NEVER AGAIN SHOULD LIFE BE LOST DUE TO CONFLICT

The killings in Kilindi District on Sunday of at least six people in a conflict pitting herders and farmers is a painful reminder of the Kilosa murders of December 2000 when some 38 farmers lost their lives on similar grounds.

Land-related conflicts and disputes in the country are not uncommon. Some researchers say they are part of the legacy of colonialism under the policy of ‘divide and rule’.

Decades-long efforts of unifying the country have not totally eliminated the disputes between herders and farmers.

And, indeed, the Sunday killings left all peace-loving Tanzanians in shock and disbelief that after similar incidents that occurred in the past, as a country we have not come up with a lasting solution to the problem. Literature shows that causes for such conflicts are known. They are: ethnic rivalry, dwindling natural resources (like land and water), poor land management, rapid population growth, and limitation of formal land dispute settlement machinery.

Whenever such conflicts erupt, the other effects, apart from loss of human lives, include killing of animals, destruction of farm crops and property, maiming and insecurity.

Listening to Kilindi residents on Monday, Inspector General of Police Simon Sirro was told that some students were afraid to go to school fearing for their lives. No Tanzanian should reach this stage. Water-tight and all-inclusive strategies must be employed to assure every person of their own safety and that of their property.

This can be achieved by ensuring that there is popular participation of victims in resolving the conflicts.

News had it that the Kilindi conflict lasted for about 20 years. This means that there are people who failed the local communities as they did not ensure that the conflict was amicably resolved.

The other key parties to ending these conflicts are: the Ministry of Home Affairs, that of Agriculture, that of Livestock and Fisheries Development, that of Justice and that of Regional Administration and Local Government.

We condemn in the strongest terms any killings of innocent people. We should all resolve to ending them by saying ‘Never again’.

PROVIDE EDUCATION ON EFDS

The recent announcement by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) that it is reducing the threshold of the amount in annual sales for which a trader is required to make in order to be compelled to use the Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) could indeed widen the tax base in the country.

Broadening of the tax base remains a crucial part of wider efforts to increase government revenues, and for efficient management controls in areas of sales analysis.

Besides that, the taxman is set to embark on a special campaign dubbed ‘Kamata Wote’ that will see that traders who do not make use of EFDs are arrested and made to face the law while customers who do not collect their receipts get punished for denying the government of its rightful revenues.

However, the TRA’s campaign might have negative effects on its part because it is supposed to be friendly to the traders and the customers in order to make them comply with its regulations.

What the TRA is supposed to do is that, before embarking on its campaign, it should consider providing sufficient education to those traders so that the latter could know their obligation of paying taxes by effectively using the EFDS and the customers could know theirs about demanding for receipts.

Hence, the campaign should go hand in hand with educating the people on the importance of tax payment and how it is to be done.