Zanzibar Daima

Na Salma Said, Zanzibar

SIRI zaidi za mkutano wa rais wa Zanzibar, Amani Abeid Amani Karume, na katibu mkuu wa CUF, Seif Sharif Hamad, zinazidi kuwekwa bayana baada ya Maalim Seif kusema lengo kubwa la faragha yao ilikuwa ni kuunganisha nguvu katika kutetea mambo yanayoihusu Zanzibar kwenye Muungano. Seif alitoa kauli hiyo juzi wakati akizungumza na wananchi kwenye sherehe maalum za Baraza la Eid El-Hajj zilizoandaliwa na CUF kwenye ukumbi wa Jamat-khan ulio Mkunazini Mjini Unguja .

Seif, ambaye aliwahi kuwa Waziri Kiongozi wa Serikali ya Mapinduzi (SMZ), alisema kuwa Zanzibar iliyoungana itazaa Tanzania iliyoungana. Alisema kuungana kwa Wazanzibari kutasaidia kuimarisha Muungano wa Tanzania Bara na Zanzibar kuliko kugawanyika kwa Wanzibari kwa kuwa pande zote mbili zina malalamiko kuhusu suala hilo. “Wazanzibari wakiungana wataweza kudai haki zao na kuuimarisha Muungano kuliko wakigawanyika,” alisema.

Zanzibar imekuwa na madai kadhaa kwenye Muungano; ikidai kurejeshewa utaifa wao ili iweze kushiriki katika masuala ya kimataifa; inadai pia kuwa kuna baadhi ya mambo yameingizwa kinyemela katika mambo ya Muungano likiwemo suala la mafuta na baadhi wanataka rais wa Zanzibar arejeshewe hadhi yake ya kuwa makamu wa rais.

Seif na Karume walikutana Ikulu ya Zanzibar Novemba 5 mwaka huu; lakini hakuna taarifa rasmi iliyoeleza walichozungumza zaidi ya kila upande kueleza chake kwenye mikutano ya hadhara.

Hata hivyo, baada ya Maalim Seif kwenda Ikulu, aliitisha mkutano wa hadhara na kutangaza uamuzi wa CUF wa kumtambua Karume, tamko lililosababisha azomewe. Baadaye, jumuiya ya wanawake ya chama hicho ikawa ya kwanza kutamka kuwa imemuelewa na inamuunga mkono kwa uamuzi huo. “Pande zote mbili zina malalamiko juu ya Muungano; Wazanzibari wana malalalmiko yao na Wabara nao wana malalamiko yao. Wazanzibari tukikaa pamoja tutaweza kutetea malalamiko yetu kama wao watakavyoweza kutetea malalamiko yao katika muungano,” alisema Maalim Seif .

Alisema kuwa serikali ya Muungano ina matatizo yake na SMZ ina kilio kikubwa katika kudai haki zao za kisheria katika Muungano; hivyo, kuwepo kwa umoja na ushirikiano baina ya viongozi wa vyama viwili hivyo ni dhahiri kuwa kutasaidia kwa kiasi kikubwa katika kuitetea Zanzibar na watu wake kwa kudai haki zao kisheria bila ya kuathiri Muungano. “Mazungumzo tuliyofanya kati yangu na Rais Amani ya kutaka kudumisha umoja na ushirikaino na kuzika chuki zetu yataweza kusaidia hata katika kuitetea nchi yetu katika masuala ya Muungano wa Tanzania ” alisema Maalim Seif .

Maalim Seif alitumia fursa hiyo kuwafahamisha wananchi kwamba mazungumzo yake na Karume hayana lengo la kuvunja Muungano ambao umedumu tangu mwaka 1964, na wala hayana ajenda ya siri kwa kuwa lengo kuu la mazungumzo hayo ni kuwaunganisha Wazanzibari ambao alisema wamegawanyika kwa miaka mingi. “Sisi ajenda yetu ni kuwaunganisha Wazanzibari wote; na hatuna ajenda nyingine kwa kuwa sote tunafahamu kwamba tumegawanyika kwa muda mrefu na hili tumeliona; sasa tunataka kuungana kwa pamoja ili kuleta maendeleo ya nchi yetu,”alisisitiza Katibu Mkuu huyo.

