I have read many opinions by Tanzanians on dual citizenship. What I have learned from what Tanzanians write on this topic is that the majority of Tanzanians living abroad want dual citizenship to be included in the new constitution.
In spite of the different opinions Tanzanians may have, one of the issues that Tanzanians agree on is the issue of dual citizenship. However, there is still a need to educate the masses about the benefits of dual citizenship.
In other words, many Tanzanians are still unclear about dual citizenship and what it means when a Tanzanian living abroad claims to be a Tanzanian by birthright.
Is birthright and citizenship extended equally to Tanzanians living in the country and those living abroad? In the opinion of the majority of Diaspora Tanzanians, Tanzanians living abroad are discriminated against when it comes to their birth and citizenship rights. In fact, Tanzanians lose their citizenship when they become citizens of other foreign nations. A time for a change has come.
Dual citizenship has been unthinkable and unacceptable for quite a long time in Tanzania. This was due to the past history of Tanzania. Although Tanzania was a member of the Non-Aligned Movement during the cold war era, Tanzania was a socialist state. Its developmental philosophy and values were close to those of the USSR, China or any other socialist nations.
At this time, Tanzania favored socialist ideals and opposed capitalism. Hence, terms like “left wing states” and “right wing states” were used extensively. However, some very few countries remained neutral, they also tend to favor one of the two big nations and their allies.
As mentioned earlier, by the big nations I refer to the United States and the USSR. Hence, countries created allies and enemies. Tanzania was allied with the USSR. Today Tanzania has become a truly US ally and partner. Hence, it is a time to call for a change to replace the Tanzania’s cold war era policies with new policies to enhance Tanzania’s relations with states that were deemed to be its enemies during the cold war era.
People who migrated to countries with different political ideals and values were deemed as traitors by their own countries. Trust was an issue. However, the reality is different today. Hence, dual citizenship for some countries was an unthinkable and unacceptable reality.
Even those countries that favored dual citizenship did not naturalize people from certain nations who were deemed enemies because of the cold war and philosophical realities. Tanzania was no different country. The reason why Tanzanians living abroad are still portrayed as traitors is partly because of the cold war philosophy and its legacy.
The time for change has arrived. Tanzanians everywhere should unite to demand their birthright and that their right to citizenship be protected. Hence, Tanzanians should not be deprived of their citizenship once they acquire citizenship of other nations.
Countries like Kenya or South Africa do not deprive their citizens of their citizenship no matter what nationality they choose to have.
Historically, soon after the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, a newly born nation of Tanzania created what became known as “the Zanzibar Decree Act of 1964. This Act stated that any person born within the boarders of the United Republic of Tanzania became a Tanzanian citizen according to the then existing laws. Although this Act was established, it was meant to deny citizenship to people who fled the Zanzibar Revolutions. Analytically speaking the Act gave citizenship rights to any person who was born after the union, and within the borders of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Thus, this Act not only was put into law but also discriminated against the right of citizenship for Tanzanians born elsewhere in the world unless otherwise those Tanzanians acquired Tanzanian citizenship by following the then existed laws.
In 1967, the immigration Act Number 6 was established with the purpose of denying citizenship to traitors and people who committed treason or making it harder for foreigners to acquire Tanzanian citizenship. ‘Oscar Kambona” was the then famous name among many other names who were deemed as traitors.
The Immigration Act No. 6 was amended in 1995 and again to deal with the political atmosphere of that time. In 1995, after the general election the political situation in Zanzibar forced the country to enact rules that calmed down the political instability in the isles.
In all these three above-mentioned Acts and Amendments, dual citizenship was denied to Tanzanians because of the wrong reasons. The following wrong reasons are often cited by the opponents of dual citizenship: an opponent may say “Tanzanians living abroad are traitors”.
The Diaspora have also heard some people saying: “Tanzanians living abroad are selfish” in the sense that “wanataka kufaidi huku na kule” meaning they want to use both Tanzanians and foreign resources. Isn’t that false? How could one justify such a claim that Tanzanians living abroad are more selfish than Tanzanians living in the country in terms of the resource use? Why is Tanzania itself dependable on foreign aid? This claim does not make any sense. Moreover, how can any person justify that Tanzanians living abroad are traitors? Tanzanians living abroad want more examples to explain why some people call them “traitors”. Tanzanians living abroad are not traitors and it is not their intentions to become traitors.
