TANZANIA: Catholic Bishops in Tanzania Oppose the Tanzania and DP World Agreement on Running Port of Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania Catholic Bishops
Sarah Pelaji
Tanzania Episcopal Conference TEC has rejected the port agreement between Tanzania and the government of Dubai for DP World to run the Port of Dar es Salaam for it divides the nation.
They have rejected it through their pastoral statement regarding the agreement between the United Republic of Tanzania and the Emirate of Dubai UAE signed a memorandum of understanding in February 2022 for DP World to run the port of Dar es Salaam. The MoU was followed by an inter-governmental agreement in October that was endorsed by parliament on June 10 ,2023.
Giving Bishop’s statement to press on 18th August 2023, the Secretary General of TEC Rev. Charles Kitima stated that bishops have carefully monitored the discussions, opinions, suggestions and cries of the majority of citizens, who are the owners of the ports and all resources, and have realized that the majority of citizens do not want this Agreement which gives the foreign investor the authority and right to own the main economic routes as specified in the agreement.
The bishops had put their efforts to understand the Agreement and give their advice through their meetings with the Government at the highest levels, on the 12th and 26th of June this year 2023.
“If we consider what is going on in the Tanzanian society since this Agreement was made public, there is confusion due to public debates, debates that have divided the Nation. Through the agreement, the government of Tanzania divides the nation into two parties, namely those who agree with the agreement and those who do not agree. Even those who agree do so out of fear because they have been entrusted with leadership by the government,” reads the statement.
“We are witnessing the pressure to amend the law, with the intention to protect this Agreement which the Parliament of Tanzania has ratified. We are seeing this as a violation of the rule of law,” continues the bishops’ statement.
Driven by a conscience aimed at protecting resources, solidarity, peace, freedom, and national unity; we dare to say that after 63 years of the independence of this country, the people have not wanted to leave the port of Dar es Salaam to be given to one investor to run it, since the Tanzanians themselves have the experience of running it.
“We see that it is important now to continue to build NATIONAL capacity, for our Tanzanian public and private sectors, establishing joint ventures with technologically advanced companies from various parts of the world, and not joint ventures from one country, using productive contracts that we prepared ourselves of our commercial organizations, the bishops say and add, “If the agreement is suitable, why is the government struggling to change the laws on the port so that they are in line with the port agreement and allow DP World to run the Port of Dar es Salaam.
‘Therefore, we, the Catholic Bishops of Tanzania who are responsible for managing the welfare of every human being, request the Honorable President of the United Republic of Tanzania, with the authority she has, to stop the submission of this consent to the other party, and likewise the Parliament to cancel the consent of this Agreement complained of,” appeal the Catholic bishops in Tanzania.