Alisema wapo baadhi ya wananchi wasioitakia mema Zanzibar wameanza kudai kuwa mazungumzo hayo hayataendelea kwa kuwa hayana lengo la kujenga umoja na maendeleo; lakini, akaongeza kuwa watu hao ni wachache na wanapaswa kuelimishwa au wapuuzwe iwapo wataendelea na msimamo huo.

Seif, ambaye alilazimika kuachia wadhifa wake SMZ kwa tuhuma za kuvujisha siri za vikao, alisema pande zote mbili zinafamu umuhimu wa Muungano na ndio maana wanaona ni lazima kwanza Wazanzibari waungane. “Kwa kuwa kuna mambo yanayolalamikiwa katika Muungano, ni lazima hayo malalamiko yapatiwe ufumbuzi na hilo ndilo tunalotaka lakini si kuvunja au kuukataa Muungano… hilo halipo kabisa,” alisema.

Aliwaeleza wananchi hao kwamba wameamua kwa hiari yao kufanya mazungumzo na Rais Karume kwa lengo la kuharakisha maendeleo na kuwaahidi kwamba yale yote ambayo wamekubaliana kwa upande wake atayasimamia kikamilifu na kuyatekeleza.

Hata hivyo, alisema ana imani kubwa kuwa Rais Karume pia atatekeleza yale waliyokubaliana ambayo yako chini yake kwa kuwa tangu walipofanya mazungumzo hayo hajaona ishara yoyote kutoka kwa rais huyo inayoonyesha kuwa hatatekeleza waliyokubaliana.

“Nathubutu kusema kuwa… hii inanipa moyo kwa kuona kuwa Rais Amani tayari ameshaanza kuchukua hatua za utekelezaji wa ahadi zake.” alisema Maalim Seif . ‘Imani yangu ni kuwa Mheshimiwa Karume atatekeleza makubaliano yetu kwa maslahi ya vizazi vyetu na naahidi kuyasimamia kuyatekeleza yale yaliyo kwangu. Inshallah, tutafanikiwa kwa uwezo wa Mwenyezi Mungu.”

Seif pia aliongeza kusema: “Nakiri kusema kuwa ndani ya moyo wangu ni safi… safi… safi, hamna chuki hata kidogo kwa Rais Amani Karume na ninamuamini sana. Tokea siku ile alisema tuzike tofauti zetu na tuwe kitu kimoja na Inshallah iwe hivyo sasa na nyinyi mtuunge mkono viongozi wenu; sawa sawa?”

Aliwataka wananchi wote wakati huu mgumu kukaa pamoja na kujadiliana njia gani za kuweza kutatua matatizo na kujenga Zanzibar mpya yenye maendeleo na umoja, hasa katika kipindi hiki ambacho alisema kinatazamwa na maadui ili mazungumzo hayo yasizae matunda.

Awali akimkaribishwa mgeni rasmi katika hafla hiyo, Makamu Mwenyekiti wa CUF, Machano Khamis Ali, alitoa wito kwa wananchi wote kuwavunja moyo watu wenye nia mbaya na mazungumzo hayo pamoja na kuwapuuza wenye chochochoko.

Chanzo: Mwananchi 30 Nov 2009

By Issa Yussuf

MYSTERY still surrounds the recent move by Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume and CUF’s Secretary General Seif Sharif Hamad to put aside their political differences in a move both have described as aimed at promoting peace, stability and unity in Zanzibar.

No one has yet given a clue on what would follow next, sparking off dozens of speculations, including the formation of a government of national unity next year, with Mr Hamad, popularly known as Maalim Seif, taking over as vice-president or prime minister”

Speculation is rife that there would be reforms on the Zanzibar constitution come next year and that the registration of voters will start fresh to have in place a credible register that would ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

Both Karume and Hamad have been carefully selecting words to tell their followers in the past public rallies. While Hamad continues to tell his supporters to hope for the “bright future,” Karume said “I and Hamad have agreed to promote peace, stability, and unity among Zanzibaris instead of continuing with unnecessary conflicts. We have no other agenda.”

