Every once in a while someone somewhere does or says something that can be described as a “hair rising moment”. It is that moment whereby we all stop doing what we are doing and ask ourselves, did I just hear that? What did he say? Are you serious? Such moments can make you angry or can make you even more curious. It all depends on how it lands on your lap (call it attention). Who told you? Were they (he/ she) serious? Did they look in your eyes when talking about it? In actual sense or in a dreamy civilized world, when such a moment happen, we should be calm and give a man a chance to “come clean” or explain himself. That is the essence of freedom of speech and liberty of being heard. It’s the same as if you go and tell your co-worker that one day, you’d like to become the CEO of that company. Guess what he/ she will tell you. You are crazy and full of… On the other corner, if you go and tell the actual and current CEO of your company about your dream, what do you think he/ she will say to you?
This past few days, that hairy and may be even scary moment to some, came from one of the youngest Member of Parliament in Tanzanian Legislature House, Honorable Zitto Kabwe, who represents people of Northern Kigoma. He finally had courage to say louder what some of us have just been waiting for a while. Wait a minute; did he say it like saying it in front of the media with a lot of microphones in front of him? Nah, his style is/ was different. The less about the confirmation, the more the curiosity it arouses. That is how you play the game.
To me, in particular, it wasn’t a shock. I read the signs. I looked up in the sky and heard through a grapevine that the young man will run or at least one day he will come closer the self-declaration of intention. You can tell a lot about a man’s ambitions by just observing the way he finishes his political statements and how much of conviction he often tries to showcase. It was, therefore, not a question of whether but when. Then he said it like how you may say it if a hot rice enters your mouth and burns your tongue sharply. Yes, I am thinking of becoming or running for the Presidency of this country one day. Well, there it was…the intention.
Ooh so all these time that you have been dodging the questions of why you brought to the table the issue of age or ageism etc. you was(not even you were) simply talking about yourself? Uuuh, was that a smart move? He had his reservations, cool down, don’t trip, he ain’t through with the whole system yet. He then reminded everyone that he is a member of a political party and he, therefore, adheres to all proper procedures of the party in getting its official candidate. He requires fellow members’ blessings before he can jump on stages and sing the policies and plans to wananchi and hope that they are ready to add something in the chorus.
All in all, his courage to start walking like a “candidate” or at least feeling like one should not be taken as a joke. First and foremost, it is his constitutional right especially with the new constitution looming. I am mentioning the “new constitution” because the current one clearly has two vivid glitches for Mr. Kabwe and other folks. He is young. The constitution declares 40 as the minimal age requirement for a presidential candidate. Honorable Zitto was born in September 1976.Do the math. Of course, he is challenging this ageism stuff. Is it a realistic goal? Then, we are still shying away from Independent candidates (Mtikila is still very mad on this). Can CHADEMA, endorse or elect him to run? Technically….(I will let you polish that one)
On the other hand,
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