CLERICS HAVE A POINT ABOUT GOOD BEHAVIOUR

Tanzania and many other countries of the world are once again celebrating the annual festive season at the centre of which is the birth of Jesus Christ a little more than two thousand years ago.

Generally believed to have been born under relatively normal circumstances on a December 25, Jesus Christ went on to become the Pillar of Christianity.

This is the world’s largest religions organisation, with about a third of the global population worshipping Christianity – albeit doing so in different denominations.

Christmastide is usually considered a God-given opportunity for religious and other leaders – including the very Government itself and its assorted institutions – to preach morality and morals, always reminding people on their duty and obligation to invariably be good citizens.

In her Christmas and New Year message, for example, President Samia Suluhu Hassan tweeted, “Tanzanians should celebrate the festive season with joy, peace, serenity and restraint.

“Let’s proceed to 2022 united. We should focus on embracing professionalism; work with patriotism and discipline so as to bring about development to our country…”

Fair enough, we heartily chorus in support of the Head of State.

But, we also support calls by other leaders in society, including especially Clergymen who also took opportunity of the festive season to preach more or less similar messages to their worshippers.

In one particular case, a clergyman stressed fair and just treatment of the people by political and other leaders-in-power.

In a sense, this is all about fundamental and inalienable human rights. Although protected by law, human rights are like the double-edged sword that requires whoever claims human rights protection to first and foremost abide by the policies and regulatory frameworks that govern them.

Therefore, for sermons on good behaviour to be effective, they should go hand-in-hand with calls for friendly policies and regulatory frameworks.

AS DRC READIES TO JOIN EAC…

The festive season this year comes with a Christmas Gift of sorts in the form of regional integration and cohesion for East Africa and the African continent. We have in mind here the agreement in principle by the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State at their December 22, 2021 online Summit to admit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as an EAC member.

To that very noble end, DRC – which has already fulfilled 7 of the 10 conditionalities for EAC membership – has only to fulfil the three remaining conditionalities to become a full-fledged EAC member.

DRC’s admission would boost the EAC population from the current 200 million souls to a 300 million-strong consumer market. Its admission would also open up a functional transport corridor across Africa linking the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

There is no earthly reason to refuse DRC full EAC membership, all things being equal. Hiccups like DRC’s intermittently erupting “tribalries and other devils in the details” would be jointly sorted out as we progress on the road to full regional and continental socio-econo-political integration