Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, November 29, 2021.
NBS records employment decline in private, govt sector over seven-year period
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBC) says in its latest integrated labour force survey 2021/2022 that Tanzania experienced a higher decline of employment from private business and government in 2020/2021 compared to data recorded in 2014.
The study shows employment in the central and local government decreased from 3.3 percent in 2014 to 2.6 percent in 2020/2021, noting that the changes were the result of government steps in reducing the number of employed persons in the government between 2015 and 2020.
According to NBS, while the move might have helped in managing payroll there is a fear of compromising succession plans in government and also affecting the implementation of various activities.
The study also notes a decline of personnel employed in private business (non-farm), with the employment declining from 26.6 percent in 2014 to 22 percent in 2020/2021. The report associated the decline with the reduced appetite of investors in investing in a project that requires more labour.
There are also other observations. For example, the report names agriculture, forestry and fishing as the industries that employ the majority of the population, about 61.1 percent followed by service 30.9 percent and manufacturing 8 percent.
There is a slight increase in employment in manufacturing and service from 6.7 percent and 27.1 percent respectively in 2014 while agriculture declined from 66.2 percent recorded in 2014. NBS translates this result with optimism that the industrialization drive is paying off.
Tanzania participate in China-Africa Forum
Foreign Affairs Minister Liberata Mulamula led the Tanzanian delegation in the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that started yesterday in Dakar, Senegal.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Joseph Sokoine, the Permanent Secretary in the President Office (Finance and Planning Zanzibar), Dr Juma Akil and the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning Amina Shaaban accompany Ms Mulamula to the summit whose theme is around deepening China-Africa partnership.
China’s President Xi Jinping officiated the conference virtually pledging to provide African countries with another 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
The conference comes amidst ongoing debate in East Africa around China-Africa debt relations. The debate was sparked by news reported by Daily Monitor in Uganda that the Entebbe Airport was at risk of being taken by China Exim Bank if Uganda is to default on its $200 million loans. The Chinese Embassy in Uganda, however, has refuted the report, calling it malicious and lacking facts
China continues to be one of Tanzania’s closest allies in commerce and international relations. In 2020, for instance, China took the largest share of Tanzania’s imports worth Sh4.9 trillion, ahead of India Sh2.5 trillion, EU Sh2.3 trillion, SADC Sh1 trillion, Japan Sh871 billion and EAC Sh752 billion.
Tanzania export to China was low at Sh533 billion, behind EAC, EU, India and SADC. China Exim Bank accounts for a large share of Tanzania external debt, which is estimated to be around Sh3.95 trillion in 2019/2020 behind World Bank-IDA which is at Sh17.7 trillion and the Africa Development Bank that is at Sh4.9 trillion.
High Court postpones case on police interference in party activities
The hearing of the civil case regarding police interference in political parties activities meetings continued on Monday at the High Court. The hearing was around an objection brought by the government who wanted the case to be dropped.
On October 13, 2021, opposition NCCR Mageuzi filed the civil case at the Tanzania High Court against the Attorney General, Inspector General of Police, and the Regional Police Commissioner of Ilala.
The party argues in its petition that police interference in the party’s meeting is both unconstitutional and unlawful.
NCCR-Mageuzi filed the lawsuit after police stopped it from going on with its Central Committee meeting in August 2021.
The ruling for the initial objection from the government is expected on December 14, 2021. The ruling will determine if the case continues forward or not.
Tanzania plans to buy spray plane to fight locusts’ invasions
Minister for Agriculture Prof Adolf Mkenda said on Sunday that the government has set aside Sh3 billion for buying a spray plane to fight invasions of locusts that have been invading the country from time to time.
Prof Mkenda pointed out that although Tanzania got support from the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa and the International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and Southern Africa during locusts’ invasions, buying its own spray plane could reinforce the fight against the destructive pests.
“When locusts invade our country we request for spray planes from these organizations but acquiring our own spray plane will boost the fight against the locusts,” Xinhua news agency quoted Prof Mkenda as saying.
He added that the buying of the spray plane would go in tandem with the strengthening of the agricultural aerial spraying unit.
In February 2021, swarms of locusts invaded Monduli, Longido, Simanjiro, Siha, and Mwanga in northern Tanzania but they were wiped out before they inflicted damage on farm crops.
Students who fail Standard VII exams to have second chance
Minister for Education Prof Joyce Ndalichako on Monday reiterated the government’s decision to allow pupils who fail in their Standard VII exams to re-seat for the exams in the following year, saying the move intends at removing barriers in the access to education in Tanzania.
Prof Ndalichako made the remarks during the handover of a primary school constructed under the sponsorship of the Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni. Mr Museveni was in Tanzania for a three-day official visit where among other things he discussed opportunities presented by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project with his counterpart President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Under the current arrangement, a student who fails in the exams or has his/her results cancelled due to cheating or other reasons or who fails to sit for the exams for any other reason he or she no longer has any other chance of doing that exam. But the government is intending to change that.
It was one of the progressive steps that the government has taken recently aimed at improving access to education in the country. It includes the lifting of the controversial ban on pregnant students to continue with their studies that the late President John Magufuli imposed. Now, the government says the schoolgirls will continue with their studies after delivery.
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