Ubalozi wa Tanzania Washington D.C., washerehekea Muungano

Mhe. Balozi Wilson M. Masilingi, Balozi wa Tanzania Nchini Marekani

Mwakilishi wa Serikali ya Marekani Bw. Eric Stromayer

Picha ya pamoja Balozi Masilingi na watumishi wa Ubalozi wa Tanzania Washington D.C.

Excellency Mr. Eric Stromayer,

Ag. Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State and Mrs. Stromayer;

Excellency Ambassador Hersey Kyota, the Dean of Diplomatic Corps;

Excellency Ambassador Serge Mombouli, the Dean of African Group of Ambassadors;

Excellencies Ambassadors and Charge’d’ Affaires, a.i;

Senior Military Officers and Defence Attaches;

Excellencies Representatives of International Organizations;

Distinguished Leaders of the American Business Community;

Distinguished Honorary Consuls;

Distinguished Leaders of Tanzania Diaspora;

Distinguished Invited guests;

Fellow Tanzanians;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Good Evening

My Wife and I, feel highly honored, privileged and delighted to welcome you on behalf of Tanzania Embassy family.

We thank God for this day.  We thank Mr. Eric Stromayer and Madam Stromayer for accepting to come to grace our event.  We thank everyone for accepting our invitation to join us in commemorating the 54th United Republic of Tanzania National Day.  That many of you travelled long distances is clear evidence of how you value our friendship and partnership.  Thank you for coming.

We thank the entire Embassy Staff that constituted itself as an organizing committee of this ceremony under the leadership of Brigadier General Adolph Mutta, our Defense Attaché, for excellent work.  Their cooperation and support is greatly appreciated.  Thank you so much.

We thank Fairmont Hotel management and Staff for excellent facilities put to our disposal for the success of our event.

We thank the Tanzania Diaspora for their cooperation and support to our Mission.  We value highly their contribution to the social and economic development of the country they will never stop calling home.  To those who are present here, we are happy and thankful to you for accepting to represent a big family of Tanzania Diaspora.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Today we are remembering April 26th, 1964 when our founding fathers of the United Republic of Tanzania, the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, President of the then Republic of Tanganyika and the late Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume, then President of the Peoples Republic of Zanzibar united two sovereign states Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanzania.  Our founding fathers honestly, diligently and faithfully provided leadership in the fight against ignorance, diseases and poverty.  They taught us that before a tribe, religion and race, we should first and foremost be Tanzanians.  That is the reinforced core of our foundation as a peaceful stable and united nation since 1964.  Our founding fathers made swahili our national language that unites more than one hundreds and twenty tribes.  English is the official working language.

Our great leaders united many tribes and several races into a great country because Tanzania is multiracial country.

However, tribes and minorities were given space to maintain their own cultures and their own ways of life, if they don’t violate the law and human rights.  When our nation is threatened by anything, internal or external, we deal with it together, as one people; we do not divide into Tanganyikans or Zanzibaris, tribal or religious faiths. 

Therefore, today Tanzanians at home and abroad are celebrating because we are one united people under the leadership of H.E. Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and H.E. Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, the President of Zanzibar.  Our country has remained peaceful united and strong for the past 54 years.  We are progressing together.  We have witnessed peaceful transfer of power five times at the Union level and seven times in Zanzibar.  We are at peace with our neighbours.  We participated effectively in the liberation struggle with our brother and sisters.  Our ports serve landlocked neighbouring countries.  We are faithful and active members of the United Nations, African Union, as well as, several regional economic organizations.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Tanzania is a vast country with a total area 947,300 km2 with ample arable land suitable for agriculture, plenty fresh water bodies, blessed with friendly people and abundant natural resources.  We are proud of long beautiful beaches, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti Wildlife, culture, historical sites in Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland.  Tourism is a leading sector in generating foreign exchange.  H.E. President John Pombe Magufuli is offering decisive leadership for speedy development.  He has decided to build a new airline with new modern long range aircraft from Boeing Company.  We will begin taking delivery of Dream liner aircraft beginning this year.  We want to start direct flights from Far East and from America to Tanzania.  Contractors are on site constructing a standard gauge electric railway line from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, Mwanza and Kigoma.  Soon construction of a big Dam will begin in order to generate electricity 2100 megawatts.  I trust you were able to follow a video documentary in what is in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, as we transform our country for quick inclusive economic growth.

