No vote, no right to complain

DEAR Tanzanians in the diaspora, let us have a frank talk, not over chai, but over ballots. You have crossed oceans, climbed the career ladder in foreign lands, some of you even drive Teslas now. But guess what? Tanzania is still yours.

And as the general elections approach, it is time to take that patriotism out of the WhatsApp group chats and into action. You did not just leave home to chase a dream, you also picked up new skills, ideas and, hopefully, a passport that opens more than two doors.

With all that exposure, it is time to plug back into Tanzania and use your international edge to shape it. You do not need to fly back waving a flag, but your engagement, your voice and your vote, simply because they matter.

Now, before anyone says, “But I don’t do politics”, let us clarify. Voting is not just about politics; it is about responsibility. Whether you are red, blue, yellow, apolitical, spiritual, atheist, male, female, undecided, or still using your cousin’s Netflix password, your vote counts.

And more than that, your influence counts. We know how loud you can be in Twitter spaces and Facebook comments. How about that same energy in mobilising your relatives, friends and neighbours back home? Encourage them to vote.

Translate what you have seen in countries with higher civic participation into something relatable back home. Show them that democracy is not a one-day costume party, it is a continuous, everyday commitment to making the nation better. Tanzania needs thinkers, doers, builders and yes, voters.

It is not about who you support, it is about standing up for the future. If we want better schools, hospitals, roads and jobs, it all starts at the ballot box.

That is not just patriotic talk; it is practical reality. For instance, speaking of showing up, Ambassador Mobhare Matinyi in Sweden recently met Tanzanians in diaspora in the country to set a shining example of how our diplomatic envoys can bridge the gap between Tanzania and her sons and daughters abroad.

We need more of this. More embassies hosting forums, more ambassadors pulling out the chairs for conversations that matter. Let the Tanzanian embassies become mini-parliaments of development talk, not just places you renew your passport.

To our ambassadors abroad, get out of the suits and into the community. Talk to our people. Give them updates, share government plans, hear their concerns. Familiarisation should not be an annual PowerPoint; it should be a conversation that never stops, especially now as the general elections loom.

The diaspora is not just a donor base; it is a think-tank with global ideas. Tap into it. So, diaspora family vote if eligible. If not, amplify the importance of voting to those who can. Let us stop being online warriors and start being civic champions.

Because the most powerful export Tanzania has ever produced is not coffee, tanzanite, or cloves, it is you and hence, reciprocate. It is time to turn your foreign exposure into local impact. Because if you don’t shape the Tanzania you want, someone else will.