Pope Francis, in New York, Takes On Extremism and Inequality

 

 Pope Francis in Central Park on Friday. Credit Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

By motorcade and popemobile and simple shoe leather, in a daylong tour up and down Manhattan that found pockets of joy and pain, wealth and want, Pope Francis on Friday called for social justice and peace in addresses to world leaders and workaday New Yorkers alike. He ended with a stirring homily that was both an ode to the city and a reminder to watch for glimpses of the presence of God among the poorest of the poor.

“In big cities, beneath the roar of traffic, beneath the rapid pace of change, so many faces pass by unnoticed because they have no ‘right’ to be there, no right to be part of the city,” Francis said in a Mass before 20,000 at Madison Square Garden. “They are the foreigners, the children who go without schooling, those deprived of medical insurance, the homeless, the forgotten elderly. These people stand at the edges of our great avenues, in our streets, in deafening anonymity.”

That theme, that “God is living in our cities,” provided an apt conclusion to a day spent navigating New York’s complicated fabric of rich and struggling. It was the pope’s first visit to the city, where the longtime hum of the machines of commerce and prosperity has brought the very excesses he has spent his papacy pushing against. It was impossible to ignore, behind the rows and rows of well-wishers who packed Central Park’s broad meadow, the soaring columns of skyscrapers with penthouses that are home to many of the world’s wealthiest people.

He spoke of that divide often during the day, from his first remarks before the United Nations General Assembly, where he called for respect for “those considered disposable because they are only considered as part of a statistic,” to his closing homily’s observation that “big cities also conceal the faces of all those people who don’t appear to belong, or are second-class citizens.”

Francis sought out some of those faces on a day of grand pageantry and small gestures that brought him before the relatives of the fallen at the footprints of the twin towers and, hours later, the upturned smiles of East Harlem schoolchildren not yet born the day those buildings were destroyed.

Perhaps the day’s greatest spectacle was his winding sweep through a swath of Central Park, a logistical feat that included screening tens of thousands of ticketholders, one bag at a time. The throngs roared their greetings to the “people’s pope,” using the name by which he is commonly known: “Viva Papa!”

 Pope Francis celebrated a Mass before 20,000 at Madison Square Garden. Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times

In spite of the tight ring of dark-suited security that surrounded the pope at all times, many were allowed a closer look. Among them: a New York police officer, Terrance McGhee, in a wheelchair at the World Trade Center site, whom Francis stooped to greet; dozens of children outside Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, who waved cellphones as Francis gave head-pats and high-fives; the day laborer at the Garden Mass, a medal under his shirt of St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes; the babies held out for a blessing in the Garden.

Just after 8 on the crisp early autumn morning, Francis left his papal apartment on the Upper East Side for his address to the General Assembly, the fifth by a pope and the first for him. He called for environmental responsibility and lamented the impact of decades of abuse on the world’s poor.

“They are cast off by society, forced to live off what is discarded and suffer unjustly from the consequences of abuse of the environment,” Francis said. “These phenomena are part of today’s widespread and quietly growing ‘culture of waste.’ ”

From there, the layers of political commentary that followed his remarks in Washington earlier in the week seemed to fall away, leaving the day one of pure emotion for Francis and those wishing to be near him.

It was also a respite from nagging thoughts that society’s ills will remain after he has left New York, the middle leg of a United States visit that began in the capital and ends on Sunday.

From the United Nations, the pope’s motorcade sped downtown to the World Trade Center site. Upon arriving, he walked into the September 11 Memorial and Museum, flanked by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and others, slowly making his way past the bottom of the memorial’s North Pool to the top of the South Pool.

Nuns looked on at Madison Square Garden. Credit Michael Appleton for The New York Times
 
There, he paused for a long moment of silent reflection, gazing down into the pool of cascading water, which, from the visitor’s vantage point, has no visible bottom. He looked at the names of the victims on the panel at his fingertips, one of many panels at the site that, together, bear thousands of names: Boyle, Woods, Nguyen, Lynch. The falling water brought the only sound. He and Cardinal Dolan each left a white rose on the panel.

Francis turned at that point, meeting a long line of relatives who shared memories of those who had died on Sept. 11. He listened, often clutching an outstretched hand, and once patting a little girl’s head. He entered the museum and its Foundation Hall, where a multifaith ceremony of striking breadth — representatives of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity — heard him eulogize those who died trying to rescue others.

“New York City firefighters walked into the crumbling towers, with no concern for their own well-being,” he said. “Many succumbed. Their sacrifice enabled great numbers to be saved.” He called the site “a place of saved lives, a hymn to the triumph of life over the prophets of destruction and death.”