Other senior leaders from both CCM and CUF have also remained reluctant to give details on what would be the next step after the Karume-Hamad meeting.

However, Mr Saleh Ramadhani Feruzi (CCM deputy Secretary General- Zanzibar), Mr Juma Duni Haji (CUF deputy Secretary General) have led other leaders at lower levels to show support of the new move, as they insist on praying for Zanzibar not to go back to the ‘old days of conflicts.’

For many Zanzibaris or Tanzanians, the major issue at stake is peace, stability and smooth democracy. The view about the formation of a government of national unity in Zanzibar is not new. Arguably CUF had it for quite long and it is included in its manifesto, while in the ruling party- CCM, idea was openly suggested by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the Father of the Nation, a few months before the second multiparty elections in Tanzania.

There were mixed feeling after Nyerere’s statement. Some Zanzibaris supported the idea while and others, including the then president Salmin Amour Juma, openly opposed the idea, arguing that two parties with different ideologies could not work together. Nyerere’s idea was also backed literary by some development partners who unsuccessfully encouraged the formation of the government.

However, Dr Salmin later held talks with Hamad after meeting Mwalimu Nyerere about what has not been revealed to date, but also sparked speculations similar to the current rumours including possible formation of the government of national unity.

Some historians argue that ‘history repeats it self.’ President Karume has met Hamad behind curtains; in the same way Mwalimu Nyerere and Dr Salmin met with Hamad. Many journalists have interpreted Karume’s words of unity and solidarity with the opposition to mean a ‘government of national unity! It is hard to see the basis for their argument.

Delay or failures

For years since the first general elections in 1995, different people from within Tanzania and abroad have been trying to find some way out of the political problems in Zanzibar but both government and CCM party leaders in Zanzibar have been blamed for the delay.

On November 5, this year, Karume and Hamad met and announced that they have decided to ignore their political differences ‘in the best interests of Zanzibar’’. But yet they have on different occasion avoided giving details of their meeting.

The Karume-Hamad meeting was made furtive even to top CCM leaders, including President Jakaya Kikwete, according to senior CUF official Ismail Jussa Ladhu who says there has been no external push for the meeting. According to him, it was Maalim Seif and Karume’s own initiative to meet after failure of the internationally backed Muafaka One (a Commonwealth initiative of 1999), Muafaka Two (President Mkapa 2001) and the stalling of Muafaka 3 talks initiated by President Jakaya Kikwete — in 2008.

The issue of recognising Karume as a legitimate president had been avoided by the CUF for four years as a political weapon in protest against the 2005 general election results. But it became clear to CUF that without resolving the issue of recognising Karume, probably Zanzibar would remain in needless tension indefinitely.

Could there be more be going on behind the scenes?

Several supporting statements have come from within Tanzania and internationally which includes the United States, EU, UN and individual countries, issued statements seen by some people as a drive to push both Karume and Hamad to a meaningful commitment in uniting Zanzibar a head of the 2010 elections.

While the majority of the people are eagerly awaiting the the next steps in building a new Zanzibar , It seems clear that many people, particularly Zanzibaris, who have not been registered in the voter register because of lack of Zan IDs, are uneasy about the effect of the political rivals’ meeting.

Although there have been glaring discrepancies about the number of people who have not been registered, which deprives a cross-section of their democratic right to vote. This is more evident in the CUF stronghold of Pemba.

President Karume and other senior ministers have repeatedly said that all eligible Zanzibaris must be registered. The immediate idea suggested by many is for the president to act against some few dishonest officials who have been causing problems in the registration process.

CUF should also ask their supporters to go for registration after the recognition of the Karume administration. CUF leaders have remained silent about whether to ask their members and supporters to register or to continue with the boycott.

The voter registration discrepancies, especially in Pemba, are a nagging issue. It must be solved if the present goodwill between the government and the Opposition is to stand on firmer ground. CUF Director of Information and Publicity Salum Bimani talks about massive cheating in favour of the ruling party, alleging that the exercise has involved underage Zanzibaris and non-citizens.

