President John Magufuli
Tanzanians will this year forgo the luxury of the ‘traditional’ Independence Day (December 9) celebrations. This follows President John Magufuli’s directive that the Day be spent mainly on environmental hygiene.
In a statement issued to the media yesterday on his behalf by Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue, the Head of State based his decision on the cholera outbreak.
Since it was reported four months ago, the outbreak has so far killed 106 people countrywide; “it is totally unacceptable to celebrate 54 years of Independence while people are dying of a preventable disease,” the President said in the statement.
In the statement, the President urges the public to use the day to clean the environment and money allocated to finance the event will be channeled to other important businesses. However, the amount in question was not revealed but the Chief Secretary said the figure will be made public at a later stage.
“The public holiday will this year be marked in different way. The president has been concerned with the low level of cleanness around human environments that have led to various outbreaks including cholera,” Sefue said.
As such, he said, regional and district commissioners as well as regional and district administrative secretaries have been ordered to prepare cleaning equipment and materials for the ‘national clean up’ to be held on Independence Day.
The president’s order is backed by health experts who explain that cleaning one’s environment helps to stop cholera.
Meanwhile, reports say the office responsible for organising the annual celebrations had already started preparations for the event including the training of school children for a mass show.
The event is held annually held on the 9th of December to celebrate end of British colonial rule in 1961.
The event brings together presidents from across the continent and beyond, top government officials and business figures among other guests.
Held traditionally at the Uhuru stadium in Dar es Salaam, the president would usually arrive in an open roofed state vehicle and receive a 21 gun salute upon arrival. He would then inspect the guard of honour which would later parade before the guests pledging their allegiance.
Traditional dances, military shows and children dances are also characteristic of the celebrations.
In a related development, Chief Secretary Sefue visited the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) to follow up implementation of the President’s directive to purchase beds for all patients sleeping on the floor at the hospital as well as to service the broken down MRI and ST-scan machines.
Following the visit, Sefue said he is impressed by progress made so far noting that the said medical equipment will be ready for use before Friday of this week after maintenance works are completed.
“Maintenance progress on the CT-scan indicates the machine may start work within 24hours while the MRI machine is expected to start operating in three days,” he said.
Similarly he said, with the money reallocated from parliament by the President to cover the hospital’s needs, the Medical Store Department (MSD) has managed to procure 300 beds and mattress, 30 wheel chairs, 30 stretchers, 1,695 bed-sheets and 400blankets all of which have been handed over to the hospital.
In yet another related development, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Dr Donan Mmbando said about 5bn/- is needed to cover the debt owed to Philips, the electronics firm handling maintenance of equipment in public hospitals across the country.
The amount being despite the 3bn/- released last week by the central government for the hospital.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN