DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 19 -- TANZANIANS must take a firm and uncompromising stand against public officials who embezzle public funds. Silence, indifference, and quiet tolerance only fertilise corruption.

If we are serious about national development, we must be equally serious about condemning, exposing and naming those who steal from the public purse. Public funds are not abstract figures in a ledger. They are classrooms not built, medicines not stocked, roads not repaired and clean water not delivered.

Every shilling diverted into a private account represents a broken promise to citizens who pay taxes and place their trust in public institutions. When an official embezzles, it is not a victimless crime. It is a direct assault on the wellb...