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No. 00294 |
November 1 - 7, 2003 |
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Write to: The Editor, Arusha Times, P.O. Box 212, Arusha. E-mail: arushatimes@habari.co.tz
"Today your fight is against economic exploiters"It has become so common to hear our leaders or precisely rulers, telling Tanzanians the importance of applying technology for the development of our country and specifically to pull up economically from the ground level. It is not timely but rather too late to say so by now. We needed it as soon as the country gained a reasonable number of Tanzanians who gained higher education in different fields some good years ago. Obviously these comrades new the importance of technology because a good number of them went to obtain their higher educations abroad where the application of technology started centuries ago. Recently a friend of mine from Czech republic sent me some materials which among others shows work simplifying machines like hand tractors capable of ploughing up to 10 acres a day on a minimal fuel consumption. This goes with harrows, planters, weeders etc. What if we import these wonderful tractors which cost less than $ 1000 each for our small scaled farmers, won't it give them a next step in their productions? Instead we are importing brands of luxurious cars costing us an enormous amount of money yet preaching about technology and poverty respectively!! Thanks God for information technology. This has taken its place and it is going to open eyes of many Tanzanians. Please let it go all over the country. Those highly educated fellow country men and women and especially some of those in power tend to forget and or ignore the fact that in economic struggle commitment and practical implementation of the plans are the only effective ingridients for a delicious economic growth. When speaking about Tanzania you honestly talk about a gifted country with abundant natural resources but due to lack of technology we are letting go of our natural heritage at a free cost. The late Mwl. Nyerere had sincerely warned us of conmen and women ofcourse who would come and try to fool us with pieces of glasses in exchange to our real diamonds. He had also added that in their youthood they fought against colonialism and they succeeded by earning us independence. "Today your fight is against economic exploiters", he said. That was sincere enough for the Father of the Nation. It is a shame to be taught how to cut and polish our gemstones today. How much does a cutting machine cost? If Kenyans know how to do it why not us? If we do not work with our natural resources at our good profit now, when finished from its home, the ground, who is going to replace it for the next generation? A school, a dispensary and a 100 kms or less road for the transportation of our natural resources by the technologically well set up investors for a Gold, Tanzanite, Rubby ,etc is going to benefit how many Tanzanians? Anyway, how much of it goes to the government and what does it do? Was the late Mwalimu Nyerere wrong about the warning? Up to 5 grams of Tanzanite can buy a cutting machine. So why not import them and hand them over to good Tanzanians. Let us be careful here. Developed countries send their agents to our country in search of raw materials for their industries but surprisingly our agents go to their countries to spend a bit of cash we have and mostly increase the burden of financial loans. It is high time we pursue them to loan us technology and we will definitely pay back after a short time. Let’s solicit for loans for better mining, road, building, medical, fishing, farming, teaching and general working equipment.
Devote a page to humourDear Editor, I read the Arusha Times almost every week and it occurred to me that there does not seem to be a page devoted to humour. I am sure other Arusha Times . readers, not only in Tanazania but worldwide, have humourous stories to tell and in the style of their native countries. You have pages for Courts & Crime, Street Talk, Interview, Off Topic, so why not a Humour Page. Invite readers to contribute and I predict it will become a much-read part of your paper. I am sure, from the stories submitted, we will see a difference between what makes different nationalities laugh. Countries humour is very 'dry' and others another 'style'. The English make jokes about the Scots being mean (which is not true) and the Irish are the butt of many. The French joke about the Belgians. The Germans about the Frieslanders. Do the Maasai joke about the Chaggas? Can we joke about politicians? The idea came to me when I read on your Courts & Crime page of a man being given a 30-year sentence for committing a very serious offence. On being sentence the man complained that he would be 85 years old by the time he completed the sentence. The judge replied, 'Ah well, do your best!' I have many other stories to tell, but now it is other readers' turn.
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Last modified:
October 30, 2003. Webmaster: WDJMallya |
