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Choosing business or politics
2008-02-02 09:22:42
By Editor
In the past year or so, Tanzania`s political landscape has been affected by some ethical disasters.
This can be seen in the reasons that led to the commissioning of the BoT audit and subsequent task force, the formation of the Richmond power generation contract probe team and a special committee to review commercial mining operations.
There were speculations that some senior government leaders have at one time or another been speculatively mentioned as being linked to questionable transactions that necessitated the investigations, which were ordered by President Jakaya Kikwete.
The whole scenario revolved around the issue of personal integrity of government leaders and ethical decision making procedures, especially in matters related with the signing of major national contracts, which were destined to have impact on the lives of Tanzanians for generations to come.
The President ordered these probes so that the whole truth would come out after the wheat has been separated from the chaff.
The above-mentioned developments have a history behind them.
After the Arusha Declaration was proclaimed in 1967, government and political leaders were told to choose between business and public office.
This policy was implemented for several years until the Arusha Declaration leadership code was quashed and government leaders were allowed to do anything on the side provided it was legal.
Nevertheless, the National Leadership Code of 1995 clearly stated that ``in relation to ethical standards, public leaders shall while in office, act with honesty, compassion, sobriety, continence, and temperance, and uphold the highest possible ethical standards so that public confidence and trust in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of Government are conserved and enhanced.``
As time went by, it transpired that the 1995 Leadership Code Act had a lot of loopholes in the sense that conflict of interest was increasingly manifested in decision making procedures, portraying an unfortunate observation by members of the public that they were being deceived.
It is for this reason that President Jakaya Kikwete, in his monthly address to the nation, has stated that there is evidence of conflict of interest for politicians combining business with public office.
He said there were strong suspicions that such leaders were taking advantage of their positions to further their private interests.
President Kikwete has therefore decided to amend the law governing leadership ethics so as to end the practice that is costing the nation dearly.
As we support the President`s move, we wish to remind politicians in their various capacities that leadership is the power to motivate others through moral integrity.
They should not put themselves into conflict of interest when making crucial decisions, and should stick to ethical procedures even if it means going against the popular point of view.
We have to do away with the notion that a leadership code has only to do with socialism, because even major capitalist societies have leadership codes, which compel leaders to put their business under trust while in public office.
Once we have a water-tight leadership code, then government leaders will be compelled to act in a manner that will not bring their public service to ridicule.
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