Punish clerics, politicians instigating violence-call

The Sengerema District Council in Mwanza Region has endorsed a declaration that enables application of a law that empowers the District Commissioner to arrest political and religious leaders whose actions may threaten peace, particularly when they use abusive language and instigate people to disrupt normal flow of activities.

The Council asserts that it is high time law was reinforced so that political and religious leaders would face court proceedings and that the law should not distinguish the affiliations of the leaders.

The Council plans to submit their argument to the DC so that implementation may start immediately while the Council works on supporting by-laws.

Apart from passing the declaration, they also demanded that leaders, including ward councilors, who would be linked to actions related to the dissuasion of people from engaging in social development activities to be dealt with by the special council ethics committee while the councillors found in fault are to be suspended from taking part in at least three consecutive meetings.

Unlike before, under the proposition, government servants, including village and ward executive officers as well as extension officers who will be accused of abusing their offices would not be shifted elsewhere instead they would be fired and then taken to court.

It was also agreed during the meeting that those executives from Ilenza, Nyangamlamila and Isagehe villages who were accused of abusing their offices including misappropriating funds contributed by the villagers to construct a secondary school, should be returned to Ilenza ward and once proved that they were involved in the funds mismanagement, they should then be taken to court.

Among those accused and or suspected of corruption, include, the former ward executive officer, Sofia Manyilizu from Katwe ward who the Ward Councillor of Ilenza, Joachim Balele, claims that the people have refused to accept back for fear that she will interfere with fact finding on a pending corruption case.

Another is former Lugata Ward Councillor (CCM) Adrian Tizeba who resigned and shifted to CHADEMA he was accused of failing to return a bank loan worth 8m/- afforded him on guarantorship of the District Council.

However, most of the complaints were directed against the Construction Department and that of Land where it was claimed that accountability and transparency were huge problems. The matter has been put forward by CCM councilor (rtd) Lieutenant Joseph Yared and supported by CUF councilor Thobias Bukoma