DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – Twaweza, a 10 year citizen-centered initiative, focusing on large-scale change in East Africa says eight out of 10 Tanzanians (80%) think Tanzania should remain in the East African Community (EAC).

In addition, nine out of ten (85%) approve (or strongly approve) of greater integration with Kenya and Uganda, whereas six out of ten citizens also support increased integration with Rwanda (62%) and Burundi (59%).

The findings were released jointly by Twaweza and the Society for International Development (SID) in Dar es Salaam last week in a research brief titled “Let’s build one house! What Tanzanians think about the East African Community”.

“The brief is based on data from Sauti za Wananchi, Africa’s first nationally representative high-frequency mobile phone survey that interviews households across Mainland Tanzania. Data were collected in August 2014,” reads part of the survey.

Apart from voting for integration, citizens broadly believe the impact of the East African Community will be positive, the strongest vote of confidence is economic; twice as many citizens think that the EAC will have positive impact (42%) as compared to negative (20%) on the economy of the country.

Similarly more citizens think the EAC will have a positive rather than negative impact on security (37% against 20%), politics (35% versus 25%) and culture (33% versus 24%).

Over the past two years, headlines around integration have focused on the formation of the so-called Coalition of the Willing who joined forces and agreed to speed up integration processes.

Although only 1 out of 5 citizens (20%) had heard about this development, of those 2 out of 3 (67%) think Tanzania should be part of it. Responses were more mixed among those who had not heard of the group with 40% in favour of joining and 43% against.

Although citizens appear to be largely in favour of the East African Community and greater integration in the region at a conceptual level, the most interesting findings emerged when they were asked about specific proposals hence their support is unequivocal.

More than half of citizens approve of the following proposals; single tourist visa for the region (82% approve), ability to travel across the region with a national identity card (82% approve), joint infrastructure projects (78% approve), and free movement of labour (69% approve).

Furthermore, the citizens who voted for a common passport were (67% approve), for tax free trade (58% approve) and for a single currency (55% approved)

The only proposals which received lukewarm support are the creation of a joint army (64% disapprove), freedom of land ownership (70% disapprove) and a unitary government with a single EAC parliament (71% disapprove).

Looking to the future, Tanzanians are optimistic the East African Community will be an important part of their lives with 4 out of 10 (42%) saying that the EAC will be strong with Tanzania as a core member.

However only 1 out of 10 citizens (12%) think that trading with the EAC is a key opportunity for the country. The focus for the future was about tourism and mining valuable extractives which 6 out of 10 citizens (57%) thought presented the most important opportunities for Tanzania’s future.

Aidan Eyakuze, Associate Director of Society for International Development commented on the findings: “These findings force us to re-frame our thinking on regional integration. Tanzanians have spoken out strongly in favour of continued involvement with the East African Community, the specific proposals for integration and their optimism for our future within the EAC.”

Eyakuze said this was in sharp contrast to narratives that imply that Tanzanians are against, or fearful of, greater integration in the region or that they have concerns about specific countries reaping disproportionate benefits from opening borders for goods, labour services or capital.

Source:: East African Business Week

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