Free education, universal health insurance reflect socialist ideals, says Wasira
MOSHI: RULING party CCM National Vice-Chairman, Stephen Wasira has said socialism remains the foundation of Tanzania’s development policies and programmes, dismissing claims that the ideology has become obsolete.
Speaking to CCM members in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region over the weekend, Mr Wasira said key government initiatives, including free education and efforts to establish universal health insurance coverage, are rooted in socialist principles.
“Those who claim socialism is outdated do not understand it. The principles guiding the country today are the same principles of socialism. Free education and the ongoing drive to establish health insurance for all are clear examples of its achievements,” he said.
Mr Wasira cited Kilimanjaro Region as an example of the benefits of socialism, arguing that without it, land and coffee farms would likely have been concentrated in the hands of a few private individuals.
“Had we not embraced socialism in Kilimanjaro, most of the coffee farms would have been bought up by private interests. It is misleading to suggest they would still be owned by ordinary citizens,” he said.
He also underscored the importance of private-sector investment, describing it as both necessary and inevitable for economic growth.
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Quoting the Father of the Nation, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Mr Wasira noted that income disparities are a natural feature of economic activity.
“People will never earn the same income. A tomato farmer in Kilimanjaro cannot be compared with a gas producer in Lindi. Likewise, miners cannot be compared with those who do not engage in mining,” he said.
Mr Wasira said the government’s role is to promote social justice by taxing those with greater economic capacity and using public resources to support vulnerable groups.
“You cannot build a country without capital. Capital belongs to individuals and companies. Our responsibility is to collect taxes and use them to improve the welfare of the less privileged,” he said.
