Z’bar rejoices big strides

• Mwinyi calls for continued hard work

ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi, at the climax of the 61st anniversary of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution, called for continued hard work as Zanzibar and Tanzanians celebrated a significant milestone on Sunday.

The event, held at Gombani Stadium in South Pemba, commemorated the islands’ promising journey towards political, social and economic transformation under President Mwinyi, the eighth leader of Zanzibar since the revolution.

In his ten-minute speech, President Mwinyi noted the sacrifices made by the country’s forefathers to achieve liberation.

In the course, he paid tribute to the leaders of the revolution, particularly the late Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume, whose leadership was instrumental in guiding Zanzibar towards independence.

“May God bless the departed souls of those who fought for our freedom and may He grant good health to those still with us,” President Mwinyi said.

“This is a very important day for Zanzibar and Tanzania as a whole. We celebrate 61 years of the revolution by reflecting on our achievements socially, economically and politically.”

The president outlined the significant milestones achieved under his administration, including improved infrastructure, enhanced education and healthcare systems, a clean water supply, economic empowerment and progress in democracy and good governance.

He credited these developments to effective revenue collection efforts and urged citizens and government officials to remain committed to hard work for a better future.

“We must continue working diligently,” President Mwinyi said, calling on political leaders, civil society organisations and religious leaders to advocate for and promote peace and stability as they build on the gains made.

President Mwinyi extended his gratitude to Union President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango and other national leaders for their unwavering support and cooperation in driving Zanzibar’s development agenda.

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In his brief remarks before Dr Mwinyi spoke, Zanzibar’s Second Vice-President, Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, thanked both President Samia and President Mwinyi for their visionary leadership, which has transformed the country toward achieving its development goals.

The month-long 61st anniversary celebrations began on December 15, last year, during which, many development projects were inaugurated or had their foundations laid, with the people showing strong cooperation throughout the events.

Addressing Tanzanians through the media on the eve of Revolution Day, President Mwinyi spoke of the significant progress Zanzibar has made in the past 61 years, particularly in maintaining peace, unity and solidarity. He also highlighted advances in socio-economic growth, infrastructure development and strengthening democracy and good governance.

Dr Mwinyi emphasised the enduring legacy of the 1964 Revolution and its transformative impact on the Isles. Under this year’s Revolution theme, “Peace, Unity and Solidarity for Our Development,” he paid tribute to the forefathers of the Revolution, particularly the late Mzee Abeid Amani Karume, whose sacrifices laid the foundation for Zanzibar’s independence and prosperity.

President Mwinyi commended the people of Zanzibar for their active participation in the month-long celebrations, which culminated at Gombani Stadium in Pemba South Region.

He also highlighted the remarkable growth of Zanzibar’s economy, which recorded a growth rate of 7.5 per cent by September 2024. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices reached 6.04tri/- in 2023, up from 4.78tri/- in 2021, an increase of 26 per cent.

The president noted that the GDP growth and economic expansion were driven by the recovery and strengthening of the services sector, which grew by an average of 9.9 per cent in 2023, compared to 1.3 per cent in 2021.

The tourism sub-sector also saw significant improvement, with the number of tourists visiting Zanzibar increasing by 145 per cent during this period. Mwinyi further noted that government revenue collection has risen by 51 per cent, from 858.2bn/- in 2020/2021 to 1.3tri/- in 2022/2023. “Inflation rates have been effectively controlled, remaining in single digit.

Despite fluctuations in global prices impacting local markets, Zanzibar’s inflation rate dropped to 4.5 per cent in November 2024,” he said.

Dr Mwinyi also highlighted the increased pace of investment in Zanzibar, with the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA) registering 449 projects valued at 5.9 billion US dollars, expected to generate over 22,966 jobs.

These projects span various sectors, including 169 in hotels, 99 in real estate, 43 in manufacturing, 28 in agriculture and 28 in sports.

To strengthen investment in the blue economy, the government, through ZIPA, has opened up opportunities in small islands. To date, ZIPA has registered investment projects on 17 islands, with a total expected investment of 377.5 million US dollars.

The government continues to promote investment opportunities in strategic areas such as the Mangapwani Integrated Port area and other sectors of the economy.

Dr Mwinyi also noted major infrastructure projects transforming Zanzibar, including the completion of over 73 kilometres of urban roads and the ongoing construction of two flyovers at Mwanakwerekwe and Amani areas in Unguja.

“Port operations and efficiency at Malindi and Mkoani have been improved through private sector involvement, while work on the new multipurpose port at Mangapwani in Unguja North Region is ongoing,” he said.

This work is linked to improvements in the road network.

Regarding airports, the Isles President stated that Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) is undergoing an upgrade, with Terminals 1 and 2 being modernised to accommodate up to three million travellers annually, up from the current two million.

On social services, Dr Mwinyi emphasised that education remains a top priority. In the past four years, 2,773 classrooms have been constructed, surpassing the target of 1,500 set in the ruling CCM 2020/2025 Election Manifesto.

“The government allocated 830bn/- to the education sector in the 2024/2025 budget, representing a 212 per cent increase,” he said.

He said health services have improved with modern hospitals, increased medicine budgets and higher immunisation rates.

As Zanzibaris and Tanzanians celebrate the 61st anniversary of the Revolution, Dr Mwinyi noted that efforts to ensure access to clean water are progressing well, with large-scale projects such as the 92 million US dollars Water Services Revitalisation Project, which has improved water coverage to 95 per cent in urban areas.