Police officers lined the rooftops at Second Avenue and 112th Street in Harlem. Credit Karsten Moran for The New York Times

And he called for peace. “Peace in our homes, our families, our schools and communities. Peace in all those places where war never seems to end. Peace for those faces which have known nothing but pain.”

The pope walked through the museum, past the relics and totems that have become indelible images from that day 14 years ago, like the hulking section of the trade center’s foundation wall, the “slurry wall,” and the “last column,” an icon covered with pictures and truck and unit numbers from the city’s firehouses and police precincts.

The pope’s motorcade then left the memorial. Crowds gathered along his route uptown to his apartment; a woman, tears streaming down her face, hoisted a baby on her shoulders. All day, enormous crowds lined sidewalks behind metal barriers and tall fences, straining for a glimpse of the figure in white.

“I’m Jewish, and this is still the coolest moment of my life,” Julie Rodgers, 70, said.

The crowds swelled around Central Park during a break in the papal schedule. There was some jostling and name-calling among the hordes of ticketholders, but the police reported no major disturbances. Scores of people lined up along the sidewalks outside the park, filling block upon block. Some were eventually turned away, crying. Others fainted in the heat.

The afternoon’s first stop for Francis was Our Lady Queen of the Angels School on East 112th Street. The neighborhood was perhaps the day’s least polished backdrop, with its hair salons and “We Buy Gold” signs.

 (“I hope he brings some blessings to the block,” a local superintendent had said on Thursday.)

Inside a brightly colored classroom, he warmly greeted about two dozen children — “This is nice!” he said — and examined class projects — “This is a solar panel,” one boy explained — before evoking the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“His dream was that many children, many people could have equal opportunities,” Francis said. He joked to the students that he was giving them homework: “Please don’t forget to pray for me.”

Then he met a group of immigrants, who gave him gifts — a soccer ball, a hard hat, a tool belt.

From there, he went to Central Park, where the crowds were still waiting, stepping into his popemobile to cruise about 12 blocks at a walker’s pace, beneath English elms and pin oaks, toward Columbus Circle. The journey lasted only about 15 minutes, but it exposed the pope to his largest crowd of the day by far.

The Mass at the Garden was celebrated with the choreography of a concert befitting the hall before a rapt audience.

“A hope which liberates us from the forces pushing us to isolation and lack of concern for the lives of others, for the life of our city,” Francis said. “A hope which frees us from empty connections, from abstract analyses or sensationalistic routines. A hope which is unafraid of involvement, which acts as a leaven wherever we happen to live and work. A hope which makes us see, even in the midst of smog, the presence of God as he continues to walk the streets of our city.”

Reporting was contributed by Al Baker, Nicholas Casey, David W. Dunlap, Lisa W. Foderaro, Sandra E. Garcia, David Gonzalez, C. J. Hughes, Benjamin Mueller, Sharon Otterman, Kate Pastor, Noah Remnick, Liz Robbins, Rick Rojas, Marc Santora, Nate Schweber, Kirk Semple, Jeffrey E. Singer, John Surico and Rebecca White.

A cardinal, Pope Francis and President Obama share greetings Sept. 22, 2015. (Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)

Pope Francis arrives with House and Senate leadership and local clergy, on the balcony of the Speaker of the House after he delivered an address to a joint session of Congress. (Photo: Pool)

Pope Francis greets the public during a visit to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Thursday. (Photo: DAVID GOLDMAN, AFP/Getty Images)

Painters finish work on the "Welcome Pope Francis" mural in New York City on Aug. 31, 2015. (Photo: Susan Marie Patrick, Your Take)

Cardinal Timothy Dolan unveils the chair Pope Francis will use during Mass at Madison Square Garden during his visit to New York City. The chair was constructed in a Port Chester garage by immigrant day laborers and will be used by the pope Sept. 26. (Photo: Spencer Platt, Getty Images) 

GHARIKA LA MAGUFULI NDANI YA MJI WA KAHAMA 25/09/2015

 Wananchi wa Nyarugusu wakifuatilia hotuba ya mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt Magufuli.

 Wakifuatilia mkutano wa kampeni wa Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt Magufuli,uliofanyika wilayani Mbongwe jioni ya 25/09/2015.

 Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt John Pombe Magufuli akiwahutubia wananchi wa Wilaya ya Bukombe mapema 25/09/2015 mchana,alipokuwa akielekea mkoani Shinyanga kuendelea na kampeni zake za kuomba ridhaa kwa wananchi ya kuiongoza Tanzania katika kipindi cha awamu ya tano.

 Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt Magufuli akimnadi mgombea Ubunge wa jimbo la Bukombe Ndugu Dotto Biteko,kwa wananchi wa wilaya hiyo ya Bukombe waliojitokeza kwa wingi kwenye mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika jioni ya 26/09/2015 mkoani Geita.

