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New year, and new beginning
2006-01-01 09:51:05
By Editor
The newness whose beginning we are marking today relates to five things plus one (5+1). Confusing, or even boring people with arithmetical puzzles is the worst thing that someone should encounter on such a special day, and so, let’s hasten to explain and simply matters.
First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR. This is the obvious first aspect of newness, and it is the latest in the traditional series of greetings that we exchange when we successfully cross from one year to the next; when, in other words, we bid the old, outgoing year kwaheri, and welcome the new one with a huge Karibu.
We count ourselves lucky to have witnessed the first day of the year 2006, conscious that several fellow human beings, in Tanzania and across the frontiers, near and far, died in advance of the transition. For this, we tnak the Almighty God, and beseech Him to continue keeping us healthy and safe, so that we witnesses the dawn of the year 2007, and many others thereafter.
The second newness relates to the government, a product of elections held in the middle of last month. We now have a new President and Cabinet, headed by Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete who succeeded Benjamin William Mkapa.
It is newness worth celebrating and thanking God for, too, considering that the transition was smooth. Had we been in the league of countries that are torn by misunderstandings, conflicts and such other negatives, we wouldn’t have been celebrating the dawn of the new year happily but in a state of tension and uncertainty.
The next newness relates to three inter-related components of a slogan conceived by then Union presidential candidate Kikwete as a campaign rallying call, but now President Kikwete, as Head of State superintending over all Tanzanians, irrespective of party affiliation.
The novel slogan, which is now veritably a national development motto, is: Ari Mpya, Nguvu Mpya, Kasi Mpya, and translates roughly as New Determination, New Vigour, New Speed.
We are accordingly calling upon all Tanzanians to give the new government, which, at any rate is our government, full support by disposing ourselves with new determination, new vigour and new (faster) speed in our various endeavours, to propel our beautiful, richly endowed Land of Kilimajaro to higher levels of prosperity and thererefore our happiness.
Those five aspects of newness are rounded off by the additional one, the sixth, the plus (+) : A new beginning. Let us seize the opportunity provided by the dawn of a new year, institution of a new president and government, and the three components of the Kikwete motto revolving around newness (determination, vigour and speed) to embark on a new beginning , towards consolidating our peace and unity; as well as contributing fully to the collective effort of enhancing social welfare, economic welfare and consolidating democracy and good governance.
Happy new Year.
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