Some people say Tanzanians living abroad are not contributing to Tanzania’s economic development. Why do these people acknowledge the fact that remittances have surpassed 250 million dollars last year?
We of the Diaspora promote unity, love, peace and understanding amongst all people of the Tanzanian origins. It is our intention to see that Tanzania does not lag behind its East African counterparts who have accepted dual citizenship for their nationals and citizens. Why won’t Tanzania wake up? Isn’t this call for dual citizenship a wake up call? Isn’t this time the right time for change?
We, from the Diaspora have placed our petition for dual citizenship. We would like to invite every member of the Constitutional Review Parliament to support our cause for dual citizen and vote for this cause when this motion will be brought to the Parliament’s attention. For the members of parliament, we need your vote and support. We are all Tanzanians and we want a unified and a peaceful country. Tanzanians wherever they are need to work together to support this call for dual citizenship.
This article has been prepared by Deogratius Mhella, the executive secretary of the Ongoing Tanzanian Communities in the United States and DICOTA Meetings in order to educate the mass about the Diaspora’s call for dual citizenship in Tanzania.
Mimi najibu kwa lugha ya Kiswahili ili Watanzaa wa kawaida pia waelewe:
ReplyDeleteMANENO MENGI HAYA SAIDII KITU,MUWE MNAANDIKA KWA KIFUPI:
1.Tunafahamu sana FAIDA nying sana na pia HASARA nyingi sana na HATARI za Uraia pacha.
2.Umeweka msisitizo zaidi ktk FAIDA za Uraia pacha kwa nini usielezee ama kugusia na HASARA ZAKE?
3.Muwe mnatoa Makala kwa Kiingereza na pia na Tafsiri yake ili wenyewe wahusika ambao ni Watanzania wa kawaidawaweze kuelewa maoni yenu.
4.Mchakao wa Katiba, ile hata mapendekezo ya Uraia pacha haya kutolewa hivyo ni wazi WTANZANIA WANAELEWA NI NINI WAKIFANYACHO KWA KUWA WANAJUA PIA NA HASARA ZA URAIA PACHA NDIO MAANA WAMEKATAA.
5.Tanzania sio nchi peke yake Duniani yenye Uraia wa Pasipoti moja bila kuwa na Urai pacha.
6.Msifananishe Tanzania na nchi kama Rwanda, Kenya na Uganda ambazo zimesha ingia mkenge wa kukubali Uraia pacha , hii ni nchi tofauti sana inayoitwa JAMHURI YA MUUNGANO WA TANZANIA, Tanzania ina utaratibu wake wa kuendesa mambo yake, haifanyi mambo kwa kuiga nzhi zingine.
7.HAMUWEZI KULAZIMISHA URAIA PACHA, KWA KUWA ILE KITENDO CHA KUUKANA URAIA AMA KUPOTEZA UTANZANIA KIRAHISI TU, KIMETIA DOSARI KTK UZALENDO WENU KWA TANZANIA, HIVYO HAMUAMINIKI.
Deogratius, mheshimiwa rais JK amesikika mara kwa mara akitumia huu msemo wa "kula huku na huku". Nadhani jamii kubwa inahitaji kuelimishwa ikiwa ni pamoja na viongozi. Nimekuwa nikishangazwa sana na ukweli kwamba Tanzania inaendelea kutoa uraia kwa asilimia kubwa ya waasia, amboa sehemu yao kubwa ni raia wa USA, UK na Canada. Sote tunajua kwa Tanzania haina vyombo vya kuchunguza uraia wa hawa waombaji zaidi ya kutoa picha zao kwenye magazeti na kusema mwenye pingamizi na atoe taarifa wizara ya uhamiaji. Watanzania wa kuzaliwa hawawezi kuwa tishio kwa usalama wa taifa kama viongozi wanavyojenga hoja. Sababu kubwa ya msingi ni chuki na wivu. Hela zetu wanazipenda, na hata JK alipokuja hapa canada mwaka juzi alisisitiza tuongeza kutuma hela nyumbani, tusikubali kupitwa na Kenya na Uganda. Sijui ni kwanini serikali inaona ni sawa tu wenzetu Kenya kuruhusu uraia pacha wakati sisi tumebaki nyuma. Imekuwa ni desturi yetu Tanzania kuwa nyuma kwa kila kitu, ni kama vile hatujiamini kufanya maamuzi mpaka kwanza fulani afanye ndio nasisi tufuate hapo nyuma baadae. Sijui kama tutafika!