 Baadhi ya wananchi wakifuatilia hotuba ya Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt Magufuli

 Wanafuatilia mkutano wa kampeni wa Dkt Magufuli.

 Baadhi ya Wachimbaji wadogo wadogo wakiwa wamemsimamisha Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt Magufuli katika kijiji cha Masumbwe,ili wamueleze kero zao kuhusiana na suala zima la uchimbaji madini kwa wachimbaji wadogo wadogo.

 Dkt Magufuli akiwasili kwenye mkutano wa hadhara wa kampeni mjini Kahama jioni ya 26/09/2015.

 Kiongozi wa msafara wa Kampeni za Mgombea Urais wa Jamhuri ya Mungano wa Tanzania,kupitia chama cha CCM,Ndugu Abdallah Bulembo akimkaribisha Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt John Pombe Magufuli kuwahutubia wananchi wa Kahama jioni ya 25/09/2015 kwenye uwanja wa CCM mkoani Shinyanga.

 Nyomi la wakazi wa mji wa Kahama jioni ya 25/09/2015 kwenye mkutano wa hadhara wa kampeni

 Mjumbe wa kamati ya ushindi ya kampeni za Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt John Pombe Magufuli,Mh.Samweli Sitta akiwahutubia wananchi wa mji wa Kahama jioni ya 25/09/2015 kwenye mkutano wa kampeni za Urais,uliofanyika kwenye viwanja vya CCM mjini humo na kuhudhuriwa na umati mkubwa wa watu,Mh.Sitta a.k.a Mzee wa viwango na kasi pia alimnadi Dkt Magufuli na kumwombea kura kwa wananchi hao za ushindi na hatimaye akaibuke mshindi kwa nafasi ya Rais na kupata ridhaa ya kuwaongoza Watanzania katika kipindi cha awamu ya tano.

 Maelfu ya Wakazi wa Mji wa Kahama na Vitongoji vyake wakimsikiliza Mgombea Urais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania kwa chama cha Mapinduzi CCM Dkt John Pombe Magufuli alipokuwa akimwaga sera zake na kujinadi kwa kuwaomba wampigie kura ya ndio asubuhi na mapema Oktoba 25 mwaka huu kwenye uchaguzi mkuu,ili aibuke mshindi na kupata ridhaa ya kuwaongoza Watanzania katika awamu ya tano.

Mgombea Urais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania kwa chama cha Mapinduzi CCM Dkt John Pombe Magufuli akiwahutubia maelfu ya Waananchi waliojitokeza kwenye mkutano wa hadhara wa kampeni,uliofanyika katika viwanja vya CCM mjini Kahama jioni ya .

Dkt.Magufuli leo amefanya mikutano yake ya kampeni katika wilaya za Mbogwe, Bukombe mkoani Geita na baadae halmashauri mpya ya Ushetu baadaye mkutano mkubwa wa kampeni uliofanyika mjini Kahama mkoani Shinyanga na kuhudhuriwa na umati wa watu uliorushwa moja kwa moja na kituo cha Televisheni cha Star TV .

Akizungumza katika mkutano huo wakati akiwaomba wananchi kujitokeza kwa wingi Oktoba 25 mwaka huu kumpigia kura za ndiyo,Dkt Magufuli amesema kuwa Serikali yake itashughulikia migogoro ya madereva na kuhakikisha wanapata mikataba kutoka kwa waajiri wao ili kuboresha maslahi yao.

Amesema Madereva ni watu muhimu katika sekta ya usafirishaji na wanafanya kazi ngumu,lakini maslahi yao hayatiliwi maanani,hivyo amesema kuwa atahakikisha yanaboreshwa ili na waone faida ya kazi yao,na iwe yenye kuthaminika ,hivyo serikali ya awamu ya tano itakayoongozwa na Dk. John Pombe Magufuli italifanyia kazi ipaswavyo.

 Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt John Pombe Magufuli akiwahutubia wananchi wa Wilaya ya Bukombe mapema leo mchana,alipokuwa akielekea mkoani Shinyanga kuendelea na kampeni zake za kuomba ridhaa kwa wananchi ya kuiongoza Tanzania katika kipindi cha awamu ya tano.

 Mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt Jonh Pombe Magufuli akiwanadi Mgombea Ubunge wa Kahama Ndugu Jumanne Kishimba pamoja na Mgombea Ubunge wa jimbo la Msalala Ndugu Ezekiel Maige mbele ya maelfu ya wakazi wa mji huo kwenye mkutano wa hadhara wa kampeni.

Wachimbaji wadogo wadogo waishieo eneo la Nyarugusu,Wilayani Geita wakimshangilia mgombea Urais wa CCM Dkt John Pombe Magufuli mapema 25/09/2015 jioni alipokuwa akielekea mkoani Shinyanga kuendelea na kampeni zake.

