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Mapuri: TLP wants Sumaye, Mangula to comment
2005-09-20 08:19:21
By Guardian Correspondent
The Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) said yesterday that the Prime Minister’s Office and CCM should comment on Home Affairs Minister Omar Ramadhan Mapuri’s approval of the beating up of civilians by prison warders.
The party said in a statement that Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye and CCM Secretary-General Philip Mangula should make their positions public after Mapuri refused to condemn the brutal attack on civilians and journalists by warders in Dar es Salaam earlier this month.
’’The Prime Minister should let us know whether Mapuri’s utterances represent the government’s position as far as the beatings were concerned.
The controversial remarks were made by a Cabinet minister and can thus be viewed as the government’s official stand,’’ TLP said in its statement signed by Deputy Publicity Secretary Octavian Matikila.
The party said Sumaye should either distance the government from the remarks or make it clear that it stood by the embattled minister.
’’Civilians, especially those residing near prisons, now live in fear because they know that they could be attacked any time by warders who know that they have the government’s full support. A statement from the Prime Minister’s Officer will help dispel these fears.’’
TLP also said the media’s decision to impose a news blackout on the Home Affairs ministry was likely to have far-reaching consequences and added that this called for the government’s immediate intervention.
As for CCM, TLP said Mapuri made the remarks in his capacity as Home Affairs Minister, but added that it was not lost on Tanzanians that he was also the ruling party’s publicity secretary.
’’Mapuri is also a top CCM official and the party should comment on his remarks and make its stand clear.
It’s very easy for people to think that he was also speaking on the party’s behalf when he sanctioned the beatings. We are surprised at CCM’s silence on this issue.’’
TLP also wondered why Mapuri had not resigned, saying he had brought the government into disrepute by condoning brutality against civilians.
TLP is the third opposition party to comment on Mapuri’s utterances.
The Civic United Front (CUF) and NCCR-Mageuzi both condemned the minister last week.
CUF Chairman Ibrahim Lipumba said President Mkapa should sack Mapuri and said it was wrong to ’’persuade’’ him to resign.
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