Spika amtwisha Zitto Kabwe zigo la UDA

SAKATA la kuuzwa kwa Shirika la Usafiri Dar es Salaam (UDA) limezidi kugonganisha vichwa vya mamlaka mbalimbali, baada ya Spika wa Bunge, Anne Makinda kuhamisha mchakato wa uchunguzi huo kutoka Kamati ya Bunge ya Miundombinu kwenda Kamati ya Bunge ya Hesabu za Mashirika ya Umma (POAC).Utata wa uuzaji wa shirika hilo umesababisha pia mvutano mkubwa kati ya wabunge wa Mkoa wa Dar es Salaam na Meya wa jiji hilo, Dk Didas Masaburi ambaye wiki iliyopita aliwashambulia wawakilishi hao kwa maneno makali huku akitoa vitisho kwamba atalipua tuhuma zao za ufisadi.

Makinda aliikabidhi jukumu hilo POAC Ijumaa ya Agosti 5, Spika na kuliondoa Kamati ya Miundombinu ambako Profesa Juma Kapuya ambaye ni mmoja wa wajumbem, ana maslahi na UDA kutokana na kuwa mmoja wa wanahisa wa Kampuni ya Simon Group.
 
Kaimu Katibu wa Bunge John Joel alithibitisha jana Spika amefanya mabadiliko hayo na kwamba tayari Mwenyekiti wa POAC, Zitto Kabwe amekwishapewa taarifa. "Ndiyo, kimsingi kamati inayopaswa kuchunguza ni Kamati ya Hesabu za Mashirika ya Umma na tayari Spika ametoa uamuzi huo na maelekezo kwa kamati husika," alisema.

Tafsiri ya uamuzi wa Spika
Uamuzi huo wa Spika pia unaonekana kutengua ule wa Waziri Mkuu, Mizengo Pinda ambaye wakati akitoa kauli ya Serikali kuhusu UDA alisema, ingeshirikiana na Kamati ya Serukamba (Peter, Mwenyekiti Kamati ya Miundombinu). Kiutendaji, jukumu la ubinafsishaji ni la POAC kama ilivyofafanuliwa katika nyongeza ya 8 ya kanuni za Bunge, ibara ya 13 (e).

Vyanzo vya habari vilifafanua kwamba kama uchunguzi huo ungeachwa chini ya Kamati ya Miundombinu kungeibuka mgongano wa kimaslahi kutokana na ubia wa Profesa Kapuya na Simon Group, iliyonunua shirika hilo.

"Uamuzi wa Spika kuhamisha jukumu hilo kutoka kamati ya miundombinu kwenda POAC umelenga kuondoa mgongano wa kimaslahi, kule kuna Kapuya ambaye ni mbia wa Simon Group kwa hiyo kitendo chochote cha uchunguzi kufanywa na miundombinu kingeathiri mchakato huo, " kilifafanua chanzo hicho.

Kauli ya Zitto Kabwe
Kwa upande wake Zitto akifafanua jukumu hilo zito alilotwisha alisema kimsingi kamati yake ndiyo yenye dhamana na ubinafsishaji na kuweka bayana kwamba ataunda kamati ndogo kutokana na uwiano wa vyama na Dar es Salaam kupewa mbunge mmoja.

Alifafanua kwamba, kutoka Dar es Salaam atapaswa kumchagua mbunge mmoja kuingia katika kamati hiyo ndogo huku pia kukiwa na wawakilishi kutoka CUF, NCCR-Mageuzi na CCM.

Alisema ataunda kamati kwa kuzingatia maeneo ya msingi ambayo wajumbe pia wataweza kutoka Katiba na Sheria kwani jambo hilo ni la kisheria, Kamati ya Miundombinu, Serikali za Mitaa kutokana na kugusa Halmashauri ya Jiji na wengine POAC.

Alisema tayari amepata taarifa kutoka Ofisi ya Bunge kuhusu agizo hilo lakini anasubiri taarifa rasmi zitakazomwelekeza namna mchakato huo unavyopaswa kufanywa hadi kukamilika.

