Tanzania government targets critical media

Hali Halisi Publishers Limited

PRESS RELEASE
27TH September 2007

MwanaHALISI under fire of political missile


MwanaHALISI, a weekly tabloid published by Hali Halisi Publishers Limited (HHP) of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has information about a conspiracy, by individuals and groups, to suffocate and kill the citizens’ freedom to seek and receive information.

There is an underground movement by individuals and groups, currently sowing fear among media outlets, especially MwanaHALISI, its publishers, printers, editors, reporters, correspondents and individual private contributors.

Such machinations against MwanaHALISI, are not new. For nearly a year now, there have been threats through a number of ways, including attack letters from either the government or individual citizens, threatening to arraign us in court for our style of reporting and analysis. We have managed to arrest their desires by our continued reporting of truth and by categorically stating that we unwaveringly stand by our style and reports.

But since last week, especially after a loose-cooperation of opposition political parties released a list of eleven alleged corrupt individuals in public office, conspiracies to wipe out the people’s outlet have been more distinct.

The alleged corrupt persons in public office include the current president Jakaya Kikwete and former president Benjamin Mkapa. Others are Premier Edward Lowassa, Governor of the Central Bank Daudi Balali, ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party’s national treasurer Rostam Aziz, government ministers Andrew Chenge, Basil Mramba and Nazir Karamagi. Also alleged are principal secretaries Gray Mgonja and Patrick Rutabanzibwa and lawyer-m businessman cum member of parliament, Nimrod Mkono.

Simply because our newspaper did its professional duty; that of making public all names of alleged corrupt leaders and their position in the malfeasance, just as they were read out at a public rally at a Dar es Salaam suburb, now everyone who wants to discount the allegations does it in widely publicized manner and concludes by promising to sue, among others, MwanaHALISI, and our printers, Printech.

A series of vows, real or empty threats, to sue the outlet and its printers – for alleged defamation – is a new, calculated move to sow fear among publishers, printers and journalists. The move is intended to mar interest and initiative in continued exposure as more information on the alleged malfeasance unfolds and spill faster.

It is very unfortunate that the detractors fail to appreciate the fact that it is this very vehicle – MwanaHALISI – which is poised to report correctly, fairly and truthfully on findings about the allegations. To have this outlet smashed is, indeed a calamitous grieve to them and society as a whole.

It’s a relief that advocate Nimrod Mkono has said he would not sue MwanaHALISI because the outlet has no money to pay him. Here, he has put himself on the side of the winner of the case well before he goes to court. But the truth is that we indeed do not have money to give to the opulent. The only money we have is already planned for promotion of people’s freedoms and right to information.

The fastest way to deprive life to an information medium, and here I am referring to MwanaHALISI, is to build blocks along its way to a printing press.

Already the management at Printech has been threatened in two ways: First, by being told blatantly that the press will be “ordered” to close because of their insistence on printing MwanaHALISI. Secondly, it is through threats to sue them in court for defamation. MwanaHALISI is also under the same threats.

There are two important points to observe as regards to this issue: First, Printech is not a government printing press nor does it belong to those facing allegation of corruption. This is an independent private company. It uses printing machines donated for one major purpose: To promote media development in Tanzania and Africa.

Second, it is not secret that such printing presses have been donated to, and are in operation in, Zambia, Lesotho, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Plans are underway to have the same machines installed in Mozambique for the same purpose.

This important project for the development of media aims to give capacity to up-coming publishers with the clear view of promoting democratic values and freedom of the press. The project is under SAMDEF – Southern Africa Media Development Fund with its headquarters in Botswana.

To this effect, this is not a project whose management can very easily be twisted and threatened by anybody who wants to do so. We print with Printech because we value the assistance of those who value freedom and quality of information and media as a whole.

Donors to Printech, who include George Soros, founder of Open Society Institute (OSI), with branches all over the world, will be struck with astonishment to see this country wants to ditch this grand assistance through Printech; the assistance whose main objective is to bring about development for the entire citizenry.

At MwanaHALISI we try hard to report and strictly record what society and its people say, how they say what they say, how they are addressed and how the communicators were heard and even interpreted by audiences. And in this, we don’t find any unpleasantness, fault or criminality. Indeed, herein we find pride and pleasure.

