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| President John Magufuli. |
President John Magufuli is expected to officiate at this year’s Independence Day celebrations on December 9, the first time since he assumed the presidency on November 5, 2015.
Dr Magufuli cancelled fanfares for his first Independence Day in office last year, serving the 4bn/- budget, which he directed to the expansion of a Dar es Salaam road.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and Disabled, Ms Jenista Mhagama, said in a statement yesterday that the country will on Friday celebrate the 55th independence anniversary with pomp, colour and style at Uhuru Stadium in the city.
The minister said President Magufuli is scheduled to grace the celebrations, which will be coloured by various activities, including a military parade, choirs and traditional dances.
With hardly a month in office last year, Dr Magufuli scrapped the Independence Day celebrations, ordering all Tanzanians to celebrate the day through a cleanup exercise.
Through celebration cancellation, the government saved the 4bn/- allocated budget, which President Magufuli directed to the expansion of Mwenge-Morocco road in the city.
Construction works to expand the 4.3-kilometre stretch from the previous three to five lanes started immediately and its completion eased traffic congestion along the route.
The then Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue had announced that there would be no official ceremony to celebrate independence anniversary, instead directing the public to engage in nation building work, especially the cleaning campaign to check re-occurrence of filthy-borne diseases.
Dr Magufuli surprised the world on the independence day when he walked out of State House in full gears to collect rubbish off the streets. Dozens of fishermen joined in the clean up with the president who shovelled leaves and plastic rubbish close to a fish market near the presidential palace as hundreds looked on.
He was supported by all Tanzanians including former president Jakaya Kikwete, who took part in the exercise at his Chalinze home where he participated in sweeping and gathering rubbish.
“I am happy with his exercise. Let us give our president full support in his campaign to fight cholera and other communicable diseases,” former president Kikwete was quoted as saying.
This year’s theme of the celebrations, according to Ms Mhagama, is ‘Let us support government efforts against corruption as well as strengthening an industrial economy for our development.’
“On behalf of the government, I want to request Tanzanians from all walks of life to celebrate this day by remembering the founders of the nation who fought tirelessly to ensure that our country is independent,” she said, underscoring the need for Tanzanians to rally behind the government’s fight against graft.
The minister said special parade mounted by members of the defence forces, traditional dances from Mbeya, Coast, Lindi and Zanzibar as well as dances from Bongo Flavour artists, among others, will colour the event.
“I invite all Dar es Salaam residents to turn up in big numbers to celebrate the independence day,” she appealed.
Daily News
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