Dear Reader,

The Commission for Justice and Peace of the Tanzania Episcopal

Conference is pleased to offer you this Manifesto.
This text is an invitation to reflect together on the pertinent issues
which face us as a nation.
We are grateful to the Christian Professionals of Tanzania who
prepared this document.
As the elections of 2010 are not far off we feel it is very important to
put forward our priorities as a society and to tell the future leaders
what we want them to do for our society. We do not only vote in the
elections, we must also express our views on what we consider to be
most important.

In publishing this Manifesto we want to exercise our patriotic right to

build a better future for us all.

Archbishop P. Ruzoka
Archbishop of Tabora
CHAIRMAN
Justice and Peace Commission - TEC

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 CHRISTIAN PROFESSIONALS OF TANZANIA (CPT)

MANIFESTO

OUR PROPOSAL OF NATIONAL PRIORITIES

A. A basic view

Some basic questions

What is an economy and politics for?

What is the driving force of political organisation?

Our vision

Our basic vision is ethical: human beings, created in God’s image with the same
dignity, rights and duties, are the purpose and reason for political and economic
activities. Our country’s culture, our ujamaa tradition – agreed with this ethical view:
togetherness, solidarity, familyhood –was much more than political ideology. The
Ujamaa Socialist economic choice we made had positive and negative aspects but
not all must be neglected or thrown out. Present policy reforms are many and some
of them good and necessary. But not all are positive. There may be better
economic growth, but the distribution of the benefits of growth is very unequal. The
liberal market economic principles have not only economic and social weaknesses,
but also, culturally and ethically, people tend to see them as foreign and imposed
and only good for the rich and those who have capacity. There is intensifying
alienation in our society: between those who have and those who have not, between
those who go ahead and those who are left behind. Many of our present policies
see the driving force of development in the growth of our economic performance (in
monetary terms) . Therefore, we give preference to those activities and factors
which bear the potential to increase growth. It is a capitalistic outlook.

This results from our having a narrow viewpoint, basing our policies on a few
economic growth sectors, leaving aside the great majority of our people. To make all
Tanzanians the foundation of our economic policy and our development is not only
ethical, but it also makes good economic sense. Only when the whole nation takes
part in production and shares in the consumption of goods and services, (benefits of
growth) can the markets expand.

Western countries made a leap forward in economic development when they

expanded their own internal markets, in both terms of consumption and terms of
production. The same happened in Eastern countries (like Japan, Korea, Vietnam)
and the same is now happening in China, India, Brazil.

In Tanzania we tend to do the opposite. To have successful reforms, we must

change our views from concentrating on economic growth and aim at uplifting the
common man and woman. We cannot hope to solve the poverty issue by using
some narrow growth sources like tourism and mining. The trickle down or spill over

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from a small container remains too small an amount to alleviate the large
widespread poverty we face.

The talk of formal – informal sectors is one example of the wrong mentality of
classifying our economic structure. Since the majority of Tanzanians belong to the
informal sector, they are thereby turned into the insignificant people who are
economically of little value.

Tanzania’s basic puzzle

We have a basic puzzle to solve: Tanzania is rich in resources –

The majority of Tanzanians are poor – Why?

Poverty in Tanzania is not a sickness for which there is an easy remedy.

In fact, poverty is the result of a process of factors that act together to cause poverty
to exist in the midst of plenty of resources and riches.

There is a combination of factors that gives rise to this reality. We need to analyse
these factors and especially look at ourselves, our behaviour, and recognise our true
identity, its positives and negatives. To get out of poverty demands a process, a
transformative process. The ones to lead that process are we ourselves. We must
lead this process. Not foreigners, donors, or money from elsewhere; not learning
and adopting solutions from elsewhere. Dependency is a break on our development
and lack of commitment of the agents of development is the first and most important
causal factor of our poverty. We must, therefore, commit ourselves to the cause of
disentangling ourselves from this trap. We must strive to seek solutions to our
problems from own initiative and own resources.

