Lissu retains Singida East constituency

  Tundu Lissu, Singida East MP

 

The Court of Appeal of Tanzania, Dodoma Zone, yesterday declared Singida East MP Tundu Lissu the legitimate representative for the Constituency.

The Appeal Court reached the decision after dismissing a request filed by the prosecution side.

The prosecution led recently by Wasonga Advocates filed a notice of appeal to the Appeal Court, asking it to review the verdict issued by the High Court of Tanzania in Dodoma that favoured the opposition MP.

However, it later transpired that the two plaintiffs, who appeared at the High Court during the hearing, had sworn not to appeal against the ruling, prompting the prosecution side led by Wassonga Advocates to ask the Court of Appeal to dismiss the notice of appeal through a special request.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal judges, Dodoma Zone, sat to decide on the withdrawal request, upholding the verdict issued by the High Court on April 27 last year.
That aside, the Court of Appeal ruled out that the two plaintiffs should pay all the costs incurred. The second plaintiff was ordered to pay the costs incurred of the Court of Appeal.

The two plaintiffs are Shaban Salema and Pascal Halu who in different periods had pulled out from continuing with the case.

The decision by the Court of Appeal was reached after the two plaintiffs pulled out from the case No 49/2013 that was being heard by a panel of three judges, led by Judge Angela Kileo, Salum Massati and Natalia Kimaro of the same court.

While ruling out the verdict Judge Kileo said the court has accepted the request to remove the appeal by section 4(a) and (d) of the court’s standing order of 2009.

“As per the order 4(a)(d) of the orders of the Court of Appeal of 2009, we have agreed the appeal be removed,” said Judge Kileo
Furthermore, he said alongside the verdict, the second plaintiff Pascal Halu will pay all the costs incurred by Court due to delays he caused to issue a notice at specified time, declining to continue with the case.

“The costs of conducting the case will be paid by the second plaintiff…at the High Court all costs will be paid by both of them as earlier ruled out by the High Court,” said Judge Kileo
Earlier, during the proceedings the two plaintiffs were represented by advocate Godfrey Wassonga, the Judge said the court couldn’t continue with the proceedings as the plaintiffs had pulled out on their own accord.

A legal matter emerged as to who would pay the costs. Legislator Tundu Lissu who represented himself in the defense wanted the court to rule out an advocate defending them to pay all the costs incurred.

Students' enrolment rate in Tanzania schools is high, says UN recent report

Amarakoon Bandara

A recent report on the New Global Partnership by the United Nations affirms that Tanzania has succeeded in students’ enrolment rate for both primary and secondary schools by 90 percent.

Summarizing the report in Dar es Salaam, last week an economic advisor with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Amarakoon Bandara said that Tanzania has succeeded in students’ enrolment despite that the quality of education in the country is extremely poor.

The observation was made at a regular end of Thursday week of every month by the UNDP office in collaboration with the UN Information centre (UNIC) to articulate recommendations of post-2015 development agenda.

The function was attended by students of Saint Joseph Cathedral and Saint Anthony within the perimeter of the city centre and close to UN offices, along with officials of several non-governmental organisations.

‘Fun Thursday’ is a monthly occasion organized with a view to inform youths of various developments geared by the United Nations under the theme ‘Bringing young people closer to the United Nations.’

The report that sets out what has been achieved so far by the international community from various areas indicates how each country signing for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) issued in 2000 had performed up to May this year.

Among the seven areas of the MDGs that Tanzania signed, it has done well in universal primary education whereby enrolment rate is much higher. However, poverty is still a big issue in the country which continues to haunt people especially rural dwellers, not changing since the database of 2001 was laid.

Illustrative statistics by the Ministry of Education show that as from 1961 to 2001 the number of primary school pupils increased nearly tenfold from 486,470 to 4,875,764 but for the period between 2001 and 2012 primary school pupils nearly doubled, rising by 97 percent from 4,875,764 to 8,247,472.

Secondary school students’ enrolment also increased from 11,832 during independence time (1961) to 289,699 in 2001 but the country experienced a sharp increase from 289,699 students in 2001 to 1,884,270 in 2012, with Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP) and the Secondary Education Development Programme (SEDP).

The two programmes saw the massive construction of ward secondary schools,, meant to provide a semblance of education permitting a more self-reliant youthful population, who are rudderless if they are just left aside after finishing primary school.

The new global partnership is a report compiled by the UN Secretary General’s high level panel of eminent persons on the Post-2015 Development agenda that charts out ways on how to eradicate poverty and transform economies through sustainable development.

The group members consisting of 27 persons across the globe were commissioned in July last year and started working on the development agenda beyond 2015 through thematic consultations organized by the UN system and member states in every region.

In Tanzania the exercise was conducted by UNDP in collaboration with the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) in both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, focusing on the energy sector.

The two organizations handled the consultations with the help of civil society organizations (CSO) and contacted people to collect views which were carried forward as major agendas after expiry of MDGs set targets in 2015.

The ESRF found out that Tanzania needs abundant energy supply in order to propel national economic activities.

The outcome of the consultation indicated that the poverty stricken situation in the country was a mark of government failure to resolve the situation.

However, Bandara noted also that despite abundant supply of the natural resources in the country, Tanzania faces problems emanating largely from poor management systems.
He said that if the resources were well utilized, the level of poverty in the country would have been reduced to a certain extent and bring down the percentage than is the situation at present.

Deliberations of the panel raise a sense of optimism that 13 years since the start of the new millennium have seen the most rapid reduction in poverty in human history, with half a billion fewer people living below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day.

Children’s death rates have fallen by more than 30 percent with about three million children’s lives saved each year compared to year 2000. Deaths from malaria have fallen by one quarter globally.

This unprecedented progress has been driven by a combination of economic growth, better policies and the global commitment to the MDGs which set out an inspirational rallying cry for the whole world.

The post 2015 agenda of the MDGs is a universal agenda with a practical focus on things like poverty, hunger, water, sanitation, education and healthcare, driven by five big transformative shifts.

The latter were defined as leave no one behind, put sustainable development at the core and transform the economies for jobs and inclusive growth. Others are build peace and effective, open and accountable institutions for all and the last involves forging a new global partnership.

Summarizing the various agenda, Bandara noted that transformation aims at ending extreme poverty in all its forms in human history and ensure that every person achieves a basic standard of well being.

Developed countries have a special role to play, fostering new technologies and making rapid progress in reducing unsustainable consumption by mobilizing social, economic and environmental action together. These could eradicate poverty irreversibly and meet the aspirations of eight billion people in 2030, the UN official added.

Conservators have become poachers, pastoralists assert

 

A cross-section of Ngorongoro based pastoralists blame modern conservation as a key factor towards rising wildlife poaching in national parks and game reserves.

Speaking here yesterday pastoralists suggested the need for the government to work on the challenge, saying wildlife modern conservation techniques had failed to scale-down poaching.