It is our ardent hope that management at Printech will not shift its stand and that it will perform its duty without fear or favour.

We have a contract with Printech. We are guided by the principle that views expressed in the outlet are not necessarily those of the printer. If that principle is adhered to, and at the same time MwanaHALISI adheres to professionalism, truth and faithfulness, none will derail us from our objectives.

I have been heartened by a statement by the General Manager of Printech which was communicated to MwanaHALISI on 26/09/2007 pertaining to threats resulting from the continued printing of our newspaper. He has said he will never back down on threats in the execution of his responsibility.

However, this remains a big war between the two parties: Those who want to suppress information about them, more especially when they are and remain in public offices, on one hand; and those sworn recorders of all that is said so that wananchi get to read, understand, analyze and decide on information given, on the other. In this, when supported by communities, we shall definitely win the war. Our message to everyone is that, we don’t want your communication vehicle smashed to debris.

Saed Kubenea
Managing Director

Distribution list:
- General Manager, Printech
- Executive Officer, SAMDEF – Botswana
- Director, MAELEZO
- Media Council of Tanzania
- MISA-Tanzania
- Media institutions
- Diplomatic Missions
- NGOs, CSOs, CBOs

Presentation at Digital Citizen Indaba

I have been making a presentation at the Digital Citizen Indaba in South Africa, taking place at Rhodes University in Grahamsatown as part of the Highway Africa Conference. My presentation was on Language and Blogosphere: Fractured identities and Blogging in Kiswahili. More reports to come.

AIDS conference kicks off in Australia

I am in Sydney, Australia, to attend the IAS 2007 conference, which starts today. I will be uploading some relevant stories. Meanwhile, you may wish to follow up what is going on at the conference, from the IAS website. Just click here.

Blog for AIDS Conference in Sydney

This blog: for a very useful reading on AIDS Conference in Sydney, Australia.

Celebrating Mass in Dead Language

Forty years after the Vatican II, the Catholic Church can still celebrate Mass in Latin albeit few priests fluent in and conversant with the dead language.

Pope blesses parents of missing girl

Read the story of Madeleine's parents receiving the Papal blessing.

Nigeria's new president sworn in

The new president of Nigeria Umaru Yar'Adua has been sworn. His first pledge is putting an end to oil conflicts in the West African country.

Zambia's Chiluba in hospital

Former President of Zambia Frederick Chiluba is unwell with heart problems. Chiluba's health is feared to have been seriously affected by corruption charges against him. Find stories about him HERE.

Brown to beat Blair charisma?

Is this a joke? Gordon Brown, the British PM in waiting, says he will revitalise the unpopular Labour Party. Should we believe he is deterimined to beat the Blair charisma? Can he? READ HIM HERE.

Someone has abducted this child

I think abduction is a mortal sin, for I cannot fancy why on earth someone should 'steal' somebody's child! Recent case in point: Madeleine.

Your Views on The Pontifical Visit of Brazil

Pope Benedict XVI is on a major tour of Brazil. Find other stories on this Link. What are your views on this pontifical tour?

The Tony Blair Story

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has just announced his departure from office after a 10-year rule. But few people know his STORY. Are you one of them? Read it HERE. Find here what ANALYSTS SAY about him, and read him VERBATIM, HERE. You may also wish to see what STATISTICS show of the Blair decade in Britain. Good luck!

My four-year-old question to President Bush

I have uncovered this article from my archives, about the question I asked US President George W. Bush four years ago. No changes have been made to the article. Read on.

Let us ask Bush; who is next after Saddam Hussein?

By Ansbert Ngurumo, writing from Kyoto, Japan

On Tuesday morning March 18, 2003, I watched and listened to the US President, George W. Bush, as he gave a 48-hour ultimatum to Iraq President Saddam Hussein. He appeared seriously determined to go to war. I sensed he rather blamed himself for having delayed to hit Iraq. He spoke convincingly why the US should keep on its track to pursue its way against President Saddam Hussein. Sounding like a world prefect, issuing commands and threats for Saddam Hussein to “leave Iraq” within 48 hours, Bush turned himself into a man with infinite powers. His tone and facial expression charismatically drew sympathy from first-time listeners. I was not one of them.