He said that CUF will make an evaluation during its next National Council meeting scheduled for next week (December 7-8). “Preparations for elections, including voter registration may be among the items on the agenda. We hope that President Karume will effect some changes soon. Already some CUF members are advising the party to boycott the next general elections,’’ added Bimani.

What next or what follows? Probably what follows in the near future will be in the form of positive actions of goodwill, followed by series of dialogues to resolve disputes, particularly over the voter registration process in an effort to put in place a credible register book before the 2010 general elections. Probably, what would follow next is the search for a legal backing for the formation of government of national unity as speculated by a section of the media!

Lingering doubts

It is still difficult to see how answers to those questions could be found in a short time before the general elections, with the demand for the credible register book, and free, fair, and transparent elections. Or could CUF members agree to some ambiguous form of words from their leaders to wait beyond?

Top CUF leaders Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, Mr Machano Khamis, Mr Seif Sharif Hamad, Mr Juma Duni Haji, and Ismail Jussa have been advocating for patience among members and supporters.

Last week, the CCM Vice Chairman (Mainland), Mr Pius Msekwa was quoted by BBC as saying that the formation of a government of national unity in Zanzibar may not be bad idea, but ‘’will require constitutional amendments’’. The idea is not a new one. It has been toyed with for a long time with proponents saying it could be the ultimate solution to centuries of tense political situation in Zanzibar.

There have emerged conflicting views about such a government in Zanzibar. There are still the diehards; the ‘revolution’ supporters who still refuse to see reason and cling to the past. There are also reformists who wish to see change in the isles in accordance with true democratic governance. Time will tell whether – and when — the two sides will reach a compromise.

Source: Daily News, 29 Nov 2009

Na Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar

Naibu Kamishna wa Mamlaka ya Kodi ya Mapato Zanzibar (ZRA), Mcha Khamis, amesema utafiti juu ya uwezekano wa kuwa na taasisi moja ya kukusanya kodi Zanzibar tayari umekamilika.

Akihutubia kwenye maadhimisho ya siku ya mlipa kodi yaliyofanyika mtaa wa Shangani, Mji Mkongwe Zanzibar juzi, Kamishna huyo alisema utafiti huo umefanywa na taasisi ya utafiti ya Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam na inasubiri kuwasilishwa serikalini kwa ajili ya uamuzi wa mwisho.

Alisema utafiti huo umefanyika baada ya kuwepo maoni ya wadau kuwa kuna umuhimu wa kodi ikusanywe na chombo kimoja Zanzibar, badala ya utaratibu wa sasa kukusanywa na vyombo viwili.

Hivi sasa kodi ya mapato na forodha zinakusanywa na Mamlaka ya Mpato Tanzania TRA, wakati kodi za ndani zinakusanywa na Bodi ya Mapato Zanzibar (ZRB).

Hata hivyo, alisema ukusanyaji kodi Zanzibar umepanda kwa ziadi ya mara tatu kutoka shiligi bilioni 1.4 mwaka 1996/07 kwa mwezi hadi bilioni 4.5, mwaka 2008/09.

Alisema ukusanyaji huo wa mapato umeongezeka kwa asilimia 35 kutokana na hatua madhubuti za usimamiaji wa kodi chini ya TRA.

Naye Waziri wa Nchi, Ofisi ya Rais (Fedha na Uchumi), Dk. Mwinyihaji Makame Mwadini alisema serikali itaendelea kuchukua juhudi mbalimbali za kudhibiti vitendo vya rushwa na ukwepaji kodi, ili kuhakikisha mapato ya serikali hayapotei.

Dk. Mwinyihaji alisema suala la uwajibikaji katika sekta hiyo ni muhimu ili kuhakikisha mapato ya serikali yanakusanywa ipasavyo na kuharakisha maendeleo ya wananchi.

Akizungumza katika hafla hiyo, Rais wa Jumuiya ya Wafanyabiashara, wenye viwanda na Wakulima Zanzibar ( ZNCCIA), Abdallah Abas Omar alisema wafanyabiashara wengi Zanzibar wameanza kuteremshia bidhaa zao Tanzania Bara kwa kuhofia kutozwa kodi mara mbili iwapo watazishusha Zanzibar.

