CCM Secretary General Abdulrahman Kinana
between small scale miners of Nyarugusu village in Geita district and State Mining Company (STAMICO) who issued land to an American mining firm, Tanzam Ltd.
Kinana, currently on a tour in the Region, expressed this concern yesterday while addressing a rally in Geita district when people of Busanda constituency asked him to clarify the party’s standing point about the land issue.
They said President Jakaya Kikwete had promised to give them the land but “unfortunately there had been slack implementation on the matter.”
Kinana asked Busanda people time of approximately one month under which he is going to sort out their queries with the Minister for Energy and Minerals.
This would ensure that the mining site which has been managed by STAMICO for over 30 years is returned to local people.
“First let me apologise on behalf of the government and on my party’s jurisdiction that we have made a great mistake ever since the president visited the area and made a promise that you could be provided with this land and unfortunately nothing has been implemented so far,” the top party official intoned.
He said that it was impossible for anyone to contradict with what the President has ordered to be done, and in view of this he has issued a one month-directive to ensure that the problem is sorted out once and for all.
He said he is quite embarrassed by constant promises by some national leaders who never fulfil their promises whenever they visit such areas and fails to come out with a solution.
He elaborated that what has been done to the residents is not part of implementations of the party manifesto, which says that local people will have a priority in setting out areas for economic use.
Tanzam entered into contract with the government for mining activities but it had not done anything for the last 10 years after it signed a joint venture contract with STAMICO. This is a breach of contractual conditions, he said.
“Both parties have legal rights but it is amazing to see that the long signed contract should stay without implementation,” secretary general Kinana maintained, insisting that the government should reclaim the piece of land and redistribute it to the needy local people.
This is rudeness that compels the people of Busanda to distrust the government, where a few untrustworthy executives lack acute interest on the lives of the local residents, he ventured to suggest.
He said that many government executives are good at heart and many are not corrupt. This is why if people consult them in their offices are not given special attention as deserved by the law. Some are asking questions that educe them to pay bribes for the services rendered.
He said such types of leaders have been keeping going the bribes and embracers theft and to the great amazement, the government fails to take legal action against them as there are numerous committees formed to investigate their mischief.
It is the responsibility of CCM “to ask the top executive why haven’t they given the land they were promised and instead have been receiving endless promises which are never implemented,” the residents insisted, and the party chief executive said that “what he knows is that a Tanzanian should be given priority and followed by an investor.”
He assured the people that it is the government which messes up and once it has failed to work for the poor and unprivileged groups, himself as party operations head has the right to stand to push on where people got stuck.
He urged CCM members to emulate the late Mwalimu Nyerere who built a firm foundation of the party and refused to take bribes. He never engaged in theft and grand corruption, the crowd was reminded.
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