Focus on industrial revolution, Zanzibar told

Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein pins a medal of the golden jubilee of the Isles’ revolution on the lapel of former President Ali Hassan Mwinyi’s coat at State House yesterday. PHOTO | MICHAEL MATEMANGA 

By Sturmus Mtweve, The Citizen Reporter

 Sunday, January 12  2014 at  02:01

IN SUMMARY

• While residents and commentators acknowledge that some praiseworthy achievements have been recorded in the Isles, a number of challenges on the economic, political and social fronts need to be addressed.

Dar es Salaam. In-between celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the Zanzibar revolution, most Zanzibaris feel that, it was high time the government shifted the focus from the joy of toppling the feudal sultanate , to initiating an industrial revolution that would make the lives of the majority struggling to make ends meet, happier.

While residents and commentators acknowledge that some praiseworthy achievements have been recorded in the Isles, a number of challenges on the economic, political and social fronts need to be addressed.

This is despite the promising statistics from the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) which indicate that Zanzibar recorded stable economic growth over the past financial year that grew by 7.0 per cent in 2012 compared to 6.5 per cent in the 2011. This was attributed to increased clove output, more tourist arrivals and better infrastructure.

At the height of 50 years of the revolution, many still believe there is a lot Zanzibar is proud of, like improvements in social and economic growth as well as political affairs.

However, Mr Salim Hamad, a Zanzibari lecturer at the Open University of Tanzania said capitalizing on the development of the industrial sector will provide a better future for Zanzibar’s economy.

“Celebrating 50 years of political revolution in Zanzibar is something emulative, but it is time now that we focus on an industrial revolution to improve and uplift our economy,” said Mr Hamad.

He said industrial revolution is the only way the Isles government can curb the current escalating unemployment resulting from high population growth –which now stands at 1.3 million people from 300,000 people in 1964.

 “Over the past years, the population has been growing tremendously but with no creation of new sources employment, this is due to our laziness in thinking and lack of creativity.

As we celebrate 50 years of the revolution, it is better that we devise best ways of solving this,” argued Mr Hamad Apart from encouraging economic development, Mr Hamad was cautious that in order to have a prosperous and stable Zanzibar economically, there is a need to ensure that all major means of production and wealth ownership are in the hands of the majority instead of being owned and controlled by a minority.

“Historically, Zanzibar had a good education system that led to not only high performance but also good quality, but due to political interferences in the sector, both performance and quality dropped drastically and it is now a subject of concern,” said Mr Hamad.

The don added that it was high time the government took important initiatives to improve the questionable quality of education as well as improve provision of health services that have deteriorated considerably.

He also noted that historically the Isles had been dominated by racial segregation than tribalism, though, with time the trend has changed and people should continue advocating cohesion. “I would like to see all people acting as a family, instead of classifying themselves into groups of Zanzibaris and those from the Mainland or Unguja and Pemba perspectives,” said the don.

or his part, Mr Said Abdullah, a Zanzibar resident, said apart from improving the economy and political arena, there has been an improvement in the way people are exercising democracy and freedom of expression.

 According to Mr Rashid Salum Adiy, from Kikwajuni Mjini Unguja, over the past 50 years, Zanzibaris have increased the opportunity of connecting with people outside the Isles as well as increased awareness on demanding for their rights through a democratic system.

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Focus-on-industrial--growth--Z-bar-told/-/1840392/2142966/-/item/1/-/ffdf7nz/-/index.html