Alisema kutokana na hali hiyo, idadi ya makontena yanayoingia Zanzibar imepungua na kuitaka serikali kushughulikia madai ya wafanyabiashara kutozwa kodi mara mbili kwa mizigo inayoshushwa Zanzibar na baadaye kupelekwa katika soko la Tanzania Bara.

Aidha alisema sekta ya biashara Zanzibar inakabiliwa na tatizo la kodi nyingi, ikiwemo zile zinazosimamiwa na TRA, na zile ziliopo chini ya ZRB, tatizo ambalo alisema linaweza kupoteza hadhi ya Zanzibar kuwa kituo maarufu cha biashara.

Hivi karibuni, wajumbe wa Baraza la Wawakilishi waliishauri serikali kuweka taasisi moja ya kukusanya kodi Zanzibar ili kuwapunguzia usumbufu wafanyabiashara ya kulipa kodi mara mbili.

Wakichangia bajeti ya serikali ya mwaka wa fedha 2009/10, walisema wakati umefika ZRB kuwa wakala wa kusimamia kodi zinazosimamiwa na TRA hasa katika ukusanyaji wa kodi za mapato Visiwani.

CHANZO: NIPASHE

Na Salma Said, Zanzibar

RAIS Wa Zanzibar na Mwenyekiti wa Baraza la Mapinduzi, Amani Abeid Karume amesema yeye na Katibu Mkuu wa Chama Cha Wananchi (CUF) Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad wamesafisha nyoyo na kusameheana kwa dhati kama maadili yao yanavyowaelekeza.

Akihutubia katika hafla ya baraza la Eid El-Hajj lilifanyika katika ukumbi wa Jumba la Wananchi Forodhani Mjini hapa, Rais Karume amesema walikutana na Maalim Seif kwa kuelezana ulazima wa kuleta amani na utulivu kwa nia ya kujenga misingi ya kuleta maendeleo makubwa zaidi ya wananchi na nchi yao.

“Tumesafisha nyoyo na kusameheana kwa dhati kama itikadi na maadili yetu yanavyotufundisha. Zaidi ni kuwa tumejenga msingi wa kuaminiana.” amesema Rais Karume na kupigiwa makofi mengi na hadhara iliyokuwa ikimsikiliza.

Alisema msimamo huo ni kwa niaba ya wananchi wote ambao wanaamini kuwa umoja, masikilizano, mshikamano,amani na utilivu ni mambo muhimu zaidi kuliko kuzingatia mengine kwa ajili ya mustakabali wa Zanzibar na watu wake.

Katika hutuba yake hiyo alisema lengo ni kuishi aktika umoja daima ili kupatikane mafanikio ya kila jambo hivyo kila siku zinavyokwenda hali izidi kuimarika zaidi kuliko ilipotoka “Namuomba Mwenyeenzi Mungu ajaalie siku zetu zote za umri wetu ziwe ni furaha ili tuishi katika umoja, upendo na tupate mafanikio ya kila jambo. Lengo letu liwe, leo iwe bora kupita jana na kesho kuliko leo. Hakika Mwenyeenzi mUngu yeye ni Msikivu, Yu karibu na wenye kukubali dua za waja wake” alisema Rais huyo.

Rais Karume alisema ni vyema wananchi wakafahamu kwamba maslahi ya nchi yanakuwa mbele kuliko nafasi za watu hivyo aliwataka wananchi wote kuunga mkono juhudi hizo zilizooneshwa na viongozi wawili kwa lengo la kuendeleza mazungumzo hayo ambayo yana faraja kubwa kwa taifa.

Amesema utamaduni wa kufahamiana na kuacha tofauti utaeleweka kwa wale wenye kutaka kuelewa huku akisisitiza furaha yake kutokana na mazungumzo hayo ambayo amesema wananchi wote watakuwa wenye furaha.

“Ni jambo la kufurahisha kwamba wananchi kwa wingi wao wameridhia na kufurahia misimamo huo. Hii ni sababu moja kwa upande wa kidunia kusherehekea Eid kwa mtizamo mwengine ulio mzuri. Napenda kuchukua fursa hii kuwapongeza na kuwashukuru wananchi wote, viongozi wote wa kisiasa na marafiki zetu wa ndani na nje ya nchi kwa kutuunga mkono kwa dhati katika mafanikio haya” alisisitiza Rais Karume ambaye mara kwa mara hutuba yake ilikatizwa na makofi.