“It is difficult to differentiate the poacher and the conservator,” a resident said, noting that local people have seen people who pretend to be conservators of the country’s wildlife resources, but they don’t do so.

“One day, I witnessed twelve carcasses of elephants killed in the conserved area. The situation is terrible. Ordinary people like me fail to understand what conservators do,” said James ole Palkani.

Palkani who lives close to the Serengeti National Park in Ololosokwan village in Loliondo described the situation as very serious that needs to be addressed.

“The Maasai have been living with wildlife for many years, without any problem, taking into account that we don’t eat wild meat. But since the introduction of so-called modern conservation techniques things have changed for the worse,” he said.

Another villager said wildlife conservators use sophisticated tools in their work, but the number of killed wildlife kept on increasing on a daily basis.

“It is so sad to see elephants being killed by people who have been commissioned to protect them,” he said.

“These modern conservation techniques are not for protecting but killing wild animals. As pastoralists, we are wondering why the government continues to use so called modern conservation techniques, which have failed to address the problem,” said Charles ole Ndagoya.

Ndagoya who head the Ngorongoro-based Paralegal and Human Rights Organization, suggested that the government comes up with a solution that would sufficiently address the challenge.

He said it was high time for the government and other stakeholders to go back to the use of traditional ways of addressing poaching which is posing a serious threat to elephants and other large mammals like rhinos.

Ndagoya also queried government action of giving land to supposed investors, who are hardly investing anything other than hunting wildlife in protected areas.

Citing examples, the activist said that in Loliondo there were a number of rhinos but none can be cited at present. “And this happens at at time when the government has given the mandate to conservators to protect the wildlife. But we are fully aware that wild animals are killed by people who have been commissioned to take care of the animals.”

H e said that in the good old days wild animals mingled with domesticated animals like cattle, and they didn’t fear a human being, but now it’s not the case. “We have created fear among wild animals…” he said, imploring the government to come up with a participatory approach.

The local people would be allowed and be part of the conservation team, the activist explained. “Let’s give room for local people to use the skills that they used all along to protect wildlife.”

It is estimated that Tanzania loses three elephants per day due to poaching, a disquieting trend that threatens to wipe out wildlife attractions within the current decade.

Netragen provider unfazed by TFDA banning order

Despite a ban imposed by the Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA), a traditional medicine product, Netragen is still being circulated across the country.

Two weeks ago, TFDA-Lake Zone Office banned the production, distribution and advertisement of Netragen drug after detecting violation of laws and regulations governing the drug sector on the part of the producer (Herboworx).

Impeccable sources said Herboworx Ltd based in Mwanza is still distributing Netragen, which is claimed to help persons with peptic ulcers, seeking the drug despite the banning order by TFDA-Lake Zone Branch.

Speaking on the phone yesterday, TFDA Information Officer, Gaudensia Simwanza said the TFDA head office is currently investigating those reports. “…we want to get the truth of the story before we take action,” she said.

She, however, noted that the ban imposed by the TFDA Zonal office on the production, distribution and advertisement of Netragen drug was still intact and must be respected by the manufacturer.

It was against the law for traditional medicinemen to distribute drugs to various centres, warning Herboworx against distributing Netragen drug to its centres located in Dodoma, Mbeya, Dar es Salaam, and Mwanza.

TFDA would deploy zonal officials to conduct inspections across the regions to see if Herboworx centres were still distributing the drug, “so that appropriate legal and disciplinary actions are taken against the culprits if we find that they disobeyed an order issued by the authority through its Lake zonal office.”

Herboworx station managers for Dodoma and Mwanza interviewed by Clouds FM last week said that the drugs were still on sale, and that distribution to needy patients was going on.

Announcing the ban two weeks ago, TFDA’s Lake Zonal Inspector Aggrey Muhabuki told a press conference that there was gross violation of laws and regulations governing the drugs sector on the part of Herboworx.

Speaking after an inspection at the company’s production sites and clinics, TFDA official said the entire chain of production, distribution and advertisement of Netragen and other traditional drugs of Herboworkx do not meet requirements as provided for in the Traditional Medicine Act and TFDA regulations.

TFDA’s scrutiny has revealed that Herboworx has no license and permit allowing it to provide services from authorities governing the drug sector—either TFDA or the Traditional Medicine Council.

Secondly, the company has been advertizing its products, which the zonal inspector said was wrong and contrary to the Traditional Medicine Act. The traditional medicine law allows a traditional doctor to personally administer drugs or herbs to patients, and not open distribution branches.

Even the production of Herboworx drugs were done in an environment which does not meet drug standards and safety.

“The production site is not clean. Packaging and labeling of their products does not meet the set quality and standards requirements,” she stated.

Speaking before TFDA statement, Herboworx operator Mwita Marwa said that Netragen drug was approved by the Government Chemist and that he had permits from the Traditional Medicine Unit of Ministry of Health and Social Welfare at Mwanza, claims which TFDA inspectors said were not true, insisting that he had no permit or license for the services.

“Because of these shortfalls, from today (two weeks ago), the authority bans production, distribution and advertisements of Herboworx products, until the company complies with laid down procedures, rules, laws and regulations governing the drug sector,” the zonal inspector had declared.

The authority also issued a warning to traditional doctors to abide by laws and regulations, failure of which stringent measures would be taken against them.

DPP appeals against verdict on DECI case

DPP Elieza Fereshi

The Director of Public Prosecutors (DPP) has submitted a notice of appeal against a judgment issued by Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court that the four directors of the Development for Entrepreneurship Cooperative Initiative (DECI) should pay a fine of 21m/- each or a six-year imprisonment.

As part of the verdict, the court also instructed the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) to collect all the money from DECI sources after the accused were found guilty of two offences including operating a financial institution without an appropriate license.

The accused who are pastors of Pentecostal churches are Jackson Mtares, Dominic Kigendi, Samuel Mtares and Timotheo Ole Loitingye. All the four accused deceived their followers who trusted them as religious leaders and swindled them out of millions.

On August 19 this year before Resident Magistrate Aloyce Katemana on behalf of Resident Magistrate Stuwart Sanga issued the verdict.

However the DPP was not satisfied with the ruling and submitted a notice of appeal against the verdict which didn’t show who is to refund DECI members.
However, in the judgment, the court acquitted Arbogast Francis, who was not found guilty.

During the judgment, Defence Advocate, Hudson Ndusyepo attempted to plead the cleric’s case seeking the court’s sympathy on account of his clients’ elderly ages. When that didn’t work, he claimed that there were numerous persons living off the accused and would suffer severely should the four be jailed.

But after the prosecution team, led by State Attorney Prosper Mwangamila presented 16 witnesses between July 17 and August 19, this year, the court was able to prove beyond reasonable doubts that the accused had committed the offence and were guilty as charged.

