"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
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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"
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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
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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"
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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
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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
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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
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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