Pressure mounts on Pinda to resign

Dodoma. President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday sacked four ministers following a Parliamentary Select Committee report which revealed gross human rights abuses by government officials during implementation of ‘Operesheni Tokemeza’, meant to tame poaching.

The President dropped ministers Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi (Home Affairs), Mr Khamis Kagasheki (Tourism and Natural Resources), Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha (Defence) and  Dr David Mathayo (Livestock  and Fisheries Development)  as MPs also upped the pressure on the Prime Minister to resign as the cabinet’s supervisor.

The decision by the President, who is currently in the US, to sack the ministers was communicated last night to Parliament by the PM, Mr Mizengo Pinda, who however did not answer directly to the calls  to resign over what the MPs said was  lukewarm performance. The  dismissal of the four ministers was the culmination of a dramatic day in Parliament in Dodoma as the government came into sharp focus over its performance  in dealing with farmer-pastoralist conflicts. Infuriated MPs forced extension of debate time in attempt to force action from the front bench. They did not relent on the push to have the Head of State hold the PM accountable. It was during the night session that Mr Kagasheki announced his resignation on the floor of the House even as Dr Mathayo used the same platform to defend himself before the shock announcement from Pinda that also swept him away.

The PM said the ministers were taking political responsibility over the matter. Attorney General Frederick Werema told the House criminal acts had been committed during the operation and advised for the formation of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate fully the entire operation and recommend action on other culprits. Mr Pinda agreed with the proposal and said President Kikwete agreed to the quick establishment of the process. Other administrative actions would also be pursued against top bureaucrats in the ministries, including Permanent Secretaries.

Debating the report -- tabled by Mr James Lembeli (Kahama – CCM), who chaired a special team to investigate the abuses -- MPs called for political accountability from the Prime Minister.

The deputy leader of the Official Opposition in the House, Mr Zitto Kabwe (Kigoma North – Chadema), led a string of law-makers who called for accountability from Premier Pinda. Some MPs directly demanded Mr Pinda resigns adding to recent pressure by the legislators for the Premier to step aside.

At least one MP, Mr Alphaxard Kangi Lugola (Mwibala - CCM), threatened to lodge a private motion to remove Mr Pinda if he did not do the honourable thing -- resign. 

Mr Kabwe’s call was echoed by Mr Lugola, Rev Peter Msigwa (Iringa Urban – Chadema), Mr James Mbatia (Nominated – NCCR-Mageuzi) and Mr Michael Lekule Laizer (Longido – CCM) to name but a few.

The MPs had singled out the four ministers, noting that they were supposed to step down immediately to show political accountability for what happened under their watch even if they did not participate directly.

Speaking emotionally, Mafia MP, who was also part of the nine-people committee which investigated the abuses committed during the operation, said he had to shed tears when questioning people affected by the operation.

Armed with an Ipad, Mr Abdulkarim Shah displayed pictures of a woman who was killed during the operation but for whom the Police had issued a report saying that she died of blood pressure. “Look at this picture, does she look like a person who died of blood pressure? There is an iron bar which pierced right through her eye. There are doctors in this house, please tell us, do you see this woman as one who died of blood pressure?” he asked adding:

“People have been killed in cold blood and leaders came in the open and lied that people died of blood pressure. We must not accept this. People were forced to have sex with carcasses. That is totally unacceptable.”  For his part, Mr Said Mkumba (Sikonge – CCM), said what has been revealed by the report was a manifestation of the rot in the governance system in the country.

“We might continue to chase ministers but if we don’t look at the source of the problem, we will not find a solution to it,” he said .