The Manifesto’s Objective

We have the plans, the policies, the codes and the strategies laid out; we have the
theoretical knowledge for the solutions to our problems. Yet, we do not perform well.
What is mostly missing is our commitment to their implementation; the lack of
courage and willingness to act, to be dedicated and to work hard; to be doing our
duty and giving our best towards serving the common good; our being faithful
patriotic agents and workers in society. Let us face the truth about ourselves. The
truth will make us free, said John (8: 32)

By this Manifesto, we make an open invitation and appeal to all Tanzanians to

consider seriously the major challenges that face our country and the greater
majority of her citizens who are materially poor, marginalized and vulnerable. The
challenges require genuine priorities and solutions that address squarely the
problems of poverty, marginalization and vulnerability of that majority. This
Manifesto’s meant to serve as a guide to people in their individual choices of parties
and candidates in the 2010 general elections.

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B. Implications for policy priorities

In the light of our basic view on our society and our general assessment of its
performance, therefore we here present our ideas on priorities for our nation, as a
contribution to the public debate before the 2010 elections.

1) Human dignity

The purpose and reason for all human interactions in society is to give each
individual person the human dignity he/she deserves. This requires that each
person is provided with the basic needs that enable him/her to live a decent life.
That must be priority number one. All human beings are created as equal in the
eyes of God. Kila mtu ni sawa.
Hence we propose:

- Moral values must be the foundation of our nation, enshrined in the

Constitution and guiding all codes of conduct.
- Formulation and implementation of a mass civic adult education programme
on the basic human rights and duties of every citizen.
- The teaching of the people about the need of and provide them with
ombudsman facilities so that the said facilities may effectively lobby the
public administrative services and provide the people with a forum and ways
to bring their complaints to higher authority.
- It is a basic right of every citizen to be given the opportunity to voice his/her
complaints and to be heard. The right must be made effective in law and
administration.
- Ethical codes and meritocracy to be the criteria for recruitment, selection,
appointments, and promotion in institutions.

2) Constitutional Review

The Constitution expresses the Basic Social Contract of a people regarding how
it wants to organise its living together. It is more than a legal document. It is an
ethical vision and a philosophical description of the values and principles the
people want to live by in order to ensure peace, justice as well as respect and
tolerance for different view points. No political party or government of the day
can legitimately use the Constitution to its own political advantage.

The Constitution belongs to the people in all its diversity and plurality. As the
nation is a living organism, it is natural and imperative that a regular review be
provided to enable the people pronounce their views. It should not be left to
specific lobby groups or interested parties (social, economic or religious) to
agitate for change. Since the Nyalali Commission delivered its report, this
request for Constitutional Review has received limited and unsatisfactory
responses. Among the issues we would prioritise in this regard are:
- a clear statement of basic national and moral/ethical values that should
underpin our Constitutional review process.

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 - There is need of creating a Constitutional Review Forum. In various
political systems, there are different ways of providing this: Constitutional
Court, Second Chamber in Parliament, Constitutional Assembly.
We propose a Council of Elders, appointed by social sectors, or elected
by various social, religious and learning institutions.
This body would be elected and guaranteed in accordance with the
Constitution itself and should be independent from the Executive.
- Regulation and rendering transparent by law of funding made available
for political parties and for candidates.
- Regulation of selection of candidates within political parties with a view to
rendering them more democratic and transparent.
- To introduce the proportional representation system in the place of the
current one of the first past the post.
- To allow independent candidates (except for Presidential positions).
- To respect the principle of the Secularity of the State and not to allow
religious institutions (like Kadhi courts and membership of OIC) to
become part of the public system.
- To defend the rights of the unborn children.

3) Public Leadership

Public service as Leader is a very important role in any human society. That is
why great care must be taken in any society of the ways and means whereby it
selects leaders and how it organises regular supervisory control over the conduct
of leaders. Power in the hands of human beings asks for a delicate handling if it
is not to become unbalanced, abusive and even corrupt.
At the present time, with its many instances of ufisadi, selective decision making
in favour of some economic interests (foreign and local) we want to prioritise the
following:
- Greater transparency in all the processes of appointments to public
service and offices, to public commissions and governing boards.
- Review of presidential power of appointment of ministers, number of
ministries; greater independent power for the governing boards of public
utilities.
- Public code of leadership including an overseeing mechanism to remove
and exclude those who make serious abuse of office.
- Encouragement and support of legitimate investigative reporting and
seeking of information on performance of public services as a basic right
for all citizens.
- Encouragement of a culture of serious public evaluation of leadership
performance, by providing a mechanism and resources for academia,
media, civic and religious groups to participate in such public evaluation.