We have natural gas with confirmed reserves at 57 trillion cubic feet.  We are already generating electricity from natural gas and we are going to use part of that gas for cement and fertilizer industries.  Our country expect to earn close to US Dollars 5 Billion annually in gas exports after completion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant project.  We have tanzanite (that originate in Tanzania alone), gold (4th largest gold producer in Africa), diamond, coal, iron, nickel, copper, silver, uranium, phosphates, and helium gas (estimated at 54 billion cubic feet) just to mention a few.

Ladies and Gentlemen

We have many achievements to be proud of since 1964 to date, in our efforts to become a middle income country by 2025.  In 1964 our population was 11.34 million people.  This year the population is estimated at 57.7 million people, the majority of whom are the youth.  Life expectancy in 1964 was 44.7 years.  Now life expectancy is 66.7 years, because health services have improved.  We are doing well in education by offering free primary and secondary education to our boys and girls.  Provision of adult education, is continuing as well.

Our economy has been growing steadily for the past two decades.  We can safely say that we have completed our transition to a market economy.  Our annual economic growth is at 6.8 percent on average for the past fifteen years, while inflation rate is controlled at below 5.5 percent.

However, we still face many development challenges.  Therefore, our two governments, the Union Government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar working with the people and our development partners, including our host the great country the United States of America, we continue to address these challenges that include eradicating ignorance, poverty and preventable diseases achieving universal primary and secondary education; promoting gender equality; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS; malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and cooperating with the international community in fighting terrorism.

Ladies and Gentlemen

I take this opportunity to thank the government and people of this great country, the United States of America for tremendous support to our country in fighting ignorance, diseases and poverty.  We recognize and appreciate the great contribution of American Peace Corps.  The first group of Volunteers in Africa arrived in Tanzania in 1962.  More than 2500 volunteers have served in Tanzania since then working with communities in a variety of projects in agriculture, education (teaching Mathematics, Science and English); the environment and health promotion.  Peace Corps Volunteers promotes world peace through contributing to social and economic development of interested countries.  In September 2017, 57 Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Tanzania and started work in Zanzibar and on Tanzania mainland.  We thank you for your good heart.

We work with our American friends through USAID in various projects and initiatives; for example US President’s Malaria Initiative has reduced drastically deaths caused by malaria on Tanzania mainland. Zanzibar has almost halted malaria transmission; USAID/Tanzania maternal and child health programs prioritizes improved health for the most vulnerable women, girls, newborns and children under five; USAID/Tanzania gender equality and Youth inclusion project or Hope (Tumaini) is mobilizing the youth; USAID works with us to mitigate the impact and spread of Tanzania’s HIV/AIDS in partnership with our governments; and USAID through “Feed the future Initiative” supports our ambitious plan to transform the Agriculture sector that employs more than 75 percent of our population so that it contributes more to economic growth.  We appreciate USAID contribution to Feed the Future resources in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) a region having the potential to make significant contribution to the economic growth of our country.

Ladies and Gentlemen

H.E. Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania early this year made the pledge at a Sherry party he hosted for members of the Diplomatic Corps and International Organizations based in Tanzania saying: “In 2018 the government will continue taking efforts aimed at making the country more investment friendly to both local and foreign investments.  These efforts include the fight against corruption, increasing transparency and accountability of public servants, as well as, the improvement of infrastructure – roads, railways and air transport.  Let the tourists and investors come to this peaceful country and the government will render any cooperation needed.”

Distinguished invited guests ladies and gentlemen welcome to Tanzania to invest or as tourists.  You will be well received by friendly people in a peaceful and strong united country.  You will enjoy what you will see and experience, Love Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland.  I promise on behalf of my President.

I now have the honor to propose a toast to you.  Long live the United Republic of Tanzania.  Long live the United States of America.  Long live the friendship between the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America.

Again thank you for gracing our Tanzania National Day.

ASANTE SANA

KARIBU TANZANIA