Mwangamila requested the court to confiscate assets that the accused have amassed in the past six years, noting that the priests had bought lands, buildings, vehicles and saved huge sums of money at the expense of their unsuspecting congregations.

Two of the accused remain in custody after having failed to meet the fine terms, while Timotheo Ole Loitingye and Mtares were set free after paying a fine of 21m/-.

An alert by the media helped give voice to the largely innocent public and to wake overly gullible government agencies from the sad fact that church elders were involved in a money scheme luring hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting citizens out of their hard earned money.

According to media reports, by May 14, 2009, at least half a million people had sunk billions of shillings into the scheme, some having borrowed from banks, rickety family budgets and savings and credit cooperative societies for the purpose.

However when the media was revealing the scheme, bishops from the 82 Pentecostal Church of Tanzania which represents several churches, called media reports ‘raging rumours driven by ignorance, ill-will and vendettas.’ 

Local contractors demand equality in tender awards

 Local contractors have expressed concern that the government has continued to skip them in tender awards, preferring foreign contractors instead who fail to complete projects in time.

The concern was expressed by Contractors Association of Tanzania (CATA) General Secretary Placid Ngiliule when talking to The Guardian during a one-day workshop on various 2013/14 tax laws changes organised by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).

He said the tendency of awarding tenders to foreign contractors is discouraging the locals.

He said it is a shame that 60 percent of the construction market is under foreign firms and only 40 percent is operated by local contractors.

“Not all local contractors lack professionalism or technological skills to engineer the projects that are entrusted to foreign firms,” he stressed, saying that they should be judged by their work.

Ngiliule argued that the government should prioritise local contractors in awarding tenders so as to empower them, something that will fast track national development.
According to Ngiliule, these foreign contractors make loads of profit but lots of it goes to their country (capital flight), something that denies the government a whole bunch of revenues.

“Local contractors are in a better position of increasing permanent employment opportunities and contribute a great deal in the country’s economy,” he reasoned.

Expounding on the employment issue, he said people who secure jobs with foreign contractors are normally on a temporal agreement because once the project is complete, they are left jobless.

He pointed that CATA is trying to build capacity among local contractors by helping them access capital that would help them purchase modern working equipment.

“There is a need to empower local contractors because many of them still look like small medium entrepreneurs due to lacking capital and tenders,” he said.

Elaborating on tax charged on local contractors, he noted that TRA cuts much money from them thus causing CATA to fail operating on its own.
He said there should be a limit on tax and other bills so that the association can remain strong.

Ngiliule also challenged the government to pay contractors in time and also award tenders jointly between foreigner contractors and the local ones to facilitate exchange of experience, technique and skills.

KOICA trains 800 local govt officials

In an effort to increase the understanding of local government leaders and improve service delivery, at least 800 Tanzanian government officials have received various training through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

According to a statement from KOICA, the 800 government officials received the trainings between 1991 and August, this year.

During the training, local administration management topic was given first priority so as to meet the Tanzania government’s demand of delivering proper services to its people through local authorities.

This year alone, about 15 officials from local government authorities participated in the course including a Human Resources Officer from Kinondoni Municipal Council.

Following the trainings they have been offering, KOICA and KOICA Alumni Association of Tanzania (KAAT) jointly held the 2013 KAAT Feedback Seminar on Local Administration Management in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

The official development assistant in collaboration with Korean government through KOICA, has provided training to government officials of its partner countries.

The themes for the seminar were the ‘Human Resources Development for Improvement of Services delivery in the Local Administration System and Decentralisation by Devolution in Tanzania.’

Participants discussed a number of issues but they wanted to come up with the best knowledge and experience gained from Korea so as to raise the standards of service delivery.

The feedback seminar was held in order to stimulate participants coming back from that course to apply their lessons from Korea to their individual duties. 

Sumatra intervenes in cargo tracking dispute

Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra)

Tanzania Electronic Cargo Tracking Agency (Tecta) has called on the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) to revoke the recently signed agreement between the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and Belgium based firm named Antaser Afrique.

The inked agreement between the two institutions gives the Belgium firm mandate to implement electronic cargo tracking note (e-CTN) system at the Dar es Salaam Port.

Tecta Executive Director Dennis Makoi told this paper in an exclusive interview that TPA’s top management decision was against international and the country’s cargo shipping, clearing and forwarding regulations.

Makoi said principally the overseeing agency- Tanzania Shipping Agency Association (TASAA) is the only agency with authority to sign contracts on behalf of the government and private firms to implement the system in the country.

According to him, despite TPA being aware of the pending five-year contract signed between TASAA and a French-based firm Phoenix Cargo Security on August 17 last year; they still went ahead to sign a new contract with Antaser Afrique on July 3, this year.

“This has created tension among stakeholders on the effectiveness of the system especially at the Dar port,” he said calling upon the regulator to intervene in the matter before it gets out of hand.

Makoi also said that before the signing of the first contract, the government announced the tender to which among the best five companies in the world only two; Antaser Afrique and Phoenix Cargo Security were invited to make presentation of their facilities.

He said: “It was unfortunate that Antaser Afrique was disqualified after having failed to provide its presentation on time. Besides it had no facilities in both Conakry Guinea and in Belgium as it had claimed in its documents.”

Commenting on the matter, Sumatra Public Relations Manager, David Mziray said the regulator was hosting a closed door meeting with various stakeholders in cargo, shipping, clearing and forwarding industry in the country.

He said Sumatra was aware of the matter particularly the introduction of the electronic cargo tracking note system to be effective on September 1 this year.

“We are working on the matter. We’re sure we will reach conclusion that will benefit both parties,” he said in a telephone interview.

When reached for comments, TPA Director General Eng Madeni Kipande declined to comment on the matter.

“I don’t even know you. Are you retarded? Send me your inquiries in writing then I will respond,” he reacted.

For two consecutive weeks stakeholders notably importers in the shipping business in the country have been protesting against TPA’s plan to introduce the electronic cargo tracking note which will be used to closely monitor the movement of cargo at the Dar port.

NIDA collects data for national IDs

National Identification Authority (NIDA)

The National Identification Authority (NIDA) has started collecting biometric information from 2.6 million Dar es Salaam residents ahead of issuing them with National Ids.

Thomas William, the NIDA’s head of Communications and Documentation said the exercise will start in Temeke district covering those who filled their registration forms last year.

“The information includes finger prints, electronic signatures and other personal details like age and gender,” William said.

Preliminary wards are all streets of Kimbiji, Pemba Mnazi, Kigamboni, Vijibweni, Kibada, Mjimwema, Somangila, Kisarawe II, Tungi and the streets of Mtoni Kijichi, Mgeninani and Misheni in Kijichi ward.

William explained that the work was to start as soon as Parliament Budget session ended, but was delayed by the visit of US President Barack Obama and the heads of state attending the smart partnership dialogue in Dar es Salaam.

