A documentary by a French crew on General Idi Amin Dada, gives a very interesting insight into what went into the mind of the former Uganda’s dictator.
The documentary which opens with the General who was a great lover of music, playing an accordion, just goes to show the different roles the man played as he lived on.
It is however, the General’s way of dealing with English that the documentary provides quite an entertainment.
However, one of the most interesting statements the General makes in the documentary is that about many people, including fellow African leaders, always wanting to listen to what he said.
He says: “many people, including my fellow African leaders, like to listen to what I say…when I go to meetings, they are always not happy if I don’t speak…they want me to say something.”
“They always like to listen to what I say…in Cairo, I did not speak…and when only 15 minutes are left before the end of the meeting, they tell me why I don’t speak…”
“You see, I speak when I have something to say. And if I don’t have something to say, I shut up,” the General says.
At the end of the documentary, the French camera crew captures the General’s comment about him shutting up when he does not have something to say.
For about one minute, the camera focuses on the General’s face as he looks intently, in eyes that are visibly angry over something that is not clear to the viewer.
But it is the General’s statement that he does not speak when he does not have anything to say that is the centre of discussion on this article.
Indeed, if one does not have anything to say or tell the public, the best thing for such a person is to simply shut up, period.
Such a conduct would save him and the public.
Recently, the Dar es Salaam Regional Police Commander, Suleiman Kova announced plans by the traffic police in the city to reduce the present traffic queues on city roads.
He said the traffic police would be stationed on each and every important section of the road in the city to in order to ensure that motor traffic queues are reduced to the minimum.
At least two weeks have elapsed since Commander Kova made the all-important announcement, but there is little sign to appreciate any differences.
In fact, if anything, motor traffic queues in city roads have nothing, but worsened!
Although it is indisputable that motor traffic queues in city roads would have been turned into hell without the presence of traffic police, yet there are no signs that the problem is about to end soon.
It is however, not known whether the implementation of Commander Kova’s new plan would have also involved the stationing or introduction of new members of traffic police, probably from the Moshi Police College in Kilimanjaro region.
But if Commander Kova’s plan included injection, into the city’s present traffic police of new officers, then the man can be excused, at least for the time being, until his new force picks up what they are supposed to know in order to ensure that the envisaged plan operates to the letter.
But if that is not the case, then the commander will certainly have to go back to the drawing board before members of the public get bored with the commander’s announced plan that is presently invisible.
And this brings us to General Idi Amin’s documentary especially that bit about shutting up one’s mouth in the event of having nothing to say or tell the public.
But while we await Commander Kova’s motor traffic jam’s solution to take its shape, it may not be a bad idea for the man to take a hard look at the following problems:
· The need to find a lasting solution to vehicles, and especially so, trucks that are abandoned on the road after hitting mechanical problems, hence providing a menace to on-coming traffic.
· One area drivers are fond of abandoning their ‘dead’ trucks close to the Lugalo barracks near the Mbezi bridge. Many motorists have been killed as a result as they ram on stationary vehicles which bear no triangles or branches to warn them of the lurking danger ahead.
· Issuing erring motorists, especially those carrying passengers like dala dalas, with tickets instead of requiring passengers to get out of the bus and seek alternative transport as the vehicle is driven only where traffic police knows.
· Charged fines for traffic offences should be paid to a given point at a given day of the week. Such an arrangement will reduce, quite considerably, problems on the roads.
· Vehicles which are not road worthy should have not business on city roads.
· Smoking vehicles should not only be barred immediately they are spotted on the road, their owners should be asked to pay a fine immediately.
· Traffic police controlling/leading vehicles on the road, especially during peak hours, should exercise a sense of time by apportioning more or less similar time to all motorists instead of concentrating on one side for a very long time, hence building up traffic on the other side(s).
· There is a dire need to station traffic police at bus stops especially close to Mwenge dala dala terminal. It has almost become a habit for dala dala drivers to park on the middle of the road instead of the designated parking sides, hence blocking on passing motorists.
And while on the latter problem, it difficult to understand why engineers design and locate a bus stop immediately after a corner or close to traffic lights as it is close to the Mwenge dala dala terminal
By Attilio Tagalile
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