VICE President Dr Philip Mpango yesterday condemned increasing moral delinquency among the public, asking those in authority to take stern actions when such incidents occur.

Gracing the national prayers day ahead of making 60 years of the union at the Jamhuri Stadium here, he expressed concern on the tendency of vices to increase, calling on religious leaders not to relent in preaching peace.

He said that the government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan will take actions on public officials in government departments or agencies proved to have caused losses of public funds, on the basis of reports of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG).

 “The government remains committed to taking measures against any person proven to have contributed to financial discrepancies raised by the CAG,” he emphasised, asserting that despite noted achievements, Tanzanians should work hard to uplift the country, by shunning laziness and time wasting.

He tasked the security forces to be watchful and act swiftly on any incidents of unrest, especially with election exercises at the end of the year, to strengthen security on the country’s borders to protect people and their properties.

He called on religious leaders to maintain the prayer effort for the nation, hailing

Tanzanians on both parts of the union for readiness to maintain the peace, strengthening the union and working to change lives, stressing the need to adopt the use of gas and electricity for cooking, cutting out charcoal, firewood.

Earlier, the Zanzibar second VP Hemed Suleiman Abdullah, saluted the event organizers with an observation that the event was a vital occasion for the nation as a whole.

He said religious leaders have a vital contribution in the prevailing peace and harmony, urging youths to avoid anything that puts peace in peril, in the country to uphold peace at all costs for they have the history to tell coming generations on the importance of the union.

“Let us all join our leaders in nurturing our union for the betterment of the current and coming generations,” he stated, while Jenista Mhagama, the Policy, Parliament and Coordination state minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) insisted on the role of religious leaders in ensuring that peace prevails.

“The government acknowledges the importance of this event that has brought together religious leaders and people from different religions in the country and aimed at cementing the union,” she stated, stressing the need to preach peace and rebuking those with intentions to destabilize the country.

Sheikh Ali Khamis, deputy to the Mufti of Tanzania, on his part said he was praying less for the union than against those wishing ill for the union, to fail and let the union progress.