By Humphrey Makussa:
It is not unusual for a person to harbour feelings of fear. Actually,
humans’ mind is naturally hesitant to new things and as a result we tend to retreat
from unfamiliar events.
Many Tanzanians, for instance,
have come to accept poverty as a normal way of life despite having great ideas
that can turn their lives around if implemented. But because of fear, they often
fail to explore such opportunities.
Recently, our country finally took
a final leap into East Africa Federation by accepting the terms and conditions
therein as a founder member. This move has raised varied views among
Tanzanians, especially concerning the issue of employment.
A few days ago I overheard an
argument from a group of young people lamenting about the State’s position on
the federation.
“We are very discouraged because
this government doesn’t care about the welfare of her citizens.” one of the
young men, Rashid said. I wanted to hear more of this so I asked him why he was
blaming the government.
He said that the government had
not kept the promise to better living conditions of her citizenry. For
instance, it had not created enough employment opportunities for the youth and
a result he had stayed jobless two years after graduation.
But the worst decision the
government took, he said, was to accept the terms of the Federation because it
will worsen the unemployment crisis when Kenyans, Ugandan’s Rwandese and
Burundians compete freely for the few employment opportunities in the country.
From what I’ve gathered from many
other Tanzanians, they generally view the East African Federation as a threat
to their economic development. They feel that their current level of knowledge
and skills cannot afford them fair competition with others in the region.
In my view, we should take the Federation
as a challenge rather than a threat. Allowing competition from member countries
will definitely trigger acquisition of competitive knowledge and skills which
will translate to improved performance both at individual and national level.
There’s also fear that trade and
commerce will be skewed in favour of other partners, because our economy is
weaker and that we will only be creating a market for others at the expense of
our domestic producers.
While these are valid concerns we
should also accept that without challenge there cannot be meaningful progress. China,
for instance, was just a few years ago a poor nation with bare or marshland which
couldn’t support adequate crop production. But the Chinese embraced the challenge
and worked towards its reclamation to boost production.
Currently, China is one of the largest
and fastest growing economies, exporting wheat and other products throughout
the world. They are no longer cheap market place for European and American
products. Competition made them improve their production, not only for domestic
but also for international market.
Another argument is that the Federation
will give more chances to Kenyans to invest in and utilize our natural
resources for their benefit. The reality, however, is that due to inadequate technology
and expertise, as indigenous we have failed to exploit these resources
effectively. That is why they are currently in the hands of Europeans.
Though weaknesses in our economy
need to be fixed, we can’t refute the importance of external investment in
national development. If we have investors in the Federation, would it not be
better to give them a chance since they will eventually benefit the region
rather than letting our wealth cross the oceans?
There are others also who feel
that establishment of the Federation is a threat to political and social
stability of our country. They wonder whether it will be possible to maintain
political stability after allowing free movement of people, some of whom might
be of questionable character,
The answer to this, however, lies
in strengthening our security organs. This is where we should all come in and
support our government by identifying possible criminals from across our borders.
More importantly, as a Federation
partner we have the responsibility of promoting peace and security in our
neighboring countries. In so doing we will be fortifying tranquility in our
nation.
So do we really need to see the
East African Federation as a threat to Tanzanians’ efforts to better herself?
Let us shed off our fear and
embrace the good that the federation will present. Though our economy lags
behind compared to that of Kenya and Uganda, we should do everything we can to
improve it and withstand the competition.
We also need to improve our
education system to enable it equip with relevant skills and boost self
confidence among Tanzanian. We must rise to the occasion and participate
effectively in the life of the Federation.