AfricaPress-Tanzania: AS residents of planet Earth, we all know that freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction and this is inherently the right of all people.
However, such freedom of speech has limits on the principle that we’re not allowed to harm others to get what we want and that is why we’re not allowed to use to speech for force, fraud, or defamation, you name it especially this times of campaigns leading to the general elections.
This is the time all sorts of politicians will climb the balcony to tell their electorates of what they plan to do to them once voted into Parliament, Council or at the helm of the State.
Whether these pledges are sheer lies or facts, they still deserve respect as fellow Tanzanians, above all human beings, who have rights to speech and, hence, should not be abused or heckled for the sake of peace in the country.
Tanzanians want one another for the country to grow after the elections, which come and go.
Just as President John Magufuli has repeatedly pointed out that development of the country does not rest on one’s religion, political inclination and tribe, Tanzanians want peace as it has been since independence so that whoever wins in the elections get time and support to implement his party’s election manifestoes.
This is now a collective responsibility for all citizens, not the police alone, PCCB (Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau) and other security organs to see into it that the country remains peaceful and people go about their businesses undeterred.
Tanzanians want a country where nationals or politicians can differ on ideologies and trade challenges not emotions, blows and insults.
Tanzanians want a country, where politicians like wrestlers or boxers, you name it in any sport and game, compete and after a winner is declared, he/she is congratulated, awarded and supported to enable the country fight diseases, ignorance, poverty and corruption, the foundation of the nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere singled out four enemies of development.
When it comes to realizing and attaining peace, there should be no compromise, because peace and security is an essential factor of human life.
A peaceful and secure environment is critical to every society since it affects all aspects of economic and social development in a country, and is a necessary sin-qua non to the realization of human rights.