Aliwakumbusha wananchi kwamba dunia yote imo katika misukosuko mbali mbali, ikiwemo ya kiuchumi, kisiasa, kijamii na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa na maumbile ambapo alisema Zanzibar ni miongoni mwa nchi zenye matatizo hayo lakini hakuna atakayeweza kuyaondosha matatizo ya Zanzibar kama sio wenyewe.

“Wananchi wa Zanzibar hatuna budi kutafakari hali hiyo ya kidunia na kujiuliza tutafanya nini kuchangia kupata suluhisho. Zanzibar haipo pweke katika dunia na ina matatizo yake kutokana na hali hiyo ambayo ni sisi wenyewe ndio tunaweza kuyapatia ufumbuzi” alisema huku akiungwa mkono na watu waliohudhuria ambao walikuwa wakitikisha vichwa kuonesha kuunga mkono.

Rais Karume alitumia muda mwingi kuelezea masuala ya amani na kusisitiza kwamba Zanzibar inapaswa kuanza kuyafanya wenyewe kabla ya kuja kufanyiwa ili wengine wenye nia ya kutaka kusaidia waweze kuja baadae kusaidia maendeleo hayo.

“Wajenga nchi ni sisi wenyewe wananchi na nguvu zinazidi tunapokuwa na umoja na mshikamano.Wahenga wanasema umoja ni nguvu basi na tuitumie nguvu hiyo ya umoja kujiridhisha wenyewe kwa maendeleo yetu ya nchi yetu na mustakabali wetu.” Alisisitiza.

Kitabu cha tutuba ya Rais Karume chenye kurasa 12 kimelezea kwa kina umuhimu wa umoja na mshikamano hukua kisisitiza utamaduni wa kupanda miti na kwuahimiza wananchi kuwa wamoja ili kuendeleza mazuri yanayofanywa na serikali yao kwani bila ya umoja na kuunga mkono mazuri nchi haiwezi kufanikiwa.

Viongozi mbali mbali walishikiri katika sikukuu ya Eid El- Hajj ikiwa pamoja na wanasiasa, mawaziri, manaibu mawaziri na wawakilishi wa upinzani ambao ni mara yao ya kwanza kuhudhuria katika hafla hiyo tokea kuingia madarakani kwa Rais Karume katika wamu yake ya uongozi 2000.

Chanzo: Mwananchi

Na Michael Momburi,Mumias

KOCHA Marcio Maximo anajua atakuwa kwenye wakati ngumu zaidi kuliko kipindi chochote alichokaa Tanzania endapo kikosi chake cha Kilimanjaro Stars kitapoteza mchezo wa leo dhidi ya ndugu zao wa Zanzibar Heroes katika mechi ya kufa au kupona ya michuano ya Chalenji. Mbrazil alishudia Kilimanjaro Stars wakipokea kipigo cha mabao 2-0 kwenye mchezo wa kwanza dhidi ya mabingwa watetezi, Uganda, The Cranes.

Katika mchezo huo, Zanzibar ikishinda itakuwa imejihakikishia nafasi ya kuvuka hatua ya makundi huku Kili Stars ikibakiza saa chache za kuendelea kuishi mjini hapa ikishindwa kuvuka hatua hiyo ya awali ya michuano ya mwaka huu. Hii ni mara ya pili kwa timu hizo kukutana katika mchezo wa kuamua hatma yao, katika michuano hiyo iliyofanyika mwezi Januari mwaka huu nchini Uganda, Tanzania ilikwenda kwenye mchezo dhidi ya Zanzibar wakihitaji kushinda ili kufufua matumaini yao ya kusoga mbele kama ilivyo sasa.

