4.0: RESPONSIBLE OF CITIZENSHIP
Topic 4. RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP
4.1 Concept of citizenship
Ø Meaning
of citizen and citizenship
Ø Types
and importance of citizenship
4.2 Citizenship responsibilities
Ø Responsibilities
of a citizen
4.3 Responsibilities to special groups including HIV/AIDS
victims
Ø Definition
of the term special groups
Ø Identify
special needs for each special groups
Ø Responsibilities
of citizen towards special group
4.1 Concept of citizenship
Ø Meaning
of citizen and citizenship
Ø Types
and importance of citizenship
MEANING OF CITIZEN AND CITIZENSHIP
A citizen
Is a legal person who has the right to belong to a particular country.
OR
Is a legal member of a nation who owes allegiance to and is
entitled to be protected by a sovereignty state.
Citizenship
Is the legal right of a person to belong to a particular
country.
The conditions that qualify to be
a citizen are specified in the constitution of the country. A citizen of a
country is expected to be loyal and patriotic to his or her country.
TYPES OF CITIZENSHIP
In Tanzania there are three main
types Of citizenship namely;
i) Citizen by birth
ii) Naturalization
iii) Descent (kinship)
i) Citizenship by birth
A person who is born in Tanzania
and whose parents are Tanzanians becomes a citizen of Tanzania. Every person
who is born in Tanzania is entitled to a birth certificate. Birth certificates
are issued by the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA).
ii) Citizen by Naturalization /
Registration
Non-citizens who wish to become
Tanzania citizens can apply to the ministry of home Affairs for citizenship
through immigration department.
After receiving the application
the Ministry through the Immigration
Department publishes a notice in newspaper bearing the photograph and names of
the applicant. The notice aimed to see if there is any objections from the
public or not.
CONDITIONS FOR APPLYING CITIZENSHIP IN TANZANIA
The following are the conditions which an applicant must
fulfil as to be granted citizenship according to the Tanzania Citizenship Act,
Chapter 357, (Revised Edition, 2002)
i)
He or she must be a person of good behavior
ii)
He or she must have lived in the country for at
least five years
iii)
He or she must be 21 years old or above
iv)
He or she must renounce his or her former
citizenship
v)
He or she has adequate knowledge of Kiswahili
and English
iii) Citizenship by Descent (kinship)
This is applicable to a person who was born outside Tanzania
but one whose parents are citizens of Tanzania.
The person has to apply to the ministry of Home Affairs for
confirmation of his or her citizenship
IMPORTANCE OF CITIZENSHIP
i)
It enables a person to exercise his or her legal
rights in the country
ii)
It enables a person to get services which are
granted to citizens only such as free education
iii)
It enables someone to get a passport or visa
iv)
It allows a person to participate in political,
economic activities such as voting
v)
It allow
a person to get employment in public offices and military services
CONDITIONS WHICH CAN CAUSE A
PERSON TO LOSE HIS OR HER CITIZENSHIP IN TANZANIA
A person who acquired his/her citizenship by
registration or descent may
lose it if
a) The government is satisfied that the person
obtained the certificate of registration by of fraud
(b) The person has committed a
crime such as treason
c) The person denounces his or
her Tanzanian citizenship
(d) The person holds dual
citizenship, for examples he or she is a
citizen Of Tanzania and at the same time has citizenship of another country
(e) The person shown by act or speech to he disloyal to the
United Republic of Tanzania
CONSEQUENCES OF STAYING OR LIVING IN A COUNTRY WITHOUT
BEING A CITIZEN
(a) The
person will not have protection while living in the country
(b) The
person will not have the freedom of expression and movement
(c) He
or she can be considered as an enemy and a criminal
(d) The
person Will not be involved important activities for his or her own development
(e) He or she Will not be employed in
sensitive areas such as in military and ministries for security reasons
4.2 Citizenship responsibilities
Ø Responsibilities
of a citizen
Responsibilities
Are activities and duties that a person has to perform.
Ø A
citizen has duties to perform in the country. These are called Civic
responsibilities or responsibilities of citizen
Civic responsibilities / responsibilities of citizen
These are duties which are performed by citizen in the
country
CATEGORIES OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES
There are four
categories of civic responsibilities namely;
- Economic
responsibilities
- Political
responsibilities
- Social
responsibilities
- Personal
responsibilities
- ECONOMIC
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Pay
taxes
- Do
lawful productive work
- Participate
in community development activities
2. POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Take
part in election
- Help
to develop public policy
- Participate
in political meetings
- Take
part in building and consolidating democracy
- Advocate
favorable policies and legislations
3. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Respect
the rights of other citizens
- Obey
the laws of the country
- Promote
fairness, equality and social justice
- Protect
his or her country from its enemies
4. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Take
care of himself or herself
- Behave
in respectful manner
- Supports
the family
- Accepts
responsibilities for his or her actions
IMPORTANCE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES TO COMMUNITIES AND
NATION
i)
Help to get quality social services such as
education, electricity, water and roads
ii)
Helps people to involve in social, political and
economic activities for the development
iii)
Helps to reduce social crimes
iv)
Helps to maintain peace and security in the
society
v)
Helps to improve welfare of special groups
vi)
Helps to respect others at the family, society
and national leel
CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL GROUPS
Special groups
Are people who need special care for various reasons.
These people should not be neglected. They should be
assisted when they cannot carry out their responsibilities and duties. Examples
of special groups includes;
i)
The elderly
ii)
Orphans children
iii)
Street children
iv)
People living with HIV and AIDS
v)
Refugees
vi)
People with disabilities
vii)
Women and children
viii)
The elderly
These are people who unable to work because of old
age. They normally have healthy challenges where they need medical and social
support from the other people.
ii. Orphans children
Are those children who lost one or both biological parents.
Ø We
need to help orphans in case of sickness or other condition since they have no
one to take care of them
iii. Street children
These are children who live on the streets as they have no
other place to live. This could be as a result of poverty, family break-up,
death of parents and abuse by parents or guardians.
In order to earn their living, street children engage in
illegal activities such as prostitution and stealing
iv. HIV and AIDS VICTIMS
These are peoples living with HIV/AIDS. Infection with HIV
lowers their body immunity making them sick and unable to work.
v. Refugees
These are people who run away from their homeland for
reasons such as wars, conflicts involving community members and natural
disaster.
Ø They
are homeless, frustrated and lack basic needs.
vi. People with disabilities
These are individuals with physical, mental or psychological
problems that make it difficult for them to work and live like other people.
Ø For
example, some have difficulty in speaking, hearing, seeing, writing or
walking.
vii. Women and children
Ø This
group of people is ignored in some community. They are not given equal
opportunities to participate in decision making in their families or at higher
level. Also, some families do not allow girls to go to school.
NEEDS OF SPECIAL GROUPS
i)
They need basic needs such as foods, shelter and
clothes
ii)
They need education
iii)
They need to be loved
iv)
They need health care
v)
They need to be treated equally
vi)
They need counselling and guidance
vii)
They need to be allowed to participate in
economic activities
viii)
They need rights and freedom
RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENS TO SPECIAL GROUPS
i)
To give them respect and understanding
ii)
Supporting them physically
iii)
Providing counseling and socialization
iv)
Interacting with them
v)
To show them love
vi)
To give them basic needs
vii)
To educate them