There are other glitches however, like shortage of data entry clerks and registration officers to take information of people, the current ones are working on temporarily basis but despite the set back the official asserts:

“We have organised ourselves well and people will be notified before the commencement of the exercise through the media and other outlets,” he said noting that the authority has ordered (imported) for more equipment to efficiently conduct the exercise.

“We need people to be cooperative and provide correct information,” William said.

NIDA has so far issued IDs to 220,000 civil servants and a few selected citizens.

President Jakaya Kikwete inaugurated the national identity cards project in February this year when the first 46 IDs were issued to top government leaders and a few prominent persons, marking a milestone in the registration and identification of Tanzanians.

MCT unveils media ethics book

Former Attorney General Judge (rtd) Mark Bomani (C) with copy of Guidelines for Teaching Media Ethics, a Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) publication, at annual media ethics symposium in Dsm yesterday.

The Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) has unveiled ‘Guidelines for Teaching Media Ethics,’ designed to support local training institutions and journalists in the media industry to abide by professional ethics.

The guidelines were launched by former Attorney General, Judge (rtd) Mark Bomani at a one-day annual media ethics symposium organised by MCT in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
John Mireny MCT's Publication, Research and Documentation Manager said the council produced manuscript to help the industry to fight declining ethics.

While the document will be made available to journalism training institutions, he said the same will be given to newsrooms to be availed to journalists who had not been to journalism training institutions.
Meanwhile Judge Bomani has suggested that one way of reducing the prevalence of crime in Tanzania is to ensure proper custody and use of firearms.

Hed warned against use of such arms by members of the public and security organs, especially the police force to stop people from exercising their basic human rights such as the freedom of expression, belief and assembly and the right to life.

“I don’t think these groups understand their boundaries when it comes to use of firearms,” he said, noting that on several occasions police have opened fire on unarmed crowds.

He said, there are various threats to the peace and security of the country however, key players such as the police force must redefine their scope of power particularly the use of firearms they bear.

Judge Bomani, who has also previously served as Chairperson of MCT Ethics Committee, underlined the intricate part played by the media industry in raising awareness and exposing the extra judicial killings.

“Journalists must work within their professional boundaries…it is media that brings people together and builds unity necessary for the socio-economic development of the nation,” he explained.

Kajubi Mukajanga, MCT secretary general expressed dismay at the recent remarks by the top government leader that according to him, ‘encouraged police brutally’.
According to him ‘journalism is increasingly becoming a dangerous profession in this country….”

He pledged that MCT will continue to work to protect journalists.
Judge Bomani also presented to Mtwara press club, media reflector jackets that will ease their identification while in the field.

MPs cast verbal votes to pass budget

Chadema legislators in the National Assembly in Dodoma yesterday after several days of absence during which they attended the funeral of the party's supporters killed in recent bomb blast at a political

The National Assembly yesterday endorsed the proposed 2013/14 government budget amounting to 18.2 trn/- by direct vote with 235 members supporting it while 35 said no.

Announcing the results, the national assembly clerk said 270 members were in the debating chamber to cast their verbal vote, while 83 others were reported absent.

Finance Minister William Mgimwa when winding up the debate said all pertinent matters pertaining to review of tax on telecommunication services and the decision by the government to scrap Road Toll on motorcycles( Bodaboda) and tricycles( Bajaj) would be explained in the Finance Bill to be tabled in the House either today or
tomorrow.

The government also did not bow to the MPs’ pressure that called for dropping the increased Excide duty and levy on petrol and diesel. In that sense, the public should now brace for tough life in the coming financial year.

According to MPs’ observation, the increased excise duty and fuel levy would now hike the price a litre of petrol by 28 per cent, the decision that would have a spill-over effect on almost all goods and services delivered in the country.

During the debate Members of Parliament had asked the government to drop its decision of increasing tax on fuel and instead retain its earlier proposal of introducing excise duty of 1,450/- on Sim cards per month.

They said since there about 18 million registered SIM cards in the country, the government could collect over 300 billion in 2013/2014 fiscal year.

Yesterday evening Opposition Chief Whip Tundu Lissu told reporters that earlier in the morning police barred them from entering the Parliamentary debating chamber on the grounds that they had put on Chadema party attire.

They said apart being prevented from entering the House yesterday they also felt it was not fair to participate in the last stage of budget endorsement since they were denied the chance to contribute to the financial estimates debate.

They said the debate was supposed to end today ( Tuesday) but Speaker Anne Makinda shortened the debate, denying them an opportunity to participate, taking into account that the were in Arusha region to attend the funeral of their party members who died in the recent bombing.

Meanwhile failure of the country’s economic growth to trickle down to the larger section of the public is caused by slow growth of an agriculture sector that employs three-quarters of the Tanzanian population, the government has stated.

Contributing to the speech for the estimates of government revenue and expenditures for 2013/2014 yesterday in Parliament Minister of State in President’s Office (Social Relations and Coordination) Stephen Wasira said it was true that the country’s economy has maintained steady growth for the past few years but such a growth has failed to have positive impact on majority ordinary citizens.

According to the minister, agricultural sector that employs over 75 per cent of the country’s population has been growing at around 4 per cent on average while other sectors that employ a few numbers of citizens have been recording high growth.

Wasira gave examples of sectors that recorded high growth, ranging between 7and 22 per cent as trade and tourism, mining, construction, telecommunication and financial services.

“Unfortunately, these sectors neither employ the majority of the population nor provide adequate markets for products from the most predominant sectors such as agriculture,” he said.

He said to ensure the overall high growth rate is translated into significant poverty reduction the government would direct more financial and human resources to sectors that employ the majority of the population, increase productivity across-board especially in agriculture, improve business environment in both informal and formal sectors and improve social protection programmes such as TASAF to include conditional cash transfers for targeted groups.

The country’s economic growth increased from 6.4 per cent in 2011 to 6.9 per cent last year while Kenya ’s growth increased from 4.4 per cent to 4.7 per cent.
Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda’s growth rates declined from 8.6, 4.2 and 6.7 per cent in 2011 to 7.7, 4.0 and 2.6 per cent, respectively.

According to an analysis conducted by the Institute of Business Insider of the US, based on World Bank estimates, Tanzania is among the twenty countries with the highest projected compounded annual growth rate from 2013 through 2015.

The minister also spoke on the pressing need to safeguard peace and tranquility, saying with the recent isolated cases of tragic violent incidents, including bombings, every individual irrespective of his/ her political ideology is responsible for maintaining the national heritage.

“In absence of peace and tranquility no development activity can be carried out. Peace and tranquility have no political ideologies. This is a heritage that we must safeguard at all cost,” he said.

He said political parties should compete by selling their policies, including building political arguments to win people and not through inciting violence. “Democracy without discipline is chaos”.

Wasira also said the government was losing billions of through public procurement, saying the legislation must be brought to Parliament for review.
He said procurement of public good through tenders are inflated while in actual sense the prices in the local market are ordinary.

