On Makonda, JPM has taken a leaf from the CCM script

President John Magufuli’s public show of support for the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mr Paul Makonda, has elicited strong reactions from various stakeholders.

In fact, there is a sense of shock and disbelief from some who fail to understand how President Magufuli, after working so hard to build the image of a no-nonsense head of state, could fail to discipline Mr Makonda. President Magufuli is known to have “relieved” senior public officials of their duties for things like, publicly offering their professional views that contradict his impromptu directives. Or firing a regional commissioner for “lying” about the number of “ghost workers” in her region.

But here is a Regional Commissioner who read out publicly, and without offering any proof, the names of people alleged to be either using or trading in illicit drugs, causing a lot of distress and damage to the public image of the individuals. Here is an RC, who accused a senior police officer, in front of the Prime Minister, of having being bribed by Shisha traders, and at the same time admitting that the traders had once sought to bribe him.

The Prime Minister having admonished him, asked him why he did not report the issue to the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau officials.

Of late, the same RC has faced very serious allegations of both using fake identity and forging examination results, allegations if proven could lead to criminal charges. Mr Makonda has refused to address these allegations.

The last straw was Mr Makonda’s invasion of Clouds TV studios where he went with an armed police escort on Friday night. Reports, confirmed by Clouds Media’s management, indicate that Mr Makonda stormed the studios, as captured by CCTV camera footages that were posted on social media, to demand an explanation on why the TV Station had not aired a video footage that showed a woman claiming to have been impregnated by Bishop Josephat Gwajima of the Glory of Christ Tanzania Church. Mr Makonda had named Bishop Gwajima on his list of drug suspects.

The RC’s actions were condemned by people from all corners, including some senior CCM members.

When the footage was aired on Sunday, expectations were that it was just a matter of time before President Magufuli sprang into action.

Springing into action he did, on Monday morning, but not in the manner that people had expected.

Speaking while commissioning the Ubungo intersection flyover, and in front of the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, President Magufuli urged Mr Makonda to disregard what was being said about him in the social media, and to continue working as usual. He said no one tells him what to do or who to fire and who not to fire.

By dismissing calls to fire Makonda, President Magufuli was reading from the ruling party’s script; the refusal to discipline government officials or take action on issues that are championed by the opposition or that have the backing of the opposition whatever those issues may be.

It is a kind of defiance on all issues of national interest that turn into political fights of sorts pitying the government on one side and other stakeholders plus the opposition on the other. And so, President Magufuli’s refusal to discipline Makonda means that he views the issue as politically-motivated and so sacking him could be interpreted as a victory on the other side.

The way President Magufuli has handled the Makonda issue is reminiscent of the way the government handled the Escrow saga.

After the Parliament investigated the Escrow scandal, it passed eight resolutions, one of the resolutions directing the government to discipline the minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, the Attorney General Judge Frederick Werema, and permanent secretary Eliakim Maswi, among other officials and former ministers. But the government failed to implement even a single Parliamentary resolution.

Prof Muhongo and Judge Werema resigned of their own accord. Maswi was transferred to other departments. Prof Muhongo was later appointed by President Magufuli back to the cabinet in the same docket. CCM’s politics of defiance on matters of grave public interest and even national security is a dangerous game.

For a country ascribing to multi-party democracy, it is risky to completely ignore the point of view from the other side of the political spectrum. This is because in many cases, like in the issue of Escrow and Makonda, the views from the other side may tend to be the views of the majority in the country.

Mr Kanyabwoya is The Citizen Content Editor