Magufuli surrenders his guns, wananchi should follow suit

President John Magufuli yesterday led by example yet again by surrendering his two personally-owned guns – a shotgun and a pistol - to police for verification under an order issued by recently-appointed Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda.

 

The verification exercise at State House in Dar es Salaam was supervised by Dar es Salaam special zone police commander Simon Sirro. Magufuli thus became the first person to implement Makonda’s order aimed at curbing crime in the city through monitoring of available weaponry.

 

Speaking afterwards, the president commended Makonda and the police force over the verification exercise and urged other owners of firearms across the country to also get their weapons verified.

He also called on the police to double their efforts in tackling an apparent increase in local criminal activity.

 

“It is a shame for a police officer to have his weapon snatched away from him by gangsters …that is a real shame,” President Magufuli remarked, only partly in jest.

 

Commander Sirro saluted the head of state for his public show of support for the ongoing weapons verification exercise, saying the police was determined to ensure it is successfully completed.

 

Meanwhile, President Magufuli called on rival parties bitterly contesting the Dar es Salaam city mayoral seat to complete the long-drawn election exercise by end of today (March 22), rather than continue an unnecessary tug-of-war that has nothing to do with the interests of ordinary city residents.

 

Magufuli said both sides to the conflict should be prepared to accept the election outcome either way, so that a city mayor can be installed at last and the business of serving the city and its people can proceed unhindered.

 

“If victory is to be ours, we will win… but if we are not able to win then we should concede defeat graciously. That is true democracy,” the president said.