Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli yesterday held talks with businessman Rostam Aziz in a surprise development that sparked debate on social media.
The meeting at State House was revealed in the afternoon
in photographs and a video of the two sharing a light moment posted online by
the President’s communications director, Mr Gerson Msigwa.
Although Dr Magufuli also met opposition politicians
James Mbatia and John Cheyo around the same time, it was his talks with Mr Aziz
that drew the most public interest online.
Mr Aziz is one of Tanzania’s well known and established
businessmen with wide interests locally and internationally. He was also one of
CCM’s kingpins in his heyday in politics and at one time served as the ruling
party’s treasurer.
However, he has largely been missing from the limelight
after quitting politics in a huff in 2011 while accusing unnamed individuals in
CCM of a “witch-hunt”.
He also resigned as Igunga MP after serving for 17
uninterrupted years from 1994.
Until yesterday when he appeared smiling broadly beside
the President, Mr Aziz had maintained a low profile, mainly concentrating on
his business empire that traverses several continents.
In Tanzania, the billionaire is known best for his huge
stake in Vodacom Tanzania and in Caspian that carried out construction works
for gold and other mines. He also has interests in several other companies,
including at Dar es Salaam Port and the media.
No official reason was given for Dr Magufuli’s meeting with
Mr Aziz but the statement from State House said he praised the President’s
economic reform agenda and pledged to support him.
He hinted his areas of support in the recorded video clip
shortly after the closed-door meeting with the President.
“As a businessman, what I see being done at present is
the laying down of the foundations for the economy (which will make it) grow in
a more assuring manner,” said Mr Aziz.
He added: “In economic terms, we call it the removal of
distortions in order to have a level playing field (so that) people can be able
to carry out their businesses freely and justly, and that’s how the economy can
grow in comparison to how it was in the past.”
“We support the President by making sure Tanzanians
invest in our country, growing our economy…that’s the key for us as
businesspeople,” the State House statement quoted him saying.
In the video clip, a relaxed Mr Aziz and the Head of
State share light banter, with the businessman telling Dr Magufuli that he
supports Young Africans FC.
The timing of Mr Aziz’s meeting drew wide interest as it
conjured images of big business endorsement of the government’s economic agenda
amid claims that the current administration was anti-private sector.
That one of the biggest and sometimes controversial names
in business circles was endorsing the reforms agenda, was central in the debate
by Tanzanians online who tried to make sense of the meeting.
Sources close to his businesses told The Citizen last
evening that the businessman has for some time since last year been seeking
audience with the President on unspecified matters.
The businessman has lately spent most of his time outside
the country and was rarely reported in the local media. His name occasionally
cropped up in public like when his younger brother Akram Aziz was arrested and
charged in court early November on 75 counts of economic sabotage.
The younger Aziz is currently in remand after pleading
not guilty to the charges which included those of money laundering and being in
possession of government trophy and illegal firearms and ammunition. Economic
sabotage and money laundering are unbailable.
Mr Aziz was also recently in the news when Vodacom
announced it would hold a special annual general meeting today to seek
permission to take over his shares in the company via Mirambo worth $200
million (over Sh400 billion).
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