ZANZIBAR President Hussein Mwinyi’s move to directly address citizens’ concerns through ‘Sema na Rais’ (SNR) initiative is significantly paying off with several stalled, prolonged and unsettled disputes being resolved.
According to the Zanzibar Government Chief Spokesperson, Mr Charles Hilary, as SNR marks two years since its establishment, the initiative has made remarkable progress and addressed 7,566 (equivalent to 77 per cent) filed complaints out of 9,829 by February this year,
The SNR is an official app for Zanzibar President, and probably the first mobile application in Tanzania that allows citizens to submit their complaints concerning government institutions services delivery, especially where delayed and unsettled disputes are resolved through justice systems.
“SNR has been playing an important role in finding solutions to many challenges as it involves the president,” said Mr Hilary.
Mr Hilary pointed out some of the recent success stories as the one when Dr Mwinyi heard and resolved dispute over ownership of the House No 10/99- Michenzani flats, pitting Masoud Mussa (complainant) and Abdulkarim Omar Salum (respondent). It was decided that each gets a room at the flat.
“Another dispute heard by the President Mwinyi was the one involving a house No 6/10- Michenzani flats, between Eshe Ali Salim and Abbas Abdalla Mohamed, where the government ruled in favour of Eshe in the current lease agreement,” Mr Hillary said here yesterday.
Mr Hilary, who also doubles as the Director of Communications- Zanzibar State House also mentioned a case where Feisal Ali Said complained against his landlord- Zanzibar Housing Corporation (ZHC) to evict him from house number 239, Hurumzi Street in Stone Town.
He said after the president perused the documents presented by both parties, it was decided that Feisal should continue to rent the house and directed ZHC to find another house for the new tenants, who wanted to replace him.
“Also, on the issue that ZHC had increased house rent from 250,000/- to 2m/- per month for a tenant who had renovated and turned the house No 781 on Hurumzi Street, Stone Town for living into a business centre, the government has decided that both the tenant who had incurred renovation costs have a fresh dialogue with ZHC to resolve the matter,” Mr Hillary said.
Another conflict where President Mwinyi intervened through SNR was over Gharib Ali Issa, who complained against ZHC for evicting him from house number 213 in Hurumzi, where he lived, Dr Mwinyi directed ZHC management to respond or reply in writing about the debts in dispute.
Mr Hillary said that despite SNR’s achievements in the past two years, there are some executives in public offices not doing enough in responding to people’s complaints, and that they needed to be accountable and act fast to the expectation of the president.
The SNR system (+255772444449 and APP) was created to improve communication with local people in Zanzibar, to send and track status of their complaints, which are shared among SNR officers and respective public institutions (through tables connected with special Numbers), with close follow-up of President Mwinyi.
Mr Haji Khamis- Manager SNR said that they have been going on well and that by February this year, 7,566 (equivalent to 77 percent) filed complaints out of 9,829 have been closed after being resolved, while 2,263 are pending (about 23 per cent), and that 1,208 complaints failed to meet criteria.