Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Thursday, August 19, 2021.
Nineteen CHADEMA cadres arraigned in court on causing chaos during church service
A total of 19 CHADEMA members and supporters were on Thursday arraigned before the Mwanza Resident Magistrate Court as the government accuses them of causing chaos during a church service. State attorney Bisela Bantulaki told the court yesterday that the accused committed the offence on August 15, 2021, at the Catholic Church parish in Kalikawe, Mwanza.
The CHADEMA cadres were arrested on Sunday, August 15, 2021, when police raided the parish and arrested the cadres who donned the opposition party’s uniforms. According to CHADEMA, five of its members were arrested before the service started while seventeen others were arrested shortly after the service.
CHADEMA has condemned the arrest of the cadres, an incident which has caused an uproar, with the party’s Elders Wing Secretary-General Mr Roderick Lutembeka calling it “a blatant violation of Tanzanians’ fundamental freedoms.”
The party has demanded President Samia Suluhu Hassan takes strict actions against all those responsible for the arrest of the cadres. “Actions like these risk dividing the nation if strict measures are not taken against its perpetrators as soon as possible,” Mr Lutembeka said during Tuesday’s press conference.
The case against the cadres has been postponed until September 21, 2021, and the accused have been released on bail.
Property tax collection through Luku becomes effective today
Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) said Thursday that the collection of property tax through the purchase of electricity tokens starts effectively today, Friday, August 20, 2021.
TRA Commissioner General Mr Alphayo Kidata said in a statement yesterday that the implementation will be carried out under the supervision of the taxman in collaboration with the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO), involving all types of electricity meters.
The development follows an amendment to the Local Government Authority Tax Act, Chapter 289 passed by the parliament recently and which changed property tax rates.
TRA said that the rates will be Sh12, 000 per standard building within the compound from Sh10, 000 previously levied, and Sh60, 000 per single-storey building from Sh50,000.
In the case of district and town councils, apartment houses regardless of the number of floors will be charged Sh60,000. Each electricity buyer will be deducted Sh1000 per month for a normal house and Sh5, 000 per month for a storey building.
Owners whose buildings are yet to install electricity will continue to pay the tax using the previously used system that is through mobile phones and banks after obtaining a payment number (control number) until they get an electricity connection.
This is it for today and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see below) or follow us on Twitter (here) as that is the best way to make sure you do not miss any of these briefings. And in case you have any questions or comments, please consider dropping a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
