FLY ON THE WALL: Monumentous change is in the air

As the rich of the world congregate meeting world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, our very own President John Magufuli is once again missing in action. There is a list of esteemed men and women from around the world lined up to speak at this conference, which aims at finding solutions to many challenges facing the world especially so the developing world.

Amongst the distinguished speakers Zimbabwe’s new president Emmerson Mnangagwa and Ugandan Executive Director of Action Aid and wife to opposition leader Winnie Byanyima.

I will tell you why Dr Magufuli is missing in action. Taking into account I do not speak for the government nor the Presidency, a lot of these are ramblings of an idle mind.

President Magufuli seems to be exasperated not just with Tanzanians for the state of affairs in the country, but also with the wider world out there for being a major bit contributor to the state of the Tanzanian-read, African economy and well being.

The repeated exhortations to Tanzanians to change attitude towards work and not to sit around expecting, like manna from heaven, goodies to come falling , is reason enough to understand that it is no longer business as usual even if the beneficiaries are kicking and screaming about vyuma kukaza (parlance for hard economic times.

More than two years into his Presidency, it is significant that President Magufuli has seen no reason to fly to the capitals of the world in London or Washington DC. He has not even seen it necessary to travel to Beijing despite numerous invitations and seemingly justifiable reasons like Sino-Africa conference.

The standard practice is for presidents to travel and it has been assumed theirs is essential travel. The 3rd and 4th phase presidents had gathered enough air miles in the 1st 2 years of their holding office, and was on 1st name terms with world leaders.

As essential as travel may be we need to look at it from normal relations perspective. It is odd for instance to visit the White House and receive no reciprocal visit. Just like it is odd for me to visit you and you do not visit me.

In deciding not to go to world capitals, President Magufuli is sending message that we shall engage with the world under our own terms. I know I hear you grunting with disbelief but Africa has to start from somewhere.

President Museveni tried it and caved in. President Muamar Ghadafi paid a price for trying it including travelling with his own Bedouin entourage and causing scenes in world capitals.

It is all about making a statement. That we will also discuss matters affecting our continent on our own terms. That the poverty which bedevils this continent, is a scourge on the face of the world and needs to be dealt with on equal terms.

It is not an easy call to make considering the world has been used to lame duck African Presidents who are happy to feed on the trough held by the developed nations as long as they were allowed to have the hand in the cookie jar.

The counsellor officials in foreign missions with a responsibility to remit intelligence must be having a difficult time sending briefs back home given the deliberate laid back approach of the 5th Presidency. A close look when envoys were recently presenting their papers could tell any discerning observer that they (envoys) are not in a comfort zone given the unpredictability (and this is not negative) from Magogoni.

We are truly living in interesting times in Tanzania, East Africa and Africa today and President Magufuli (love him or not) is very much part of these monumentous changes taking place.

I have seen Kenyan commentators exasperated thinking this new foreign policy is about isolating Kenya. Here is a news flash for them. Tanzania is changing too fast even for Tanzanians and the world. It is no longer Kenya’s play ground to deal goods and survives as Kenya pleases. If Kenya’s leaders knew this they would change the way they are dealing with the matter of Tanzanians change resurgence. Seems they don’t.