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4) Legal System

To do justice requires more than following laws and procedures. The moral
quality of those in charge of running the institutions of law and order, and the
basic respect these agents should have for the dignity of every human person
and for the common good and maintenance of peace and harmony, are
requirements that must never be over-looked; and must be the subject of regular
and ongoing formation.

The Police, members of the court, advocates, prison wardens, legislators and
administrators are not bosses over people. They are the caretakers of the good
order of our society. They must be sensitive to the broader needs of our society
and not be narrow minded legal enforcers.
At this point, we offer the following priorities.
- a better balance must be established and sustained in the regulation of
the three pillars of the State in governance: It is too heavily tilted in
favour of the Executive. It is false to think that control of the Executive
decision making powers will create delays and inefficiency. The contrary
is true. Many wrong decisions and resultant controversies can be
avoided. It is equally imperative to disaggregate further and distribute to
lower levels the power to make administrative decisions, subject to right
of appeal.
- Parliament’s supervisory role over Executive Power needs further
strengthening. Progress has been made recently, but more needs to be
done, because Parliament which represents the constituencies, is
expected to offer critical evaluation of executive decisions.
Parliamentarians must maintain regular contacts with their electorate. A
minimum regulation should be established for MP’s to be available in their
areas, with a time table and places where people can meet them.
Parliamentarians must restrain themselves in allocating themselves
privileges and special incomes and bonuses.
- Reduction of the secrecy in top-level decision-making processes:
Openess and transparency improve the quality of decisions.
- Decision making and concrete action is often blocked by the subsidiarity
principle not being applied and the system depending on the big person in
charge. Subordinates must be encouraged to take responsibility and
superiors must learn to delegate. The whole legal system will improve a
lot by this.
- Reduction of the interference of politicians in the administrative affairs and
services.
- Social anger needs to be properly addressed by political institutions and
agencies of law and order. We support the community policing policy and
propose to increase the number of alternative forms of dispute resolution
and greater use of social mediators and arbitrators, alternative forms of
punishment for small wrongdoers (community service, compensation,
public repremand) – more probation centres for young offenders.
- Our prisons need to provide more educational programmes, ethical
prisoner rehabilitation and possibilities/opportunities for prisoner –
complainant/victim reconciliatory contacts.
- Our legal system must study, involve and implement tools and
procedures that increase efficiency and effectiveness. Delays and

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 lethargy, lack of commitment and absences in judicial performance are
experienced by citizens as frustrating and make them lose confidence in
getting justice through the legal system. They see no possibility of prompt
redress in such cases and thus tend to take the law into their own hands.
The legal system itself must introduce disciplinary self-evaluation of its
performance and apply more modern tested principles of management
performance.
- The judiciary should spend a larger part of its available resources on the
Primary and District/Resident Magistrates Courts (in terms of salaries,
buildings, modern office gear/equipment and facilities, number of
magistrates, secretaries). It is at those levels that the great majority of
Tanzanians come in contact with the judiciary.

5) Industry Commerce and Finance

Too many incentives are given to investment on a large scale and not enough
care is taken for the small scale production units. Foreign investors and big
companies are not the solution to the alleviation of poverty of the majority of
Tanzanians. Too many professionals are attracted by the “big – modern –
foreign.” They chase foreign capital and means while local money lies idle in our
financial institutions.
We propose the following priority actions:
- Before all else we must tackle the issue of dignity of work and the moral
obligation of each one to contribute to society and not be a sucker of
society. Idleness, and laziness are sins in the eyes of the Creator and is
also a wrong doing in the eyes of society. Loitering has always been
illegal. It is indecent behaviour to do nothing, payment is not the sole
mover for a person to work. Human dignity itself demands it.
- Integrate supportive investment institutions (credit facilities, infrastructure
and advisory services, market accessibility) for the small scale production
sector.
- Prioritise the creation of local market and local consumer capacity to
make local production effectively the driving engine of our economy.
Industry and Commerce must be home grown.
- Intervene in agricultural production in order to guarantee income of the
small scale farming by pricing policies that give small producers a
guaranteed income from their crops: Mechanisms of hedging farmers
against falls in world market prices should be provided.
- Livestock keepers’ interests, rights and obligations need more serious
consideration and better legal and administrative provisions that
guarantee them their basic rights and freedom under the Constitution.
- Make firmer regulatory financial mechanism for investors’ profits and
privileges benefit more the local population rather than foreign parent
investor.
- Make serious review of providing attractive packages for foreign
investors. We must not treat them as benefactors.
- Intervention by government to regulate the financial market in favour of
the small borrower: Take supportive action for facilities in rural credit and
savings schemes,

