News From Parliament

House Energy, Minerals Committee disbanded

THE Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, on Saturday disbanded the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Minerals as some of its members have been accused of engaging in unacceptable corrupt misconduct.

The accusation was floated in the august House by most legislators who stood up to contribute to the debate on budget estimates of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals tabled by the minister, Prof. Sospeter Muhongo.

The main accusation was that some legislators engaged in financial scams with Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) officials. Other lawmakers were rapped for engaging in illegal business deals with Tanesco officials, making huge unholy profits.

Mr Vita Rashidi Kawawa (Namtumbo-CCM) opened the can of worms when he demanded in the debating chamber that the corrupt Parliamentarians be mentioned by name and that their Committee on Energy and Minerals be disbanded. The Speaker quoted Parliamentary Regulation No. 113 Section 3 in her move to cast the committee overboard. Mr Kawawa also demanded that other committees which had equally corrupt members in their ranks be investigated and disbanded if found “guilty of taking bribes and other unconstitutional mess.

Ms Makinda said that Parliamentary Privileges, Ethics and Powers Committee was going to convene a meeting at which the matter would be discussed exhaustively. She said that any other parliamentary standing committees that would be found “guilty” would be disbanded. Official parliamentary records show that the members of the disbanded Energy and Minerals Committee are; Mr Selemani Jumanne Zedi (Chairperson); Ms Diana Chilolo (Deputy Chairperson); Khalfan Aeshi; John Mnyika and Yusuf Haji Khamis.

Others are; Mariam Kissangi, Catherine Magige, Amos Makala, Abia Nyabakari, Charles Mwijage, Yusuph Abdallah Nassir, Christopher ole-Sendeka, Festus Bulugu Limbu, Shaffin Sumar, Lucy Thomas Mayenga, Josephine Chagula and Mwanamrisho Abama. Also in the list are; David Silinde, Suleiman Masoud Suleiman, Kisyeri Werema Chambiri, Munde Tambwe Abdallah, Sarah Msafiri Ally, Vicky Paschal Kamata, Mbarouk Salim Ali, Athuman Mfutakamba and Pamela Palangyo who is the secretary to the committee.

Earlier, most of the legislators who contributed to the debate of the estimates of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals lashed out at the injustices meted out on small-scale mineral miners. Moza Abedi Saidy (Special Seats–CUF) said that although it is the residents who discover minerals in their localities, the government often moves in and apportions nearly all the rich mining land to rich investors – some of whom are foreigners. “Consequently, our youths become slaves in the mines,” she lamented.

She also complained that Tanesco’s power bills were increasingly becoming arbitrarily high. She alleged that in some cases a power bill that should be served on a carpenter or a grain miller is passed on to a home owner who has minimum power consumption.
Mr Said Mussa Zubeir (Fuoni–CCM) charged that all corrupt elements, who’s greed has contributed in bringing down the economy of the country and impoverished families should be held accountable. He was alluding to corrupt elements in Tanesco and within Parliament.

He said that the culprits should be made “to buy all the bullets that would hit and kill them or the ropes that would be used to hang them.” He was bitter that power cuts, which were not necessary, had not only ruined the economy but also caused deaths.
“Illegal power cuts interfered with surgical operations in hospitals, ruined medicines in fridges and even caused poverty among families whose businesses depend on electricity. These families failed to feed their children properly. The result was malnutrition and death,” he said.