Tanzanians have been urged to safeguard peace and protect public infrastructure to ensure sustainable personal livelihoods and national development, amid growing investment in social and economic projects across the country.
The call was made by Ms Fatuma Ramadhan Mchekwa, a resident of Temeke in Dar es Salaam, during an interview on Tuesday, where she warned that the destruction of public infrastructure imposes heavy costs on the nation and undermines development gains.
“What we need most is peace. Peace must prevail and we should avoid unrest because when we destroy infrastructure, including the Bus Rapid Transit system, we are destroying our own taxes. We end up hurting ourselves,” Ms Mchekwa said.
She noted that citizens’ taxes and levies are the main source of funding for development projects, adding that damage to infrastructure forces the government to divert resources from new investments to repairs.
“We work, we do business and we pay taxes that drive development. But instead of moving forward, we are sometimes forced to go back and repair what has been destroyed,” she said.
Ms Mchekwa also commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for investing in critical infrastructure, citing the construction of the Mbagala–Kariakoo road, the Kidugulo Primary School and the extension of electricity to all areas of Chanika.
According to her, these projects have significantly improved living standards by boosting economic activity, access to education and social services.
She stressed that maintaining peace and protecting public assets remain essential for ensuring that such investments continue to deliver long-term benefits to citizens and support Tanzania’s broader development agenda.