Dar es Salaam. The government has said that it will take strict action against all those who are proven to encourage and engage in acts that violate the Tanzanian society’s moral code, while stressing that the issue should not lie on its shoulders alone but requires cooperation to stop such acts. 

Speaking while closing the 11th session of the 12th parliament in Dodoma on Wednesday, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, along with many other issues, echoed about the moral decay that has been discussed since The Citizen published the investigation of the erosion of morals in schools early this year.

In The Citizen’s investigation titled: ‘There’s more to students’ failure than meets the eye’, the causes of massive failure in examinations in Mburahati and Mbagala secondary schools were revealed, with the main factors being indiscipline and moral decay among students. In the report, students under the age of 18 were identified as engaging in prostitution and others in homosexuality. This level of moral decay has prompted debate as it goes against Tanzania’s culture.

On Wednesday, when he adjourned parliament’s meeting until August 2023, Mr Majaliwa noted that, “Let me reiterate that this issue is not the government’s alone; we need the cooperation of every Tanzanian in stopping those actions that threaten the welfare of the workforce in this country.”

“We have to protect our future generations against foreign cultures that endanger the well-being and development of the Tanzanian society,” he said. 

In another step, he said that the government has directed all schools to continue providing education to students from the pre-Primary level to Form Six about the consequences of engaging in immoral behaviours.

“The issue should go hand in hand with strengthening gender desks so that they can provide services to our children,” he said, adding that the government had continued to encourage community participation in condemning moral violations.

“I strongly urge my fellow Tanzanians to work together to raise our voices so that we can put an end to immorality that has a big impact on our current and future generations,” he said.

He further exuded confidence that the government, in protecting the morality and personalities of Tanzanians, has taken effective measures to control the promotion and spread of actions that are against the traditions and customs of the country.

According to him, the law review commission has already reviewed some laws, gathering opinions from various stakeholders to work on them.

The aim of the review was to identify areas of weakness that contributed or provided loopholes for the spread of such practices.

In addition, the government has developed national methods to deal with the challenge by involving all important stakeholders from the Mainland and the Zanzibar Islands, he noted. By Jacob Mosenda, The Citizen