Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda. PHOTO | FILE
Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda is viewed by most as a close aide of President John Magufuli.
Before
his promotion in March 2016, Mr Makonda was the Kinondoni District
Commissioner and portrayed himself as a powerful public official whom
few wanted to go against.
The public see him as untouchable and more powerful than other regional commissioners.
Few have differed with him, whether politicians, government officials or citizens.
Lately,
Mr Makonda has had problems with the revenue authority over cargo held
at the Dar es Salaam port for over six months, for which he owes Tsh1.2
billion ($500,000).
The Tanzania Revenue Authority says
the containers full of furniture have been at the port since January
and they decided to auction the furniture to recover their dues.
However, the first action scheduled for August 25 failed as no
buyer could raise the required amount. The second action was scheduled
for September 1.
While addressing councillors in his
home council of Chato, Geita region, President Magufuli on Thursday
addressed the matter. “There is this issue of the Dar es Salaam Regional
Commissioner who has imported containers and there is a contentious
issue of taxes. Who is he that he can’t pay taxes?”
This
is the first direct reprimand of Mr Makonda after months of praise from
the head of state, who has been directing other regional commissioners
to emulate him.
“I would have been surprised if the
president affirmed the regional commissioner’s position,” said Benson
Bana, a Political Science senior lecturer at the University of Dar es
Salaam.
Mr Makonda is not new to controversy. He was
once accused of having a fake secondary school certificate and faced the
sack, but he survived.
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