ARE TANZANIANS FIGHTING FOR WORLD BANK LOAN?

By Our Correspondent, Dodoma TANZANIA

Drama ensued in Tanzania parliament yesterday as Speaker of the house, Job Ndugai, criticised Kigoma Urban Member of Parliament, Zitto Kabwe, for engineering the World Bank’s suspension of $500 Million (Sh1.15 trillion) education development loan to the country.

The World Bank postponed its decision on granting Tanzania the loan, following pressure from activists who oppose the country's policy of banning pregnant girls and young mothers from attending state school.

Last week, Tanzanian civil society groups and Zitto separately sent letters, to the executive board urging them to stop the loan until the country passes a law that guarantees the rights of pregnant girls to attend regular secondary schools and ends mandatory pregnancy tests.

Ndugai said in Dodoma that the lawmaker’s petitioning of the World Bank against releasing the money to Tanzania was an act of betrayal and asked the Attorney General, Adelardus Kilangi, to establish if the actions warranted a criminal investigation.

“There are criminal elements in this matter. The Attorney General can proceed with it. As members of parliament, we will continue expressing our dissatisfaction." He said.

Zitto wrote to the World Bank, arguing that the government has not demonstrated publicly any good intent on the use of the colossal sum of $500 Million on advancing the interests of girls and women in Tanzania.

The Speaker said this while concluding a motion made in the house by Siha Member Parliament, Godwin Mollel.

Mollel tabled a private motion in Parliament, urging fellow members to support him in deciding on the action to be taken against Zitto who is the leader of opposition party (Alliance for Change and Transparency) for prompting the World Bank to stop releasing the money saying Tanzania didn’t deserve the money.

The Speaker said that Zitto’s act was a betrayal because the money would help address many challenges in the education sector.

“The act of writing the letter is a policy difference, but preventing the World Bank from releasing the loan is going too far,” Ndugai said.

Contributing to motion, member for Chemba, Juma Mkamia, argued by citing the Americans, who are striving to remove their President, who, they believe, has been betraying the nation.

“There is a need for Parliament to deal with people like Zitto,” Mr Nkamia said.

In his quick rejoinder, through Twitter account, Zitto, who is currently in England, said there was no difference in policy when it comes to school girls’ education.

“There is no policy difference in terms of girls getting pregnant to continue with their education. The CCM manifesto promised the people in 2015, opposition parties promised it and 2/3 citizens supported it,” he wrote.

Tanzania has banned pregnant girls from attending state primary and secondary schools and president John Magufuli affirmed his commitment to this policy, saying schoolgirls who become pregnant must be expelled and not allowed to return.

Opposition parties, human rights activists and other related practitioners have engaged in a hotted debate with pro government citizens on social media.

The opposing side launched an online signature campaing at:

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/let_girls_stay_in_school_31/?cmUhNib
urging the World Bank to deny Tanzania the loan.