Tanzanians beg for answers on commissions of inquiry

Dar es Salaam. Public frustration is growing over numerous commissions and task forces formed in recent years to investigate matters of public importance but failed to give timely and conclusive findings.

The government and the police have in recent times rushed to form probe teams to look into killings, torture or incidents of grave public disquiet but are now drawing growing criticism over their lack of results.

The trend has aroused feelings the formations of the probe teams-even when the cause is quite clear - could be a tactic by the police or the government to neutralize public anger or cover weaknesses in security organs.

Among the incidents that prompted authorities to form commissions of inquiry is the last year’s abduction and torture of Dr Stephen Ulimboka, the brutal attack of chairman of Tanzania Editors Forum Absalom Kibanda and massive failure of in the 2012 Form Four examinations.

Despite promises to investigate, name and shame the culprits, no one has been arrested over the incidents.

In 2008, for instance, a commission was formed to investigate the collapse of a 10-storey building at Mtendeni Street in Dar es Salaam. Despite the Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda vow that the culprits would face stern action, matter has fizzled out.

Task forces have also been formed to investigate two separate bomb attacks at a church event and an opposition campaign rally in Arusha, where at least seven people died and hundreds more were injured. To date, no culprit has been arrested.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Said Mwema said in June last year that a task force has been formed to probe recurring attacks on religious leaders and torching of houses of prayers in Zanzibar.

So many other commissions whose reports have never been made public have formed in several incidents.

A priest was short dead in Zanzibar in February this year, less than a year since another priest was serious injured by bullet in the Isles.

Some people now feel that formation of such teams was wastage of time and national resources because they were not serving the intended purpose.

Prof Gaudence Mpangala, a senior lecturer in political science and public administration at the University of Dar es Salaam, feel that the failure of the commission to come up with conclusive findings was because the alleged crimes were sanctioned by the government.

“The recent remarks made by the Prime minister in parliament that the police should just beat up people who disobey the law tell how the government could in one way or another be involved in these crime acts.

“Take the case of Dr Ulimboka. They just created the suspect and take him to court as a way to calm the public,” he claims.

According to Dr Hellen Kijo-Bisimba, executive director of the Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC), the probe teams “are simply formed to cover up the weaknesses of the security institutions such as the police.”

“This is one of the issues we raised our petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The police form probe committees but the finding are not forthcoming. I think they are just formed to swindle money.

“Take Dr Ulimboka’s case, for instance. We were told one man was arrested but to date one year has passed without any real progress in court,” said the LHRC director.

She says the police must do their work diligently to get rid of forming the commission on every crime incident.

The sluggish and inconclusive investigations on incidents of serious crime in Tanzania raised concerns not only inside the country but also the international community.

Responding to question by this paper earlier this month on the Arusha bombings, the European Union Delegation to Tanzania said “it is unfortunate that a sequence of violence has not seen conclusive investigations and judicial processes.”

“From the beating of Dr Ulimboka and of Kibanda, to the attack and killing of religious leaders, to the last two bombings, clear investigation results and prosecutions would have had a strong deterrent effect on new forms of violence and would help ending impunity.”

The EU said it was in the interest of all Tanzanians that the perpetrators are identified and prosecuted, so that impunity does not encourage them to continue.

“Authorities should do away with forming these commissions which do not come with concrete solution,” said Mr Deus Kibamba, the Chairman of the Jukwaa La Katiba.

“The official institutions vested with the power to maintain our security are incompetent. Forming the commissions is just wastage of public money and time

According to Mr Kibamba, the teams are deliberately formed to calm people and cover weaknesses of the police.

Police Spokeswoman Advera Senso has strongly rejected the claim, saying those challenging the formation of the committees were giving emotional decision rather than commonsense.

“Each institution has its procedure and rules of doing things and so does the police. We cannot just rush investigations to satisfy the intolerant people. Our investigations are confidential and we are still investigating the incidents.

“I urge people to be patient and once we are done with the investigations, everything will be made public” says Senso.