Jessica Watson, Kudos! And just 17

Single-handedly, she battled her way all the way around the globe until, literally, she tied a belt on its girth. When I read the news of her sailing back into her home port where the adventure began, I was overwhelmed. Got to think, what inspired her? It then occurred to me how possible a person may change from a plain and simple person to outstanding icon in a space of a few months. We've heard of childhood stardom in sports, music and movies. These are mostly regarded as inborn talents one is stirred to by being egged on by those surrounding one, such as parents.
Wikipedia have already updated Ms Watson entry, of course. There I learned that there were many individuals and associations who were criticizing the feat. Humbug! Some say she's under 18 so she shouldn't have made the daring sailing in the first place. Well, she did, and at a few places battled rough seas, but managed to pull through to the pink-carpet treatment back home. 17 is young? If numbers were a measure of performance, then a thousand-limb milliped would be the fastest organism on land.
I'm eagerly waiting for her book to come out so that I can buy it for myself and some young girls for inspiration.

Tanzania President speaks to "Dar-es-Salaam old men"

As date set for strike by TUCTA edged closer, an intervention came from, no less, the President of the United Republic.
The Swahili version from Tanzania Daima runs below, a speech that raised different feelings in different persons, a speech whose live audience was mostly retirees to whom whatever workers were fighting for was meaningless to them. Cheer they did, throughout the speech.


