Germany`s Ambassador to Tanzania, Guido Hertz, asked a question that really touched me. Anyone who has lived in Tanzania long enough am sure might have had this questions at the back of their minds as well. I guess he felt that he really needed to let it out... coz it seems it has been boiling in his mind for a while. He said this in an interview with the Guardian, (Tanzanian newspaper) on the 20th anniversary of Germany’s reunification on Sunday (October 3)
Tanzanians would do themselves and their country a lot of good by more vigorously tackling the factors that make some of them live in abject poverty in the midst of an abundance of economic and other resources.
As Tanzania is one of the biggest recipients of donor assistance I guess he has been questioning himself on why he sees no big progress in the country till date.... His statement made my heart break, I wonder if his words broke other hearts as well, because truth always hurts and this is heavy truth. Ni Uvivu, kutokuwa na vifaa, ushughulikaji au Over Ufisadi?
“Tanzania is a country with everything to make it happy. It has among the longest coastlines, big railway lines, massive agricultural potentials and water sources as well as an abundance of other natural resources, but it is not using them well,”
“There are a lot of opportunities Tanzania could have seized and gone very far ahead economically, but I do not have the answer as to why it is this way, though the situation is better now than it was in the past,”
“It appears to me that you (Tanzania) are stretching yourselves to the limit while all resources you need to register development are there waiting to be exploited,”
“My honest opinion is that the country could have made a lot more mileage from these comparative benefits than has happened,” he pointed out, saying even merely tapping the immense potential in tourism a little more seriously, would have made a world of difference.
He said it was impossible for anyone to blame the situation on any single factor, adding that he saw it as “a systemic problem” where structural restructuring could help.
Ambassador Herz explained that Germany once found itself in a roughly similar quagmire’ “and we managed to get on to the path to social and economic development by engaging a really well functioning administration”.
“Germany wholeheartedly supports everything meant to keep Tanzania on the development it has chosen for itself,”
“We recognise it as an icon of political stability in this part of the world and as a country that prizes unity that proudly stands on the solid foundation built under the leadership of Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.”
Turning specifically to his country’s reunification in 1990, he said the commemoration of the event was “an opportunity to look back and be thankful that the path to a unified Germany turned out to be so unexpectedly straightforward and the road was travelled so fast”.
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Also pointed out historical facts that Tanzania had not really fought wars of liberation on its own soil or had the misfortunes of being led by a dictator to the point of being adversely affected economically, He applauded the political stability, peace and harmony and good leadership Tanzania has known for decades and only hoped they would continue to be treasured as cornerstones of social and economic development. Adding that Tanzania is not landlocked, it has much less desert than does Kenya, it has never experienced floods as disastrous as those that have been hitting Mozambique, and has for the last 50 years or so enjoyed generous supports from the donor community
I dont know about you, but this just made my whole heart go wide open and blast, Apparently Mister Ambasssador hasnt been following on Tanzanian Politics, its quite a shame that even an outsider sees no progress howsoever in the country, no matter the efforts they put towards it.I dont even know what to say.
“There are a lot of opportunities Tanzania could have seized and gone very far ahead economically, but I do not have the answer as to why it is this way, though the situation is better now than it was in the past,”
“It appears to me that you (Tanzania) are stretching yourselves to the limit while all resources you need to register development are there waiting to be exploited,”
“My honest opinion is that the country could have made a lot more mileage from these comparative benefits than has happened,” he pointed out, saying even merely tapping the immense potential in tourism a little more seriously, would have made a world of difference.
He said it was impossible for anyone to blame the situation on any single factor, adding that he saw it as “a systemic problem” where structural restructuring could help.
Ambassador Herz explained that Germany once found itself in a roughly similar quagmire’ “and we managed to get on to the path to social and economic development by engaging a really well functioning administration”.
“Germany wholeheartedly supports everything meant to keep Tanzania on the development it has chosen for itself,”
“We recognise it as an icon of political stability in this part of the world and as a country that prizes unity that proudly stands on the solid foundation built under the leadership of Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.”
Turning specifically to his country’s reunification in 1990, he said the commemoration of the event was “an opportunity to look back and be thankful that the path to a unified Germany turned out to be so unexpectedly straightforward and the road was travelled so fast”.
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I dont know about you, but this just made my whole heart go wide open and blast, Apparently Mister Ambasssador hasnt been following on Tanzanian Politics, its quite a shame that even an outsider sees no progress howsoever in the country, no matter the efforts they put towards it.I dont even know what to say.
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