'Union split will benefit no one'

Sudan Ambassador to Tanzania, Dr. Yassir Mohamed Ali

The Sudan Ambassador to Tanzania Dr. Yassir Mohamed Ali says the union predicaments must be resolved by the new constitution for a break-up will not serve good to any party, political or otherwise.

The ambassador revealed this in Dar es Salaam over the weekend in an exclusive interview with this paper saying any separation is a loss to both Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.
“God forbid, this will not happen,” he prayed.

“The break-up of Sudan was not good, we were one nation of brothers and sisters yet after the separation about 8million people became foreigners...we let go of 75 percent of oil…it is a loss but we don’t regret it was the price of peace...,” said the diplomat.

The Sudanese envoy cited Tanzania as a symbol of tolerance, peace, love and unity as such the on going talks over thee Union break-up should be viewed with great caution as whichever way the country chooses to go, it will influence the entire region.

He described Tanzania as ‘a peaceful country where any who visits never fills a stranger thanks to hospitality of the people but he warned that should the country divide then it risks creating animosity and hate one for another.

Of recent and past resource based conflict plaguing the continent is due to poor public awareness of government intentions and also cheap political games played by some politicians for self gains.

“Awareness is very important and the people need to see tangible community based results from the discovered resources,” the ambassador noted adding that diversity tolearance is key to unity as well as tolerance and respect to a difference in opinion, look, creed and political affiliations.

In the same accord, Lam Jok Wai Wuor, a former soldier of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in his study “The causes of Sudan’s break up and the Future of South Sudan” attributes the root causes of the breakup of Sudan in 2011 the failure to welcome diversity and tolerance and attempts of the state to impose Arabism and Islamism at the expense of African indigenous cultures.

Sudan, once regarded as the largest country in Africa, broke up into two on July, 9, 2011, after decades of conflict.

The first civil war between the North and the South broke out few months before the independence of Sudan on January 1, 1956 and was settled through peace in 1972. The second Sudanese civil war broke out on May 16, 1983 and lasted until a peace deal was concluded in Naivasha, Kenya on January 9, 2005.

Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005, South Sudan was given six years interim period before exercising referendum on whether to separate from the rest of the country or confirm unity on a new basis.

Govt again urged to co-run digital, analogue broadcasts

Kasulu�Urban MP Moses Machali (NCCR Mageuzi)

Media Owners Association of Tanzania (MOAT) has called upon the government to run analogue and digital broadcasting concurrently to accommodate viewers in a major part of the country being denied their fundamental constitutional right of access to information.

The recommendation is in reaction to the response by the Minister of Communication, Science and Technology, Prof Makame Mbarawa to a question by Kasulu –Urban MP Moses Machali (NCCR Mageuzi) on whether the government will revert to analogue broadcasting to accommodate the millions who just cannot afford the switch.

Machali reported that a majority of media stakeholders proposed that the two technologies be used simultaneously until 2015 which is the deadline for all countries to effect the migration to exclusive digital broadcasting.

In his response Prof Mbarawa made it clear that the government will not go back to analogue broadcasting because the two years ahead of the compulsory switch will be used to fix any ‘hiccups’ in the switch.

Prof Mbarawa further explained that returning to the broadcasting system will only increase operational costs.

He said that digital broadcasting has many positive effects but mentioned only one, clearer pictures.

MOAT also pointed out that the government statistics for Dar es Salaam digital users based on decoder sales is only 250,000 yet television set owners are estimated to be 600,000, meaning 60 percent of Dar residents have no access to any form of broadcasting.

The Media owners also argued that the government has provided no evidence as to how running both systems will increase costs and to whom. MOAT further denied government’s claim of the digital system having a lot of advantages because financial losses have been registered as businesses shun advertisements because of the low number of viewers.

Public servants urged to stick to ethics to beat corruption

Dr Edward Hoseah

The Director General of the country’s anti corruption agency has underscored the need for public servants to adhere to moral standards and have bold strategic stance if they want to overcome corruption in their work places.

Dr Edward Hoseah made the call in Dar es Salaam over the weekend when opening a one day training workshop on promoting ethics, integrity and accountability in public service to senior government officials, (Permanent Secretaries and Chief executives).

“To promote ethics, integrity, combat corruption and culture of impunity, you need a bold strategic stance to overcome the scourge,” said the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Chief.

He called upon public servants to avoid conflict of interest and disqualification stressing that they should not use their authority for improper advancement of their personal financial interests.

He advised them not to solicit or receive any gift or other favours that may influence the exercise of their functions or the performance of their duties or their judgment.

For his part, the Chief Executive of Uongozi Institute, Prof Joseph Semboja challenged senior officials to adhere to ethics, arguing that they cannot become leaders if they don’t stick to their professional principles.

“Aspiring leaders must understand that leadership is about legitimacy, be it social or political. You get society and political acceptance from your personal behaviours, conduct and perspectives; in short from your ethics,” he stressed.

He said if leaders fail the test they can only become dictators, using power or rank to rule, but they cannot be leaders either.

“In other words, there is no such thing as a bad leader... crooks cannot become leaders,” he noted, adding: “This is why our institute considers PCCB and the Ethics Secretariat important partners in supporting leadership development in this country. Our combined efforts are important for a quick impact.”

Prof Semboja said they were training senior officials because they were an important cadre in the development of ethics in the nation’s public service.

“We want to build and strengthen their knowledge base, skills and capabilities in order to enhance their competences in their workplace. This is important in order to keep pace with the changing but increasingly complex demands,” said CEO.

Two foreign firms to invest in geothermal power generation

Prof Sospeter Muhongo, Minister for Energy and Minerals

Two foreign companies from Japan and Iceland have shown interest to invest in Tanzania’s geothermal power generation.

Minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo revealed this here yesterday when responding to a supplementary question by Nzega MP Dr Dalali Peter Kafumu (CCM), who had wanted to know the extent of investment in the geothermal power area.

Responding, Prof Muhongo stated that Tanzania has a total of 15 areas which are potential for geothermal production.

“But, according to the geological survey, three areas have shown to have enough stock of steam ranging from 220 to 250 degrees centigrade, which is the temperature required for power production,” he said, citing Lake Ngozi in Mbeya where the first geothermal power project is expected to start before the end of this year.

Muhongo however failed to disclose names of the companies from Japan and Iceland which are to carry out power generation activities in the area.

Recently, Geothermal Power Tanzania Ltd expressed interest to invest as much as USD 350 million to drill steam fields in the country’s south and build its first geothermal plant with the capacity to generate up to 140 megawatts by 2018.

The company began drilling two wells in Tanzania’s southwestern Mbeya region this year and found there’s potential to create power from steam within at least two systems in the area.

Tanzania, which doesn’t currently produce any geothermal energy, lies in the same Rift Valley fault system as Kenya, Africa’s biggest geothermal-power producer with an estimated untapped resource of as much as 10,000 megawatts. Geothermal energy harnesses steam and hot water from underground to power turbines in facilities that generate electricity.

