Calls For Killing Of Tanzania's Opposition Legislator Zitto Kabwe Over Withheld World Bank Loan

Some members of Tanzania's ruling party, CCM, have called for killing of the country's prominent opposition member of parliament and fearless whistle-blower, Zitto Kabwe, over a withheld loan from the World Bank. That was reported by various media on February 3, 2020.

According to the reports, the death threats began following a letter Mr Zitto Kabwe wrote to the World Bank in support of some local human rights groups that had requested the bank to suspend a $500 million loan for education to Tanzania, on grounds of the current government's policy of excluding pregnant girls from the public education realm.

Albeit the human rights groups' request to the bank hence Mr Kabwe's letter presents genuine concern about what they see as a flawed government policy, Mr Kabwe is said to have been mercilessly lambasted by members of the ruling party including the speaker of the country's parliament for writing to the bank, as been treasonous hence unpatriotic. As such, some members of the party called for his killing. This sort of rather barbaric political reaction is unprecedented in Tanzania.

One of the ruling party members calling for Zitto Kabwe killing is reportedly a legislator called Abdallah Bulembo. The latter is said to have told the parliament that Zitto Kabwe should be eliminated, amidst applauding colleagues from his party. Also calling for the killing of Mr Kabwe is said to be CCM youth wing official called Kenani Kihongosi who thinks Mr Kabwe's letter to the World Bank defames Tanzania and therefore he must be killed!

Notwithstanding, however, legislator Zitto Kabwe is said to have dismissed the ruling party's non-patriotism allegations, correctly saying and we quote partly as thus:

".........being patriotic does not mean being loyal to the government but to the country........"

And continued as thus:

".........there's no greater way to express patriotism than to criticize the government when it does wrong".

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