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 - Informal shopkeepers are not a societal nuisance. We agree this sector
needs regulation, but not by the police, but by offering economic initiatives
that make these people viable agents: Integrate them into the whole of
the commercial sector including credit facilities, tax contributions,
standard service, provision of licences and places to do business at a
small scale, not only in the garden of big houses.
- Strengthen the loan availability for building private houses: Institute a
mortgage policy favouring ordinary income earners. Construction is a
major driving force in any economy.

6) Economics

As a matter of principle, and given the current challenges as far as the magnitude
of poverty is concerned, our focus on economics needs to go beyond growth
considerations. We need to emphasize access to opportunities for a wider
population, with special focus on the poor and vulnerable. Growth has to be
shared, pro poor, benefiting the majority and not only a few privileged. People
should, therefore, be given opportunity to participate in productive activities and
in the growth process so they benefit through their effective engagement, leading
to general development of the country. For people to effectively participate,
facilitation is required. Facilitation is done through investment in education,
health, facilitative infrastructure, etc. A proper system needs also to be
developed to ensure effective and judicious utilization of our common heritage,
i.e., natural resources. This calls for strengthened capacity of governance and
oversight institutions. A balance should be sought with regard to the roles of the
State and the market. Also important is how we shape our relations with the
international community. Effective partnerships have to be developed and
nourished based on mutual respect; country interests should guide such
partnerships. Thus country ownership and leadership of development policies,
strategies, programmes, and management of the budget process have to be the
guiding principle.

We know now that it is not only production and provision of goods and services
which constitute the purpose of economics and economic policy. Economics
must be a tool to guarantee the basic quality of life of all citizens, serving the
common good, and fair and equal access to resources and services available.
Our economic policy is too one – sided, favouring the capacity of those who have
capacity already. Social issues need new emphasis. In this regard:

- We propose that health care and education be made the priority number one
for our economic planning. The most important asset of our nation is its
people. To look after the health and education of people is, first of all, the
natural responsibility of caring for life and promoting well-being. It must also
be the first purpose of all political and economic planning. To neglect looking
after the health and education of people is morally wrong.
From an economic point of view, it is misleading to speak of the cost of those
services. It is better to speak of enhancing the quality of the human factor so
that its capacity is expanded. The dividends reaped from this investment are

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 immediate and long-lasting and raise the total level of productivity in a
country.
- People working in health care and education are in vocational professions,
quality in education and health care comes first of all from loving dedication
and professional commitment.
We challenge the basic assumption of our present economic outlook, namely
that, we must aim, first, at economic growth and, then, we can expand
spending on social services. Our view is that we need to spend more on
social services so that economic productivity and growth may result from it.
- We propose a review of the cost – sharing policy in respect of social services:
This public- private partnership policy leaves a lot to be desired and is a
direct contributor to social destabilisation and consolidation/intensification of
class formation in our society, where some can afford social services and
others cannot and therefore do not have access to them.

• Education policy:

 Emphasis should be placed on high quality standardization of education in all

schools and avoidance of second-rate standards for the poor and the rural
people. It should be adopted for teaching and learning as well as school
management and administration at all levels of education; primary, secondary
and tertiary.
 At primary school level, education should be free and the financial burden
distributed between taxes coming from central government and local
government.
 At secondary school level and tertiary level the whole education policy
requires review and the planning must be government led and there should
not be the present prolification of programmes, working conditions of
teachers: Tuition must be reviewed, fee paying must be regulated, loan
systems should become more transparent and chargeable to the general tax
system and not to individual parents.
 Review the examination system and base evaluation on continuous
assessment and not on a one single event of test.

• Health care policy:

 We propose a return to free medical care for basic health needs at

dispensary and hospital levels and imposition of a fine on local government if
these basic services are not available in their area.
 Integrate fully the non-profit making hospitals and dispensaries run by
voluntary or religious bodies, into the public system and render them run on
the same conditions.
 Make health insurance for basic needs obligatory for all Tanzanians.