Katika mchezo huo uliochezwa mjini Kampala kwenye Uwanja wa Nakivubo, Kilimanjaro Stars ili shinda kwa mabao 2-1 shukrani kwa Danny Mrwanda na Athumani Idd, huku lile la kufutia machozi la Zanzibar likifungwa na Nadir Haroub ‘Canavaro’. Hali hiyo imemfanya kocha Maximo kusema kuwa hakuna shaka kwamba itakuwa ni kazi ngumu kwao hasa ikizingatiwa ukweli kuwa wachezaji wa timu hizo mbili wanajuana udhaifu, ubora.

“Wao wana pointi mkononi na mabao mengi tofauti na sisi. Mchezo huu utakuwa mgumu kwa vile wachezaji wetu wanajuana, lakini naamini kwa morali ya wachezaji wangu niliyoiona katika kipindi cha pili cha mechi dhidi ya Uganda inatia matumaini. “Tutatumia mfumo wa soka ya kushambulia na kukaba nafasi kwa vile uwezo huo tunao na tuna wachezaji ambao wanaweza kufanya hiyo kazi.

Kwenye mchezo na Uganda tuliathirika baada ya Juma Nyosso kuonyeshwa kadi nyekundu. “Kwa hiyo kila mmoja ilibidi afanye kazi ya ziada ya kukaba, ndiyo maana ikabidi na mfumo ubadilike. Lakini, katika mchezo dhidi ya Zanzibar, kikosi chote kitakuwepo. “Kufungwa kwenye mechi ya kwanza hakuwezi kutufanya tupoteze matumaini na muda, bado tuna mechi mbili , dhidi ya Burundi na Zanzibar leo, tushirikiane tufanye kazi hawa vijana wana uelekeo.”

Zanzibar ambayo inalingia kumbukumbu yake ya ushindi wa kishindo wa mabao 3-0 dhidi ya Tanzania Bara katika fainali zilizochezwa nchini Kenya, Oktoba 10, 1967 wakati huo lijulikana kama Kombe Palmares Chalenji. Katika michuano iliyofanyika mwaka 2004 nchini Ethiopia ilishudia timu hizo mbili zikiaga mashindano hatua ya awali kwa Zanzibar kupata pointi tatu pekee baada ya kuinyuka Tanzania Bat kwa mabao 4-2. Mabao ya Zanzibar yaliyofungwa na Said Abdella dakika ya 6 kwa mkwaju wa penalti, Abdella Juma 29, 73, Twaha Mohamed 85; huku yale ya Kilimanjaro Stars yakifungwa na Mecky Mexime 23, Athumani Machupa 32.

Kocha wa Zanzibar, Hemed Morocco alisisitiza kuwa mchezo wa leo utakuwa mgumu, lakini hawaihofii Kili Stars hata kidogo ingawa wanajua ni timu ngumu. “Hapa tumekuja na jeshi kamili, ndio maana unaona watu wanacheza soka ya ukweli na ushindi unapatikana na utakuwa mkubwa, sisi hatuna maneno mengi njooni muone soka yetu dhidi ya Kili Stars. “Tunataka kuendeleza rekodi yetu ya ushindi na kwa vyovyote vile hatutakubali kushindwa”, alisisitiza kocha huyo akiungwa mkono na kiungo Abdi Kassim anayeichezea Yanga ambaye pia ni nahodha.

Mchezo huo unatazamiwa kuwa na ushindani wa aina yake hasa kutokana Zanzibar Heroes kuwa nao Nadir Haroub ‘Cannavaro’ kwenye safu ya ulinzi pamoja na Abdi Kassim na Abdulrahim Amour kwenye kiungo, wote ambao wanaichezea Taifa Stars chini ya Maximo. Kili Stars imenufaishwa na kuwapo kwa Henry Joseph kwenye kiungo kwani ameonyesha mabadiliko makubwa kiuchezaji pale kocha Maximo alipomwingiza katika kipindi cha pili kwenye mechi dhidi ya Uganda.

Tanzania Bara pamoja na kuwa miongoni mwa waanzilishi wa michuano hiyo mikongwe 1926 ilifanikiwa kutwaa taji hilo kwa mara kwanza mwaka 1974 na kusubili kwa miaka 20 kuchukua kwa mara pili mwaka1994, huku ndugu zake Zanzibar wakitwaa ubingwa mara moja mwaka 1995.