Seated beside me, as we sipped a cup of tea and watched Bush’s live speech on a TV screen at the Kyoto International Conference Centre, was Ina Thombozi, a Malawian TV presenter. Both of us hated the speech. We disagreed with Bush’s approach. We disliked the US president’s conclusion. We saw no sense in the ultimatum. It appeared to us that in Bush’s mind, Saddam Hussein was the sole Iraq problem. The US president wants him and sons (excluding daughter) out of Iraq. What blessed deeds should we expect after expiry of the deadline?

Bush’s point of view is as if Iraq’s problem lies in Hussein’s trouser pockets. Worse still, Bush cannot tell the world that he knows the next "good" ruler of Iraq. Moreover, he cannot prove himself good enough to declare Hussein too bad to live and rule Iraq. He ignores calls from his own people against the war. He cannot listen to them, but he wants them to listen to him as he pushes forward his wish to invade Iraq.

This is a kind of democracy that Bush is trying to impose on the world. This Bush-democracy categorically defines Saddam Hussein as a tyrant. Bush sees no other tyrant than Hussein. Indeed, to Bush, history is not good enough a teacher. Nevertheless, even without history, he just needs to think twice before deciding whether his military invasion of Iraq is the only alternative.

He is bent on invading Iraq. Moreover, let him not deceive the world, he is not invading Hussein due to the latter’s adamancy, but to due his (Bush) determination. Right from the beginning, he sent troops to Iraq. He had made up his mind for the invasion. He wants Saddam Hussein dethroned or dead.

Is he is talking of rebuilding Iraq after the war? He must be oblivious that millions of his subjects have billions of demands from his government - as he gets close to the end of his tenure in office. Will it be his last one?

He is predicting coming out victorious, the same thing he said before waging war on Afghanistan two years ago in search of terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda. Nevertheless, bin Laden, then declared wanted dead or alive, has escaped Bush’s mighty arm. Neither bin Laden nor the Al Qaeda was destroyed. Such is Bush victory!

Is he trying to prove right South Africa’s former president, Nelson Mandela, on matters of sightedness and thoughtfulness with regard to the so-called current strongest president on earth? What is strength if wisdom is lacking? In my opinion, the era for mighty rulers is over. This one is for those with brains, not swords, bombs and arsenals. Bush lives in a different world. I am convinced he will not make up his mind. Neither will Hussein give up now. War is certain. Souls will perish, as Bush sarcastically insists, telling military and civilian personnel in Iraq: "Don’t destroy oil wells..."

Anything is possible. President Hussein might leave Iraq - perhaps miraculously. His sons might follow him. The US might win the war `swiftly`, as Bush puts it. Nevertheless, the question remains. Will that be the end of the problems between Iraq and the Bush government? Will it be a solution to world peace problems?

My conviction is, uncertainty will prevail. Weapons of mass destruction will abound, whether in Iraq, the US or somewhere else. Indeed, it will be too late for Bush and his allies to know where they went wrong. One wonders if they will seek excuses and demand forgiveness.

This article was written on March 18, 2003 at 13:10hrs, immediately after President Bush's speech. The author, then, working as a Tanzanian correspondent with the Johannesburg-based Media24 Africa, was attending the 3rd World Water Forum taking place in Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka, Japan (March 16-23 2003) when President George W. Bush delivered the charismatic speech to declare US military invasion of Iraq.

Of Chiluba and African presidents

What is your say on the Chiluba corruption ruling?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6624547.stm

Are other reigning or retired presidents in Africa any better off?

And, have you read his reaction to the ruling? Leave your comments below.

Weak leaders hiding faces behind newspapers?

By Ansbert Ngurumo


The government of Tanzania, under President Jakaya Kikwete, is notorious for taming the media to sing its praises. Most notably, the Prime Minister, Edward Lowassa (pictured right), has of late become increasingly infamous in issuing orders and threats to uncompromising editors, publishers and critics. On several grounds, he has threatened to take stern action against newspapers that do not report his government positively. In this article, I am telling him flat to stop abusing his powers. I am telling political leaders to respect the media as a vital tool in enhancing democracy.

A few weeks ago, he issued threats against a daily independent newspaper, Tanzania Daima, in his reaction to a story he did not like. I find his threats highly disheartening, raising more questions than answers.

