Why Doesn't Dar es Salaam Just Abolish the Universities? Witch hunt against lecturers

Tanzania's Ministry of Education and Vocational Training dropped a bombshell last week when it announced its plan to conduct a witch hunt against university lecturers, accusing them of "talking politics" in class.


Education Minister Dr Shukuru Kawambwa and his deputy Philipo Mulugo said university lecturers were using time set for tutorial and lectures to talk on political matters.



The government says the law prohibits political activities on university campuses. The fact is that the Universities Act of 2005 prohibits staff or students' organisations from engaging in political party activity on campus, including recruitment of members or conducting seminars and meetings. In other words, what the law stipulates has nothing to do with university lectures.

It is important to note that there are university students who undertake degrees programmes in Political Science. In these courses, among other things, government policies are critically analysed for the purpose of identifying irrelevant or outdated policies.

Is this to be stopped? One might as well abolish universities!

While it remains unclear what measures the ministry is contemplating, it is well known that some senior lecturers at various universities have been outspoken in criticism of a number of government policies.

Indeed, the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi in August and September last year went to the extent of closing some universities for fear that their students would campaign for the opposition.

This is an ominous development, the first step on the slippery slope to fascism.

I think this issue was once discussed in one of the threads here