"MAN OF THE PEOPLE"-- NEW TANZANIAN PRESIDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DAR ES SALAAM 000298 SIPDIS DEPT AF/E FOR E PRATT, AF/RSA FOR J NAY, AF/EPS FOR M NORMAN LONDON, PARIS, BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM TZ SUBJECT: "MAN OF THE PEOPLE"-- NEW TANZANIAN PRESIDENT JAKAYA KIKWETE REF: DAR ES SALAAM 0028 Classified By: Political Officer Mary B. Johnson for reasons 1.4(b, d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) New Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has moved quickly to put his stamp on government here, with a style marked by vigor and a crystal-clear message. In the last 30 days, he has paid short-notice visits to most of his government's 22 ministries, calling with hard-edged candor for an end to corruption, and faster and more efficient provision of services to Tanzanians. He and his Prime Minster, Edward Lowassa, have also served notice: ministers and ministries are accountable for results, and ministers will be fired if results are not forthcoming. ¶2. (C) At the same time, this President is no less remarkable for a style that stands in marked contrast to that of his predecessor, Benjamin Mkapa. Kikwete has repeatedly demonstrated since taking office that he will not be stage-managed by State House handlers, but will unexpectedly stop his official car and step out on the sidewalks to talk to ordinary Tanzanians, will break away from his choreographed route through a hospital to stop and talk to real patients about treatment and care, and will pay calls at ordinary fruit and vegetable markets to talk to traders and keep tabs on prices. ¶3. (C) However, as a recent editorial here put it, "wars are won by armies, not army chiefs." Over the longer term, if Kikwete is to inspire the discipline and efficiency within his government which will put an end to corruption and transform this country economically, the new accountability will have to be reflected not only at the ministerial level, but throughout the ranks of regional and district government down to the village level. This is a longer term war, fraught with uncertainty, which Tanzania's promising new leader will have to wage over the duration of his presidency. End Summary. "A Man Not of Reports, but Action" -------------- ¶4. (C) As the Defense Minister told Ambassador Retzer recently, "this (new President) is a man not of reports, but of action." He might also have added, a man of remarkable public candor, particularly on his demands for results-based management of government and an end to corruption. Nothing illustrates Kikwete's style and candor better than his series of calls on ministries over the first 45 days of his presidency. As he told our visiting MCC team in early February, he has been "setting his) agenda at each ministry. He has asked these ministries to provide him with a strategic plan within 60 days, and after he reviews and refines these plans, he will return them to the respective ministries for implementation over his first term. Below is a glimpse of how this President has put his mark -- in substance and in style -- on a representative sampling of ministries. Finance Ministry: "Weed Out" Officials -------------- ¶5. (C) On January 31, the Finance Ministry received some of President Kikwete's harshest criticism when Kikwete stated that all Finance Ministry officials must be scrutinized to "weed out" any officials who have embezzled public funds. He observed: "The Ministry of Finance is the guardian of the government revenue and pumps life into the nation." He told new Minster Zakia Hamdani Meghji that corrupt finance officials should be relieved of their duties immediately and directed her to revive the Ministry's ethics committee to deal with corrupt officers. "There is no need to wait for evidence from the Parliament or urban councils. The auditor's findings are enough to justify action against inept and corrupt officials," the President said. Natural Resources and Tourism: Let me "oversee their retirement" -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) On January 27, President Kikwete told Minister Anthony Diallo, head of the Ministry for Natural Resources and Tourism, to give him a list of suspected corrupt and dishonest Ministry staff "so that I can oversee their retirement." Kikwete stated that he had received "too many complaints" about the Ministry of Natural Resources and that both local and foreign investors in the sector are discouraged by unscrupulous officials. He told Diallo, "You need to uphold ethics and make the Ministry's system transparent." President Kikwete also said deforestation needs to be monitored and slowed down, especially extensive use of charcoal kilns throughout the country. He suggested that in order to increase tourism revenues, more fees should go to Tanzanian companies and hotels rather than foreign ones. Unravel the Land Title Confusion -------------- ¶7. (SBU) At a January 17 call on the Ministry of Lands and Human Settlements, Kikwete asked for a thorough review of all land titles and for the formation of a task force to report after six months on how and why so many land title deeds have been issued to more than one person. The new Minister of Lands and Human Settlement, John Magufuli, formerly the Minister of Works under Benjamin Mkapa, has a reputation as a tough administrator. Kikwete authorized Magufuli to remove anyone who had authorized duplicate title deeds. Top Priority at Labor: More Jobs -------------- ¶8. (SBU) On January 26, the President directed the Minister of Labor and Youth Development, Prof. Jumanne Maghembe, to prepare policy guidelines to create one million jobs by 2005, a key Kikwete campaign promise. He underscored his principal concern that in many fields, such as primary and secondary education, new teachers' job searches immediately after graduation from college or university were time-consuming and cumbersome because vacancies have to be announced through district councils. "This system is costly and not necessary. You must develop strategic plans to streamline hiring practices. In addition, you have to create more opportunities in the health sector through better hiring and better facilities," he told the Minister. Planning Ministry: Speed up Privatization -------------- ¶9. (SBU) At the Ministry of Planning, Economy and Empowerment on January 30, President Kikwete ordered the speedy privatization of 37 remaining parastatals by early 2007. He called on Ministry officials to turn economic growth indicators into "real improvements in people's lives," noting that his government would be judged on how it helped the masses to eradicate poverty. He challenged the Minister, Dr. Juma Ngasongwa, to generate ideas to transform the country from a least developed country (LCD) to a middle income country by the year 2025. Agriculture Ministry: Modernize and Modernize Now -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) At the Ministry of Agriculture, the President stressed on January 19 that Tanzania has to move away from hand and ox-pulled farming to &leasing tractors and harvesting equipment." He welcomed private companies interested in investing in farm equipment and farm machinery leasing businesses. He also proposed irrigation farming to ensure a constant supply of water, even in the dry season. &We have to liberate agriculture," Kikwete stated. "Let,s go commercial to realize serious reforms in this sector.8 The same day, the President gave a similar outline to the new Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa, emphasizing that in raising cattle, sheep and goats, "quality, not quantity" should be the objective. Comment: Modern Leader and "Man of the People" -------------- -- ¶11. (C) We have no doubt this President will approach government accountability, corruption, and poverty alleviation with a focus and zeal unlike any other Tanzanian president to date. But ultimate success--a growth rate of 10 percent, one million jobs, and Tanzania's emergence into the ranks of middle income countries, all policy objectives of the new president--will depend not only on the army chief, but the army. Tanzania's citizenry has been inspired, and its expectations raised, to extraordinary heights by this charismatic leader. But his ultimate success will depend on following words with deeds--firing ministers who don't perform, and who fail to slash corruption. ¶12. (C) Lest we forget, Kikwete's legacy will also depend on articulating the right policies, and staying the course with them over time. While former President Mkapa was, in contrast to Kikwete, the quiet scholar and reserved statesman, he nevertheless wrought a quiet economic revolution in this country which sparked a 5 to 6 percent growth rate over the last five years. Thus the bar is set high for a new President who has inspired so much hope, and holds so much promise for Tanzania's future. WHITE