IT has become standard practice for us, that, whenever we comment on the appointments that President John Magufuli makes to important posts, we chip in the caution he sounded at the very outset of his administration.
Before getting to the proverbial heart of the matter, it would be helpful for us to recall that Dr Magufuli had himself been a presidential appointee in a couple of ministerial dockets.
He had noted that, the appointments were attended by much merry-making by some of the appointees, as well as their relatives, friends and acquaintances.
The standard notion was that the appointee had made it, but more for the openings for bright financial, material and other gains, rather than, primarily, for national service.
Given the zeal that the Magufuli-led administration demands, and the matching zeal of dropping those whose performance is deemed wanting, it is understandable why presidential appointments have everything to do with gearing up for high-level performance and nothing whatsoever with social celebration.
It is no wonder, indeed, that at swearing-in ceremonies at the State House, the appointees know, full-well, that they have been set onto the ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ mode.
Thus was the obvious scenario when the Head of State swore in various envoys accredited to overseas countries and missions.
Economic diplomacy is now increasingly factored into relations between particular countries, beyond the political dimension.
For economic vibrancy plays a crucial role in driving the economies of specific countries, and, as such, the diplomatic dimension has to be factored rationally onto the scenario for the best results.
A judicious combination of the two is what the government is striving to attain. It was manifest in President Magufuli’s sentiments to nine newly accredited ambassadors to Tanzania whom he met separately at the State House in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.
The Head of State urged the envoys to drum up the eagerness of prospective investors in their countries to venture into business in Tanzania, in fields that include mining, oil, gas, agriculture and fisheries.
We wish to point out, however, that, whereas Tanzania enjoys excellent diplomatic relations with several countries, some Tanzanians, without an iota of shame, are literally champions of mudslinging the country.
They are a species devoid of the patriotic spirit, but we are confident that they can never wreck our excellent ties with several friends spread across the globe.
