Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories in Tanzania which were reported over the weekend.

Newly appointed DCs to be sworn in today

President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Saturday rearranged the team of her district commissioners where he appointed some new ones, transferred some to new posts as well as dismissing others. A total of 139 district commissioners were appointed, 56 of them newly appointed while the rest are old ones. Among the 139 district commissioners, 95 are men while 44 are women. Our own analysis shows there are about 28 appointees of 35-years-age and below, making 20 percent of the whole package. The newly appointed DCs includes police and military personnel, journalists, artists, retired parliamentarians, former opposition politicians who defected to the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), CCM’s loyalists and others.

Minister of State in the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government Ummy Mwalimu said in a Twitter post on Sunday that the new DCs are expected to get to work as soon as possible, directing that their swearing-in to take place in two days from June 20 and June 21 at their respective region. The minister also said that the government will organize special orientation for the new DCs so that they can be well informed of their responsibilities and what is expected from them.

Here is the full list of the newly appointed DCs and their respective work stations.

ACT-Wazalendo wants Samia to ‘institutionalise’ her reforms

Opposition party ACT-Wazalendo’s Central Committee (CC) sat on Saturday for its normal meeting whereby among some motions tabled and discussed was the performance of the new administration led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

A statement released by ACT-Wazalendo on Sunday said that the party was aware of the reforms taking place under the new administration on various sectors of Tanzanians’ lives. But ACT-Wazalendo suggested that the reforms should be institutionalized through legal frameworks to make them sustainable.

With that in mind, the party’s CC asked ACT-Wazalendo to prioritize the fight against the controversial Political Parties Act, 1992 in an attempt to create a conducive environment for multiparty politics in Tanzania. In 2019, the Act was revised to include some of the most limiting clauses which give the registrar a lot of power over parties and also limit parties operation and interactions.

Other issues discussed at the meeting were the need for ACT-Wazalendo to support the ongoing movement to demand the New Constitution as well as urging it’s members and leaders from Zanzibar to work hard towards making the reconciliation between the party and CCM go beyond political parties. The party says that the reconciliation should be integrated in the day to day lives of Zanzibaris.

Tanzania warns of new COVID-19 wave

The government said Saturday that Tanzania faces the third wave of COVID-19, warning its citizens to take all necessary precautions to combat the spread of the global pandemic. The warning came a few days after the WHO had hinted that the COVID-19 vaccines might arrive in the country within two weeks. The government’s warning was precipitated by the rising number of coronavirus cases recorded in neighbouring countries, particularly Uganda.

Addressing journalists in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, Director of Prevention from the Ministry of Health Dr Leonard Subi said: “The ministry reminds all citizens not to ignore COVID-19. The ministry has begun to see indications of the occurrence of the third wave. This is due to the monitoring being carried out by the ministry and the interaction between our people and other nations.”

Mwinyi: Zanzibar is open to investors 

And, are you an investor interested in the blue economy? If yes, the president of the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar Dr Hussein Mwinyi would like to talk to you. During a CEO Evening Roundtable Engagement dinner on the East African Community (EAC) regional integration on Friday night, Dr Mwinyi said that Zanzibar is open for heavy investment in diverse sectors of the blue economy, including deep-sea fishing, ports infrastructure, marine transport, petroleum and gas, and tourism.

During the function organized by the East African Business Council, Dr Mwiny said: “Zanzibar also requires adequate investment in modern agriculture, real estate and conference tourism. Investment in these sectors will spur business within the East African Community in addition to increasing national revenue and improving the lives of the people of Zanzibar.”

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