#MVLiemba, Investments, Cities and Football

Zitto Kabwe and Mrs. Anke Pöksen

On Friday 21st June 2013 I visited the Government of Lower Saxony in Hannover for a discussion about deepening the partnership between Tanzania and Lower Saxony. The discussion was led by the Government Spokesperson Mrs. Anke Pöksen (photo) in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Environment, the head of International Office and the Chief of Protocol.

It was principally agreed that the bilateral cooperation be  built in the period between 2013 to 2015 as a climax of the partnership whereby partnership agreement will be signed in Tanzania. The year 2013 marks the 100 years since MV Liemba was built in the city of Papenburg, and 2015 marks the 100 years since MV Liemba was put on Lake Tanganyika in Kigoma.

During this period from 2013 to 2015 the partnership between Tanzania and Lower Saxony will be formalized, several activities carried out and finally a German delegation will travel to Tanzania.

It was emphasized that, In order to create best synergies and links the partnership should first seek to establish a continuation of the rehabilitation of the MV Liemba, support business investments and softer diplomacy like cultural activities and cities cooperation. Tanzania will have to appoint 3 football clubs to be brought into partnership with 3 clubs in Bundesliga from Lower Saxony – VfL Wolfsburg, Hannover 96 and Braunschweig. Proposed city cooperation are for Mtwara with Wilhamshafen, Mbeya with Hannover and Kigoma with Papenburg.

Comment on the use of social media and politics in #Tanzania #GermanAfricaInitiative

I  was answering the following question in a panel debate during the ‘Africa Initiative’ in Berlin on December 11 2012:

‘Mr. Kabwe, you are among the youngest parliamentarians in Tanzania and you are using primarily Twitter to communicate with your fans and friends. Can social media reduce corruption and lethargy in African democracies?’

(Part of the answer to the question is inserted below. The question is explained in German at the beginning of the video clip. Please note that the quality is a  bit shaky at the beginning, but improves.)

Social media in itself cannot reduce corruption or create democracy. It is a tool, and it works differently in different African countries.

I use both ways, traditional way of communicating through political rallies etc. I definitely believe that social media has made information easier to access, and that it brings a new level of interactivity between the media and the people, but also between politicians and other leaders and people.

I was recently interviewed by one of the leading social media platforms in East Africa (www.JamiiForums.com). It was a record interview, 8 hours consecutively where I responded to 85 very pertinent questions in a day, gathered from members of the forum. The people who asked these questions were from everywhere in the world. The interview is still accessible and anyone visiting the page can read and comment. This would not be possible through traditional media. An 8 hours long interview, I believe, is the longest one any politician has been subjected to.

Through my personal blog (www.zittokabwe.com), Facebook Pages and Twitter account (@zittokabwe), followers could read and react on the private motion I had on billions of Tanzanian shillings in Swiss accounts by Tanzanian citizens. The motion was passed by the Parliament that the Executive must investigate the Swiss billions held by Tanzanians and report back to the Parliament during the April 2013 parliamentary session.

In April 2012 I moved a motion in Parliament to censure a Prime Minister following misuse of public funds by ministers as evidenced by the Controller and Auditor General. I used social media (primarily Twitter) to ask citizens to call their MPs to sign a petition (hashtagged #sahihi70) – 70 signatures needed to qualify to move a vote of no confidence against a Prime Minister (#VoteOfNoConfidence). My party has 48 MPs only, but the petition was signed by 75 MPs. It was an uncomfortable topic for some members of the ruling party but with all the attention drawn on these issues through independent social media it was hard for the government to ignore the issue and they had to respond to questions. Eventually the President sacked 8 ministers including Ministers of Finance and Energy, key ministries.

Social media was very instrumental in both of these examples I have given. Social media is also an accountability tool used by citizens to reach politicians. I am regularly questioned a number of issues on social media and I respond. I am asked questions by people who would never get such an opportunity because of the distances the traditional media keep between politicians and the people.

Debating ‘Models of development cooperation in the context of partnerships, experience of German and African border crossers’ #GermanAfricaInitiative:

Zitto Kabwe and Dirk Niebel, Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development

Zitto Kabwe

Rahime Diallo from the African Diaspora  Policy Centre in The Haag and Zitto Kabwe in debate on the role of diaspora for Africa’s development.

Read the presentation here: Models of development cooperation in the context of partnerships,

Speech for the #GermanAfricaInitiative: ‘Creating the Future: New Strategies for Civil Society and Business – The Partnership Approach

You can read the presentation here:

View this document on Scribd

Presenting my paper on “Clash of interests?” Between economic aspirations and social Responsibility”
How development cooperation needs to be configured in future in order to ensure it takes place within a framework of partnership while involving as much of the population as possible

We Made This Law Together

In 2010, civil society leaders worked with Parliament to improve Tanzania’s mining legislation. This short film for Revenue Watch International depicts a remarkable band of advocates whose collaboration, political savvy and skilled engagement shows how local leaders can draw on outside allies to make change possible.

Parliamentarians Make the Difference

Members of parliaments across Africa are the key actors in the drama, as resource-rich countries struggle to gain a better share of mining wealth. Revenue Watch International provides the tools and the expertise for counties to win the benefits of contract transparency for citizens and governments. Starring parliamentarians from Sierra Leone, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda.