BYE MAGUFULI, PROGRESS SHOULD NOW BE THE CATCHWORD
Yesterday, March 26, 2021, Tanzanians laid to rest their fifth president, the late Dr John Magufuli, 61.
Sworn into Office as Head of State, President of Tanzania and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on November 5, 2015, Dr Magufuli was again sworn into the Office for a second 5-year term on November 5, 2020.
In both the 2015 and 2020 elections, Candidate Magufuli stood with Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan of Zanzibar as his Vice Presidential candidate. The two worked harmoniously to develop our country.
Then President Magufuli suddenly died from natural causes at the Mzena Memorial Hospital in Dar on March 17, 2021 – the first time a sitting Tanzanian President has died in Office – and Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn-in as the sixth Union President on March 19 the same year.
In the event, she was mandated with the noble task of leading Tanzanians in the remaining 4+ years of the Magufuli Presidency to the 2025 elections.
Mama Samia also breaks a historic record by becoming the first-ever female Tanzanian President – and, indeed, the only woman President-ever in the history of the six EAC member-nations. But, Tanzanians must return to the business of functionally developing their motherland – Magufuli or no Magufuli!
During her swearing-in at the Dar State House Friday last week, Mama Samia urged bolstering national unity among Tanzanians, and sustaining hopes for the best in socio-econo-political development. In that first public address as President, Mama Samia distinguished herself as a leader of people by her own right.
But, she also said she will add the lessons she learnt from her precursor and mentor, President Magufuli, to her own capabilities in leading Tanzanians to a better future.
For this, we are thankful to God her Creator – and to the late President Magufuli as her mentor. We must all team up with President Samia Suluhu Hassan to move forward and ramp up our development levels all-round.
WAKE UP, SPORTS LEADERS
About 115 days remain to the Tokyo Summer Olympics slated for July 21 to August 8, 2021. The multi-sport event will feature more than 11,000 sportsmen and women from 206 nations, competing in 339 events in 33 sports/50 disciplines in Japan.
Tanzania plans to field athletes from four different associations: athletics, judo, amateur boxing and swimming.
Only two Tanzanian runners – Alphonce Simbu and Failuna Matanga – have already qualified for the Games, with the qualification deadline being a month before the start of the Games.
Tanzanian swimmers Collins Saliboko and Hilal Hilal are expected to compete in qualifying events in South Africa soon, while amateur boxers, judokas and other runners are yet to know their fate vis-à-vis the Tokyo Olympics. This scenario threatens the country’s chances of significantly participating in the world-famous quadrennial Olympics this time round. As it is, the national sports associations with the possible exception of the Tanzania Swimming Association don’t know if and when they will participate in the trials for seeking Olympic Games qualifying marks.
Usually, this is the result of lack of, or poor, planning, by our sports leaders ahead of international competitions.
Well, the next Olympics are slated for 2024 in Paris, France – and we sincerely hope sports leaders will not disappoint Tanzanians again.
