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We`re committed to fighting poverty, corruption
2008-04-17 10:42:56
By Bilham Kimati
Open debate in Tanzania on ways to fight poverty and corruption are no proof that the country is the most corrupt in Africa, IPP Executive Chairman Reginald Mengi said yesterday.
Rather, he noted, such discussions were a pointer to the country`s commitment to ridding society of corrupt elements.
Mengi made the remarks during talks in his office in Dar es Salaam with the Canadian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Janet Siddal.
He said continued cooperation between the government, civil society organisations and politicians from both the ruling CCM and opposition parties indicated the extent to which President Jakaya Kikwete was committed to helping the country attain sustainable economic prosperity.
The High Commissioner concurred and expressed optimism that Tanzania would indeed achieve economic prosperity in the coming few years ``judging from the degree of commitment shown by the government to the promotion of democracy, good governance and socio-economic development``.
``Cooperation between the government and civil societies seen in Tanzania will record more positive results provided that the activities of non-governmental organisations are well planned and coordinated to avoid overlaps.
Civil society organisations make a significant contribution to Canada’s development programmes mainly because each focuses on a particular sector to help the society,`` she said.
The envoy underscored the need for developed nations to help their partners in developing countries in capacity building to enable them to meet their needs and give voice to their people.
She said efforts by the government of Tanzania in fighting poverty stood to earn the nation an impressive level of economic success in the next five years.
Fully incorporating civil society organisations and other ``development allies`` in the fight against poverty was the most effective way of giving voice to the voiceless, she added.
Turning to the war on corruption in Tanzania, Mengi commended the media for getting bolder and more elaborate in unearthing corrupt elements, activities and tendencies.
He also paid tribute to President Kikwete for having shown the way in tackling corruption, in part by encouraging the media to soldier on fairly but fearlessly, and the government generally for having acted decisively ``to help in kicking corruption out of Tanzania``.
``The battle against corruption shows that Tanzania is ready to make a difference, promote transparency and build democracy,`` noted the IPP Executive Chairman, widely acclaimed as an anti-poverty crusader.
He elaborated: ``Legislators have joined hands, irrespective of their ideological differences, in exposing dishonest and corrupt individuals and help the people of Tanzania improve their lives and share the resources available more equitably.``
Mengi also advised civil society organisations to get more focused and work more closely with the media ``so that the media can better portray and promote their contribution to society``.
He said it was crucial for each of the organisations to be identified for its contribution to the social and economic development of the nation and the community from which it operates, be it in the education.
``I cannot imagine a country running without the services offered by the media services,`` he pointed out, urging civil society organisations to prove that they were there to serve the people, particularly the groups targeted, and not for personal interests.
Mengi explained that the involvement of the people in the implementation of their own development programmes was necessary to make sure that support from development partners only complemented their efforts and did not seek to replace popular participation.
He recalled the country`s massive agricultural potential, particularly in the production of wheat, and invited Canadians to invest in the sector.
``Our agriculture is still underdeveloped. Success in the sector should not be measured only by basing on the volume of exports but also by the state of food security for the people.
We need to shake off the mentality of dependency,`` he stated.
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