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 • Labour and employment policy:

 This policy is in urgent need of a re-think. It has become a puzzle of

historical conditions and views and privileges and it affects various sectors
and groups in very different ways. The foundation should be salary income.
A living wage at the basis, not a minimum wage. Additional payments in
terms of bonuses, allowances of all types, special costs have now become
parallel income, which is neither taxed nor controlled. Those who are in the
position to grant themselves privileges do so liberally and are not willing to
give up their privileges, beginning with top level public functionaries.
 Not only is the employment policy unjust, it is also unhealthy and creates a lot
of tension and discontent in society as the strikes of teachers and medical
personnel have shown recently. The forceful way these issues were handled
was simply shameful.

• General Socio-economic policy outlook:

 We must have the courage to determine our needs and priorities and what
their realization demands. Donors, World Bank, IMF, benefactor countries
may, of course, have their word to say. But they should not determine the
setting of our needs and priorities and take charge of the process of
developmental transformation as has hitherto generally been the case.
 In this we have ourselves to blame. Too often we are attracted by money and
are too ready to accept any conditions without thinking through the
implications and without considering the overall picture; without seriously
studying the inter-linkages between different economic and structural realities
of our country. Too often we are “project – focussed” and we fail to apply
wholesome planning for development.
 Agriculture and livestock farming/keeping should be accorded their deserved
priority as they remain to be the economy’s mainstay. Food and Cash crops
suitable for each area (District or Region) should be scientifically identified;
people be assisted in undertaking serious farming through facilitation of
investments in agro-processing industries, supply of agro-inputs, agri-
machinery, marketing and extension services with a view to high quality and
quantity production.

7) Social Protection
A direct way of diminishing poverty in Tanzania is to provide social protection for
targeted and vulnerable groups. This policy could reduce hard poverty by half in
a fairly short period and at an affordable cost.

• We propose:

- A universal pension scheme for all Tanzanians above 60 years old.

- A free meal a day at primary school level.
- A monthly benefit for every handicapped child.

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 - We further propose a strengthened social welfare system:
social protection requires more inputs into it than money. Vulnerability
and disability require care and special consideration from all the citizens.
A society is not civilised and ethically upright if it neglects those who are
vulnerable and disabled. To respect their human dignity is part of
showing dignified human behaviour. To treat them in less than human
ways is criminal behaviour as well as morally sinful.
In calling for strengthening the social welfare system we propose to
deepen the collaboration between efforts of voluntary groups (like those
of the Small Christian Communities and Muslim Zakat system), and those
of (local and central) government . It asks for an increase in the number
of social workers who can liaise between voluntary efforts and
government institutions. To care for vulnerable people and for those with
disabilities is not an easy task and, to succeed, it requires collaboration
among actors in the whole population..

We must get convinced that this is a very noble task and in fact, the main
fruit of such a societal effort is that our society would become more
human, more morally upright and would show a beautiful quality of caring
which is a counterweight to other tendencies like greed, selfishness and
corruption. Such caring for vulnerable people should, indeed, make our
society ethically better and more human.

CONCLUSION

Finally, we propose an in-depth reflection on who or what are the “drivers” of our
economy and of our national comparative advantage and competence.
Encourage a debate led by economists on whether development is pushed by
increasing demand or by enabling increased supply? What drives our economy?
Is it investment, or increasing supply of money to create employment and goods
and infrastructures? Do we aim at increasing demand and the local consumption
so that we stimulate local production to fulfill local demand and thereby increase
our capacity to produce goods of increased value, instead of only providing raw
materials.

Listening to this debate we are convinced that we are not so much in need of
money, but in need of ideas and of hard work. A certain passivity has taken hold
of our society and so also has a thirst for easy money without work. This will not
bring us any real development.

Indeed, the country has so much intellectual talent, so many unutilized

opportunities. And, yet, she has also so many bureaucratic bottlenecks that are
exploited for selfish ends. We need to institutionalize strategic thinking and
establish an organ dedicated to the promotion and defence of our common good
and the best achievements of our national heritage.

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We need a moral revival, a return to basic ethical
values and willingness to practice solidarity, care for
the common good and giving each one a place, a
chance, a responsibility.

CPT - NATIONAL TEAM

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