What is he wary of? What is he trying to hide from the public? How can such a high profile official show enormous timidity of media reports? Why is he running out of patience? Why should he strive to teach journalists how to write good stories about his government? Why doesn't he think journalists can see news through their own lenses? Why does he expect them to think and act like he pleases? Is this his attempt to muzzle the media? Isn't this, threatening the weak, an abuse of the power entrusted in him? Worse still, why should he misuse public funds to pay for adverts in newspapers that publish his threats? Why, Mr Prime Minister?

It all started with a news story in Tanzania Daima newspaper, on November 1st, 2006 with a headline: "Yet another excuse on Dodoma." It irked the Prime Minister, Lowassa. The story resulted from a question-answer session in parliament, regarding the government's slowness in completing the Dodoma capital development project. Dodoma is one of Tanzania's central towns declared the country's capital in 1973, but the country's de facto capital city has so far remained in Dar es Salaam since independence 45 years ago.

The question, which had been posed by the Dodoma Urban member of parliament, Ephraim Madeje, was replied to by the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (responsible for disasters and AIDS), Dr. Lucas Siyame, who said there had been delays in completing the programme due to some weaknesses in the capital development authorities act of 1989. He, however, never mentioned these weaknesses.

Interestingly, there have been many similar questions in the past; with the government always blaming its delays on some factors. This is where the media pegged its story, and said ‘yet another excuse,' a headline that exasperated, not the responsible minister but, interestingly, the Prime Minister; and prompted his notorious reaction.

Lowassa issued a statement and circulated it in various media outlets as a paid advert, threatening to take legal action against the newspaper that had published the story. He said the paper should not have interpreted the minister's answer because its task is reporting, not interpreting news, especially when such news seems to scandalise the government of the day.

He gave the paper a five-day ultimatum, during which it should have apologised and retracted the story; otherwise he would advise relevant authorities to take necessary action'. Experience in Tanzania has shown that similar threats end up in having the targeted ‘culprit' either de-registered or suspended from publishing, hence causing ineffable loss to publishers, staff and public. The presence of a number of draconian laws, including the Newspapers Act if 1976, remains a major blow that keeps Tanzanian media docile, fearing stern action from government, in the absence of the Freedom of Information Act.

With exception of a few independent-minded individual writers in some media houses, many of Tanzanian journalists have recently been caught up in the web of compromising with the government. Lowassa knows them better, because, even before coming to power, he managed to ‘use' some of them and fight his way through.

The current president, Jakaya Kikwete, is termed a ‘friend of the media' not because he has done anything to safeguard the media, but because he managed to manipulate them to his political advantage over his competitors for the last 10 years, assisted by his two long-time comrades - Lowassa and Rostam Azizi. The latter - businessman and legislator for Igunga in Tabora region - has been Kikwete's right hand in spinning the media for the past 10 years during which Kikwete sought presidency..

Its is not a surprise, therefore, that Tanzania's media has kept on showering vain praises on Kikwete's government since he came to power in December 2005, even before he did anything worthwhile. It is a friendship based not on trust but on journalists' hunger, fear and favour. The editors' hunger keeps most of them in the pocket of spin doctors. Their fear keeps them away from critical news to the government. For this reason, self-censorship is at its zenith. The editors know Lowassa's vigilance and sensitivity to media reportage, and how fierce he can be when irritated and tempted to abuse powers vested in him. As a result, most of our media have ended up either writing nothing critical of the government or showering empty praises to obvious failure. Nevertheless, we need to ask ourselves: how long and for whose benefit, shall we let this happen?

In the midst of all this, it was likely that an analytical story by Tanzania Daima newspaper, hinting on the government's latest excuse on Dodoma failure, would attract Lowassa's attention. Three decades after the decision was made, nothing realistic has turned out. Instead, the people witness big budgetary allocations worth billions of shillings for maintenance of the State House and the Prime Minister's Office and residence in Dar es Salaam.

Interestingly enough, the Prime Minister admits that the government's slow pace has been due to the country's poor economy - another excuse. Critics say it is due to lack of government priority on the project.