Kikwete azikataa kura za TUCTA
• Asema wasipompa, wengine watampigia

na Ratifa Baranyikwa na Betty Kangonga

HATIMAYE Rais Jakaya Kikwete amewatisha wafanyakazi ambao wamepanga kushiriki kwenye mgomo ulioitishwa na Shirikisho la Vyama vya Wafanyakazi nchini (TUCTA) uliopangwa kuanza kesho kuwa watakumbana na mkono wa sheria endapo watathubutu kutekeleza azma yao hiyo.
Rais Kikwete alitoa kauli hiyo jana jioni jijini Dar es Salaam, wakati akizungumza na wazee wa mkoa huo kwenye ukumbi wa Diamond Jubilee ambapo alisema kuwa mgomo unaoshinikizwa washiriki ni batili na kinyume cha sheria kwa kuwa umeitishwa katikati ya mazungumzo.
“Mie ndiye muajiri mkuu nisikilizeni mimi, msimsikilize Mgaya (Kaimu Katibu Mkuu TUCTA) mtafukuzwa kazi wala Mgaya hamtamuona! Mtapoteza haki zenu…akili ni nywele kila mtu ana zake mtu mzima dawa,” alisema Kikwete ambaye alikuwa akishangiliwa na wazee hao.
Akiwa ameongozana na Makamu wa Rais, Dk, Ali Mohamed Shein, Waziri wa Kazi na Maendeleo ya Vijana, Profesa Juma Kapuya, Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Dar es Salaam, William Lukuvi na viongozi wengine wa chama na serikali, Rais Kikwete alianza kwa kusema kuwa ana mambo mawili ya kuzungumza na wazee hao, na akatamka moja kati ya hayo kuwa ni tishio la mgomo wa TUCTA.
Wengine waliohudhuria mkutano huo wa Kikwete ni Mkuu wa Majeshi ya Ulinzi na Usalama, Jenerali Davis Mwamunyange, Mkuu wa Jeshi la Polisi (IGP), Said Mwema na viongozi wengine wa serikali na Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
Rais Kikwete alisema kuwa hakupenda kulizungumzaia suala hilo kwa sababu alikwishalitolea ufafanuzi mwezi Machi mwaka huu lakini amelazimika kulizungumzia baada ya kuwasilikiliza viongozi wa TUCTA wakiwashawishi wafanyakazi kugoma katika maadhimisho ya sherehe za wafanyakazi za Mei mosi za mwaka huu.
“Nimesikia wakiwashawishi kugoma wakitutuhumu sisi kuwa ni serikali isiyoambilika, huo ni uongo na hawa viongozi wa TUCTA ni waongo, wanafiki…nilieleza katika hotuba yangu ya mwezi Machi jinsi serikali ilivyochukua hatua kuboresha maslahi ya wafanyakazi, na dhamira ya kuendelea kuwajali.
“Nikasema hata katika bajeti ijayo tumejiandaa kuongeza kima cha chini toka sh 60, 000 hadi kufikia 105,000…nikaeleza mambo mazuri toka katika sekta binafsi na umma lakini yote haya wenzetu hawayaoni hata walidiriki kusema kuwa Kikwete kaongeza shilingi 4,000 tu, ama kweli akutukanae hakuchagulii ...” alisema Kikwete kisha wazee hao waliokuwa wakishangilia muda wote aliokuwa akitoa vijembe wakamalizia msemo huo maarufu kwa kibwagizo cha … ‘tusiiiiii’.
“Sasa hata hatujazungumza wameanza kutangaza mgomo, sasa afadhali tuzungumze kwanza maana mgomo una kasheshe zake, mkigoma hamtaachwa, askari watawapiga virungu na hata wengine kuweza kupoteza maisha, mimi naweza kuwa rahim (mwenye huruma) lakini polisi mkiwafanyia fujo watawatwanga na hata mkigoma baadaye mtarudi kwenye mazungumzo mkiwa na plasta midomoni,” alisema Kikwete na kushangiliwa na wazee hao waliokuwa wakitoa maneno kuwa wamechoka (wafanyakazi) waende wakalime mpunga.
Akifafanua kuhusu mishahara ya umma, Kikwete alisema kuwa, Aprili 6 mwaka huu, viongozi wa wafanyakazi walikutana kwenye tume, na April 27 mazungumzo yakaanza kujadili kima cha chini na kwamba mapendekezo yao yalikuwa ni sh 315,000/- lakini serikali ikasema haina uwezo huo hali iliyosababisha wao kuteremka mara tatu zaidi.
Alisema alishangazwa na viongozi wa TUCTA kushindwa kuwaelezea wafanyakazi ukweli juu ya mazungumzo yalipofikia hadi kusababisha wao kushusha dai la kutaka kiwango walichokipendekeza awali cha sh 315,000.
Kikwete alisema kuwa viongozi hao walipokutana na tume hiyo tena Aprili 30, wakakubaliana wakutane tena Mei 8 (Jumamosi wiki hii).
“Sasa juzi nasikia wakisema kwamba, hakuna kinachoendelea na kwamba mgomo uko pale pale ... hawa viongozi ni wanafiki wa hali ya juu, waongo wana hiyana ….wanachonganisha serikali na watu na wanafanya makusudi kama fitina ni nini? ama kweli ukubwa ni jalala kwangu mimi watu ninaowaongoza ni kama hawa,” alisema Kikwete na kushangiliwa kwa nguvu.
Alisema wao (Viongozi wa TUCTA) kama si waongo wakiseme hicho kiwango walichokipunguza toka sh 315,000 la sivyo yeye atakuwa tayari kukisema kiwango hicho kwa sababu yeye hana sababu ya kuwasingizia.
“Tunayo kila sababu ya kuhoji dhamira zao; Wana nia njema kweli hawa? Wana hili hili la wafanyakazi au wanalo lingine?” alihoji Kikwete.
Alisema wafanyakazi watakaogoma watakuwa wamekiuka taratibu na kanuni za ajira na pia watachukuliwa hatua za kisheria.
Akifafanua sababu za kushindwa kuwalipa wafanyakazi wa umma kima cha chini cha sh 315,000 Kikwete alisema kuwa, haina uwezo huo kwa sababu serikali ina wafanyakazi zaidi ya 300,000 na kwamba zinahitajika zaidi ya trilioni sita kwa ajili ya mishahara tu.
Kikwete alisema kuwa kiwango hicho kinazidi mapato ya serikali ambayo kwa mwaka ni zaidi ya shilingi trilioni tano na kwamba wao kama serikali wakikubali kuwalipa watahitaji trilioni sita huku mapato yakiwa ni trilioni tano.
“Sio kama tuna mtimanyongo au roho ya chuki hapana! Na wao waliliona hilo kwenye mkutano na ndio maana wakateremka…leo wanawavuruga wafanyakazi, wanasema eti kima cha chini sh 315,000 wanasahau kama walipunguza….. labda ukikubali kuwalipa ukakope, lakini hata hao utakaokwenda kuwakopa watakushangaa kwa sababu wanajua hutaweza kuwalipa na atasema hawa jamaa hawana akili nzuri,” alisema.
“Lakini hata kama ningekuwa nataka kumfurahisha Mgaya na watu wake…maana walishasema uchaguzi unakuja kula yao kwa anayejali maslahi yao hata kama nataka hizi kura nikiwaambia nitawalipa kiwango hicho nitakuwa nawadanganya.
“Kama hawataki wasinipigie kura…nitazipata kwa wengine ambao wanataka kudhulumiwa na hawa wafanyakazi…kwa sababu fedha za serikali ni kwa ajili ya Watanzania wote milioni 39 sasa hizi trilioni sita zinahitajika kwenda kununua madawa, ruzuku ya mbolea, maji, shule, umeme, barabara kwa faida ya kila mmoja sasa kwanini ziende kwa wafanyakazi? Hii si haki ni madai yasiyo na msingi wa haki,” alisema Kikwete na kuwafanya wazee wamshangilie huku wakiimba, “Kikwete sema…..sema usiogope semaaa…..Kikwete sema …..”
Akili ya kuambiwa na Mgaya changanyini na yenu, mfanane na mbayuwayu vinginevyo mtapoteza kila kitu si halali mkiwafuata mtakula hasara kwa kuwa hatutakuwa tayari kuwasamehe.
Alisisitiza kuwa wafanyakazi hata wakigoma kwa miaka nane fedha hazitaongezeka na kwamba kama kuna mfanyakazi anaona anadhulumiwa aache kazi ili kupisha wengine walioko nje wanaohitaji kazi.
Akimaliza hotuba yake, Kikwete alisema kuwa wao kama serikali wanawajali, wanawapenda wafanyakazi kwani bila wao shughuli serikalini haziendi na kwamba ahadi yake iko palepale kwamba wataendelea kuongeza mishahara kadiri ya uwezo wa serikali.
Awali Kikwete alimshutumu Mgaya kuwa alimwandikia barua Waziri Kapuya akimtaka asitangaze viwango walivyokubaliana vya mishahara ya kima cha chini ilihali wao ndio waliofanya mazungumzo na kutia saini.
Alisema mara baada ya waziri kutangaza, kesho yake wakaanza kusema mishahara aliyotangaza Kapuya ni danganya toto wakati wakijua kuwa viwango vilivyotangazwa vinatokana na vikao ambavyo wao (Tucta) walishiriki.
Naye Kaimu Naibu Mkuu wa Tucta akijibu hotuba hiyo ya Kikwete alisema, kitendo cha rais kumsema mbele ya hadhara kimemuongezea umaarufu mkubwa kwenye jamii.
Alisema, Rais Kikwete, alipaswa kutambua kuwa yeye ni kiongozi wa nchi ambaye hatakiwi kutoa maneno kama kiongozi dikteta.
“Huyu alichoambiwa na Waziri wa Kazi, Ajira na Maendeleo ya Vijana, Profesa Juma Kapuya ni uongo mtupu… tunasema kesho (leo) tunajiandaa kutoa tamkoa zito juu yake,” alisema Mgaya.
Alisema ni wazi, Rais Kikwete ameingilia uhuru wa mahakama kwa sababu suala hilo liko mahakamani, hakutakiwa kugeuka kuwa hakimu.
http://www.freemedia.co.tz/daima/habari.php?id=15377

