AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRESIDENT John Magufuli has dissolved Dar es Salaam City Council, while promoting Ilala Municipal to a City Council effective February 24, 2021.
President Magufuli had earlier on the day expressed the government’s intention to dissolve the Dar es Salaam City Council, to ensure good expenditure of the taxpayers’ money.
He had pledged to swiftly endorse the proposal submitted by the Ministry of State – Local Government and Regional Administration on the restructuring of the Dar es Salaam region.
And a statement issued today by the Ministry, confirmed that the President had effected the changes as per the Local Government (Urban Authorities) Act, which gives him powers to establish and dissolve urban councils.
President Magufuli reached the decision to dissolve the Dar es Salaam City Council in accordance with Article 84 of the Local Government (Urban Authorities) Act Chapter 288, which vested the powers to the President to dissolve the status of a city, reads the statement signed by Minister Selemani Jafo.
Furthermore, according to the powers vested to the president, as provided in Article 5(1) Local Government (Urban Authorities) Act Chapter 288, President Magufuli has promoted Ilala Municipal Council to become Dar es Salaam City Council effective yesterday.
The statement said that other legal procedures will be made including transferring activities of the dissolved council to the newly established one.
The statement said that civil servants of dissolved city council will be relocated to other duty stations, while transfer of assets and liabilities of the dissolved city council will be made in accordance with Local Government (Urban Authorities) Act Chapter 288.
Speaking at the launching of Ubungo interchange, renamed after the late Chief Secretary Eng John Kijazi, in honour of his massive contribution to the road sub-sector, the Head of State said the plan would allow one municipality within Dar es Salam to be upgraded to a city council and others to retain their municipality status.
He said that it is wastage of resources to have ward councillors at the City Council, who are being allocated with budget but they don’t have any development projects.
“I want one municipality to be upgraded to a city and others will retain their status… I think Ilala can be upgraded to such status but this will also depend on other factors… this system has been applied in other cities like Dodoma,” Dr Magufuli said, before effecting the changes.
He said that allocating a budget for councillors at City Council, who just represent their municipalities is misusing resources that could fund other development activities.
“If you have four or more municipalities like in Dar es Salaam and then councilors at city level, who have no representative areas except their municipalities, it is a wastage of funds… it is better to channel such money to road projects… this would be proper expenditure of the taxpayers’ money,” Dr Magufuli said.
He assured that Dar es Salaam City will continue to exist but it will come from one of the municipalities.
“I think Ilala has the qualities of becoming a City council since it is located at the centre”.
The president, however, assured the public that the government will continue to improve various infrastructures in Dar es Salaam, which remains the country’s commercial capital.
“We are committed to ensure that Dar es Salaam is transformed to a modern commercial capital since it has been the country’s capital for more than 60 years,” he said.
He further detailed that, there were various projects which are underway in Dar es Salaam such as water projects, which are expected to increase the availability of the precious liquid by 100 per cent come 2024.
Dr Magufuli also said that plans were underway to construct 10 bridges in Dar es Salaam to reduce traffic congestion and improve transport infrastructure in the city.
For his part, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Abubakar Kunenge said that, since coming into power, Dr Magufuli’s government has allocated 1tri/- for water projects in the region .
“To date, water availability in the region is 92 per cent and we expect to attain 100 per cent water supply come 2024,” he said.
He added that the fifth phase government also has dished out 1.93tri/- for execution of roads projects and 56.8bn/- for provision of free education.
Administratively, Dar es Salaam City has five municipal councils which are Temeke, Kinondoni, Ilala, Ubungo and Kigamboni.
Dar es Salaam City Council is headed by the Mayor, who is elected by the Full Council. The full council is formed by 26 councilors from five municipalities in the city.
The members include five mayors, 16 councilors and five Members of Parliament. Ends