Three years ago, the same government allocated 3,000,000,000.00 (approximately USD 3,000,000) shillings for the maintenance of the Dar es Salaam State House. This would have been enough money for constructing a new state house in Dodoma. This year, 2006/07, the Prime Minister's office received 1,000,000,000 shillings in budgetary allocation for maintenance of offices in Dar es Salaam, out of the approved 12,757,683,800 shillings, of which only 427,945,000 has been allocated for the Dodoma capital city development. It is obvious that there is lack of political will to turn Dodoma the country's capital.

The Prime Minister has two residences and offices, one in Dodoma and another in Dar es Salaam, but he spends more time in Dar es Salaam. This is what the MP's question implies. Politely put, he wants to know why the government has neglected its own decision on Dodoma, yet it has spent millions of money in a project that never materialises. The newspaper, based on that background, sees an excuse in the government's reply, and so reports.

Does this warrant a threat by the Prime Minister, Lowassa and President Kikwete- the self-styled friends of the Tanzania's media? After all, did the newspaper get it wrong?

Whatever the case, Lowassa's reaction is undemocratic, unjustified and uncalled for; it should be reprimanded. It depicts a character in him that he wants hidden in newspapers: timidity.

He is on record as having used the media to character-assassinate his political competitors, and he would like to stay in control of the news so as to avoid being assassinated by others. To some of us this is corruption of the highest order, not befitting someone of the calibre of prime minister.

Since they came to power, theirs has been a government wary of criticism, up for praises; all out to muzzle the media either by befriending editors or by threatening them when they do not behave accordingly.'

To Lowassa, journalists are mere clerks or messengers whose duty is to write reports, not news, according to the master's whims. To him, good journalists are those that write in favour of the government and the ruling party. It is obvious that this government has no respect for the freedom of expression, the reason why it has tampered with the media stakeholders draft bill of the Freedom of Information Act that was meant to resuscitate the freedom of expression Tanzanians have never enjoyed since independence 45 years ago.

Word is out that the government has drafted a more sinister draft bill soon to be tabled in parliament in place of the media stakeholders' suitable draft bill. The media stakeholders have rejected the drafted bill, but the government is pushing it hard, for reasons better known to it.

Moreover, it is doing all this in the presence of a number of draconian laws that should have been amended or repealed long ago; against which human rights and media activists have been shouting' since early 1990s on the ground that they curtail freedom of expression in the country.

The government of the people' is behaving like, not the servant but, the master of the people. The Prime Minister's reaction - the threats, in fact - indicates that he regards his government not accountable to its people.

Our leaders are attempting to build a democratic country without democratic principles. They are failing to understand that their offices do not belong to them but to the people.

Ours is a government that has lost trust in the values of journalism, but would like to use the same journalism to hide our leaders' ugly deeds - their weakness. To them, whoever sees things differently, is wrong, and should be punished! One needs not predict what may come out of this brutal, and yet timid, behaviour of our leaders. It is detrimental to democracy and the fate of the country.

In addition, should all the people become timid and remain quiet too, soon or later, Tanzania will become a breeding ground for organised despotism that will kill the very spirit that should have been used to build the future of the country. Let us be frank. Leaders' threats coupled with empty media praises will do more harm than good to our country. Let's fight it intrepidly.

This article appeared in Tanzania Daima Newspaper of 19th November 2006. This is an altered, edited translation of the original Kiswahili version accessed at:

http://www.freemedia.co.tz/daima/2006/11/19/makala7.php

Memorable Words of Wisdom

These wisemen lived and died ages ago, but left behind them a wealth of wisdom contained in the following few words:

SOCRATES Greek philosopher in Athens (469 BC - 399 BC - pictured left)

1. True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing

2. I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.

3. By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.

4. Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.

5. The unexamined life is not worth living.

6. Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others.

7. Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love.

8. If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it.

9. The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.

10. Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat.

11. Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.

12. Having the fewest wants, I am nearest to the gods.

13. I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private. This is my teaching, and if this is the doctrine which corrupts the youth, I am a mischievous person. (Socrates, quoted by Plato, 'The Death of Socrates' )

PLATO Greek author & philosopher in Athens (427 BC - 347 BC)

1. If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.

2. Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil.

3. Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

4. Man...is a tame or civilized animal; never the less, he requires proper instruction and a fortunate nature, and then of all animals he becomes the most divine and most civilized; but if he be insufficiently or ill- educated he is the most savage of earthly creatures.

5. Never discourage anyone... who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.

6. Only the dead have seen the end of war.

7. The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.

8. We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

9. Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.

