The Vice-President, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan recently insisted that the war against crooked public officials will not stop.
While launching the 2016 edition of the Uhuru Torch race, she revealed that some 596 cases related to corruption are currently going on in courts with 6.5billion being saved, due to the intensified anti-graft crusade by President John Magufuli’s administration.
She called on the general public to team up with the government to ensure war against fraud and tax evasion becomes successful. “I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to all Tanzanians to refrain from giving and taking bribes,” she said.
The vice-president called on all public servants to embrace patriotism and stay away from corrupt practices. She said the Uhuru Torch race was also meant to condemn all ill-practices and meant on the war against fraud.
Ms Suluhu affirmed that the government was determined and was all out to make corruption currently plaguing public offices a thing of the past. She insisted that the government had no bad intention when taking legal measures against crooked officials but only wanted to put public offices in order.
“We aim at putting public offices in order, to restore discipline and ethics. We want all Tanzanians to enjoy the national cake,” she said amid cheers. Ms Samia also affirmed that the government will continue intensifying war against illicit drugs business to make the country free from drug addicts.
On the other hand, the vice-president reaffirmed that the torch was very important in uniting people, cementing love and unity. She noted that there were a number of challenges such as disunity and hatred currently afflicting the country, which could only be ironed out through such national unity projects as the torch race.
The VP recalled the main objectives of the torch, including “bringing hope where there is despair, to bring love where there is hatred and restore dignity where there is disrespect.” The Uhuru Torch is one of the national symbols enshrining the country’s freedom and unity.
It was first lit on top of Mt Kilimanjaro when the country got her independence on December 9, 1961. Uhuru Torch which races throughout the country carry a message of hope, love, respect and peace.
It begins in a chosen region and end on October 14, the day the country commemorates the death of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, who is the Torch’s main architect.
Ms Samia told her audience that the race was also one of the catalysts for the country’s development as it sensitised the population on the collective need to take part in various socio-economic activities.
