OPINION: Acacia is no more; let’s turn over a new leaf with Twiga Corporation
The demise of Acacia Mining as we knew it and creation of a new outfit – Twiga Minerals Corporation – ought to herald the beginning of a new era for the mining sector in Tanzania.
Information made public by the Foreign Affairs Minister and chief government negotiator in the protracted negotiations, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, informed the world that the government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania got the win-win situation we were looking for.
The stakes were so high that the government took on the approach known in military parlance as “shock and awe”. Prof Kabudi, announced that we have finally won the battle with Acacia being sold to Barrick and therefore ceasing to exist as a company and investor legally registered and recognised in Tanzania.
Where does that leave us? It is my take that the cessation of Acacia as a company makes a compelling case for our Director of Public Prosecutions who holds all the aces to withdraw charges of economic sabotage against three gentlemen held for over a year now over charges related to their jobs while working for Acacia.
At one point Deo Mwanyika was the senior-most Tanzanian as vice president of Acacia, the mining company which found itself in plenty of trouble with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Assa Mwaipopo then rose to be managing director while Lugendo was in charge of government relations. These three gentlemen then got caught up in the cross hairs of the high stakes battle between the government and Acacia.
The alleged offences speak of what actions or inactions of the trio by nature of their being office bearers of the company, Acacia, a company which now, by law, no longer exists. In other words, Acacia should have been the first accused and then others would be drawn in.
Knowing the forgiving spirit of President John Magufuli and in regard to our win in this protracted battle, a natural route to progression would be to forgive and move on.
Barrick will now assume all operations, pay all taxes and still share 50/50 with the government. The unsaid thing is that there are Tanzanians who were involved many years ago in signing the contentious mining agreements.
When one has won the way the most magnanimous thing that the government can and should to is to enter a Nolle Prosequi for the trio that have been held for over a year now each. The said cases are by nature contentious and proof may not always be available to obtain convictions.
No one is against what the Fifth Phase government’s intentions which by the way have widely felt ramifications not just internally but also internationally.
Reports on royalties and mineral rights settlements in Africa have consistently shown how much we have been taken to the cleaners by unscrupulous international mining companies in collusion with some of our own nationals.
Corruption too has been a major contributor because in the past we have seen attempts at redressing the problem which attempts were in reality, a camouflage for and by corruption networks.
The Fifth Phase Government under Dr Magufuli has been nothing but exemplary in not only fighting corruption but standing up to the deep-seated underlying corruption networks.
As a nation that wishes to go forward, we must constantly review our relations with big business unless we want to remain a pariah nation to the detriment of our people. But in the spirit of looking at the bigger picture, we must see Deo, Assa and Alex as the small piece in the jigsaw puzzle that is the battle with international hegemonic spheres backed by their governments.
Releasing the trio will be in this spirit. Acacia is no more. We now have Twiga as the new kid on the block. We have won the war, let us forgive but not forget and move on so that what promises to be a great future for Tanzania and its international development partners is not impaired unnecessarily by the errors of yesterday’s ways.
