At least four regions in the southern part of Tanzania which were once known as the big four because of their massive food production-Iringa, Mbeya, Ruvuma and Rukwa, have more or less recovered their erstwhile fame.
They are teeming with maize harvest at a time when the northern part of the country is not very much endowed with food this time around, and neighbouring Kenya to the north and Somalia to Kenya’s north-eastern part are facing famine!
Unlike Somalia which has for years reeled under clan wars making part of the country ungovernable, Kenya is a member of the newly revived East African Community, EAC, with four other countries that include Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
However, Kenya’s close relations with Tanzania through the EAC, has not helped her in getting food from its southern neighbour following the latter’s decision to ban food export outside Tanzania!
And the ban was announced by none other than the very man who has lately been preaching about the importance for Tanzanians to shed off xenophobia, Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda!
The prime minister who hails from Rukwa Region which is leading the big four in maize harvest, is presently sagging under the weight of harvests from three past seasons!
In fact, Rukwa has so much maize that farmers in the region have been forced to store their harvests in opon grounds, football pitches and schools!
Before the government announced the ban of maize export, a number of trucks from Kenya had attempted to drive through the country, but were stopped in their trail by Tanzanian authorities.
Farmers in the big four, and especially so, in Rukwa Region are meanwhile complaining bitterly over the Tanzanian government’s decision to stop neighbouring countries from buying their maize.
And like Rukwa farmers, many Tanzanians are presently questioning their government’s logic in banning maize export, especially when rains for the next season are just around the corner.
For instance, just last week, the country’s directorate of meteorology announced that Tanzania will experience rains this month.
The weather men whose forecasts have always left a lot to be desired, this time around worked out well as a couple of regions, including the coastal belts have already started experiencing rains.
Most of the southern part of the country that include the big four, expect to start getting serious rains from November upwards, that is, barely two months away!
Kenya which is one of the most hard hit countries in terms of food shortage is also one of the countries which is endowed with financial resources.
And at one time Kenyan businessmen were ready to part with fortune for Tanzanian maize and if you consider the fact that one kenyan shilling is worth 17 Tanzanian shillings, farmers in southern part of Tanzania would have managed to make a kill for their maize harvest.
Unfortunately that has not come to pass and the Kenyan government must now be working hard to import maize from elsewhere for its starving people, and all that is simply because Tanzanian government officials appear to have all of sudden stopped thinking!
But while the prime minister accuses his people of being xenophobic, he is putting the very accusation he is leveling on his people, in practice, by stopping his own farmers (that include his own region) from seizing the golden opportunity of bettering their lives through the sale of their maize to starving people across the border!
However, a critically analysis of Tanzania leaders’ behavior shows that they are not stranger to such macabre decisions!
For instance, while they preach the importance of the EAC in their political pulpits, the same leaders have denied 15,000 retired employees of the defunct EAC their rightful terminal benefits!
During the third phase reign of President Benjamin Mkapa, the latter promised to pay the 15,000 their terminal benefits.
After meeting leaders of the 15,000 retirees, both parties settled for 450bn/- in terminal benefits with payment ranging from 20m/- to over 100m/-.
However, when the implementation of the exercise came, only 117bn/- were paid and as if that was not bad enough, the number of retirees was raised, for reasons only known to the government, from 15,000 to 21,000!
Therefore the same government that had the audacity of signing an agreement on the revival of the EAC is the same government that decided to shortchange its own 15,000 retirees of their terminal benefits!
And the very person who re-entered Tanzania into the EAC, Mr Mkapa was barely two days ago at it, this time telling Tanzanians there was no need for them to worry over land as land was in galore!
This means that had he been in power this time around, he would have made a point of ensuring that foreigners had their hands on our land!
And for any doubting Thomas, consider this: This is the very man who got the country into those mineral contracts which have left this nation poorer and now he has the audacity of telling Tanzanians that they have enough land, meaning that they can just allow foreigners to come in and get it as there is adequate land for all of us!
'By Attilio Tagalile
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