Mwili wa Kombani kuwasili Dar leo

Imeandikwa na Mwandishi Maalum - Habari Leo

MWILI wa aliyekuwa Waziri wa Nchi, Ofisi ya Rais, Menejimenti ya Utumishi wa Umma, Celina Kombani, unatarajiwa kuwasili jijini Dar es Salaam leo saa 9 alasiri kutoka nchini India, alikofariki wakati akipatiwa matibabu ya saratani.

Taarifa ya Ofisi ya Bunge iliyotumwa kwa vyombo vya habari jana, imeeleza kuwa mwili huo, utaletwa kwa ndege ya Shirika la Ndege la Emirates na kupokewa katika Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa Julius Nyerere.

Kwa mujibu wa taarifa hiyo, Kombani anatarajiwa kuzikwa mkoani Morogoro katika shamba lake. Mipango ya mazishi imekuwa ikiendelea kufanywa na Serikali kwa kushirikiana na Ofisi ya Bunge na familia ya marehemu.

Rais Kikwete Wakati maandalizi ya kupokea mwili huo yakiwa tayari, Rais Jakaya Kikwete aliyepo safarini Marekani, amemtumia salamu za rambirambi Waziri Mkuu, Mizengo Pinda, kutokana na kifo cha Waziri Kombani.

“Pokea rambirambi zangu za dhati, sote kwa pamoja tumepoteza mama mchapakazi, hodari na aliyependa kushirikiana na wenzake katika kazi zake, hakika tutamkumbuka siku zote,” amesema Rais Kikwete katika salamu hizo.

Rais pia amemtumia salamu za pole mume wa marehemu Kombani, Swaleh Ahmad Pongolani, watoto, ndugu na jamaa wa Kombani. “Nimepokea taarifa za kifo cha mama Kombani kwa huzuni kubwa, najua machungu na maumivu mliyonayo kwa kuondokewa na kiungo muhimu katika familia yenu, poleni sana, mama ni nguzo ya familia, niko nanyi katika msiba huu mzito kwenu,” alisema Rais Kikwete.

Rais Kikwete alisema pamoja na kwamba kifo hakiepukiki, bado ni kitu ambacho kinashitua, kuhuzunisha na kuleta unyonge mkubwa kwa wafiwa katika jamii. “Naungana nanyi katika kipindi hiki kigumu kumuombea Mama Kombani ili Mwenyezi Mungu ampe mapumziko mema ya milele… Mwenyezi Mungu awatie nguvu, awape uvumilivu na subira katika kipindi hiki.”

“Niko nanyi katika kipindi hiki kigumu kwa hali na mali, nawaomba msijisikie wapweke,” alisema Rais na kuwatakia utulivu na amani katika kipindi hiki cha msiba mkubwa kwa familia ya Kombani.

Salamu za UWT Katika hatua nyingine, Umoja wa Wanawake Tanzania (UWT), umetoa salamu za rambirambi kwa ndugu, jamaa na Watanzania wote kwa kumpoteza Kombani.

Kwa mujibu wa Katibu Mkuu wa UWT, Amina Makilagi, umoja huo umepokea taarifa za kifo cha Kombani kwa mshituko mkubwa na kwamba ameacha pengo kubwa kutokana uhodari wake katika utendaji kazi. 

Amina akizungumzia kifo hicho jana, alisema UWT imepata pigo kubwa kwa kumpoteza kiongozi shupavu na mwenye msimamo katika utendaji wa kazi za serikali.

“UWT imempoteza kiongozi shupavu. Wanaulanga wamempoteza mtu muhimu ambaye alikuwa kimbilio la matatizo ya alipokuwa mbunge wa jimbo lao katika miaka mitano iliyopita. “Kwa Watanzania wamempoteza Waziri mchapa kazi asiyeyumba na mchango wake katika kuleta maendeleo hautasahaulika,” alisema.

Katibu mkuu huyo aliwaomba ndugu, jamaa, marafiki na Watanzania wote kuwa wavumilivu katika kipindiki hiki cha kuomboleza msiba wa mpendwa wao na kumuombea apumzike kwa amani. Kombani pia alikuwa mgombea ubunge wa Jimbo la Ulanga Mashariki mkoani Morogoro kwa tiketi ya Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

Amekuwa mbunge wa jimbo hilo kwa kipindi cha miaka 10 iliyopita. Historia yake Kombani alizaliwa Juni 19, 1959. Alifariki juzi Septemba 24, 2015 nchini India, ambako alikuwa anapatiwa matibabu baada ya kugundulika kuwa na saratani. Ameacha mume, watoto watano na wajukuu wanne.