In her basic question, Special Seats MP Pudenciana Kikwembe (CCM), wanted to know government plans to provide clean and safe water for people living in Majimoto ward, taking into account that water flowing in the area is not fit for human consumption.

In his response, deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Kassim Majaliwa, admitted: “It is true that water flowing from hot springs is not safe for human consumption.”

“As government, we are aware of the challenge and a deep borehole has been drilled in the area at a cost of 19.85bn/- by 2011/2012 fiscal year.”
According to Majaliwa, the government is in final stages to get a contractor to build a water supply project in the area. The project is to cost 526.813m/- in the 2013/14 financial year.

So far, Mlele district council has approved a total of 1.329bn/- to finance water projects in the area.

Police probe new FGM claims

Tarime Zonal Police Commander (RPC), Mr Justus Kamugisha

Police in Tarime and Rorya special zone are working to verify claims of existence of a syndicate dealing in human body parts and specifically those of women in a new wave of superstitious related crime.

Reports from the area say that the allegations have driven girls of the area to voluntarily seek Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) hoping to escape the more brutal kidnap, mutilation and murder.

It is alleged that women’s sexual parts are being traded in an alarming black market racket that has implicated gold mines in the area and put at risk the lives of many women and girls in the region.

The Regional Police Commander for Tarime and Rorya Regional police zone Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Justus Kamugisha denied any knowledge of the practice or even any such threat, saying no such reports or even remotely related cases have come across his desk.

“I have not heard about such incidents, however, we will take a look…,” he said.
Our source, a human rights activist, reported that the scheme was unveiled during the ongoing research into the persistence of FGM in the region.

The areas covered include Kiagata, Musoma Rural, Rorya and Tarime districts where it is understood that FGM was long practiced as a rite of passage into maturity, but now suppositious attributes have been linked to the practice in selfish bids to make quick money.

TGEI, organised under the Forum for African Women Educationists (FAWEZ-Tanzania Chapter) secretariat convened to discuss among other issues, rights to education for girls and women in the ongoing constitutional review.

Parts are sold for 40,000/- to 50,000/- and groups are reportedly paid to kidnap uncircumcised girls for the magic rituals, for both business and mining prospectus, claimed our source, making it clear that the chain of command in the trade is long.

“I don’t know whether the government is aware of this barbaric practice…it is a long chain, first there are business tycoons owning mines, middlemen, the kidnappers and killers…those who do the actual mutilation…the list goes on,” he said.

Moshi offers Bagamoyo officials cleanliness hints

Moshi Urban Council has said that strict enforcement of regulations and the decentralisation of responsibilities to the people who supervise its cleanliness campaign in their respective areas is behind the programme’s success.

Moshi Municipal Health Officer David Kimaro made the statement over the weekend when presenting a paper in a one-day workshop organised by the Bagamoyo Non Governmental Organisations Network (BANGONET).

The workshop was aimed at giving an opportunity to Bagamoyo Urban residents to hear the secret behind the success of Moshi Municipality in maintaining environmental cleanliness.

Kimaro said because of the efforts and strategies set between 2001 to 2011 have enabled the municipality to win first position among 17 Municipalities in the country for the last seven years.

Kimaro said that to ensure the campaign succeeded, the municipality provided enough cleaning equipment including placement of garbage bins in all corners of the municipality, wheel loaders, compactor trucks, skip masters and establishment of a modern dumping area.

He explained that the public was made aware of the cleanliness campaign and given the responsibility of ensuring it was properly implemented. They were made the supervisors and catalysts of the clean-up revolution in their localities.

He revealed that the Municipal authority spends over 250m/- per year on environmental cleanliness of which 180m/- is from people’s contributions.

He added that three agents employed by the municipality enforce cleanliness, arrest offenders and collect penalties set at 50,000/- per person, per offence.
According to him, it was the plan of his Municipality to grow 1.5m trees each year, an exercise carried out from April 1 to 10, every year.

During this period every individual is expected to plant 10 trees while schools, institutions, health centres and hospitals are also encouraged to do the same in their areas.

He declared that despite the efforts the Moshi Municipality is still faced with challenges such a small garbage dumping area which can only last upto 2020.
The Municipal authority plans to seek technical assistance to produce energy from the use of garbage in the dumping area.

Bagamoyo Urban Health Surveyor Assistant Officer Abdul Mohamed said the state of cleanliness of Bagamoyo town was unsatisfactory due to poor infrastructure and lack of facilities.

He said population was growing, leading to increased activity which produced 17 tonnes of garbage per day.

Contributing to the workshop, Bagamoyo resident Mwana Asha Abdallah blamed officials for not being accountable, but also for failing to involve people in plans related to improve cleanliness in the town.

She said there has not consistent follow-up of cleanliness programmes, leading the people to give up participation in campaigns in their localities. 

Solidarity not partnership, to redefine the poorest nations

Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed

The Independent Expert Group (IEG) sees solidarity, rather than partnership, as being the key to effective international collaboration in the post-2015 framework as it implies shared interests and responsibilities rather than the outdated donor-recipient relationship.

Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed, a researcher with IIED and member of the Independent Expert Group made the statement in a release by the IEG. 

The release goes on to advise that, to assert their position, Tanzania and other Least Developed Countries (LDCs) need to redefine themselves, act to improve governance and promote greater solidarity both with each other and with more developed nations. 

 

Supported by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the group aims to influence the UN’s efforts to define Global Sustainable Development Goals to take effect from 2015, when the Millennium Development Goals expire. 

 

 “The LDCs are in many ways the weakest but they also have strengths such as, their local knowledge and institutions, their culture and values and their resilience to uncertainty,” says Dr Tom Bigg of International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) which coordinates the IEG’s activities. 

 

“The LDCs can be leaders in the post-2015 process by promoting new forms of international cooperation that enables greater solidarity and sharing of knowledge and responsibilities,” reads part of the IIED statement available to our reporter.

 

 “They can act to redefine development assistance by working harder to use their national wealth to meet the priorities of the poor and they can do more to share their lessons and experiences of how to measure development and manage environmental resources.” Dr Tom Bigg explains.

 

The IEG’s mission is to ensure that UN-led processes to set international goals for development and sustainability take account of the perspectives and priorities of the LDCs and promote leadership from the LDCs at the UN level. 

 

The IEG consists of 13 experts from LDCs, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Eritrea, Gambia, Haiti, Mali, Nepal, Senegal, and Uganda. The former prime minister of Haiti, Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis, is the Chair.

 

The IEG members work in research institutes, media, civil society organizations and government agencies in the LDCs.

New irrigation schemes will boost rice production in Korogwe – Says minister

Deputy minister in the Vice-President's Office (Environment),Charles Kitwanga.

Small-scale rice growers in Mafuleta village, Korogwe District of Tanga Region will soon start enjoying the benefit of having irrigation facility in the area of about 700 ha.