10. No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.

11. You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters.

12. Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.

13. He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.

CONFUCIUS Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)

1. Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

2. Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

3. Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.

4. Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.

5. Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.

6. It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

7. Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.

8. Study the past if you would define the future.

9. The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.

10. To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.

11. To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.

12. What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.

13. When anger rises, think of the consequences.

14. When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.

15. Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.

16. They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.

17. Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.

18. Have no friends not equal to yourself.

19. He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.

20. He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.

ARISTOTLE Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

1. A friend is a second self.

2. All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind.

3. Dignity consists not in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them.

4. Education is the best provision for the journey to old age.

5. Happiness depends upon ourselves.

6. It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered.

7. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

8. Law is mind without reason.

9. Man perfected by society is the best of all animals; he is the most terrible of all when he lives without law, and without justice.

10. Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way... you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.

11. Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.

12. Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.

13. The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law.

14. We are what we repeatedly do.

15. It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.

16. Evil brings men together.

AESOP Greek slave & fable author (620 BC - 560 BC)

1. Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own.

2. In critical moments even the very powerful have need of the weakest.

3. Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten.

4. It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.

5. It is with our passions, as it is with fire and water, they are good servants but bad masters.

6. Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties.

7. Persuasion is often more effectual than force.

8. The smaller the mind the greater the conceit.

9. United we stand, divided we fall.

10. We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.

11. What a splendid head, yet no brain.

12. The gods help them that help themselves.

13. Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything.

14. Union gives strength.

15. Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.

16. People often grudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves.
The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction.

17. Familiarity breeds contempt.

18. Slow and steady wins the race.

19. It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.

20. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

21. Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

SOPHOCLES Greek tragic dramatist (496 BC - 406 BC)

1. A short saying oft contains much wisdom.

2. What you cannot enforce, do not command.

3. No man loves life like him that's growing old.

4. Nobody likes the man who brings bad news.

5. Reason is God's crowning gift to man.

6. Wisdom outweighs any wealth.

7. Truly, to tell lies is not honourable; but when the truth entails tremendous ruin, to speak dishonourably is pardonable.

LAO-TZU Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

1. Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness.

2. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

3. He who knows does not speak; He who speaks does not know.

4. He who knows others is wise; He who knows himself is enlightened.

5. People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.

6. The best [man] is like water. Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them. It dwells in [lowly] places that all disdain. This is why it is so near to Tao.

7. The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.

8. The Way of Heaven is to benefit others and not to injure. The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.

9. To have little is to possess. To have plenty is to be perplexed.

10. To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.

MAHTMA GANDHI Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)

1. Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

2. Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right.

3. Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

4. Hate the sin, love the sinner.

5. Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress.

6. Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.

7. I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers.

8. I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life.

9. I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

10. I want freedom for the full expression of my personality.

11. It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence.

12. It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.

13. One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds.

14. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

15. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

16. When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won.

17. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.

18. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

19. Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS Jewish-Roman historian & turncoat (37 AD - 100 AD)

1. Everyone ought to worship God according to his own inclinations, and not to be constrained by force.

THOMAS JEFERSON 3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)

1. Do not bite at the bait of pleasure till you know there is no hook beneath it.

2. Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.

3. I cannot live without books.

4. In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

5. Never spend your money before you have it.

6. Never trouble another for what you can do for yourself.

7. Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.

8. The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.

9. Advertisements... contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper.

10. If our house be on fire, without inquiring whether it was fired from within or without, we must try to extinguish it.

11. An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.

I pays the mind; the person - you

For the past two years, on a different space, I have been blogging in Kiswahili, promoting one of the official languages of the African Union (AU). While I promise to keep promoting the language on my first blog www.ngurumo.blogspot.com I invite non-Kiswahili speakers and readers, especially those fluent in English to use this new forum to share views, challenges and comments on all spheres of life. The blog's name - serioulsy speaking - suggests it all. Let's talk seriously on serious issues. I promise to keep you posted for an enjoyable reading on politics, medicine, health, technology, law, philosophy, business - even sports and leisure. Truly, this is an ecclectic resource of information, which. I hope will grow into a thought-provoking, learning forum, which will have us have a feeling, at the end of the day, of having properly utilised our precious time by engaging in this mental activity. It pays the mind; the person - you!