corruption, abuse of power and improper conduct in a government office.
Finally, if we’ll stand together against corruption, drug trafficking, poverty, diseases, injustice, inequality, we’ll be able to speed up the coming of the new era.
Brethren, these are revolutionary times. All over the world the shirtless and barefoot people of the land are rising up as never before, all over the world men are revolting against old systems of corruption, injustice, inequality and oppression, all over the world the grassroots are demanding in their nations’ economy, housing, healthy care, education, and social opportunities.
Brethren, out of the wombs of a frail world new systems of justice and equality are being born.
We must keep on fighting, but our revolution must be to “get in” and not to “overthrow”. Our revolution must be nonviolent (our revolution must be on the ballot boxes). We must keep on gaining the ballot until we remove all corrupted and bad leaders.
We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the poor, for the victims of drug trafficking, for the victims of corruption and embezzlement, we are called to speak for injustice, inequality, come out and break the silence.
TZA Prisoner
Currently serving 21 years imprisonment in HK.
Inmate asked that link to Tanzania Parliament go with this article
See also: You are on list of drug barons, MPs told
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