MWE Correspondent
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, has urged leaders in regional secretariats and local government authorities to avoid conflicts among themselves and with the staff they supervise, warning that workplace disputes undermine efficiency and the government’s efforts to deliver quality services to citizens.
Prof. Shemdoe made the remarks on August 21, 2026, while closing the 16th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Local Authorities in Tanzania (TOA), held over three days from August 19 to 21 at the Mtumba City Hall in Dodoma.
He called on leaders to maintain harmony and cooperation, particularly among key officials responsible for running regional and local government institutions.
“I urge you and strongly appeal to you to avoid conflicts among yourselves; between the Director and the Regional Administrative Secretary, between the Director and the District Commissioner, between the RAS and the Regional Commissioner, and between leaders and the staff under their supervision. There can be no efficiency or development in a place where there are conflicts,” Prof. Shemdoe said.
He stressed the importance of mutual respect among leaders and employees in local government authorities, saying there was no justification for a council director to engage in disputes with a council chairperson or mayor.
Drawing from his own leadership experience, Prof. Shemdoe said cooperation and mutual respect were essential to effective administration.
He noted that when he served as a council director, he never had conflicts with the council chairperson, and similarly, when he served as a Regional Administrative Secretary, he never engaged in verbal disputes with the Regional Commissioner.
Prof. Shemdoe also urged local government leaders to apply their knowledge, professionalism and experience in serving citizens, noting that local governments are the level of government closest to the people and therefore serve as their first point of access to essential public services.
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He said citizens largely assess the performance of the government based on the quality of services available in their communities, including primary healthcare, primary education, transportation and other essential services.
The minister also used the occasion to commend President Samia Suluhu Hassan for approving and providing funds for the operation of public institutions and implementation of development projects across the country.
He said the government’s continued financing of development programmes was creating an enabling environment for citizens to engage in economic activities and generate income to support their livelihoods.
Meanwhile, TOA Chairman Albert Gabriel Msovela assured Prof. Shemdoe that members of the association were committed to supporting the government in carrying out its responsibilities.
He said TOA would continue working closely with the government to implement national development priorities, including the Tanzania Development Vision 2050.
“Honourable Minister, I assure you that through this 16th Annual General Meeting of TOA, we will come out with strategies, resolutions and concrete plans that we will share with citizens and implement for the purpose of bringing development to the people,” Msovela said.
The 16th TOA Annual General Meeting brought together Regional Administrative Secretaries, Directors of Local Government Authorities and District Administrative Secretaries.
The meeting was held under the theme: “Decentralisation of Powers to Local Government Authorities is a Strong Pillar for Achieving the Tanzania Development Vision 2050.”
