AfricaPress-Tanzania: MOROGORO residents have said after participating in Wednesday’s general election they will concentrate on development activities.
The residents, who consisted of various groups, including motorists, food vendors and other petty traders, said they were not ready to allow any person, especially politicians who delayed them in achieving development goals.
“After the general election and after the National Electoral Commission (NEC) declared Dr John Magufuli (CCM), President-elect, we will not allow politicians to convince us to participate in protests,” they said.
They said they still had high hopes for Dr Magufuli to lead the nation for the next five years.
A resident of Morogoro Municipal Council, Mr Ahuman Salum (aka Chinga) said this year’s general election was free and fair due to transparency on the polling-day and also NEC raised awareness that led them to vote for the leader of their choice.
He said Morogoro residents, including him, listened to candidates’ policies which helped them decide who to vote for.
“No one will agree to reverse what we have witnessed. From where we are now and where we are going to, we will not remain in a middle income economy, but sustainable economy,” said Mr Salum.
He urged the youth to restrain from protests and instead look after their families and parents after voting. He also urged opposition parties to go back to the drawing table and set new strategies for 2025.
For those who plan to protest, it might have serious consequences for them and their families, said a food vendor, Ms Nuru Hatibu, as she urged the residents to continue with their daily development activities.
Another resident of Amani Street, Mji Mkuu Ward, in Morogoro Municipal Council, Mr Idrisa Juma, expressed his gratitude for holding a peaceful election.
He asked Tanzanians to continue with activities that would develop and build their nation.
Mr Juma, congratulated President Magufuli on being elected by the overwhelming majority of votes because Tanzanians trusted him for what he was doing in the past five years and what he had promised them to achieve in the next five years.
He took the opportunity to urge the youth to ignore calls for staging unlimited protests as they were of no use to them.
Meanwhile, another resident from Kilakala Ward in Morogoro Municipal Council, Mr Wilchester Matu, those who were persuading people to stage protests were not doing justice to Tanzanians who had voted for the leaders of their choice.
“It is not easy for people to go for protests. Those who want to march should just wait as in five years they will have a chance to vote for the leaders they want,” he said.
Other residents, Mr Dotto Evarist, Mr Kulwa Evaristi, Mr Alphone Zacharia, Mr Juma Ndeka, Mr Mohamed Hamis and Mr Iddi Juma, also at different times thanked God that the election was peaceful and after the election life must continue.
“I know that Dr Magufuli has won the majority of votes and there is no need to stage protests. There is work after election,” commented Mr Dotto Evarist.
“There is no such a thing as saying let’s protest. Such a thing will never happen. Let’s continue.”