Alisoma katika Shule ya Msingi Kwiro wilayani Ulanga mwaka 1968-1975 na Shule ya Sekondari Kilakala 1975-1978. Baadaye alisoma katika Shule ya Sekondari ya Wasichana Tabora kwa masomo ya juu ya sekondari mwaka 1979-1981.

Baada ya masomo ya elimu ya sekondari, Kombani alijiunga na Chuo cha Maendeleo ya Uongozi Mzumbe (IDM Mzumbe) mwaka 1982-1985 na kati ya 1994-1995 alisomea Shahada ya Pili ya Uongozi katika Chuo hicho cha Mzumbe.

Kombani aliwahi kuwa Ofisa Utawala Mkuu wa Chuo Kikuu cha Kilimo Sokoine (SUA)mkoani Morogoro, Meneja Kiwanda cha Ngozi Morogoro, Ofisa wa Halmashauri ya Wilaya ya Kilosa mkoa wa Morogoro, Naibu Waziri Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu (Tamisemi), Waziri wa Nchi Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu (Tamisemi) mwaka 2008-2010 na Waziri wa Katiba na Sheria. Mungu ailaze roho ya Kombani mahala pema peponi.

Lowassa ataondoa umasikini nchi nzima kama jimboni ameshindwa kwa miaka 20?

 

 Mgombea Urais wa UKAWA 2015 Edward Lowassa alianza ziara ya kuingia mitaani Dar es salaam Aug 24 2015 ili kukutana na Wananchi.
 
Na Charles Charles

MGOMBEA wa kiti cha Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania kupitia Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema), Edward Lowassa aliwaahidi Watanzania kuwa atawatoa katika kile alichosema ni umasikini na kuwafanya matajiri.

Akihutubia mikutano ya kampeni zake katika maeneo ya Chanika, Mbagala na Kigamboni jijini Dar es Salaam hivi karibuni, Lowassa alisema Watanzania wamechoka kula mlo mmoja tu kwa siku badala ya mitatu.

"Mimi nauchukia sana umasikini. Nataka kila Mtanzania apate milo mitatu kwa siku", alisema Waziri Mkuu huyo wa zamani aliyejiuzulu Februari 8, 2008 kwa kashfa ya mkataba tata wa kampuni ya kufua umeme ya Richmond Development LLC na kuongeza:

"Nataka kila mwenye baiskeli anunue pikipiki. Nataka kila mwenye pikipiki anunue gari. Nataka kila mwenye gari awe na matatu au anunue basi".

Kwanza ni ukweli kwamba hakuna binadamu yeyote duniani anayependa awe masikini, lakini inawezekana kwa watawa kama ilivyokuwa kwa hayati Mama Theresa wa Culcutta nchini India.

Sista huyo Mtaliano wa Kanisa Katoliki ambaye alifariki dunia mwaka 2007, alikula yamini ya kuishi maisha ya kifukara ili awasaidie binadamu wenzake wanaoishi kwa taabu.

Yeye alifanya hivyo kwa matakwa yake mwenyewe, lakini hakuwahi kuwa masikini ila alijitesa kwa sababu tu za kidini.

Nampongeza Lowassa kwa kusema anachukia maisha ya kifukara. Inawezekana ikawa ni kweli hasa kwa vile tayari amethibitisha kwa vitendo kuichukia hali hiyo.

Anatuhumiwa kuwa na fedha zisizolingana hata kidogo na kipato chake cha kazi. Anatuhumiwa kuwa mmoja kati ya Watanzania mafisadi, tuhuma ambazo zilitangazwa zaidi na viongozi wa Chadema yake ileile kuanzia Septemba 15, 2007.

Anatuhumiwa kutumia kila nafasi ya madaraka ya umma anayopata kujitafutia shilingi, yule ambaye Baba wa Taifa, hayati Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere ndiye aliyekuwa Mtanzania wa kwanza 'kumnyoshea kidole' kuwa ni fisadi.

Pamoja na utajiri wake wote anaodaiwa kuutumia pia ili 'kununua' ugombea wa urais, Lowassa bado anatajwa kuficha ukweli wa mali ama vyanzo vyake vya mapato kwa kutotaja vyote.

Tayari nimeshasema kuwa sipendi pia umasikini kwa watu, lakini ninachotaka ni utajiri ambao kila mmoja ataupata kwa njia zote halali.

Sipendi utajiri utokanao na ubadhirifu wa mali ya umma, wizi wa aina yoyote, ulanguzi wa namna zote, ukwepaji wa kodi, ufisadi ama upatikanao kwa namna yoyote ile haramu.

Pamoja na kuchukia kwangu umasikini, lakini sikubaliani na uongo wa Lowassa kwamba eti anakerwa na hali hiyo kwa watu anaokuwa kiongozi wao na hasa waliompa kura zao.

