DailyNews Online Edition

Well done, Nape Nnauye on Sabodo contributions

SEEMINGLY for the umpteenth time, the person who’s perhaps Tanzania’s most famous hedge funds investor, Mustapha R. Jaffer Sabodo, is in the news again. In recent months and years - beginning in earnest in early 2008 - the man has been publishing assorted advertorials at his cost.

Sabodo has also been reported on for one thing or another by both the print and electronic media,usually on philanthropic and other equally patriotic activities. These have included - but aren’t limited to - financial contributions of tens and  hundreds of millions of shillings for charitable purposes... Or simply to laud and applaud in words and deeds social, political and economic developments by individual and establishments, including political parties.

Although Sabodo is an avowed, card-carrying member and renown cadre of the veteran ruling political ‘Party of the Revolution’ (Chama cha Mapinduzi:CcM), the man has in recent times being contributing to another (opposition) political party, the ‘Party for Democracy & Development’ (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo: (ChaDeMa).

Not only has he been contributing huge sums of money to ChaDeMa; he has also being financing the construction of water wells and other socio-economic infrastructure in electoral constituencies considered ChaDeMa strongholds, as well as funding the construction of operating facilities, including office premises, for the party!

The latest such goodwill gestures to ChaDeMa were Tsh10m in cash, and pledges to provide it with premises in Sabodo’s ongoing high-rise car-park and business premises in downtown Dar.Reportedly, part of the income from the parking facility will be passed on to the party for developmental projects for ten years to begin with!Fair enough, one could say...Lately, Sabodo was once again the cynosure of both the mass media fraternity and avid followers thereof.

But, that was with a great deal of difference - if only because at centre-stage was not only the phenomenal investor-turned-equally phenomenal philanthropist. The other protagonist at centre-stage was one vocal cadre of the ruling  arty CcM, currently a party activist to reckon with: Nape Nnauye.

Young, up-and-coming Nnauye is the incumbent Secretary for Ideology & Publicity at the CcM National Executive Committee (NEC). Indeed he’s a formidable ‘friend and foe’ of leaders on both sides of the Political Divide: the ruling party and the Opposition Camp!

When Nnauye is willing and ready, he’s also able – and, conceivably glad - to talk opponents into silence; arouse otherwise subdued dissent among perceived supporters, and discombobulate those inbetween - in equal measure, one must admit! Such is the man that I could not resist the urge to admire his public stand as revealed in mass media organs last weekend.

The subject-matter was, of course,Sabodo’s gestures and overtures toward ChaDeMa. In the event, two prominent CcM members called for ouster of the man from the ruling party. They cited justification/rationale for that as his more-thanaverage and seemingly endless good disposition towards the opposition camp in recent times.

This, they said, tends to undermine the ruling party!The obviously disaffected members are a former Morogoro Region CcM nabob, Stephen Mashishanga, and the incumbent Shinyanga Region party nabob, Khamis Mgeja. [TanzaniaDaima, et al: July 8, 2012].Responding to that call, Nnauye promptly rejected the idea out of hand.

In fact, he called upon more Tanzanians to take a leaf out of  abodo’s book on donating and otherwise supporting communities across the country, regardless of their political ideologies and other differences! Stressing his point via the Internet social forum ‘Daily Nkoromo,’ Nnauye said such philanthropic efforts must be encouraged at every twist and turn, not be frowned upon - and, much less, censured!

Noting further that such socio-economic infrastructure as water wells benefits all and sundry in community members without regard to their political differences, Nnauye said there’s nothing wrong with Sabodo helping Society across the board - even doing so from his membership perch in CcM, and via all possible avenues: political, economic, social and otherwise!

After all, he said, the Govt., in its infinite wisdom, embarked upon multipartysm - and regularly disburses political party subventions under strict terms - to accommodate political differences and foster Democracy without let or hindrance. By parity of reasoning then, institutions and individuals who do what Sabodo is doing must be encouraged as furthering national ideals and aspirations.

Now, if there ever was positive evidence of political and intellectual maturity, this is it as manifestly exhibited by Nape Nnauye in his response to Mashishanga,Mgeja and their ilk! What beauty of thought, understanding, prudence... This might very well be poop-oohed as Nnauye’s personal views, not the ‘official’ stand of the ruling party or conservative, partisan die-hards. Fair enough; but time will tell – and, it is a bridge we’ll cross if and when we come to it...Cheers!

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