ReplyDeleteMdau wa Ng'ambo
Mdau wa Ng'ambo hujaongea lolote la maana zaidi ya kusema wapitishe uraia pacha kwakuwa nchi zingine kama Kenya wanafanya hivyo. Wanadiaspora tumeshindwa kulitetea hili swala ipasavyo tunatoa sababu laini laini tu katika utetezi, kuna muda naona watanzania wako sawa kulipinga. Pia hakuna sababu yakuandika kingereza kuwaelewesha watanzania wanaoongea kiswahili zaidi
ReplyDeleteBinamu Yako
Mdau #2 nakukubali. Wewe pamoja na mwandishi nawapa ongera na sapoti mia, mia. Kweli ulimwengu umebadilika na siye inabidi tubadilike kwa maendeleo ya wote. "Mnyonge mnyongeni lakini haki yake mpeni" Na Watanzania wote popote pale walipo wana haki ya kurudi kwao bila vikwazo.
ReplyDeleteMbongo-Chiberia.
namshauri mchangiaji akitaka aelewke zaidi na watu wote atumie lugha ya Taifa lake kuwapa nafasi na wale wasioipata lugha ya kongereza kielewa anazungumza nini. nina imano ana mchango mzuri sana lakini lugha ndugu yangu
ReplyDeleteKama mtu kaamua kuukana uraia wa Tz, huyo tunamashaka naye ipo siku atatutia majanga, na Kama unaona uraia wa Tz ni muhimu kwasababu mmesikia kuna Gesi Mtwara ukaneni uraia wa hizo nchi mlizoamua kwenda kutusaliti, katika hili hakuna kubembelezana na mtu, mbona kina Bilionea ALIKO DANGOTE wa Nigeria wamekuja wekeza Mtwara bila ya kubadili uraia? mna lenu jambo au mmetumwa na KAGAME? Kama Tz itaruhusu uraia pacha kabla ya nyie mnao jifanya waTz hamjaomba huo uraia wataomba kwanza Wanyarwanda, pili Wakenya, tatu Waganda n.k. kwasababu wametafuta fursa hiyo kupitia EAC wameshindwa sasa wamepata watu wa kuja kuwasaidia kuwasemea ndio maana nasema mmetumwa? waje kuchukua ardhi na rasilimali zetu? muwekezaji wa ukweli hawezi kuuliza habari za uraia pacha. Katika hili hakuna kubembelezana ng'ooooooooooooh! tutapiga hata kura ya maoni. wewe kama unaona uraia wa TZ sasa unasoko ukane ulionao njoo tuneng'eneke huku bongo.
ReplyDeleteMdau wa kwanza, wa tatu na wa sita bado hamna point. Mmetoa pointi zilizo nje ya article hii na hamjasema lolote lile la maana. Hawa jamaa wa diaspora wana haki ya kuzungumzia changamoto zao. Na nadhani uraia pacha sio kitu kibaya kwa sababu haujafanyika utafiti wa kusema kuwa suala hili ni baya. CCM OYEEE! URAIA PACHA OYEEE! Sisi wa CCM tutapitisha uraia pacha. Tuachane na wachache kwenye chama hiki kama William Malecela wanaopinga bila ya kuwa na sababu muhimu.
ReplyDeleteHatutaki urai popo!
ReplyDeleteSikubaliani na hoja za mchangiaji wa kwanza. Kwa kuwa ni mtazamo wake sina budi kuyasoma bila kuyaweka akilini. Jambo la msongi kuwepo na mdahalo wa wazi ambao utafanyika nchini ili pande zote zieleze bayana dukuduku lao
ReplyDeletekukana uraia hautabadilisha mtu alikozaliwa sasa inakuaje mtu alazimishwe kukuna uraia na mahali alikozaliwa pabakie palepale you get the point? Hawa watu wakirudi nyumbani mtawapa kazi? waacheni watafute maisha jamani mbona hat hawa wachina waturuki wahindi n.k wamekuja hapa si wanatafuta maisha
ReplyDelete? pesa wanayozalisha wanapeleka kwao na watanzania waishio nje pia pesa yao wanaleta nyumbani kujiwekea miradi na watanzania wanapata ajira kipitia miradi hii hii. ndugu zangu amkeni na hili swala lifikiriwe zaidi na lipitshwe.