Nimekuwa najionea maisha ya kifukara waliyonayo wananchi wa Monduli, jimbo ambalo kwa miaka 20 hadi mwaka huu limekuwa likiongozwa na mbunge anayeitwa Edward Lowassa.

Huyo ndiye anadanganya Watanzania eti kwamba akichaguliwa kuwa rais wao, wote watakuwa ni matajiri wa uhakika!

Alikuwa Mbunge wa Monduli tangu mwaka 1995 hadi 2015, lakini wananchi wa jimbo hilo ni mfano mzuri wa Watanzania masikini na malofa wa kutupwa.

Mtu anayebisha kuhusu ukweli huu aende katika vijiji vilivyopo huko ili akajionee mwenyewe.

Moja kati ya vielelezo halisi kuwa Watanzania wa Monduli ni masikini sana ni nyumba wanazoishi.

Licha ya Lowassa kudai eti akichaguliwa kuwa rais ataondoa nyumba zote za nyasi nchi nzima ndani ya siku 100, ukweli halisi ni kwamba ziko kwa wingi huko Monduli ambako amekuwa ni mbunge kwa siku 7,210!

Mbali na matembe na nyumba za nyasi, ufukara mwingine uliokithiri katika jimbo hilo unabainishwa na makundi ya vijana na watoto wanaoshinda kutwa nzima barabarani.

Hao kazi yao ni 'kujiuza' ili wapigwe picha na watalii, kisha wanalipwa kati ya shilingi 1,000 hadi 2,000 tu huku wakiwa wamejipaka masizi usoni kwao, kujifunga lubega au hata kuchomeka manyoya ya ndege vichwani.

Wanashinda wamejipanga kandokando mwa barabara. Wanashinda wakifuatilia watalii wa kizungu ili mradi wapigwe picha, lakini hivi leo anadai eti hapendi umasikini kwa wapiga kura wake!

Anataka kila Mtanzania apate milo mitatu, lakini wananchi wa Monduli hushindia mlo mmoja au pengine, wachache kati yao wanakunywa maziwa asubuhi na kushinda bila ya kula.

Kwa nini ameshindwa kuifanya kila familia ya jimbo hilo kuwa na nyumba za bati, matofali ya saruji au pengine ya kuchoma kwa miaka 20 aliyokuwa mbunge huko?

Hivi anawezaje kumaliza nyumba za nyasi nchi nzima kwa siku 100 na kushindwa huko Monduli kwa miaka hiyo yote?

Hivi anawezaje kumfanya kila Mtanzania anayemiliki baiskeli sasa anunue pia na pikipiki? Mbona wapiga kura wa Monduli karibu wote hawana kabisa hata hizo baiskeli tu?

Hivi anawezaje kumfanya kila Mtanzania anayemiliki usafiri wa pikipiki anunue gari?

Kama hata Japan ambayo ina viwanda lukuki vya pikipiki, magari na vifaa vingine vya elektroniki lakini imeshindwa kumfanya kila raia wake awe na bodaboda, gari angalau tu la mtumba au nyumba ya uhakika, yeye atawezaje kama siyo uongo ama utapeli wa kisiasa?

Sitaki kunyamaza kama Watanzania wanadanganywa waziwazi, lakini inakera zaidi kuona anayefanya hivyo ni mgombea wa urais aliyekuwa mbunge huku jimboni kwake kukinuka umasikini!

Siwezi kuvumilia uongo wa makusudi wa Lowassa aliyewahi kuwa Waziri Mkuu, lakini wakati wote alipokuwa na cheo hicho hata jimboni kwake alishindwa kuifanya kila familia iwe inakunywa angalau tu chai ya rangi.

Mbali na ahadi hizo za uongo, Lowassa ambaye sasa hata kuzungumza kwake inakuwa shida anachekesha pia hata kwa watu waliokosa upeo!

Mfano anaposema eti kila anayemiliki baiskeli atanunua pikipiki, kila mwenye pikipiki atanunua gari na kila mwenye gari anunue nyingine na kuwa na tatu au atanunua basi, hivi ni wapi duniani ambako watu wote wana uwezo huo wa maisha?

Kama kila mmoja atakuwa na pikipiki, magari au basi hapo nani atapanda la mwingine?

Nani atasafiria basi lake binafsi kwa mfano kutoka Morogoro, Tanga au Arusha kuelekea Mwanza, Mbeya ama Dar es Salaam akiwa ni yeye peke yake au na mkewe peke yao?

Kama kila mmoja atakuwa na bajaji yake, pikipiki, gari ama basi lake hapo nani atapanda la mwenzake?
Mwisho kabisa ni je, kama Lowassa eti anadai kuwa ataondoa umasikini nchi nzima, mbona umemshinda kule Monduli alikokuwa mbunge wa jimbo hilo kwa miaka 20?