"Nimeambiwa lakini sijapata barua rasmi, nasubiri taarifa rasmi kutoka Ofisi ya Spika. Lakini, kimsingi jukumu la ubinafsishaji liko chini ya kamati yangu ya mashirika ya umma," alisema Zitto, ambaye pia ni Naibu Kiongozi wa Upinzani Bungeni.
 
Zitto alisema kama atapata taarifa rasmi hadi jana jioni, leo atatangaza kikosi kazi chake hicho ambacho kitafanya uchunguzi huo kwa undani kuona mchakato mzima ulivyo.


Mpango wa kuizima POAC
Vyanzo vya habari vilidokeza kwamba kumekuwa na juhudi za makusudi kuhakikisha suala hilo linabaki Kamati ya Miundombinu na kuzuia lisifike POAC, ili kulizima 'kiana'.

Kwa mujibu wa vyanzo hivyo, baadhi ya wahusika wanataka kutumia mwavuli wa Kamati ya Miundombinu ambayo ina baadhi ya wajumbe wenye maslahi na Simon Group kuzima suala hilo huku pia wakitumia mwavuli wa uchunguzi uliotangazwa na Pinda.

Zitto alipoulizwa kuhusu mpango huo Zitto alisema hakuwa akiufahamu kwani mamlaka ya kuunda kamati na majukumu yake ni jukumu lililo chini ya Spika kwa mujibu wa Kanuni za Bunge.

Alisema hata kama Waziri Mkuu ametangaza uchunguzi, bado Bunge likiwa mhimili huru wa dola linapaswa kufanya uchunguzi wake. Alisema uchunguzi wa Serikali na vyombo vyake ni wake lakini Bunge nalo linapaswa kufanya uchunguzi wake huru kuhakikisha linapata kile ambacho linataka.

"Uchunguzi wa Serikali ni wa kwao serikalini lakini Bunge nalo uchunguzi wake ni wake. Kwa hiyo hata kama Serikali inachunguza bado Bunge nalo halifungwi kufanya uchunguzi wake, " alisema.

Utata wa uuzwaji wa shirika hilo uliibuka baada ya Dk Masaburi kufumua menejimenti ya shirika hilo. Suala hilo lilifika bungeni baada ya kuibuliwa wakati wa mjadala wa makadirio ya mapato na matumizi ya Wizara ya Uchukuzi kwa mwaka 2011/12, ambayo wabunge wengi waliochangia walionekana kustushwa na uuzwaji wake.

Allowances here to stay, says PM

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda yesterday ruled out the possibility of allowances budgeted for in the 2011/12 financial year being scrapped.Answering a question in Parliament, Mr Pinda said those advocating the scrapping of allowance allocations in the Budget should understand that it was a constitutional issue.
“This is a constitutional issue, and there is no way the government can act without following due procedure, which can take a long time,” Mr Pinda said when answering Mr Mohamed Habib Mnyaa (Mkanyageni-CUF), who had asked the Prime Minister to state the government’s stand on the debate on whether or not MPs should receive sitting allowance.

Mr Pinda said Article 73 of the Constitution talked about MPs’ benefits, making parliamentarians’ sitting allowances a constitutional matter that could not be changed through the pressure of one person. He added, however, there was no problem if an MP chose to forfeit his or her allowance, saying the money could be used for other purposes.

“I think there is no problem if an MP directs that his or her allowance be kept by the Treasury for other uses... this is not the first time that such a decision has been made,” Mr Pinda said. Chadema legislators, led by Mr Zitto Kabwe, have been demanding for the scrapping of sitting allowance, saying it was not justified.

Mr Kabwe, the Kigoma North MP, has argued that MPs and civil servants were being paid salaries monthly, and do not deserve extra payment when they go about their official duties. But Mr Pinda said he doubted whether Chadema arrived at the decision out of patriotism. Earlier, Mr Mnyaa said the allowance debate had caused hostility between MPs and voters, with the latter thinking that parliamentarians were squandering public resources.

