ZAECA HEAD’S RESIGNATION OFFERS VALUABLE LESSONS

Last Friday’s resignation of Zanzibar Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Authority (Zaeca) head Ahmed Khamis Makarani is something that does not happen often in Zanzibar, or the United Republic of Tanzania for that matter.

This is a country where bigwigs are known to cling to their posts, refusing to take responsibility when things go wrong, waiting instead to be sacked by the appointing authority if ever it comes to that.

Mr Makarani showed the kind of maturity that is in short supply in Tanzania when he stepped down after Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi gave Zaeca a tongue-lashing a few days earlier after receiving the 2020/21 government audit report from Zanzibar’s Controller and Auditor General, Dr Othman Abbas.

Dr Mwinyi’s fury stemmed from the fact that despite the report showing that nearly Sh5 billion had not been accounted for during the financial year under review, no discernible action had been taken against the culprits. Zaeca was supposed to play a central role in investigations into any misuse – or outright theft – of public funds.

President Mwinyi said Zaeca was not helping the government in its efforts to curb financial impropriety, and was as good as useless.

It was a very strong statement, but Dr Mwinyi nevertheless gave Zaeca a one-year ultimatum, saying he did not expect the CAG’s next report to highlight similar misappropriation of taxpayers’ money.

This was due to the fact that the report covered a period when Dr Mwinyi had not yet come into office.

In other words, Mr Makarani, a senior police officer, had at least another year of sticking around as Zaeca boss – and praying that the CAG’s next report would not be as bad as the one unveiled last week, but he chose to step down anyway.

Mr Makarani knew that his future as Zaeca head was untenable following President Mwinyi’s unprecedented public criticism of the authority. That is how it should be.

Mr Makarani’s resignation offers a valuable lesson to presidential appointees in Zanzibar, and Tanzania as a whole.

GO FOR QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

The steady increase in the number of cattle in Tanzania is generally good news, but it has its downside. A recent government survey has established that there is a high risk of environmental degradation in some districts following an influx of cattle from other parts as livestock keepers search for pasture for their expanding herds.

That is why it is important for each district to establish the optimum number of cattle it can accommodate to avert the danger of environmental degradation and loss of livestock due to lack of pasture. It is through such controls that livestock keepers will be able to take good care of their animals, which, in turn, will assure them of good returns, and at the same time ensure that the environment is protected.

Big herds require larger areas, and this explains why herders are forced to cover long distances in search of pasture and water, exposing their animals to diseases and fatigue in the process.

It is unfortunate that most livestock owners seem more interested in the number of animals they keep rather than their quality. This is an outdated tradition that should be shunned.