President Dr John Magufuli leads clean
up-campaign at the Magogoni Ferry in Dar es Salaam yesterday during the
nationwide clean-up that he ordered to mark the 54th Independence Day.
((Photo: Halima
Motivated by President Magufuli’s leadership thus far, particularly
his zero-tolerance on corruption and huge cuts in public spending,
Tanzanians responded in kind heeding the Head of State’s call to turn
celebrations of Tanzania’s 54th independence anniversary to a national
cleanliness day.
Streets and public places were thronged as early as 6 am, with
unprecedented vigor, public servants, community groups, businesses and
corporate teams, individual men, women and children from all walks of
life took to the streets cleaning their environs.
Gloves on and clad in a casual shirt, fedora hat and a pair of
training shoes, the President and first lady Janet Magufuli, got down to
do the ‘dirty job’ by 7 am starting with their own backyard—the area
behind State House in Dar es Salaam.
The President then went down to the Magogoni beachfront that is in
the vicinity and there, the otherwise shunned dirty job turned into a
fun affair as crowds of small-scale fishermen and fish mongers joined
the Commander-in-Chief in collecting litter all along the beach and
effectively giving his security detailed extra work.
With plastic bags and other litter in hand, President Magufuli took
time to hear and respond to grievances aired by the crowds that joined
him. Amid songs and chants in praise of the President, “Magufuli Oyee,
Magufuli Oyeee…” they loaded the litter onto a waiting garbage track.
Speaking to his fellow cleaners-turned-audience after about one
hour of clean up, President Magufuli pledged to resolve the challenges
facing fishermen in the country.
“I understand that you don’t have modern equipment and access to
loans, I will make sure that you get soft loans so that you can
transform your businesses to more profitable ventures,” he pledged much
to the cheer of the crowd who he fondly referred to as ‘my neighbours.’.
Commenting, Susan Maganga, a fish monger at the Ferry Fish Market
described the Head of State as ‘a gift from God’ ‘sent to unchain
vulnerable, poor Tanzanians who have suffered for more than fifty years
since Independence from corruption and inefficiency.’
Vice President
Meanwhile, Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan also took to cleaning
her own area of residency leading the Oysterbay populace in the
exercise. She urged Tanzanians to embrace the culture of cleanliness not
only in their homes but also at their work places and in public areas.
“This is not a one day event,” she said “...we should engage in
this kind of thorough cleanliness at least once a month,” she said.
The VP worked hand in hand with ordinary citizens in sweeping and
collection of litter covering Abeid Karume and Haile Selassie streets,
Oysterbay Primary School and all the way down to the Morocco bus stop.
She was flanked by among other leaders the Kinondoni District
Commissioner Paul Makonda, Kinondoni Municipal Director Musa Natty and
Oysterbay Chairman Zefrin Lubuva.
Prime Minister
Similarly, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa led clean up of the
usually extremely littered Kariako area, Dar es Salaam’s busiest
shopping district. However on occasion of this unprecedented clean up,
business in Kariako, like the rest of the city, came to a standstill
remained closed for the better part of the morning.
Hundreds of traders and residents turned up in huge numbers when
the PM arrived at the market and he led them in the cleaning exercise.
Business owners cleaned in and around their business premises and
unclogged drainage systems that were blocked by dumped garbage.
Several Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPSF) vehicles were onsite to help transport the collected garbage from the market.
Addressing the gathered crowd at the market, the Premier expressed
his satisfaction on how the public responded to the President’s order
and urged them to clean their areas of work and residency regularly.
“This is the busiest business center, we must keep it clean at all
times,” he said and went on to order the market leadership and city
authorities to come up with a sustainable strategy to improve hygiene at
the market.
“I will meet with your leaders on Monday, I want them to submit a
sustainable plan of improving this market so that people can conduct
their businesses in hygienic environments,” he said.
Premier Majaliwa also assured petty traders at the Kariako market
and elsewhere in the country, that the government is determined to
improve their working conditions by among other things, developing a
system that will free them from the hustle they otherwise face from city
authorities.
On his part, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Saidi Meck Sadiki
who was also at the Kariakoo area participating in the clean up
including the disinfection of buses which he personally hand sprayed,
said the market environment was not friendly for neither traders nor
their customers; “we need to improve the environment so you can conduct
business comfortably,” he said.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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