EDITORIAL: Mr President, we beg to differ with you

First of all, we thank you President Jakaya Kikwete for leading our country well and peacefully during the just-ended 2013. It was a busy and successful year for you diplomatically following visits by the world’s most powerful leaders, US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Politically, it was another stormy year for your leadership after you sacked four cabinet ministers, including some considered to be your close allies.

But it was also a painful year for you because at home and abroad you mourned together with us following the death of our beloved ones, including South Africa’s first black President, Nelson Dalibunga Mandela.

We also thank you for the well-written speech you delivered during the burial of our beloved hero Mandela. It was a speech that set the record straight about the role that we, as a nation, played during the liberation struggle in South Africa.

Mr President, we fully understand your concern about the slaughter of elephants in our national parks, fuelled by the thriving ivory trade in the Far East, especially in China.

But we strongly differ with your decision to deploy the military in the crackdown on poachers. We differ because first of all, we see this move as both unconstitutional and unnecessary. Our army has been trained to protect this country against invasion by foreign or domestic forces.

We don’t doubt the capability or professionalism of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) when it comes to defending our country or in peacekeeping missions abroad. We are all aware of the role our army has played during the past five decades of independence, and we do hope that it will continue to lead the way in making Tanzania a secure country.

Growing trend

What we do not understand is this growing trend of deploying the army against civilians. We deployed the army a few years ago to stem the smuggling of sugar, a move that was unjustifiable. When Muslims threaten to demonstrate, we deploy the army in the streets of Dar es Salaam.

As if this is not enough, when Mtwara residents rioted as they demanded to know how they would benefit economically and socially following the discovery of vast reserves of natural gas, you deployed the army to calm the situation.

Mr President, last year, when you wanted to repatriate all illegal immigrants, you deployed the army in an operation you described in your end-of-the-year speech as “very successful.” Again last year, when poachers threatened to wipe out our elephants and rhinos, you deployed the army in an operation, which led to the removal of four cabinet ministers.

Even after what transpired, you promised in your end-of-the-year speech to deploy the army again to fight poachers to protect our natural heritage. Although you promised to ensure that there would be extra measures to make sure that grave mistakes that clouded the previous operations are avoided, we see this move as part of a dangerous trend.

Let the police and game wardens handle the situation. Although our Police Force is said to be the most corrupt institution in the land, its anti-riot section, known as the Field Force Unit (FFU), if well paid and properly managed, is capable of effectively conducting any serious operation in the country. With the support of game wardens, we believe that the FFU is the best option.

The army should be left to deal with national security issues and the defence of our borders. In a democratic state like ours, it is unjustifiable and dangerous to deploy the military in civilian operations.