“Construction of Mafuleta Irrigation Scheme is on final touches and will be handed-over to wananchi in October, this year,” deputy minister in the Vice-President's Office (Environment) Charles Kitwanga said.

 

Kitwanga made the remarks here yesterday when responding to questions in the National Assembly on behalf of Prof Jumanne Maghembe, Minister for Water.

 

The deputy minister described Mafuleta Irrigation Scheme as important towards the boosting of crop production in the area.

 

He said right now, only 300 ha are under irrigation. “So, by building this irrigation facility, farmers will be able to cultivate about 700 ha. And if all these ha are farmed, people’s livelihoods in the area will be improved.”

 

The minister disclosed that the government through Participatory Agricultural Development and Empowerment Project (PADEP), allocated 35m/- for building part of the main canal of about 450 meters in 2007/2008.

 

In 2012/2013 fiscal year, he said, Korogwe District Council through the District Agricultural Development Plans (DADPs) allocated 203m/- to complete the project. “Out of 180m/- will be used to survey the scheme as well as building permanent intake of the irrigation facility, while 23m/- has been allocated for buying modern rice milling machines in an effort to add value to the crop,” Kitwanga told the House.

 

Over 450 households have been doing rice farming in the area using the traditional-made irrigation facility.

 

The minister also attested that construction process on another Mswaha-Darajani Irrigation Scheme is underway and is scheduled to be completed in August this year.

 

Upon its completion the project, which is close to the Mafuleta scheme, is expected to consume 46m/-. The project is been financed by PADEP and the district council.

 

The minister was responding to a question by Stephen Ngonyani, (Korogwe Rural, CCM), who wanted to know the timeframe for completion of the two irrigation schemes in the district.

 

Govt wages war against on illegal fishing at Nyumba ya Mungu

Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development,David Mathayo David

The government is waging an all out war against illegal fishing at Nyumba ya Mungu dam—the Northern zone's major source of hydro-electric power.

Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development David Mathayo David, issued a stern warning yesterday in the National Assembly when responding to question by Betty Machangu (Special Seats, CCM) who wanted to know the government’s plans to curb illegal fishing in the dam.

The lawmaker said illegal fishing is rampant in the area and most people who deal with the dubious business come from neighbouring countries.

 

The minister stated that from now on the government is going to carry-out a crackdown against people who engage in fishing using ‘destructive’ fishing gear, which in turn dwindles fish resources in the dam.

 

He however admitted that destructive fishing practices at Nyumba ya Mungu dam have reached a deadly proportion as majority of fishermen have been engaging in illegal fishing, harvesting the species at an alarming rate and by using the banned fishing-nets and even chemicals.

 

He however asked the Beach Management Units (BMUs) to team up with government’s patrol forces to address the challenge, which poses a serious threat to the dam. The dam has the capacity of generating 8MW.

 

“I call upon BMUs and people living on the shores of the dam to disclose those involved in illegal fishing activities, including people from the neighbouring countries to responsible authorities so that they can be taken to task,” he ordered.

 

“As government, we will take stern measures against local people who collaborate with aliens in sabotaging fishing in this important water body,” the minister stated.

 

He said the dam is overwhelmed with other human induced activities, which threaten the survival of the 45 year dam found between Manyara and Kilimanjaro regions and with different fish species.

 

Mathayo admitted that the dam is also threatened with limited number of staff whereby right now there are about 11, though the actual demand is 36.

 

Among the measures, which are in place include establishing a total of 20 BMUs, he said, adding that “the idea of these units is to work on scaling down all activities which are not friendly to fish resources.”

 

Current mass fishing practices at Nyumba ya Mungu dam are said to be mainly fueled by the fact that a number of fishermen who used to fish at Lake Jipe, located about 40km north of the dam, moved to it after the lake recently dried up mostly due to drought and also the invasion of water clogging weeds.

 

The situation compelled about 4,000 out of 5,000 families of fishermen who spent many years making their living around Lake Jipe, measuring 166 square km, to move southwards due to declining fishing activities.

Investors not satified with harnessing of fish resources

Tamimi Fisheries Company

Yemen based Tamimi Fisheries Company has through its representatives expressed disappointment with the low exploit of fisheries resources in Tanzania, especially on the Indian Ocean.

Tamimi Ally, the advisor to Tamimi Fisheries Company revealed the discontent at the just-ended 17th East Africa International Trade Fair exhibition held in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

“We are well aware of the richness of the Indian Ocean and that is why we are interested in doing business with Tanzania,” said the Yemenis trade advisor.

He went on to state that his company is disappointed at the low amount of fish exploitation and related marine resources which he said is not enough for a processing plant, such as the one his company is looking to establish in the country.

“Our expectations were disappointed as the local fishing in Dar es Salaam is too weak to supply the plant and meet world market demand,” Ally said.

That being the case, he advised that the government create a better fisheries sector by having the local fishermen organise themselves into small groups or associations and establish colleges to train them.

The advisor elaborated that once they have formed associations then the small scale fishermen become legible for loans and it is then possible to establish a modernised fishing scheme that would pave the way for the country to compete in the world market.

Seconding his advisor’s displeasure and surprise with the low investment going into Tanzania, the Marketing Manager of Tamimi Fisheries Company, Awadh Al-Tamimi
said: “It is very sad that even the ministry concerned does not know or have the actual figures for importation and exportation of fish which gave us the impression that the government is not serious in the sector.”

Al-Tamimi said his colleagues visited to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development offices where they inquired as to the importation and exportation statistical figures on the fisheries sector.

“It becomes very hard for us and other potential investors interested in conducting business with Tanzania to assure ourselves of profit,” he explained.

Describing the unfortunate scenario, Al-Tamimi pointed out that Dar es Salaam, for example, has a bustling catering and hospitality industry with many prominent international hotels represented yet the city, like other regions depends on fish imports.

He said the amount harvested does not meet demand and the little that is harvested falls short of proper value addition due to a lack of processing plants and a very weak chain value addition apart from domestic consumption.

“Many Dar es Salaam residents, the majority being women, depend on fish sales to meet their financial as well as nutritional needs and therefore, if the government were to improve the sector, the people would all benefit greatly,” Al-Tamimi advised.

On an optimistic note, that does however contradict the observations and reports by Al-Tamimi and his colleague, a day before the EAITE ended, Theresia Mganga, the director of administration in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development revealed that at least 7trn/- is saved annually from restricted fish product imports.

She was speaking during the second graduation ceremony of the Mbegani Fisheries Development Centre in Bagamoyo District, Coast Region where she conferred diploma certificates to 188 graduates who completed two-year Masters Degree courses.

The institute covers Marine Engineering, Aquaculture, Fish Processing, Nautical Science and Boat Building. Also Environment and Coastal Resource Management, Master Fisherman and Quality Assurance and Marketing.

