President Magufuli’s hand of forgiveness sets social media abuzz
Dar es Salaam. The President of Tanzania yesterday extended his hand of forgiveness to yet another former minister Nape Nnauye who is also the MP for Mtama Constituency.
He was the third after January Makamba and William Ngeleja made similar efforts last week.
Mr Nnauye had made a personal effort to reach out to President John Magufuli on several occasions seeking his pardon over his involvement in a telephone voice clip scandal that ‘insulted’ the person of the Head of State.
Mr Nape Nnauye went to the State House and held talks with President Magufuli, asking for the latter’s forgiveness “for what had transpired recently.”
He looked remorseful as he spoke to the President in a video clip that was availed by the Presidential Communications team.
Mr Nnauye was involved in the said telephone conversation recordings allegedly speaking with former CCM secretary-general Mr Abdulrahman Kinana about different national issues and how dissatisfied they were.
Others implicated in the scandal are former Union and Environment minister Mr January Makamba, his father, Yusuph Makamba; former the Energy and Minerals docket in the fourth phase government Mr William Ngeleja.
The President’s action set social media abuzz, with many asking who would be the next to seek for the President’s pardon.
It was a move that was slated and praised in equal proportions on different social media platforms.
“It is the right decision for Nape Nnauye to put the things straight because the impasse between [him and the President] was threatening their party's [CCM] unity,” said Hancy Machemba, a Twitter user.
Another user wrote, “Opposition parties should take a lesson here on the importance of compromise to the party's stability and direction.”
But Grace Onesmo, another Twitter user said the decision proved her belief that politicians can never be trusted.
She tweeted: “You can never trust a politician, I doubt even their sexes.”
In the voice recordings, among other things, Mr Nnauye was heard describing President Magufuli as “unlearned, upstart [and] drunk with power.”
Reacting to his fellow lawmaker’s decision, Arusha Urban (Chadema) legislator Godbless Lema said that Mr Nape was right to ask for forgiveness.
“The President also did a right thing to forgive, for a forgiveness benefits both the person who offers it and its recipient too,” said the shadow Home Affairs minister in a post.
There were others who looked forward to the day Mr Membe, Mr Makamba Senior and Mr Kinana seek for forgiveness.
“[They] should not do it for it will be a national shame,” said one Twitter user who identified himself as, Musa.
“These are victims of insults by a person known as [Cyprian] Musiba.”
