RUCCI
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 6, 2011
- 1,701
- 1,714
Prime Minister Mizengo,Pinda.
Poverty, health and education are the foremost concerns for the majority of Tanzanians as 2015 nears-the year that they are expected to participate in a referendum on the proposed new constitution and the General Election.
In a survey held in September, the public rated economic hardships, the quality of health care and education as their most pressing problems.
Surprisingly, the constitutional review that gobbled up billions of taxpayers' money and dominated the headlines and political engagements for the past two years was the least of the people's concerns.
The economy, health and education have been ranked in the same order in the past three years. This is captured in the data that Twaweza released yesterday through its now popular briefs "Sauti za Wananchi".
Twaweza is a citizen-centred initiative focusing on large-scale change in East Africa. Its objective is to empower citizens, through information sharing, to pursue positive change.
The rating went hand in hand with a poor showing of government leaders, starting with the President, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the National Assembly-whose public approval rating have plummeted as the clock ticks towards the 2015 elections.
According to the 2014 Sauti za Wananchi report, 63 per cent of the respondents identify poverty and economic misery as their big issue by far, followed in second place by health at 47 per cent and education at 38 per cent.
The findings come at a time the country is stuck with a health crisis precipitated by a huge shortage of drugs and other essential supplies in public hospitals. The Medical Stores Department has been crippled by a Sh90 billion debt, with the government releasing Sh20 billion on Tuesday to ease the pressure. The top ranking of economic hardships is a reflection of public scepticism of the economic growth reported at a steady seven per cent in recent years.
The improvement of performance in Form 4, Form 6 and Standard 7 national exams has done little to calm anxiety about low standards of education. There was, however, some appreciation in the sector compared to 2013, when 46 per cent of interviewees saw it as a problem.
According to the report released at a press conference in Dar es Salaam, other issues raised by 1,445 respondents and their ranking in descending order are: Corruption and governance (38 per cent), water supply (27 per cent), infrastructure (19 per cent), insecurity and political tension (18 per cent), unemployment (15 per cent), food shortages (12 per cent), agriculture (8 per cent) and the constitution review process (8 per cent).
With the exeption of the surprise ranking of the constitution review process and agriculture at the bottom, water supply recorded an improvement from 36 per cent to 27 per cent. And despite some key road projects, the public still felt the sector did not perform well enough and gave it a higher poor rating than the previous year.
Meanwhile, the report also indicates a drop in the general performance of public leaders. It has President Jakaya Kikwete's and Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda's approval ratings dropping by 14 per cent in the past three years. Dr Kikwete was rated 45 per cent in 2012 but he is down to 31 per cent this year. Mr Pinda dropped from 46 per cent in 2012 to 32 per cent in 2014. This means the highest level leaders have made no progress in the past three years.
The worst losses are among the village/street chairpersons and councillors--with 25 per cent and 23 per cent losses ranging from 54 per cent for street chairman in 2012 to 29 per cent in 2014 and 44 per cent for councillors in 2012 to 24 per cent. The Speaker of the National Assembly lost out by 10 per cent.
Citizens have also continued to lose hope in their MPs as the report indicates a dip of 16 per cent from 44 per cent in 2012 to 24 per cent in 2014. The same goes for opposition MPs, who have lost out by 15 per cent from 33 per cent in 2012 to 18 per cent in 2014 while ruling party MPs lost 10 per cent--from 25 per cent in 2012 to 15 per cent in 2014.
Source:The Citizen
http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Po...40392/2520674/-/item/1/-/150hm3j/-/index.html