He accused some MPs and the media of misleading the public, and asked the Prime Minister to clarify on the matter. Mr Pinda said there were two types of allowances –discretionary and non-discretionary. He added that the government had no powers to suspend payment of discretionary allowances, but could do so with discretionary allowances.

Mr Pinda said MPs’ sitting allowance was discretionary, and was recognised under the law and therefore could not be scrapped arbitrarily. The Prime Minister said Chadema MPs were being insincere by claiming that they do not need allowances.
“Chadema MPs may be supporting the idea, but they know deep down that they desperately need the money,” he said, adding that there was nothing wrong if MPs used their allowances to help their voters. On whether the government would take legal measures against those opposed to allowances, which were enshrined in the Constitution, Mr Pinda said there was no need to reach that stage.

“I don’t think that we need to reach that stage as the issue is not as big as some people think…it is a very minor issue.”Mr Pinda added his voice to the debate that has attracted the attention of a number of prominent individuals, including former German president Horst Kohler, who on Wednesday warned that the government’s image was at stake.

Prof Kohler said in Dar es Salaam that donors were closely monitoring the debate, adding that it might end up tarnishing the government’s image before development partners if it was not handled properly. Responding to a question during a dialogue at Movenpick Hotel, he said the debate did not present a good picture of the country’s expenditure priorities.

Prof Kohler felt that it was not in order for a country like Tanzania, which received substantial assistance from donor countries, to set aside huge sums as allowances for government officials, who were also being paid salaries. Giving an example of his own country, he said: “In Germany, such officials have to foot their own bills while attending official duties.” He added that payment of allowances was not a proper way of spending taxpayers’ money.

Prof Kohler said at the Maendeleo Dialogue, organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and the Tanzania Development Initiative Programme (Tadip), that Western countries were likely to react once they had all the facts on the allowances debate.

Opposition MP Zitto Kabwe has written to the Clerk of National Assembly, declining sitting allowance during Parliament’s ongoing Budget meeting in Dodoma.

Prof Kohler urged the government to uphold transparency and accountability.  He noted that Tanzania had made great strides in development, but added that a lot more needed to be done to promote the rule of law, saying this would enhance the public’s confidence in the government.

Hali tete: Chadema, Polisi wakwaruzana

Askari polisi wakilinda kwenye kituo kikuu cha polisi kati anakoshikiliwa mwenyekiti wa Chadema Freeman MbowePicha na Fidelis Felix/Silvan Kiwale

JESHI la Polisi Kanda Maalumu ya Dar es Salaam, jana lililazimika kuimarisha ulinzi katika Kituo chake Kikuu (Central) na baadhi ya maeneo ya jiji kukabiliana na tishio la wanachama wa Chadema kuandamana ili kushinikiza Mwenyekiti wao, Freeman Mbowe aliyekamatwa juzi aachiwe.Mbowe ambaye alikamatwa juzi ikiwa ni kutekeleza amri ya Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi Arusha iliyoamuru akamatwe popote alipo na afikishwe hapo kwa kutotii amri ya kufika mahakamani katika kesi inayomkabili, alitarajiwa kupelekwa huko wakati wowote kuanzia jana akiwa chini ya ulinzi.

Jana, vijana wa Chadema walikusanyika katika kituo hicho huku wakilaani kitendo cha kukamatwa kwa mwenyekiti wao huku wengine wakijikusanya katika vikundi vidogovidogo katika maeneo mbalimbali katika Barabara za Morogoro na Nyerere, lengo likiwa kushinikiza kiongozi huyo atolewe rumande na asisafirishwe kupelekwa Arusha.

Taarifa kutoka Arusha ambako kesi ya kiongozi huyo inatarajiwa kuendelea leo asubuhi zinaeleza kuwa polisi jana jioni waliendesha msako wa wanachama wa Chadema waliokuwa wakihamasishana kuhudhuria kwa wingi katika Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi wa Arusha.

Wanachama na mashabiki hao wa Chadema walidai kwamba kitendo cha kukamatwa kwa kiongozi huyo wa kambi ya upinzani bungeni ni mpango uliobuniwa na CCM wa kubinya demokrasia ya vyama vingi nchini.

