The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
17 November 2009
President Jakaya Kikwete has given a hint of the composition of his government if he wins a second term in next year's General Election.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, shortly before he left for Rome, President Kikwete told a group of visiting youths that he would see to it that the country's leadership was dominated by the youth.
His remarks came in the wake of media reports that the Head of State was not satisfied with the performance of some members of his Cabinet. Leaked reports from last week's cabinet meeting said the President told his lieutenants point-blank that he was not happy with their performance.
And on Sunday, he told a group of youths at a Dar es Salaam hotel, where they were holding a meeting, that he banked on the youth as the engine for Tanzania's development.
He added that no tangible development could be achieved if the country did not invest in the youth. President Kikwete made the remarks when addressing youths from various African countries, who were participating in the African Leadership Initiative.
He told them that he fully supported the initiative launched by the retired South African Bishop of the Anglican Church, Desmond Tutu. The old guard should pave the way for the youth as time went by, the Head of State said.
"If I get elected for the second term in the next General Election, I'll make sure that I change the country's leadership and make it youth-oriented. "Leaders of my age should start leaving their posts in favour of the youth. We need more young district commissioners and more young ministers. That's what happened to us when we were young," he noted.
"The youth are the main pillar of the country, and we need to invest in our young generation." President Kikwete, who clocked 59 on October 7, will be seeking his second and final term in next year's elections when he will be 60. He was 55 when first elected four years ago.
President Kikwete's new line of thinking is in stark contrast to his stance when he appointed his first cabinet after registering a landslide victory in the 2005 presidential election. Responding to criticism of his decision to include in the Cabinet politicians such as Mr Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru, who has been in politics since the early days of independent, Mr Kikwete said the Government should comprise young blood as well as veterans.
He said then that if youths were left alone to run the show, it might reach a point where it would be difficult to contain the "heat" they would generate.
"We need the old guard to act as grease to reduce the friction... we can't leave the youth alone in the government," he said.
A quick analysis of President Kikwete's Cabinet shows that it has at least seven ministers aged 60 and above. Sixty is the mandatory retirement age in public service.
Those aged 60 or above include Prof David Mwakyusa, 67, (Health and Social Welfare); Mustafa Mkulo, 63, (Finance and Economic Affairs); Margreth Sitta, 63, (Community Development, Gender and Children); Prof Peter Msola, 64, (Communications, Science and Technology); and Prof Juma Kapuya, 64, (Labour Employment and Youth Development).
Others are George Mkuchika, 61, (Information, Sports and Culture) and Prof Mark Mwandosya, 60, (Water and Irrigation).
The ages of Prof Jumanne Maghembe (Education and Vocational Training) and Mr Stephen Wassira (Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives) could not be obtained from the National Assembly website, where we made the reference.
Home Affairs minister Lawrence Masha is the only Cabinet member who is under 40. He is 39 years old.
Ministers aged between 40 and 49 include Dr Batilda Burian, 44, (Vice President's Office - Environment); Hawa Ghasia, 43, (President's Office - Public Service); William Ngeleja, 42, (Energy and Minerals); and Dr Diodorus Kamala, 41, (East Africa Cooperation)
The majority of ministers and deputy ministers fall into this age group. President Kikwete's remarks come at a time when anxiety is high among Cabinet ministers following last week's meeting. Reports from the meeting said President Kikwete clearly indicated that he was fed up with a number of ministers who had not performed to his expectations.
There is speculation that President Kikwete will reshuffle his Cabinet after the CCM committee appointed to investigate the working relationship among CCM parliamentarians and between the MPs and Cabinet ministers submits its report.
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