Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday, October 27, 2021.
Over 230 poachers, illegal fishers arrested in Ruaha national park
Jackson Laizer, a conservation officer for the tourism and security unit of the Ruaha National Park, told Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday that at least 230 poachers and illegal fishers were arrested in Tanzania’s national park that covers 20,226 square kilometres, between 2020 and June 2021.
Mr Laizer said most of the arrested suspects were engaged in poaching, illegal fishing and encroachment to the park. The poachers and illegal fishers were arrested during the period under review following beefed-up anti-poaching activities that were fully supported by the government.
“Poaching of elephants has now been controlled but we are facing poaching for game meat and encroachment of livestock keepers who seek pasture for their cattle,” Xinhua News Agency quoted Laizer as saying.
Ruaha National Park offers excellent wildlife viewing and is particularly good for spotting predators, including very large pride of lion and the endangered wild dog. Elephants and a big variety of antelope species are other big draws to the park.
Tanzania has 22 national parks, including Serengeti National Park, a World Heritage Site.
Tanzania signs over Sh13 billion contract with Chinese firm for geothermal exploration
Tanzania Geothermal Development Company (TGDC) signed a contract with a Chinese company to provide facilities and services to help Tanzania develop its geothermal resources, China’s China Daily reported Wednesday.
Under the contract, TGDC will purchase a multi-functional drilling rig with accessories and training services from Shandong Kerui Petroleum and Gas Equipment Co Ltd. The contract, valued at around Sh13.8 billion (about $6 million), will enable TGDC to drill three geothermal exploration wells, with depths between 1,500 and 2,000 meters. It will mark a milestone in the development of Tanzania’s geothermal resources.
TGDC, a subsidiary of state-owned Tanzania Electric Supply Company, is exploring several geothermal sites for potential development. The planned drilling site is Ngozi in West Tanzania’s Mbeya region.
According to TGDC general manager Kato Kabaka, Tanzania’s government has already invested more than Sh20 billion (about $8.7 million) in the development project for a geothermal power plant at Ngozi. The country plans to develop seven geothermal projects between this year and 2025.
As an integrated solution and service provider specialized in oilfield stimulation and new energy development, Kerui has actively participated in the Belt and Road Initiative. Its business is involved in around 60 countries and regions.
Equinor to restart talks with Tanzania over LNG project: reports
Norway’s Equinor EQNR.OL said on Wednesday it will restart talks with the government next week on the possible revival of plans to develop major natural gas reserves found in the East African country’s waters, Reuters reported yesterday.
Equinor, during the last decade, made nine discoveries off Tanzania and said it was considering a liquefied natural gas (LNG) development, but in January 2021 wrote off the entire book value of Sh2.2 trillion (about $982 million), citing poor economics.
The Norwegian company is the operator of Tanzania’s Block 2, which it estimated to hold more than 20 trillion cubic feet (0.6 trillion cubic metres) of gas in place, while ExxonMobil XOM.N also holds a stake.
Shell RDSa.L, meanwhile, operates Block 1 and Block 4, which are estimated to hold some 16 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas, according to the company’s website.
Talks on the future of all three blocks will restart at the initiative of Tanzania’s authorities, with a focus on fiscal, legal and regulatory frameworks, Equinor spokesperson said to Reuters in an emailed statement.
“We are pleased with the sense of urgency and prioritising the government of Tanzania has placed on the Tanzania Gas and LNG Project,” he added.
Tanzanian photographer wins EU GCCA+ Youth Award
Tanzanian photographer Imani Nsamila on Wednesday was announced among five young journalists and storytellers from the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change who won the EU GCCA+ Youth Awards for Best Climate Storytelling.
Nsamila, a popular Tanzanian photographer, won the award for the East/Central Africa region. According to a statement by the EU Delegation in Tanzania posted on their Twitter page, Mr Nsamila was mani was commended on Wednesday at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) side event in Brussels, Belgium.
The EU GCCA+ Youth Awards support young journalists, writers and photographers to tell powerful climate stories around the world.
Apart from Nsamila, other winners include Jahidul Islam from Bangladesh (Asia-Pacific region), Bernice Dossou from Benin (West Africa region), Mendrika Randimbison from Madagascar (Southern Africa region), and Israel Campos from Angola for a Special Jury Award.
The five award winners, who are between 18 and 30, will be able to participate to a six weeks Masterclass with leading climate reporters and activists and will also be awarded equipment and a storytelling price.
What drives Tanzanians to join scam-proven pyramid schemes?
While the government as well as other stakeholders that include lawmakers, religious leaders and even comedians have been urging members of the general population to be careful with the schemes, pointing out the financial and psychological effects associated with them, the number of schemes have not only been increasing in Tanzania but also they have not been unsuccessful at obtaining clients.
This is so despite the fact that pyramid schemes are said to be operating illegally in Tanzania as well as the presence of a number of cases in the East African nation’s courts where the scam related to the schemes have been exposed, with the owners of the schemes ordered to pay billions in damages to their former clients turned victims.
In this story, our journalist Lukelo Francis talks to people who are victims of the fraudulent pyramid schemes operating in Tanzania as well as relevant authorities with the goal of uncovering some factors that may be driving so many Tanzanians to join these schemes.
You can read Lukelo’s story, titled What Drives Tanzanians to Join Scam-proven Pyramid Schemes? here.
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