Mbowe na Naibu Katibu Mkuu wa chama hicho Bara, Zitto Kabwe walikamatwa katika maeneo tofauti nchini juzi. Wakati Mbowe alidaiwa kutotii amri ya mahakama, Zitto alidaiwa kuzidisha muda wakati wa kuhutubia mkutano wa hadhara mkoani Singida.

“Tumeongea na polisi, bado wanamng'ang'ania Mbowe. Msimamo wao ni kumpeleka Arusha, tuangalie utaratibu utakaotumika katika kumsafirisha,” alisema Mkurugenzi wa Mambo ya Nje wa Chadema, John Mnyika.

Baada ya kauli hiyo ya Mnyika ambaye pia ni Mbunge wa Ubunge, vijana wa chama hicho wakiongozwa na Diwani wa Kata ya Ubungo, Boniface Jacob walianza kuimba nyimbo za kulaani kukamatwa kwa mwenyekiti wao huku wakisema muziki wa Chadema polisi hawauwezi.

Ofisa mmoja mwadamizi wa Polisi Ilala ambaye hakujitambulisha jina aliwaambia vijana hao kuwa polisi  walishakubaliana na viongozi wa Chadema kuwa mtuhumiwa huyo amepangiwa utaratibu wa kusafirishwa kwenda Arusha kuhudhuria kesi yake.Ofisa huyo aliwataka wananchi waliokuwa kwenye eneo hilo kuondoka ili kupisha jeshi hilo kuendelea na kazi ya kutoa huduma kwa watu wengine.

“Tumeshaongeza na wakubwa wenu, hiki ni kituo cha polisi watu mbalimbali wanakuja kupata huduma hapa. Mtu haji kuangaliwa kwa aina hii ya hamasa na nyimbo, tunaomba muondoke,” alisema ofisa huyo.Kauli hiyo ilipingwa na vijana hao wakisema ofisa huyo ni mtu wa kawaida hawezi kuwaeleza mambo kama hayo.

“Sisi hapa tuna viongozi wetu mambo kama hayo tungeelezwa na kuelewa kama yangesemwa nao na si mtu wa kawaida kama wewe,”alisikika mmoja wa wanachama hao akisema kwa sauti.

Kauli hiyo ilimshangaza ofisa mwingine wa polisi aliyeibuka na kuhoji: “Mnasema huyu ni mtu wa kawaida? Akajibiwa “ndiyo”, “huyo siyo mtu wa kawaida."Vijana hao waliendelea na msimamo wao: “Sisi tunasema huyo ni mtu wa kawaida kwa sababu siyo kiongozi wetu, ndiyo maana tunasema angekuwa kiongozi wetu tungemwelewa.”

Kauli hiyo ilimlazimisha Kamanda wa Polisi Mkoa wa Ilala, Faustine Shilogile kujitokeza na kuwataka watu hao kuondoka katika eneo hilo kwa sababu kulikuwa na shughuli mbalimbali zilizokuwa zikiendelea.

“Tumeongea na viongozi wenu, tumeshakubaliana tunawaomba mtawanyike na sisi tuendelee na kazi, sitaki mkusanyiko wowote katika kituo cha polisi,” alisema Shilogile. Mara baada ya kauli hiyo gari la maji ya kuwasha lilianza kusogea walipokuwa wafuasi hao wa Chadema likitanguliwa na Polisi wa Kutuliza Ghasia waliokuwa wakiwafukuza katika eneo hilo.

Kundi hilo liliondoka na kuelekea makao makuu ya Chadema ambako Katibu Mkuu wa chama hicho, Dk Willibrod Slaa alikuwa na mkutano na waandishi wa habari.

Msimamo wa Kamanda Kova
Akizungumzia mvutano huo, Kamanda wa Polisi Kanda Maalumu ya Dar es Salaam, Suleiman Kova alisema jeshi lake haliwezi kumwachia Mbowe kwa sababu wanaheshimu amri ya Mahakama.

