Members of the Glory of Christ Church of Tanzania attend prayers to welcome the New Year at Tanganyika Packers ground in Kawe, Dar es Salaam, on Wednesday night. PHOTO | EMMANUEL HERMAN
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Speaking to believers who congregated to thank God for guiding in 2014 and ask for His protection in 2015, spiritual and political leaders undescored the essence of harmony
Dar/Songea. Calls for peace and harmony during this year’s General Election and the Referendum for the Proposed Constitution dominated New Year Eve sermons across the country.
In their deliveries, during the New Year eve services, religious and political leaders echoed President Kikwete’s call for peace and unity as Tanzania enters the crucial year.
They also urged Tanzanians to have tolerance, foster understanding and love one another in order to live in unity and solidarity. Religious leaders also urged authorities to come up with strategies to end all forms of crimes against humanity.
In the sermons and ceremonies to welcome 2015, the leaders called for wananchi to abstain from and fight corruption.
The Vice President, Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal, who was the chief guest during New Year festival at the National Stadium, urged wananchi to say “No” to corruption, particularly as the country inches closer to the General Election.
He urged voters to only elect candidates who are really capable of working with them for the country’s development.
Addressing thousands of Tanzanians who flocked the National Stadium on New Year eve prayers for the country’s peace and stability, he also called on the wananchi from all walks of life to exercise their constitutional right by vying for the different elected positions in the forthcoming elections.
“If you want to have a strong government, you need to elect upright and visionary people. Electing the corrupt will give you leaders who are only keen on serving their own interests,” warned Dr Bilal.
He added: “Vie for elected posts; money is not the criteria for one to become a good leader.”
For his part, the Chadema secretary general, Dr Willibrod Slaa, urged leaders to be fair in serving the people by casting aside their religious or political affiliations.
The Chadema boss, who addressed the congregation during the New Year eve service at the Ufufuo na Uzima Church, said some wananchi have been treated unfairly by authorities for religious or political reasons.
Meanwhile, delivering his New Year message, Songea Catholic Arch-diocese Arch-bisop Damian Dalu urged wananchi to put God first in everything that they do.
He said only God will enable Tanzanians to sail peacefully through the election year that would be full of challenges. He said rule of law, peace and love should be the principles to guide the country through 2015.
