09Sep
By Mutayoba Arbogast - Bukoba, TANZANIA
Some participants at the event
A two-day forum in Mwanza ended with one blunt conclusion: Tanzanians are asking too much of village and ward leaders, and then punishing them when results don’t come.
Convened by Action for Democracy and Local Government (ADLG) with support from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), the August 28–29 workshop brought together about 50 civic actors, entrepreneurs, local officials and residents under the theme “The Concept of Local Government Administration and its Relationship to the 2050 Development Vision.”
The core argument was simple. For Vision 2050 to work, people must understand what local leaders are legally mandated to do, abandon shortcuts through political connections, and bring back the spirit of self-reliance that once built schools and roads at community level.
Knowing the Job Description
Patrick Kalangwa from Mwanza Regional Office- Industries, Business and Investment,one of facilitators
“Every citizen should know exactly what the roles of local government leaders are,” said ADLG co-director Jimmy Luhende. “When we overload them with demands, and then expect them to raise funds outside the law, we give some of them room to escape their real responsibilities.”
The training broke down local governance into three parts: the concept, the context, and how to measure performance. The aim was to give communities tools to plan and implement development themselves, instead of waiting.
Lucia Lawrence from Girls' Talk Organisation
Bernadette Stickmatter Ngowi (Left) and Editha Massawe (Right)- University students
KAS, Nyerere, and a Long History of Cooperation
The workshop was partly funded by KAS, the German foundation named after post-war Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. Established in 1955, KAS promotes democracy, rule of law and social market economy, and has worked in Africa since the Cold War.
Though Adenauer never visited Tanganyika, the foundation’s early engagement coincided with Julius Nyerere’s leadership and the 'ujamaa' era. Archival records show that Western foundations and Nyerere’s government maintained cooperation on governance, education and development.
For KAS today, that history informs its current push for stronger local institutions. “Good local governance is how we raise living standards,” said KAS project manager Damas Nderumaki. “That is also what Vision 2050 requires.”
The Limits of the Mandate
Speakers drew a clear line between what people expect and what the law allows.
Ward councillors and village/street chairpersons represent communities, push for services, oversee local plans, resolve disputes, and monitor spending. But they do not control everything.
Jonathan Mkumba, councillor for Nyakato Ward, Ilemela, pointed out that trunk roads belong to TANROADS or TARURA, while water is under the Ministry of Water or utilities. “It is unfortunate that people think councils manage everything,” he said. “Know who is responsible. But councils must still follow up.”
When citizens bypass systems and rely on connections, and when leaders are asked to do what they cannot fund, the result is patronage, weak institutions, and poor accountability.
Back to Harambee
Participants urged a return to collective community work. In past decades, Tanzanians built classrooms and repaired water points through 'harambee' mobilization.
Buhongwa Secondary School headmaster Anthony Mtokambali said youth must be taught Tanzanian values and given space to participate — both are needed for Vision 2050.
“It is sad that today people will not organize to grade two kilometers of road in their sub-village,” Mkumba added. “They just wait for government.” The panel argued that community labor and local fundraising should complement, not replace, government.
Fighting Favoritism
Governance concerns also came up. Dr. Hilali Elisha, councillor for Nyangu Ward, Magu, accused some district councils of undermining water users’ boards by hiring without advertising posts. “I am fighting tooth and nail to stop this,” he said.
Civil society voices — Sylvester Kakinda of BS Foundation, Gosbert Mutta of TDI, and Lucia Lawrence of Girls Talk — warned against leaders who turn public office into a tool for dependency or personal gain. When citizens expect projects through connections, rules are replaced by favors.
Luhende proposed three fixes: civic education on legal mandates, transparency in procurement, and public reporting on budgets and timelines. “Participation by all people is necessary to reach Vision 2050,” he said. “If citizens know the rules, leaders cannot hide.”
Making 2050 Tangible in Villages
National targets mean little without local delivery. Participants listed what that looks like: feeder roads for farmers, power for small businesses, clean water, and functional secondary schools.
Nicholaus Luhende of Youth VOT said communities must be involved from the start — informed about meetings, consulted on decisions, and given responsibility for implementation.
Councils, others argued, should act as conveners. They must package village priorities, work with district technical teams, and partner with the private sector. Even when TANROADS or the Ministry of Water leads, local leaders must mobilize communities to own and maintain projects.
Five Action Points
1. Civic education on what local leaders can and cannot do
2. Community action plans for small, co-funded projects
3. Public tracking of budgets and timelines at ward offices
4. Youth councils for participation and monitoring
5. Clear mapping of which agency handles which infrastructure
What People SaidThe discussions were frank. Some resented leaders who ask for informal payments. Others were frustrated by broken promises. But there was also problem-solving — a sign, participants said, that democracy is maturing beyond blame.
One councillor summed it up: citizens want results, not excuses about jurisdiction. Leaders must lobby through formal channels, while communities do what they can and demand transparency everywhere.
The Mwanza meeting’s message was direct. Vision 2050 needs capable institutions and informed citizens. Ward leaders are not magicians.
Overloading them, or using patronage to get services, only weakens the system. The alternative is clear: revive self-help, insist on transparency, and hold government accountable through the right channels. With that combination, Tanzania has a stronger chance of turning Vision 2050 from paper into reality
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