Mwandishi wa makala hii anapatikana kwa Simu Na. 0659 220 220 na 0762 633 244

Marekani wampongeza Kikwete

Rais Jakaya Kikwete.

Imeandikwa na Mwandishi Maalum, Washingtong

VIONGOZI wa Marekani wamemmwagia sifa Rais Jakaya Kikwete kwa ujenzi na ulezi wa demokrasia, heshima kwa haki za binadamu na zaidi ya yote uheshimu wa Katiba, ambao unamwezesha kuondoka madarakani kwa mujibu wa Katiba na kukabidhi madaraka kwa Rais ajaye kwa hiari na kwa amani.

Sifa hizo zilitolewa juzi wakati wa ziara ya siku mbili ya Rais Kikwete, alipofanya mikutano mbalimbali na viongozi wa Serikali ya nchi hiyo na taasisi kubwa na muhimu zisizokuwa za Kiserikali katika mji huu mkuu wa Marekani.

Naibu Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Marekani, Anthony J. Blinken alimpongeza Rais Kikwete kuwa uamuzi wake wa kuheshimu Katiba ya Tanzania kwa kukabidhi madaraka ya uongozi wa nchi baada ya kumaliza vipindi viwili vya uongozi wake Alimwambia kuwa kwa uamuzi huo anatuma ujumbe mzito, dhahiri na unaosikika sana katika Bara zima la Afrika na Kanda ambako Tanzania ipo.

“Mafanikio yako ya uongozi yamekuwa ya kifani kabisa, hayana mfano katika Afrika ya leo. 

Umeacha historia kubwa na ya kudumu (legacy) ya kuheshimu demokrasia na Katiba ya nchi yako huku umeacha na kutuma ujumbe wa wazi kabisa kwa Bara zima la Afrika na katika ukanda ambako nchi yako ya Tanzania ipo,” alisema.

Kabla ya kuteuliwa kuwa Naibu Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Marekani mwishoni mwa mwaka jana, Blinken alikuwa Msaidizi wa Rais Barack Obama na Msaidizi Mkuu wa Baraza la Ushauri wa Usalama la Marekani.

Pia amepata kuwa Msaidizi wa Ushauri wa Usalama wa Makamu wa Rais wa Marekani na pia amepata kuwa mjumbe kwenye Baraza la Ushauri wa Taifa la Rais Bill Clinton. Rais wa Taasisi ya National Democratic Institute (NDI) ya chama cha Democratic, Ken Wallack, alimueleza Rais Kikwete kuwa kwa kuangalia yanayotokea duniani, anampongeza kwa msimamo wa kuheshimu katiba ya nchi.

“Unajiunga na kundi la viongozi wa kuheshimiwa sana katika Bara la Afrika ambao hawakuamini kuwa wao tu ndio wenye uwezo wa kuongoza,” alisema Wallack. Aidha, Rais wa Taasisi ya International Republican Institute (IRI) ya chama cha Republican, Balozi Mark Green, alimwambia Rais kuwa ameacha mfano kwao wa kupigania na kulea demokrasia duniani na hasa barani Afrika.

Balozi Green amepata kuwa Balozi wa Marekani nchini Tanzania wakati wa kipindi cha uongozi wa Rais Kikwete na alichangia kwa kiasi kikubwa jitihada za Serikali ya Rais Kikwete katika maendeleo. Aliyekuwa Waziri Mdogo wa Mambo ya Nje Marekani aliyeshughulikia masuala ya Afrika, Johnnie Carson alisema Rais Kikwete ana kiwango kikubwa cha heshima nchini Marekani kwa jinsi alivyoongoza nchi na Serikali kwa miaka 10 iliyopita.

“Chini ya uongozi wako, Tanzania imeendelea kuonesha mfano usiokuwa na kifani katika ujenzi wa demokrasia na umeheshimu sana Katiba ya nchi yako. Sisi katika Marekani, tunakupongeza sana,” alisema Balozi Carson.

Balozi Carson ambaye sasa ni Rais wa Taasisi ya Amani katika Marekani ya United States Institute of Peace alisema Tanzania chini ya uongozi wa Rais Kikwete imeendelea kuwa rafiki mkubwa zaidi wa Marekani katika Afrika.

Akizungumza baada ya kutolewa sifa hizo, Rais Kikwete aliwaambia viongozi wa taasisi hizo maarufu duniani kuwa anawaheshimu wale ambao wanataka kuendelea na madaraka ya kuongoza nchi zao, kazi ya urais ni ngumu na mzigo mkubwa, ukiifanya miaka 10 inatosha.

