I was sitting on the coach in the evening watching the
parliament session on the local T.V station, Tanzania Broadcasting Cooperation
(TBC) when the member of the opposition party (CDM) Mr. Zitto Zuberi Kabwe was
reading the opposition’s suggested budget to the members of the Parliaments
using Apple IPAD 2.0. Franklyn speaking I was amazed like several other
Tanzanians who were watching that parliament session. Things have changed and
Africa is dwelling into technology. When technologists practice technology is a
normal thing but when conservative African politicians starting to believe in
technology as a new way of life this is
sound to be very promising for the future of the Tanzania information and
communication technology industry.
“Five
African presidents to follow on twitter” it was the heading of one of the
leading African online technology magazine. The article mentioned five African
presidents you could always follow their post in Twitter including president
Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Goodluck Jonathan the Nigerian president, Paul
Kagame president of Rwanda, John Evans Mills president of Ghana and my
president, the president of the United republic of Tanzania honorable Jakaya
Mrisho Kikwete.
Although we are not sure if someone is hired
to tweet for them or not, but this shows the power of technology in African
politics as the means for them to interact with their people and share their
perspective and different opinions with their communities. Currently the
Tanzanian president has around one thousand and something tweets with
approximately 23,000 thousands followers and himself following two pages. The
two pages he follows include the page of Mr. January Makamba (Deputy Minister
of Communication, Science and Technology).
In Facebook there are several other
pages and groups aiming at creating awareness on open governance and mobilizing
people to influence or achieve to attain something from the government through
the power of media and technology. The recent events in North Africa where by
we have witnessing some dictatorship governments falling apart some people has
been suggesting the influence of social networking sites and online forums were
by people meet and discuss several matters affecting their countries has been
the major sources of these revolutions. The video posted on YouTube during the
Gaddafi regime about people being tortured by the dictatorship government was
among the reasons led to the public uprising and fight to the government with
no fear while driven with hunger for revenge.
The CNN I report and other online T.V shows where by people have been
able to upload pictures and videos about the events occurring in real time on
the ground has been the major source of information when the local authorities
prevents news companies and media to have
access to the information.
The most amazing thing is that the
information spread fast and reaches the youth as the major audience since they
are the main users of technologies. Wither it the election campaign or the
local election results people they can get detail immediately online. Recent I
heard the rumors the name of the Nigerian plane crash passengers were released
on twitter before even the official report of the Nigerian government.
Sometimes the public has been misusing of the technology which mainly comes
from the social networking sites to commit their own evils. All in all
everything as it advantages and disadvantages.
I have been in the group “TANURU LAFIKRA” in Facebook which in Swahili means the burning chamber of Knowledge in
this group we have been discussing several matters affecting our country from
political perceptions, social, economic and even spiritual sometimes. In this
group we have chance to meet directly with our local leaders from district
representatives, parties representatives, members of parliament and ministers.
Most of the times leaders have been accepting challenges from the members of
the opposition parties and leaders from the opposition parties receiving
challenges from followers of the ruling party (CCM) most of the time we have
interesting sessions were by in a single Facebook group post you can have about
300 comments of different professionals and people with passion about
development in their country. 
Technology has brought closer the
leaders to their people, I can have a friend who is a member of parliament and
whenever I found him online free I can have a chance to exchange views and my
ideas with him. Leaders known can receive directly the opinions of the people
and the local communities through technology. I would like to say technology
bring out new level of transparency in the African governments and re defining
the African democracy. This is the new era we encourage our leaders to use
technology and users to join these groups to get the chance to impact their
societies through the power of technology.
Jumanne Mtambalike
TECH360 Correspondent