Mganga’s comment agrees with the foreign observers that Tanzania has ‘enough fish reserves’ but they sharply contradict when she suggests that these vast resources ‘satisfy the local market demand’ and also that because the local supply meets demand then ‘fish and fish related imports are low’.

The Tanzania national website reports that apart from the Indian Ocean, Tanzania’s fresh waters include the riparian shared waters of East African great lakes Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa and also small natural lakes, man-made lakes, river systems and many wetlands cover 58,000 square kilometres and all have high fish potential.

The site admits that, the country has a coastline of about 800 km declared as its Exclusion Economic Zone but has not yet exploited it and the present annual fish catch is only about 350,000 metric tonnes.

The number of fishermen who are permanently employed is 80,000 and few others obtain their livelihood indirectly from fishery related activities.

These artisanal fishermen produce about 90 percent of the total fish catch in the country meaning that only 10 percent is derived from industrial fishing.

Most of the fish caught is consumed locally while Nile perch with exception of sardines and prawns that are mostly for exports contributing to GDP a measly 1.6 to 3.1 percent annually. 

TGNP says govt grabbing villagers' land in regions

TGNP Executive Director, Usu Mallya

The Tanzania Gender and Networking Programme (TGNP) has strongly blamed the government for grabbing the Mshewe residents’ land in Mbeya Rural District and sold it to investors, leaving the villagers as tenants and workers on their ancestors’ land.

TGNP Executive Director Usu Mallya revealed this when briefing journalists in Dar es Salaam on the investigation report that was conducted by the NGO in May in the three regions of Morogoro, Shinyanga and Mbeya.

Mallya said that investors in Mbeya Region at Mshewe village, in particular have been given the land grabbed by the government leaving the indigenous being mere vasals and tenants in the plantations at low wages.

According to the report, Mallya said men are forced to bribe in order to get a chance to work in the plantations. Whereas on the other hand, women and young girls become labourers paid low wages of between 2,500/- and 3,000/- a day.

She said as a result women and girls working in those plantations have been facing various challenges such as gender violence including sexual bribery which has disseminated sexual diseases including HIV/Aids, gonorrhea, among other in the area.

She further said in their findings, they have also realised that in Kisaki Ward in Morogoro Rural Dustruct, there is a land dispute between small farmers and pastoralists. The dispute has led to the clearing of crops of farmers due to lack of area for pasturing.

Mallya said that the land dispute in that area has mainly been caused by corruption. Whereby, pastoralists are alleged to bribe local government leaders so that they should not be disturbed when they trespass to areas belonged to farmers, which are for cultivation.

Again, according to TGNP findings, lack of clean and safe water was another serious issue that needed quick measures to address it.

Mallya said that despite the national water policy whose one of the objectives in to ensure water availability is not found more than 400 meters. But it has failed to fulfill it, she barked.

In Isoso and Lubaga wards in Kishapu, water problem to people lead women and girls to travel distant routes searching for water. However, most often they have found themselves in difficult and dangerous situations, some being getting unexpected pregnancies after being raped in search of water.

Their report has also indicated that poor health services at Ilota village in Mbeya, Kisaki in Morogoro was still a major challenge. There are no enough medicines in some dispensaries. In Morogoro some residents are forced to contribute 70,000/-
Meanwhile, TGNP has called for the government to give back land taken from Mshewe residents so that they could continue with their usual lives as owners of a land and not refuge in their own country.

They have also urged leaders to fulfill their promises they had promised during their campaigns and should not remain silent. “Don’t turn these poor people as your capitals during political campaigns during general elections only, fulfill your promises to them,” she noted.

On their part, the Mshewe residents in Mbeya rural have claimed that their fertile land, on which they have been depending for decades has been given to investors, denying them land for agriculture and residential.

“We have been forced to become cheap labourers in investors’ plantations so that we can get a living, otherwise we can starve and eventually die of hunger if we don’t do that,” they lamented bitterly.

Norwegian fertiliser firm to build plant in Mtwara

YARA-International

A Norwegian fertiliser company, YARA-International has unveiled its long-term plans to set up fertilisers-manufacturing factory in Tanzania in a broader quest to enhance farmers’ access to the inputs.

The plan was disclosed at the weekend at a forum of fertilisers-distribution agencies organised by the Norway-based firm, which is specialised in the manufacturing and distribution of high-quality fertilisers globally, including Tanzania.

However, the latest revelation has come as the government struggles to lure potential foreign and local investors to support its ambitious and national-wide agriculture revolution crusade, dubbed ‘Kilimo Kwanza.’

Significant progress has been made since ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ concept came into force, but experts say some challenges still exist, including setting up a viable mechanism to increase usage of fertilisers, lack of awareness (on the part of farmers) on the importance of applying fertilisers.

YARA-Tanzania Country Director Pal Oystein Stormorken said the company has come up with a number of strategies targeting to address some of the snags inhibiting improved productivity in the agriculture, said to employ 80 per cent of the population.

In a span of three years since the company started operations in Tanzania, it has imported and distributed high-quality fertilisers to farmers across the country, he said, adding “and the results have been very impressing … improved productivity, harvests and more farmers’ income.”

The company has established fertilisers-distribution outlets in different regions countrywide, from which farmers could easily access the agricultural inputs.

As part of its long-term strategies, according to firm’s boss, the company plans to put up a fertilisers-manufacturing plant in Tanzania, but noted that implementation of the plan would depend on the natural gas situation in Mtwara and other regions in the southern part of the country.

Natural gas is an important ingredient in fertilisers-production, and that sufficient quantity of the resource could make the envisaged fertilisers-manufacturing plant a reality.

“In fact, if we are to set up a fertilizer plant here, it is not going to be for Tanzania alone, we will export the product to other East African countries and rest of Africa …. In other words, it must be a large-scale fertiliser-plant. That’s why we have to be satistified with the availability of raw material (natural gas),” observed YARA country director.

“Yes, we have such plans in future, but we need to make thorough assessment of natural gas situation before venturing into that (setting up fertilisers factory),” said Stormorken.

Hilary Patto, YARA-Tanzania Head of Marketing and Distribution, said besides selling fertilisers to the farmers, the company also educates them on the importance of using fertilisers and ABCs of applying the inputs.

In these initiatives, YARA collaborates with national agriculture development institutions and government agencies, Patto said.

Galus Mapunda, one of the farmers who attended the event, said “I used to harvest 500kgs of tobacco per one acre (before I started applying YARA fertilisers), but I am getting up to 1200kgs now.”

Songea-based farmer Oward Similar said: “At the moment, I get around 45 and 50 bags from one acre of maize, a drastic increase from 15 bags I used to harvest when applying other types of fertilisers. Bumper harvest has really improved my life and other farmers who use YARA fertilisers.” At the gala, which was attended by high-profile dignitaries, YARA awarded several individuals and local companies which excelled in the distribution of YARA products.