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Ten-cell leaders: The `well pai` leaders of peace, love and unity
2008-02-17 10:00:45
By Restuta James
At 2 am recently a knock sounded at the door of Shomvi Abdallah Mfuteni (66) accompanied by a distant but distinct soft voice `Mzee Shomvi, ` In a world full of superstitions, particularly alarmed, it could be a ghost knocking at their door, Bi Khadija Khalfan asked her husband not to open it, but Shomvi thought otherwise and rose to open the door.
When he opened the door, Shomvi was greeted with an empty sight because the caller had concealed herself in a dark shadow, whispering to him not to look in her direction.
She was completely naked, and she was running away from her drunk but sexually aggressive husband who was threatening to slice her with a double-edged machete if she did not submit.
The woman went to seek shelter from Shomvi as the entire neighbourhood knows that he is a combination of a listener, a mediator or arbitrator and a good judge. Shomvi is a ten cell leader.
``It is indeed a tough job. There is no particular schedule to attend to the neighbour. They come anytime in the day and night.
You simply have to listen to them and see how best to solve their problems. Patience is the cornerstone of being a grassroot leader,`` remarks the longtime ten-cell leader.
The grass root leadership was long introduced during the mono-party era extended to the current political pluralism to establish a line of authority.
Initially a ten cell leader deals with ten housing units but things are rapidly changing and it is no wonder today to find such a leader with about 100 houses.
Shomvi, for instance, has been a ten cell leader for 30 years now in the vicinity of Buguruni Kisiwani in Dar es Salaam.
``There are about ten cases a day, mostly involving matrimonies or simple relationships.
In fact we settle most of the cases at this level, but those that we cannot solve are referred to courts of law,`` beams the grass root leader.
Other cases involve plot demarcations, drunken quarrels and women`s upatu (a simple savings and credit grouping, where members take turns to lend to one member in rotation for an agreed period ).
Before being elected to the post in 1978 the cheerful Shomvi was Branch Secretary of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) for three years at the the then head office of the National Bank of Commerce where he had worked for ten years.
``At first I was fascinated by my election. Then I found the going to be not too easy. My cell had more than 200 people who gave me trying time,``notes Shomvi, who adds that although there twelve other cell leaders, people simply go to him for reconciliation. ``It is just terrible,`` he says.
He adds: ``Sometimes I come home dog tired but I cannot afford to ignore listening to anyone with a complaint. I have to listen, advise, judge and reconcile warring parties on a daily basis.``
Despite the traumatizing schedule, ten cell leaders are paid nothing, save for days when they are summoned to attend sessions which do not come regularly though.
Yet another ten-cell leader says such a cadre is `well paid` by God saying, `` it may not augur well to others, but actually God pays us much for helping people in difficulties.``
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