Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, August 16, 2022.
Samia wants visa applications fast-tracked to lure tourists into Tanzania
President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday directed Immigration Department to fast-track the issuance of visas to visitors coming to Tanzania in order to maintain the current trend of tourists.
The Head of State gave the directive at Boma Kichakamiba in Mkinga District, Tanga during the launching of the Regional Immigration Training Academy (TRITA) and insisted that the bureaucracy in issuing all types of visas issued in the country.
An education institution established by the Tanzania Immigration Services Department in December 2008, TRITA serves as a facility that offers migration studies in a more specialized manner to Immigration officers from Tanzania, as well as from other EAC partner states and beyond.
“Through economic diplomacy, we have opened up the country, a lot of foreigners and many investors will come in,” President Samia was quoted as saying. “There is no reason for delaying visitors. This is for those whom you think have no problem entering the country.”
So far Tanzania issues five types of visas namely, single entry visa, multiple (Entry) Visa, transit visa, business Visa and referral visa. Foreigners can apply online.
DarMpya rebrands to ZamaMpya as TCRA declines to renew its license
The online media outlet DarMpya has been forced to rebrand to ZamaMpya after the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) allegedly declined to renew its license, The Chanzo has learnt.
The move comes almost two months since the regulator, on July 6, 2022, prohibited DarMpya from publishing content online, citing the outlet’s alleged failure to renew its publishing license as required by regulations governing online content in Tanzania.
The ban was associated with DarMpya’s coverage of the June 17th demonstration outside the Kenyan High Commission in Dar es Salaam by people who described themselves as members of the Maasai community living in Dar es Salaam.
They were protesting what they termed the government of Kenya’s interference in the ongoing tug-of-war between the government of Tanzania and the indigenous people of Ngorongoro.
Tanzania wants people there to ‘relocate’ to Handeni, Tanga to preserve the World Heritage Centre from destruction but natives are protesting such a decision.
Regulation 4(1) of the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations 2022 says: “A person shall not provide online media service without obtaining a license from the Authority.”
The regulation is named one of the repressive regulations that stifle press freedom in Tanzania as it breeds self-censorship among journalists and media owners in Tanzania.
But even after applying for license renewal, TCRA seemed unwilling to allow DarMpya to continue publishing.
This week’s decision by DarMpya comes almost two weeks since its CEO John Marwa told The Chanzo, on July 26, 2022, that TCRA was yet to renew the outlet’s license.
“This is despite the fact that they have found us with no case to answer at all,” Marwa said then. “We are considering other available options.”
Mr Marwa told The Chanzo on Monday that they were no longer able to wait on TCRA’s mercy to have their license for DarMpya renewed for a number of people – about 35 workers – are dependent on the company whose inactivity makes their lives miserable.
“Our destiny [as a company] is on our hands, not on anyone’s else,” Mr Marwa said during an interview with The Chanzo. “We continue to plead for support from our readers and clients because without them we are nothing.”
Full story here.
ATCL to spread wings to Nigeria, Ghana
The state-run Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) will next year launch flights to Nigeria and Ghana in a move aimed at spreading its wings across Africa.
This was revealed on Monday by Ladislaus Matindi, the ATCL managing director, who told reporters that the national carrier will also launch flights to cities of Goma and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as well as improving domestic routes in some regions.
Matindi said ATCL was planning on improving services in the country but also establish new destinations in the African region and globally.
He said ATCL has resumed flights to South Africa and China which were cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mining company wins gov’t approval for Chilalo resettlement plan
Australian-based Evolution Energy Minerals Ltd will soon be able to develop its Chilalo Graphite Project after the government approved its Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the communities living in the area, Proactive Investors reported Monday.
The RAP is a process to assess land and property values for the relocation of the Ambye, Lukowe and Nangurugai communities. Since it began in November 2021, Evolution has had extensive discussions with and received strong support from the communities, the website reported.
Together with the binding offtake agreement and the pending framework agreement with the Government of Tanzania, Evolution said it is now strongly positioned to secure project finance.
“We recognise that working together with the local communities is the foundation for the successful development of our Chilalo Project,” the company’s managing director Phil Hoskins was quoted as saying. “From the outset, we committed to going beyond the minimum legislative requirement and meeting IFC standards.”
Hoskins said applying such an approach, not only delivers the best possible outcome for local communities but enhances Evolution’s social license to operate.
“There is a clear demonstration of continued support for the development of Chilalo, not only from the local communities but also from the Tanzanian government. Such support will assist the company in successfully developing the Chilalo Project,” he said.
Hoskins added: “With a binding offtake arrangement in place for Chilalo’s coarse flake material, completion of the RAP is an important milestone as we advance our efforts to secure project finance for the development of Chilalo.”
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One Response
I do not believe the foreign looters of African resources NEED INCENTIVES to come to any African countries!
They are already in Tanzania by the thousands, arming the local ruling elites once a particular resources is IDENTIFIED by them.
Since Africans have no clue about the resources they have inside their own territories, they entirely depend on the foreign looters to discover and lead them to the locations of their own African resources!
The armed African rulers earn salaries and receive foreign bribes to oversee foreigners scrambling for and looting African resources.
The presence of foreign mercenaries and military bases in Africa is for the sole purpose of looting the African resources. Without these resources, no foreigner give A JACK SQUAT about African people! The PARTNERSHIPS between African ruling elites and foreign LOOTERS are based entirely on organized LOOTING of African resources and Africans elites will kill their own citizens to maintain these relationships!
Apart from the annual salaries the African elites get to perpetuate poverty, youth unemployment and dole out brutalities to their citizens in order to protect foreign looting interests, African elites also get foreign bribes for protecting foreign interests:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JIfe9VUzp4