The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
30 December 2011
editorial
The government has been employing excessive force to prevent students, political parties and activists from exercising their constitutional right of demonstrating lately for fear of jeopardizing peace.
President Jakaya Kikwete pleaded with Tanzanians to ignore Chadema’s countrywide mass protests against economic hardships facing ordinary citizens in his February monthly address.
We agree with the President that some of the factors leading to the hardships are beyond the ambit of his government.But it is also true that some unscrupulous traders are taking advantage of the external factors to make quick profits.
Fuel filling stations, for instance, often stop selling the precious commodity once Ewura’s new cap prices show reduction of prices, as they pretend to run out of stock.
Three vehicles in the President’s motorcade once stalled in Moshi after they were filled with an adulterated fuel.
This offense does not only hamper production by damaging vehicles, plants and machines; but also scare away landlocked countries from importing oil through the Dar es Salaam Port.
It is surprising, however, to note that state organs have been reluctant to apply similar force they use for curtailing political threats to curb the economic sabotage.
Kudos Ewura for taking stern measures against some of the culprits recently, but the law enforcers should support the regulator in curbing rampant adulteration and artificial shortage of petroleum products.
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