Kova aliwaambia waandishi wa habari jana kwamba jeshi hilo lilipokea amri ya Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi Arusha ya kumkamata kiongozi huyo wa Chadema na kwamba hawaruhusiwi kuhoji lolote juu ya amri hiyo.

“Sisi kama jeshi la Polisi tumepokea amri ya mahakama ya kumtia hatiani Mheshimiwa Mbowe na hatuna mamlaka ya kumwachia huru hadi mahakama itoe amri ya kumwachia,”alisema.

Alisema sheria hairuhusu kuhoji sababu za amri inayotolewa na mahakama na kufafanua kuwa hizo ni sheria zilizotungwa na wabunge wenyewe. Alisema Mbowe anatarajiwa kusafirishwa chini ya ulinzi wa Polisi kwenda mkoani Arusha kujibu kesi inayomkabili na kwamba taratibu zote za safari tayari zimekamilika.

“Tunachokifanya ni maagizo ambayo yametoka ngazi ya juu kuhusu suala hili kwa hiyo Mbowe atapelekwa Arusha chini ya ulinzi wa polisi muda wowote kuanzia sasa alimradi awahi muda wake wa mahakama,”alisema Kova.

Alisema atapelekwa Arusha chini ya ulinzi wa polisi kwa sababu amekiuka masharti yake ya dhamana na kwamba tayari wamezungumza na baadhi ya viongozi wa vyama vya upinzani waliokwenda kumuona kiongozi huyo wa kambi ya upinzani bungeni jana.

Kova alisema kulingana na taratibu na sheria za Tanzania, mahakama ikitoa amri hakuna mtu anayeweza kuipinga.

Aliwataka wananchi watulie na kuipa fursa mahakama itekeleze sheria zilizotungwa na Bunge. Akizungumzia kukamatwa kwa Mbowe, Mnyika alisema hizo ni njama za kuudhalilisha upinzani na pia mbinu za kumtaka Mbunge huyo wa Hai asihudhurie kwenye Kikao cha Bunge la Bajeti.

“Endapo watashindwa kutumia busara za mazungumzo tuliyoyafanya kumwachia Mbowe, jambo hili tutalirudisha kwa wananchi na nguvu ya umma itatumika kusuluhisha tatizo hilo,” alisema.

Alisema amani ni tunda la haki lakini inaweza kupotea kama haki haitatendeka na kuongeza kuwa kuna watu ambao wanashutuma nzito za ufisadi, lakini hawachukuliwi hatua zozote isipokuwa viongozi wa upinzani.


Tamko la Dk Slaa
Dk Slaa alisema kesi zinazowakabili viongozi wa chama hicho na wabunge wa vyama vya upinzani vinalifedhehesha Bunge la Tanzania kimataifa.

“Ili mtuhumiwa akamatwe sheria iko wazi, notisi zilitakiwa kutolewa kwa mdhamini wake na pia kwa wakili, lakini kwa Mbowe haikuwa hivyo na hiyo inaonyesha ni agizo kutoka mahali Fulani,” alidai.

“Polisi mkoa wa Mwanza wametuma barua kwa Katibu wa Bunge kuomba kibali cha kwenda kumhoji Mbunge wa Jimbo la Busega, Dk Titus Kamani, iweje kwa wabunge wa upinzani kukamatwa bila utaratibu? Alihoji Dk Slaa.

Alisema kutokana na mazingira hayo kama Mbowe hatafikishwa leo mahakamani wabunge wa Chadema hawataingia bungeni.

Kuhusu uwakilishi kwenye kamati ya uongozi alisema hata kama Zitto atakuwa nje ya mahabusu, hataingia kuwakilisha upinzani kwa sababu anayetakiwa kumpa kibali cha kufanya hivyo yupo ndani.

Kuhusu kosa la Zitto kukamatwa na polisi alisema inashangaza kwa sababu alikuwa kwenye mkutano wa hadhara kama mbunge na alizidisha dakika 20 kwenye mkutano huo.

Alisema hiki siyo kipindi cha kampeni na Zitto ni kiongozi mwenye haki ya kufanya hivyo na kusisitiza kilichofanyika kimelenga kufifisha demokrasia nchini.