Kikwete: Don’t let a few destroy the peace: Except on Silverdale Farm?

 

The below statements from President Kikwete are, vis-a-vis the Silverdale Farm issue utter hypocrisy.

This hypocrisy is made worse by his failure to condemn the corruption of Reginald and Benjamin Mengi in this case.

In 2012, Reginald Mengi was found by the London High Court to have been complicit in the corruption of his brother Benjamin which led to the theft and destruction of British investment in Tanzania. He was also found to have lied to and misled the court along with his witnesses.

The coup de gras was the fact that the court found that under the laws of Tanzania Reginald Mengi would probably  have met the threshold of having committed the crime of Criminal Libel should the authorities seek to prosecute him.

The court heard unchallenged evidence of the harassment, intimidation and criminality suffered by British investors Stewart Middleton and his wife Sarah Hermitage, in Benjamin Mengi’s campaign to drive the investors from the country. It also heard unchallenged evidence of threats to murder Stewart Middleton, of the unlawful imprisonment of him and his Tanzanian staff, the vicious machete attacks on his staff  threats to behead them and the complicity of the Tanzanian police and judiciary in this blatant criminality.

Kikwete’s only response to this has been to reward Reginald Mengi when he returned to Tanzania from the trial  with the Environmental Medal of the First Class for outstanding and exemplary service to the nation.

So Kikwete’s message to his nation is clear. He chirps caution to the  public against allowing the peace and harmony in the country to be destroyed by some malicious elements: But, it’s OK, if that peace and harmony is destroyed by Reginald and  Benjamin Mengi (and all those who support them) and sanctions by omission, the criminality, abuse of law and savagery connected to the Silverdale Farm issue.

We await Kikwete’s views to the contrary.

 

 

JK: Don't let a few destroy the peace

By Devota Mwachanga

President Jakaya Kikwete has cautioned the public against allowing the peace and harmony in the country to be destroyed by some malicious elements.

President Kikwete was speaking when closing a two-day symposium organised by Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) to discuss the state of peace in the country.

He said the state of peace in the country is not good although it has not reached to a point of no return.

He accused some politicians and religious leaders of contributing to breach of the peace by issuing statements that spur incitement.
“Some statements voiced by some politicians and religious leaders have resulted in chaos and killings of some people,” he said, adding that what is happening in the country is caused by such leaders.

Kikwete commended TCD for organising the symposium to discuss the state of peace in the country, saying it is important for people to speak out about their grievance and find solutions,”Some people tend to prefer fighting to peaceful mediation.”

On Tuesday, TCD Chairman James Mbatia urged religious leaders to avoid using religion as an instrument of destroying the peace.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN