TIME FOR A FRESH START AFTER MBOWE’S RELEASE
What you need to know:
- It is worth noting that his arrest and arraignment on unbailable charges last July was seen as part of a wider State-sponsored scheme – which dated back to early 2016 – to systematically emasculate the Opposition, and turn Tanzania into a de facto one-party state.
Opposition leader Freeman Mbowe is today spending his fourth day as a free citizen of the United Republic of Tanzania following his dramatic release from jail last Friday.
Mr Mbowe and his three co-accused were set free after the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped terrorism charges against them, with their release coming exactly a fortnight following the High Court’s ruling that they had a case to answer.
Mbowe’s release after spending 227 days behind bars on what was widely seen as politically motivated charges has opened a new chapter in Tanzania’s troubled political landscape.
It is worth noting that his arrest and arraignment on unbailable charges last July was seen as part of a wider State-sponsored scheme – which dated back to early 2016 – to systematically emasculate the Opposition, and turn Tanzania into a de facto one-party state.
Indeed, the Opposition was all but locked out of the 2020 General Election in which the ruling CCM was declared to have won the presidential and parliamentary elections by an eye-popping landslide.
It is almost a year since Tanzania began to step back from isolationist policies, and reclaim its rightful status as a notable member of the international community.
Needless to say, significant progress has been made in diplomacy, thanks to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s concerted efforts to mend relations with Tanzania’s neighbours and development partners.
However, despite Tanzania finally heading in the right direction, the country continued to have a monkey on its back in the form of the case against Mr Mbowe. It has been the biggest story out of Tanzania for the international media since Mr Mbowe was arrested. It was a distraction and bad publicity the country could surely have done without.
The withdrawal of charges against Mr Mbowe and his subsequent release from months of incarceration should pave the way for a return to true political pluralism as stipulated in the Constitution.
CHECK YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
One of the biggest challenges facing the government today is the high rate of unemployment. It is a serious issue that calls for strong policies and good leadership to effectively tackle.
However, with the reformed labour market policies and laws, Tanzania can promote economic efficiency, and attract more investments, both local and foreign, and thus create more jobs for its hordes of young people.
Unemployment, especially among youth, poses a great challenge to the government and society as a whole because it is a product of a number of factors. These include lack of skills and training, and the acute short of credit facilities.
It is also disappointing to note that politicians are not giving sufficient attention to this potentially explosive issue.
It is absurd that even in rural areas – which offer unique opportunities because youth learn different occupations from childhood – employment is limited during the off-farming season because there aren’t enough activities to occupy young people.
Measures need to be taken to reverse the trend.
