Power cut response sparks hot debate

President John Magufuli’s directive to the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) to disconnect power to Zanzibar over a Sh127 billion debt has sparked fierce debate on the status of the Isles in the Union.

Dr Magufuli said Sunday the debt had to be settled or power be disconnected as it would be with any other serial defaulter.

But in an apparent rejoinder yesterday, the Zanzibari President, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein, told reporters in the Isles that he did not believe that any “serious government” could make such threats.

Dr Shein was not here when the Tanesco order was issued. And the state power utility has since given all serial defaulters, including Zanzibar, a two-week grace period.

“The debt has been there for more than 20 years now; it was there when I served in the Union government as Vice President…but if power is indeed going to be disconnected then we are ready to go back in time and use oil lamps,” the Zanzibar President told reporters at the Abeid Aman Karume International Airport yesterday on his return. Some analysts were quick to describe the “witty” response from Dr Shein as a sign of misunderstanding between the two governments.

And already, Members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives have backed Dr Shein, noting that it was wrong for the Isles to be “threatened and embarrassed in public”. The Kwamtipura representative, Mr Hamza Hassan Juma (CCM), said President Magufuli’s directives were “disappointing” given the fact that Zanzibar also “has a lot of issues” it is not happy about (in the Union), but has never made any public threats.

“We have always wanted the full implementation of the articles of the Union, and let Zanzibar enjoy its fair share of the Union. But for the last 10 years, we have not received our shares of Union revenue, but we are not going to the public to make threats, and we are not going to do that,” he said.

Prof Kitila Mkumbo, a senior lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, said there could be consequences if statements by the two leaders are taken out of context by their assistants.

“I think the issue is how competent enough our administrators are to interpret the statements by our heads of state,” he said.

“In most cases, CEOs of public institutions, and other government officials fail to understand what the President says. They have to be able to interpret the directives, because some of the statements can lead the country to an unexpected crisis.”

President Magufuli gave the directive while speaking during the laying of the foundation stone for a new Tanesco substation in Mtwara.

“I’m told the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has not paid Sh121 billion. You (Tanesco) are not politicians... you should stick to your professional obligations...just cut power supply. I’ve said that regardless of whether it’s State House, police, army or schools, no defaulter should be spared. Only this way can we ensure that funds allocated to ministries for electricity are used as planned so that Tanesco can survive and deal with the problem of unreliable power. Tanesco is unable to improve services because of unpaid government debts.”

A senior political science lecturer at Ruaha Catholic University, Prof Gaudence Mpangala, said it wasn’t right for President Magufuli to issue such directives in public.

He warned that a Union crisis should be expected if power to the Isles is cut. “They (leaders) have to think twice before issuing directives, their words are so powerful.”

Prof Mpangala said Dr Shein’s reaction captured his disappointment on the decision, but believes that there is a platform for the two to discuss how best the issue would be handled.

St Augustine University of Tanzania, Prof Mwesiga Baregu, said the Constitutional Review Commission had propose “practical solutions” to most of the Union’s contentious issues, and had their suggestions been adopted the current crisis wouldn’t have unfolded the way it did.

He said the three tier government structure would have made all three governments equal and mindful of their boundaries when performing their duties.