Z’bar remembered in New Year prayers

Dar es Salaam. As part of the fancifully styled global family, Tanzanians on Thursday night welcomed the New Year with much fanfare and staking high expectations on the President John Magufuli-led fifth phase government to deliver higher social welfare advancement and economic prosperity.

Besides merrymaking, they prayed for the President’s good health, to fortify him as principal driver of initiatives to sustain Tanzania as a peaceful and self-reliant country.

The Head of State asked his compatriots to pray for him as he embarked on executing reforms that would have a great positive bearing on common people, as well as for sustained peace and stability.

He furthermore requested clerics continue praying for him and the government at large, stressing that, they were instrumental in influencing eradication of moral decay, manifested partly by corruption and misuse of public resources.

In a speech read on his behalf by the minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr William Lukuvi, during overnight prayers at the Uhuru Stadium, Dr Magufuli said he believed that if religious leaders sensitize worshippers to embrace hard work, laxity in the public service could be eradicated.

The minister was accompanied by the minister of Information, Culture, Artists and Sports Mr Nape Nnauye, who echoed the president’s sentiments by appealing for the collective support of Tanzanians.

He said prayers were a strong pillar towards the success of the reforms that the president was currently undertaking saying the country has been in dire need of reforms and God had responded by thrusting him onto the top leadership post.

The overnight prayers, organized by the union of various religious institutions and denominations represent an annual ritual, one of whose focus is to cement national unity and religious tolerance.

It includes prayers and songs of worship with shows from various local and international gospel artists in live performances.

The turn-out at this year’s event was low and low-keyed, a problem attributed to poor organisation. By 8pm the stadium was almost empty.

The chairman of the organising committee, a bishop of the Tanzania Fellowship of Churches, Mr Godfrey Malasi, said Tanzania’s peace and tranquility were gifts from God and thus had to be safeguarded earnestly.

“Tanzania is among blessed countries in the world; therefore we have all the reason to thank God for this gift and keep asking Him to maintain it through prayers,” the bishop stressed.

He added that the state of peace allowed everyone to engage in different undertakings for individual and collective gain, which eventually coalesced into economic, social and political stability.

The bishop said the church won’t let the president fight the war against vices alone, pledging to be with him in prayers as most Tanzanians believe he is the kind of leader they had been longing for. “We want to make it clear here that the president should not be afraid but sustain the momentum of cleansing the country of vices that have been tarnishing the country’s image,” he said.

The Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam Auxiliary Bishop Titus Mdoe condemned dishonesty and theft of public funds by a few government officials, saying the malpractices manifested lack of wisdom and patriotism.

The sentiments featured in his New Year eve mass service at St Joseph’s Cathedral.

The service, which started at around 9pm to 12 midnight saw the church filled to its capacity, forcing many worshippers to follow proceedings from outside.

The sentiments came against the backdrop of exposures of grand-scale scandals at the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) where billions of shillings government revenue ended up in personal pockets.

“Greed has entered into people’s hearts; it’s shocking to imagine that within just a month, a few people have stuffed billions into their pockets, while several of their compatriots are always praying to God in churches to liberate us from poverty,” he said.

“Let’s pray to the Almighty God to shed the attitude of theft in our society. Trust goes hand in hand with wisdom,” he intoned.

At the Azania Front Lutheran Church in Dar es Salaam, Reverend Charles Mzinga reminded Tanzanians to thank God for enabling them to stride into another year.

Quoting the Bible, Rev Mzinga said people should re-live Chapter 4 Verse 6 to 11 of the Book of Johan “to thank God because He is the only one who has enabled us to be where we are.”

Rev Mzinga added that as a country, Tanzanians should thank God for enabling the country to live in peace and harmony since attaining independence 54 years ago.

“It is better to continue to live in God’s house rather than search for success using dirty tactics; it is better you continue to be a God-fearing people because you will be rewarded one day,” said Rev Mzinga.

He also said that Tanzanians should always be optimistic of attaining their goals as they entered another calendar year. According to him, people who live in despair will never attain their goals in life.

Rev Mzinga added: “We all have to support the new government because even God said he will install authorities on the earth to lead on his behalf,” said Rev. Mzinga.

In Katesh, after a dry spell lasting nearly two weeks, residents of Hanang district, Manyara region were full of joy yesterday in the wake of the badly needed rains on New Year’s eve.

“We are happy it started to rain shortly after midnight. We can’t complain because God has listened to our prayers”, said Mr. Goma Gwaltu, a resident of Gehandu village along the Singida Road.

He said small holder farmers in the area, which is prone to severe droughts, were happy with the favourable weather this year and that fears which emerged after a recent brief dry spell were erased after Thursday night’s downpour. Mr. Gwaltu, who runs an NGO which undertakes several community projects in Hanang, said he had to suspend his duties yesterday as roads to some project sites were impassable due to the rains.

“The rains started at around 2 pm (Friday) and this is a good sign of good signs to come this year,”, he told The Citizen on Saturday on phone, adding that the main preoccupation of residents of Hanang was working on the fields with the good rains, unlike in the last season. The rains which started at around midnight in many areas of Hanang continued until the afternoon yesterday and many people found it to be a perfect New Year gift from the Almighty.

“In such an event, we would be heading to our farms for planting or tilling to take advantage of the downpours. But for today, my family has opted to celebrate this event by preparing traditional beer which we will share with neighbours,” explained Josephat Samheda, a resident of Simbay village.

Mohamed Elmi, a farm implements dealer in Katesh, said he was happy because he expected to continue with his business. “I will turn 60 this year. What a blessing from God!” he exclaimed.

In Mwanza, residents in the city ushered in the New Year with prayers, pomp and pageantry.

Most residents thronged to different places, including churches and entertainment joints. There was a display of fireworks and fanfare that lit the sky immediately from different areas after the clock hit midnight.

Entertainment joints along Lumumba Street, Kenyatta road and Salma Cone Street were full.

A few minutes before 12 ‘o’clock on the dot, DJs worked up the cheering crowds to a countdown to the anxiously-awaited moment, which was greeted by loud music, cheers and ululations.

In Mbeya, the Bishop of the Mbeya Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, Evaristo Chengula, urged Tanzanians to continue praying for Zanzibar following the political impasse caused by the nullification of the General Election by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Bishop Chengula said in his New Year message that people should pray to God to save Zanzibar from sliding into anarchy.

In Tanga, the regional authorities welcomed the New Year in style by declaring a fierce war on drug traffickers and smugglers. Regional commissioner Mwantumu Mahiza said one of the region’s major focus would be to combat drug trafficking and smuggling.

“We will first identify the network which connects them with the ring leaders before blocking all the loopholes,”, said the RC. Mahiza disclosed that the region had so far an official figure of 23 drug barons, 867 drug users and about 49 unofficial ports scattered in the region, but many of which were centred in the city.

Reported by Henry Mwangonde, Bernard Lugongo, Frank Kimboy in Dar es Salaam, Zephania Ubwani in Katesh, Godfrey Kahongo in Mbeya, Paskal Mbunga in Tanga and Geofrey Kimani in Mwanza