Kuna episode moja ya show ya zamani ya TV ya kimarekani "Little House on The Prairie" inayoonyesha struggle ya modernization against individual rights of land ownership inayoonyesha vizuri challenge ya situation ya Kigamboni. Katika kutafuta maximum capitalization ya ardhi na maendeleo, wananchi wa kijiji kimoja wanaitwa katika mkutano na kuambiwa kwamba ardhi yao itauzwa kwa wageni, wananchi wanaposema kwamba hawataki kuuza ardhi yao na wanaishi kwa kujikimu vizuri tu, wanaambiwa kwamba watendelea kuishi kwa kujikimu vizuri tu, tofauti ni kwamba badala ya kuwa mabwana wa mashamba yao, watakuwa vibarua/ wafanyakazi wa bwana mpya atakayenunua ardhi yao. Jambo hili linasababisha mtafaruku mkubwa. Hapa kunatokea msuguano mkubwa kati ya kupigania haki ya mtu binafsi kupigania anachoamini ni sawa kwa upande mmoja na maendeleo ya usasa kwa upande mwingine.
Of course Tanzania mambo yetu yanaweza kuwa tofauti sana na hii episode, tunaweza kuwa tunahitaji usasa kuliko tunavyohitaji kutetea "individual rights" - a foreign concept in a country following the compass of "ujamaa and kujitegemea" ( which in itself is a contradictory concept in my opinion anyway, I mean fundamentally Ujamaa is contrary to Kujitegemea, but that is another matter).
For the sake of argument, let's say tunahitaji modernity and what some interpret to be development ( the promised skyscrapers, better housing, world class college campuses etc), kuliko individual rights at least at our stage of economic prosperity, basically development first and democracy later - kwamba the lofty ideals of democracy na individual rights might actually serve to hinder development than advance it, as some take the evidence of the rise of China to promote, bado nitataka ku highlight points hizi chavhe za chini.
Kwa maoni yangu,serikali kuu isijiingize katika ku-fund large projects ambazo ufanisi wake ni mgumu kutabiri kwa sasa. Katika kitabu cha "Confessions of an Economic Hitman' (a must read for all "Third World" policy makers and influentials) John Perkins , an ex-CIA front man details how American companies fronting for the CIA, were able through bribery and other means, to peddle large multi billion USD projects, e.g., energy projects (Hydro Electric Dams etc) with promises of unrealistic returns, just to milk these "Third World" governments of their hard earned foreign currencies. In any case, kwa kufuatilia masharti ya the dreadfual "Structural Adjustment Programmes" serikali zetu hazitakiwi kujiingiza katika maswala ya kibiashara, zinachotakiwa kufanya ni kuhakikisha kwammba kuna mazingira yanayomwagilia ufanisi wa maendeleo tu.
Kwa kufuata maadili haya, ningependa kumuunga mkono rais Kikwete (ingawa sipendi utovu wa uongozi wake kwenye mengine) katika hotuba yake ya kampeni Kigamboni juzi aliposema - key word ni aliposema, viongozi wetu wanajua kusema maneno sahihi lakini ukiangalia utendaji utalia- aliposema kwamba ni muhimu kwa wawekezaji hawa kuthamini wakazi wa maeneo wanapowekeza. Ningependa kuona maendeleo yatakayowahusisha wananchi wa Kigamboni, na siyo kuwasukuma wananchi wa Kigamboni na kuwapeleka Mkuranga na Muhoro Rufiji.Unaweza kuangalia hotuba ya rais Kikwete kwenye link hii hapa chini. Endorsement yangu inaishia pale aliposema kwamba mradi huu usitumike kuwahamisha wananchi wa Kigamboni na kutoa fidia hafifu au zisizolipika mara moja, bali uwajumuishe wananchi, na kamwe endorsement hii haihusiki na kauli za ajabu kama pale rais anayeomba kura za wananchi aliposema "Mswahili uongo, hachoki !" how absurd (Kikwete si mswahili ?)
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Naamini serikali ina jukumu la kuhamasisha foreign investment. Na mimi pia nilipata nafasi kuangalia hiyo video . Kwa kweli inavutia, mainjinia na wasanifu majengo wanaweza kutupa input zaidi kuhusu feasibility yake. Lakini nilishtushwa na ukweli kwamba hata hiyo kampuni inayotaka kufanya hiii investment haijawa na ujasiri wa kutupa jina lake tuidadisi zaidi. Inawezekana ni mambo ya kibiashara na hawa watu hawataki kujitangaza sana katika stage hii ya mapema. Lakini hii inaleta maswali mengi kuhusu professionalism na transparency ya hawa watu, na kama hawako wazi kiasi cha kutupa jina la kampuni yao, kuna nini wanaweza kuwa wanaficha ? I don't want to sound like a conspircy theorist -most conspiracy theories are based on ignorance- lakini hii lack of transparency inanipa concern. Ni nani anataka kuja kuwekeza Kigamboni? Atakabili vipi matatizo yanayojitokeza katika uwekezaji mkubwa wa kujenga miji mipya kama ya Dubai na Songdo Korea, nchi ambazo zina maendeleo ya kiuchumi zaidi yetu ? Kweli ni sawa kujenga daraja na underwater tunnel ? Hapo Boston MA mpaka leo wanahangaika na "Big Dig" na tunnel linalovuja, sie tutaweza? Kama tutaweza kuna ulazima huu ?
Once the project passes my above concerns (Chiefly the funding, technical issues and especially the "Economic Hitmen" aspect of it, plus the indigeneous advancement angle) wanaweza kuispin hii kama investment attraction pitch. Kwamba once they establish a modern city in Kigamboni, ku attract further foreign investment itakuwa rahisi zaidi. It is much easier to attract foreign investment into an established world class business hub than to do so by mere security, political stability and economic policy. Wanaweza kutuambia kwamba kuna projects nyingine haziwezi kuja Dar kwa sababu Dar haina adequate office space, au ina long traffic jams, au ina frequent power blackouts. All these issues can be addresed adequately within the new project. In essence, kama huu mji mpya unaweza kusimama na ku address concerns zangu nilizozieleza kotehapo juu, kuanzia kuwahusisha wenyeji mpaka umeme, huu mji unaweza kuwa a living testament to the mere "security status, political stability and economic policies" aspects of our attractiveness. Nchi nyingi zina usalama, uthabiti wa kisiasa na sera nzuri za kiuchumi, lakini zenye miji iliyosimama kuonyesha hivyo ni chache.
In my heart of hearts, nataka hii project ifanikiwe, na sisi tuwe na sehemu ya kupigiwa mfano - after the colossus laughingstock failure of the move of our capital city to Dodoma- tunayoweza kujivunia kwamba inaweza kuwekwa katika vitabu vya dunia sawa na the Singapores, Dubais, and Hong Kongs of the world. Kikwete akiweza ku oversee hili naweza hata kumsamehe makosefu yake mengine. Lakini maswali niliyouliza hapo juu bado ni ya muhimu sana.