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Karume warns leaders against amassing wealth...
2008-01-23 08:52:29
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
Zanzibar president Amani Abeid Karume yesterday warned government leaders who were amassing wealth through dubious means like grafts saying the law would come down on them heavily.
Speaking during the Tanzania envoys` meeting opened last week in Zanzibar by President Jakaya Mrisho Kiwete, Karume said that all leaders know that graft is unethical.
``If any leader is found to have such wealth, the State organs will be forced to confiscate his or her properties as the law states that such measures are necessary in order to protect the rule of good governance,`` he cautioned.
Karume said that the government is doing the best to fight graft, adding that it was giving the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) full mandate to directly deal with the suspects.
He said the 2007 Corruption Act aims at making sure that all political leaders and other civil servants do not accumulate wealth through corrupt means, adding that such acts would be detrimental to democracy and good governance.
Moreover, Karume urged the envoys to promote the country outside in order to boost the nation’s economic and diplomatic policy in today’s globalisation.
He said the government has decided to concentrate on developing the agricultural sector, adding that efforts must be employed by envoys in promoting Tanzania outside the country.
``Agricultural sector contributes a lot in the national revenue, so it is logical to put more efforts in this direction,`` said Karume.
He said ambassadors are in a good position to help governments reach their goals by sharing the experiences they see in foreign countries and teach Tanzanians the best tactics for advancing agriculture.
In addition to learning agriculture technology used by other countries, Karume said the envoys could also help in looking for crops markets.
He said the economic and diplomatic policy has to work together with other policies in the country to get developed, mentioning the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty practised in the Mainland and the Strategy for Reduction of Poverty in the isle as some of the policies that should be involved.
He also asked the envoys to try their best to implore on the donors over the possibility of cancelling the debts owed to Tanzania.
For their part, the envoys assured the Isles president that they would do their best to contribute to the development of Zanzibar and that they would promote it whereever they go.
``Zanzibar has a number of tourist attractions, and is governed on the principles of democracy and good governance; definitely, we are going to promote it,`` said Ali Abeid Karume,`` one of the ambassadors.
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