LACK OF MAINTENANCE CULTURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

Tanzanians are used to this saying,

“Agriculture is the backbone of our nation...”

J.K.Nyerere.

 And so it were, such that through hooks and crooks the government acquired the various tractors pictured below to mechanize farming in order to increase output. But whereas tractors in private ownership which were purchased in the 1960s, are still working, I know some Fordson Majors and Nuffields which were working before I was born and are on the farm to this day, I am approaching forty five. The tractors pictured here were bought between 1983 and 1984 and among more than 300 units bought,  less than forty are working today.

They belong to Primary Cooperative Societies in which leadership is achieved from popularity among  peers, not necessarily merit, and the duty of management befalls the favorite of the boss. Accounting systems and financial accountability are nowadays  being enforced by the registrar of cooperative societies but during those good old days, as they like to boast, the till was essentially the property of the chairperson of the society. So he just helped himself to his satisfaction with his cronies and let the machines rot away, or, especially when the electoral tenure was coming to an end, removed some components from the machines, just in case some ill luck might steer the position to some ‘enemy’, in which case he would later become parts supplier to the society, preferably via a dealer in town. 

2 units of Kubota 7500DT at Mweka-Sungu Rural Co-Op society,on the Mweka route to Kilimanjaro National park.

The third one at the same RCS,all of them obsolete.

Another one at Narumu Rural Co-Op society.

A dead Ford 4000 at Tella Rural Co-Op Society,Hai district,Kilimanjaro

A second one at The Narumu RCS,Hai district,Kilimanjaro.

Your verdict is now awaited,bear in mind that spare parts are in the markets and the Rural Co-Op societies are operating but the will to awaken these workhorses is lacking.
Poverty sucks.