Tanzania will celebrate 61 years of independence on December 9, 2022. Despite the socioeconomic challenges that the country faced in its journey to economically liberate the people after political independence, several achievements in areas such as the provision of social services, infrastructure development (e.g. roads, ports, railways, etc.), advancement of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and many others have been recorded in these 61 years.
In the 60 years since Tanzania’s political liberation, several shocks have occurred, including a transition from a single political party state to a multiparty system in 1992, and pressure from Bretton Woods institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank in the early 1980s, which forced Tanzania to implement Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). Furthermore, the East African Community dissolution, the Tanzania-Uganda war, and certain shocks developed in the twenty-first century, such as those related with the 2008 global financial crisis, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the COVID-19 epidemic, and the like. All of these shocks had either positive or bad consequences for Tanzania in some way.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s 4Rs philosophy, which includes Reconciliation, Resiliency, Reforms, and Rebuilding, is a prerequisite and a necessary tool in addressing the contemporary issues affecting the country’s social, political, and economic systems after 60 years of independence.
Notably, Tanzania is one of the global and regional communities dedicated to executing Agenda 2030’s Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063’s objectives to improve people’s prosperity in social, cultural, political, and economic realms. As a result, with continual changes and developing issues at the national, regional, and global levels, the economic and governance systems used 60 years ago are unlikely to produce desired results in the contemporary setting.
For example, since the process of developing the new constitution halted in 2014, some members of the opposition, activists, and academics have called for the process to be restarted. Furthermore, there have been concerns raised concerning the difficulties that political parties face, particularly with regard to rallies. President Samia, on the other hand, has vowed to developing the multiparty system since taking the helm, and in March 2022, she received the preliminary report from the task force tasked with coordinating stakeholders’ perspectives on multiparty democracy in Tanzania. This is also demonstrated in her editorial published by Tanzania’s Daily News on June 31, 2022, in which she emphasized the 4Rs as her top goal in improving the country’s multiparty political system.
“My government is dedicated to and will always seek to bring about improvements in the political and economic institutions, as well as legal election reforms.” The goal is to ensure that we meet current demands. It is consequently critical for us to understand when to make changes that affect all parts of life, even if such changes face opposition from some quarters at the moment.” Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan made the observation.
As a result, her political will for Reconciliation, Resiliency, Reforms, and Rebuilding represents a golden opportunity that all Tanzanians must seize quickly if we are to rebuild better after a series of local and global challenges that have threatened our ability to fully transform the country and maximize its full potential in various sectors over the last six decades. The 4Rs enable varied groups in our society that hold opposing views on numerous religious, social, political, and economic problems in Tanzania to unite on causes of national interest and development at large rather than the specific interests of the organizations with whom they are aligned.
President Samia has recognized the need for adjustments and reforms in the political, social, and economic institutions, as seen by her recent decision to examine the police force and other state apparatus as a means of rebuilding the country. Furthermore, considering accusations of limited political space and uneven competition among political parties in most elections due to antiquated electoral laws, enacting legal electoral modifications is of critical importance toward reconciliation among diverse sectors of society. As a result, if these concerns are not addressed, they may cause cracks in our national unity. That being said, rebuilding the country entails addressing any gaps left by complaints among Tanzania’s many socioeconomic and political groupings. Furthermore, bridging the fractures means integrating society, which is critical in creating resilience in order for the country to resist both internal and foreign shocks that can influence socioeconomic advancement.
“For our country to progress beyond where it is presently, an underpinning framework is required, which is best exemplified by President Samia’s 4Rs.” “Reconciliation, resilience, reforms, and rebuilding are what will propel Tanzania to become an upper middle-income country in no time,” says Ms. Diana Chando, the African Union Youth Peace Ambassador for Eastern Africa.
Ms. Jessica Mshama, East African Community Youth Ambassador, on the other hand, has urged all stakeholders in Tanzania to support the President’s philosophy of transforming the country to accommodate all members of society without prejudice.
President Samia, on the other hand, has shown Tanzania the way forward with her 4Rs ideology. However, it is up to all segments of society to work together to reform the country’s economy for the benefit of present and future generations, so that everyone, regardless of political, religious, ethnic, or economic backgrounds, can reach their full potential.
This article appeared first on Inside The Nation
