Magufulism and a new Tanzania

I came across this article somewhere.

According to the writer, who has come up with new vocabulary from the name Magufuli, such as Magufulism and Magufulist, urges all Tanzanians to support the new president in curbing corruption, laziness and all their associates. In other words, he is beseeching us to all be 'Magufulists'.

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Magufulism and a 'new' Tanzania

Magufulism is a belief in, adherence to or advocacy of the principal of purity in public offices, accountability, anti-corruption, speedy action of serving citizens and instant action taking to those who misuse public funds (which is termed as -removal of boils) of President John Pombe Magufuli, the fifth president of Tanzania; a.k.a 'The bulldozer' (L.M, 2015)

Magufulist is a person who follows John Pombe Magufuli's footsteps in making sure that Public treasures are for the public and not for few individuals (L.M, 2015)

Why Magufulism?

This is a new era in Tanzania's political economy. We rarely remember when what is happening now, in this new regime, last happened in our country. I think it was last with the end of the regime of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the first president of Tanzania. The newly elected president, for a very short time has proved that he follows the footsteps of the late Mwalimu Nyerere. He shows us that, what we need as a country is a readiness to change our social, economical and political situations.

In just 25 days in office as president of the United Republic of Tanzania, he has done tremendous changes to the rotten government system. He has been able to save a lot of money for productive public services which could have been misused by few.

As a single person he has proved to us that everything is possible. What he has done is unforgettable and even if the few will want this to be forgotten, we the few also, do not like this to be forgotten, that's why I have come up with a new term 'Magufulism and Magufulist' so that when our children, grand children and great grand children will ask us what is the meaning of the term, we will tell them the story. The story of a new reformation, the story of new hope, the story of the new restructuring of the rotten government system, the story of bulldozer.

That, once upon a time there was a bulldozer and the bulldozer was not a machine as we all know, neither was he a robot but a human being who ruled our country. From his humble begin in a peasant family, he was able to become a school teacher at first before he took further studies as a chemist.

He entered politics at a tender age and managed to take key government positions. Surrounded by corrupt people and institutions, he managed to maintain his purity, he took no bribe. He was a humble and very hard working person. When he started a project in his ministry, he made sure that, it was completed perfectly and to the fullest. With a lot of praise from people, he managed to remain humble. Due to his hard working spirit, his people called him the 'bulldozer'.

In 2015, he contested for presidential election, he won and became president of the United Republic of Tanzania. He proved people wrong, those who thought he could start enjoying his presidency at his first day in office as president. The bulldozer started his first day in the office with some spirit, the highest spirit. The spirit of serving the poor, the spirit of uprooting evils within the government system tirelessly and fearlessly. This is a story of Magufulism.

Oooh! My Bulldozer, thank you for maintaining your record, thank you for encouraging Tanzanian youth, we were sleeping waiting for the good life to come as the previous CCM slogan was 'Maisha Bora kwa kila Mtanzania yanawezekana' without telling youth that they need to work hard for a good life to come. You all know that youth need encouragement, they need someone to tell them that they are brave, smart and capable of accomplishing all their dreams and more. This is what the bulldozer is doing.

With his slogan of 'HAPA KAZI TU', he has started to change the minds of many Tanzanians, especially youth. It has now become our everyday slogan, everywhere, as we try to work hard to make our lives better. There is a saying that goes, 'Beware with what you tell your mind because it has a real impact in your life'. This slogan has made many of us increase effort in whatever we do because we have started believing that prosperity comes only by working hard, and that is very true.

The president himself, leading by example, has not rested from the day he took office. It has been almost a month but these days are remarkable. Even if he will die today (God forbid. Long Life my Hero!), his great contribution to this nation will never be forgotten and even if the few will want this to be forgotten, we say NEVER. None in Tanzania or Africa in general has ever shown this bravery in recently years. Many nations still remember their first presidents because they were humble and moral people and they have never seen such kind of people again in their lives.

In Africa, we remember people like Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyatta, Nelson Mandela etc. They were presidents whose regimes were surrounded by the fear of God and respect for man. In Tanzania, since the reign of Julius Nyerere we are now witnessing 'Nyerere Junior', who for a very short time, has given us a million reasons to believe in him.

I understand behind him there is a lot of enmity, but the God who gave him to us, will be the same God holding his hand. January Makamba who is the Bumbuli Member of Parliament, when speaking about efforts which President John Pombe Magufuli is taking in Tanzania today, he stressed that "What the president is doing is a great war and he believes that all Tanzanians are supporting him hand in this war". The Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Kassim Majaliwa, has also urged Tanzanians to support them in this war against the rotten government system in order to help them accomplish their tasks.

For many years as a nation we have witnessed government officials squandering or stealing public money that could have gone toward providing vital services to citizens. Many primary and secondary schools in Tanzania have no desks, textbooks, laboratories or other teaching materials, and classes are held in crumbling buildings without access to water or toilet facilities.

Lack of vital health services, mismanagement and theft has left citizens in a terrible state. Corruption in Tanzania is astonishingly brazen and has caused untold suffering to citizens. Mismanagement and misallocation of resources, coupled with an unprecedented level of corruption have been at their highest in the history of our nation for many years. But you know what; now 'the bulldozer' is at work. Restructuring and reforming the entire government system for the benefit of many and not a few.

Imagine for a long time, it has been a tendency in Tanzania that many government officials and civil servants do not perform services for free. You cannot get your birth certificate or passport unless you pay an officer a bribe. You cannot obtain electricity meter for your house unless you pay a bribe. You cannot get your goods out from the harbour unless you pay something.

Anything involving signing of documents involves paying inducements. In Tanzania you can hardly find someone who has not paid bribe before either willingly or unwillingly. To receive attention when you are sick, you need to pay something to the hospital staff. It is our hope that this government malfunctioning is now coming to an end. "If you attack corruption, it's the best way to attack poverty," Nuhu Ribadu, the former head of Nigeria's anti-corruption commission, told BusinessWeek in June 2009.

It is our hope that Magufulism will be practiced not only in government institutions but also private sectors, especially the NGOs whereby people are using donor funds for personal income and luxuries, leaving the underprivileged who were supposed to benefit from the aid. Other NGOs have died already but the assets were not handed over to the public, they rather became individual property. We are calling upon 'the bulldozer' to intervene in these areas too. The so called 'investors' also need to be visited by the bulldozer unknowingly.

What the bulldozer doing has been a dream of many Tanzanians for a long time. Many people, especially the youth, have started seeing hope for their future life. I call upon many Magufulists to support the president in the fight against poverty, corruption, misuse of public funds, laziness, mismanagement of public offices etc.

One writer who works with the center for African Studies in Uganda martyrs University-Nkozi claimed that -When we get our own Magufuli we shall 'revenge'. He said that ironically praising their president. This shows how many people/ nations are touched by what the bulldozer is doing.

Thank you Bulldozer!

Contacts: lmmsaki@gmail.com
tctctctc14@gmail.com

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