Mini-skirt ban a sad let-down
Angela Mudukuti is an international criminal justice
lawyer
ACCORDING to reports, Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has just announced a ban on mini-skirts. If this is indeed true, then it comes as a shock considering just how impressive he has been during his first few months in office.
Providing hope for a solid good governance model and displaying exemplary leadership, President Magufuli has, until now perhaps, been a pleasant surprise to the African governance landscape.
The former maths-and-chemistry-teacher-turned-industrial-chemist comes from very humble beginnings. Taking office in November 2015, the United Republic of Tanzania’s fifth president started his presidency on a high note. Magufuli began his term by introducing a fierce and relentless anti-corruption campaign, and he cut government spending and directed funds to where they were truly required.
One of his first moves was to cancel the costly and extravagant Independence Day celebrations. “It is so shameful that we are spending huge amounts of money to celebrate 54 years of independence when our people are dying of cholera,” he said.
Instead he decided that this time, energy and money should rather be dedicated to cleaning up the streets of Tanzania to curb the outbreak of cholera. According to the World Health Organisation, in 2015 Tanzania saw a major cholera outbreak with nearly 5 000 cases and dozens of deaths.
That was just the beginning; his next move was to scale back by 90 percent the money usually spent on Parliament’s opening dinner, choosing rather to use those funds to purchase more hospital beds and improve the nation’s infrastructure.
His bid to stop reckless spending and bring an end to corruption led him to cancel unnecessary foreign travel for officials, ensure that government meetings are held in government buildings instead of expensive hotels, and reduce government spending on first-class plane tickets.
His austerity measures and war on corruption have led to the dismissal or suspension of officials, including the suspension of the Tanzania Revenue Authority head after reports that 349 shipping containers from the Dar es Salaam port had mysteriously gone missing.
His austerity and anti-graft measures are laudable, but has
he lost the plot?
Magufuli also fired Edward Hoseah, the director general of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), citing his dissatisfaction with the slow pace at which graft was being handled. These are just a few of the moves aimed to address the high levels of corruption in Tanzania, deliver essential services and cut unnecessary government expenditure.
Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, an index which ranks countries based on how corrupt that country’s public sector is perceived to be, has Tanzania hovering close to the bottom with a ranking of 119 out of 175 nations. Tanzania is also the second largest aid recipient in sub-Saharan Africa and has alarming poverty statistics. Magufuli definitely has a mammoth task ahead.
Despite the daunting obstacles, Magufuli seems to be up for the challenge with his hands-on approach. The local Tanzanian newspapers reported that he had personally conducted surprise visits to govern- ment ministries to check that civil servants were performing their duties efficiently.
On one such surprise visit to a hospital, Magufuli found patients sleeping on the floor. He immediately dissolved the governing board and dismissed the hospital’s director.
Although his term has just begun, he has made significant reforms that can serve as valuable examples to leaders worldwide. Tackling extreme corruption while seeking to ensure that Tanzania’s natural resources serve its people has already put Magufuli in a league of his own.
However, before we get too excited, we quickly realise that the adage “nobody is perfect” rings true as Magufuli’s reported ban on the wearing of mini-skirts leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Reports indicate that he has justified this move by stating that mini-skirts and short dresses increase the spread of HIV/Aids. He sounded great until that moment. Believing that the policing of women’s clothing will substantially reduce the transmission of HIV/ Aids misses entirely the real issues surrounding the spread of the virus.
According to UNAids 2014 statistics, there are roughly 1.5 million people living with HIV in the east African nation and that year alone there were 46 000 deaths due to Aids-related complications. I seriouslydoubt whether banning mini-skirts will even dent those statistics.
This ridiculous ban insinuates that women and their attire are mostly to blame for the soaring infection rates, which in itself perpetuates patriarchy and jeopardises a woman’s right to fair and equal treatment in society.
Time will tell how Magufuli will fare. Perhaps he will favour progressive, balanced and less conservative policy-making.
Perhaps his economic reforms and passion to set Tanzania on the right trajectory will alert him to the need to make socially progressive decisions, not retrogressive and archaic ones.