“Isitoshe katika Tanzania tuna jadi sasa ya kuheshimu Katiba, unachaguliwa kwa miaka mitano na ukichaguliwa tena unaongeza mingine mitano. Baada ya hapo unawapisha watu wengine. Isitoshe ni jambo zuri kupata kiongozi mpya baada ya muda ambaye atakuja na mawazo mapya na aina mpya ya uongozi,” alisema Rais Kikwete.

MAMA SAMIA ACHANJA MBUGA KUPIGA KAMPENI HANDENI, KILINDI, KITETO NA NCHEMBA

 

 Wananchi wakimshangilia Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan, alipohutubia mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Handeni mkoa wa Tanga.

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akimnadi Mgombea Ubunge jimbo la Handeni katika mkutano wa hadhara uliofanyika Handeni mkoani Tanga.

 

 Wagombea Udiwani katika kata mbalimbali jimbo la Handeni, wakinyoosha mikono, waliponadiwa na Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo hilo la Handeni mkoani Tanga. Kulia ni Mjumbe wa Kamati ya Kampeni za CCM, Angella Kizigha.

 Mwandishi wa habari aliyeko katika msafara wa Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan, wa kampeni za CCM, wakati wa mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo jimbo la Handeni mkoa wa Tanga.

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akionyesha ilani ya CCM, kabla ya kumkabidhi Mgombea Ubunge jimbo la Handeni Vijijini, katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Handeni Mjini mkoani Tanga.

 Aliyekuwa Muomba ridhaa ya CCM, kugombea Ubunge jimbo la Handeni Vijijini, John Sallu, akimnadi Mgombea aliyepitishwa na CCM katika kura za Maoni, Mboni Mhita, katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Handeni Mjini mkoani Tanga.

 Mgombea Ubunge jimbo la Handeni Vijijini, Mboni Mhita akihutubia mkutano wa kampeni katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Handeni Mjini mkoani Tanga

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akizungumza na Mgombea Ubunge jimbo la Handeni Vijijini, Mboni Mhita, katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo, katika jimbo la Handeni Mjini mkoani Tanga

 Wananchi wakiwa wamezuia msafara wa Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan alipopita katika kijiji cha Msente, akiwa njiani kwenda kuhutubia mkutano wa kampeni katika jimbo la Kilindi mkoani Tanga.

 Wananchi wakiwa wamezuia msafara wa Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan alipopita katika kijiji cha Kwediboma, akiwa njiani kwenda kuhutubia mkutano wa kampeni katika jimbo la Kilindi mkoani Tanga.

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akizungumza na Mgombea Ubunge jimbo la Kilindi, Omar Kigua, wakati wa mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo hilo mkoani Tanga.

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akihutubia mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Kilindi mkoa wa Tanga.

 Umati wa wananchi ukiwa umefurika katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika Kibirashi leo katika jimbo la Kilindi mkoa wa Tanga

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akizmnadi Mgombea Ubunge jimbo la Kilindi mkoani Tanga, Omari Kigua katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika katika jimbo hilo

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akizungumza na wananchi waliozuia msafara wake wakati akitoka Kilindi kwenda Kiteto kuhutubia mkutano wa kampeni.

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akizungumza na wananchi waliozuia msafara wake wakati akitoka Kilindi kwenda Kiteto kuhutubia mkutano wa kampeni.

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akiwasili kwenye Ofisi ya CCM wilaya ya Kiteto kabla ya kwenda Uwanjani kuhutubia mkutano wa kampeni katika jimbo la Kiteto

 Wananchi wakiwa wamefurika katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo Kiteto

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akiwasili kuhutubia mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika jimbo la Kiteto mkoani Manyara

 Wananchi wakimshangilia mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Kiteto mkoani Manyara.

 Vijana wakijitahidi kukaa popote kuhakikisha wanamuona Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi Mama Samia, uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Kiteto mkoani Manyara

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akihutubia mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Kiteto mkoani Manyara

 Mgombea Mwenza a Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan, akimnadi mgombea Ubunge jimbo la Kiteto mkoani Manyara, Emmanuel Papian John, katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika katika jimbo hilo

 Wagombea wa Udiwani katika jimbo la Kiteto wakinyoosha mikono baada ya kunadiwa na Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika

 Wananchi wakimshangilia Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Kiteto mkoani Manyara

 Mbunge wa Nchemba, Juma Nkamia akihutubia mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo hilo mkoani Dodoma

 Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan akihutubia mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo katika jimbo la Nchemba mkoani Dodoma

Baadhi ya wagombea Udiwani jimbo la Nchemba, wakinyoosha mikono, baada ya kunadiwa na Mgombea Mwenza wa Urais kwa tiketi ya CCM, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan katika mkutano wa kampeni uliofanyika leo, katika jimbo hilo mkoa wa Dodoma. (PICHA ZOTE NA BASHIR NKOROMO)