Mayday 2010: Historical event for Tanzania

Read my Blog. The 1st May 2010 will go down the annals of Tanzanian trade unions struggles as the bold show of strength, a daring wave of one people who have a claim to make, a message to send.
The official demonstration organized by the federation of trade unions, TUCTA, comprising a number of independent trade unions, took place at Uhuru Stadium, where such event has been taking place most of times the Mayday celebrations are held in Dar-es-Salaam.
Departing from tradition, though, was fact that the Guest of Honour was the President of TUCTA where in other situation it would be some government figure, likely the President of the United Republic.
There has been a long claim by trade unions, endorsed by their federation, that (i) minimum wage is way too low to support any employee for a month, (ii) PAYE tax on workers was way too high for this meagre salary (iii) uneven pension schemes for different groups of workers was discriminatory, that the government should attend to these issues. TUCTA had given government time to react to these valid claims, short of which an indefinite nationwide strike would ensue. The deadline is looming, and it is quite likely that the strike will take place as scheduled on 5 May. The president, in his recent monthly speech, had called for TUCTA and government to resolve the matter by talks, but as of May 1st, there had not been any joint communique about the agreement reached.
In what appears to be divide and rule, a slice of workers (including two of leading banks) had their own mayday celebration at another venue, Mnazi Mmoja grounds, officiated by the Dar-es-Salaam Regional Commissioner.
It seems these group 2 have things going well, hence bringing into the open the gradient of benefits between private and public sector. It is, however, noteworthy, the private sector came in their multitudes in support of popular TUCTA-led demonstations. This is solidarity.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are those of the author and not for any party or group of persons.