Tanzania straddles the Great African Rift Valley, so tectonic action is not unusual. But the recent earthquakes have been political rather than geological in nature, with several alleged corruption cases involving leading figures. Last year the President sacked the governor of the Bank of Tanzania when $130 million was wrongly taken from an account there. And last week the Prime Minister and two ministers resigned - leading to the whole Cabinet being dissolved - following a Parliamentary report on an emergency electricity generating contract.
So what are we to make of it all? Clearly there is still a long way to go in these inquiries. But the public at large and the media are becoming increasingly vocal about the unacceptability of corruption. Parliament has been increasingly key in recent steps to demand public figures are accountable for their actions. And people in authority at the highest levels have been taking action against some of those implicated in the scandals. Corruption has undoubtedly diverted precious resources away from the citizens of Tanzania, but there are positive aspects to take away from the recent dramatic events.
Hi Keri. Yes, I'm finally getting round to updating the blog! A few more posts from Feb to May will appear in the next few days. Good to hear from you. Hope you're OK.
Posted by: Tim | 07 May 2008 at 04:48 PM
I think you must have recently posted this even though it is dated in February. I just read about all these happenings in an email today. It is very good news, and I am thankful that this is the kind of news that is coming out in the media. I hope you are doing well!
Posted by: Keri | 06 May 2008 at 07:29 AM