Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
Samia reiterates calls for police reforms
President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Tuesday reiterated her calls to law enforcers in Tanzania to stop filing trump-up charges against people, demanding that one should be arrested only when sufficient evidence is available about their alleged crimes.
The Head of State was officiating the Police Force working session that took place on Tuesday, in Moshi, Kilimanjaro. She was speaking following reports from the police which indicated that a total of 1,840 cases have been dropped after it was found that there was insufficient evidence.
“We have to make sure that the behavior of charging people with bogus charges stop,” demanded President Samia. “A total of 1,840 cases is a lot and we do not know for how long they were detained. It has to change.”
Stakeholders working in the area of the criminal justice system have been demanding the government to change its criminal laws to allow all cases to be bailable to prevent arbitrary detention of citizens.
They have also been demanding that police arrest people only when there is a genuine cause for doing so, a call President Samia reiterated yesterday.
“Before detaining someone, make sure you have done your work properly,” said President Samia. “Detention must come only after satisfying yourself that you have enough evidence to incriminate your suspect. Detaining people without following proper procedures is a burden to the government and the suspect’s family too.”
Tuesday’s call comes almost a month since President Samia formed a special 12-member committee that would advise her on the best ways she can use to improve Tanzania’s criminal justice system.
Led by former Chief Justice Mohammed Chande Othman with former Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue serving as his deputy, the committee was tasked to investigate the police force, prisons, the judiciary and the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB).
“We are going to look at our criminal justice system with a new eye,” President Samia said during a State House function. “This committee will be updating me whenever it is done investigating a particular institution. We will work on the feedback that the committee will share with us and come up with appropriate structures to improve our criminal justice system.”
US law firm Andersen Global to partner with Dar-based Lawhill and Co. Advocates
The US-based Andersen Global, which offers tax, valuation and financial advisory services, seeks to expand its coverage to Tanzania after it inked a partnership deal with Dar es Salaam-based law firm Lawhill and Co. Advocates.
According to a statement released yesterday, Andersen Global has more than 12,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 380 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms.
Its partnership with Lawhill and Co. Advocates, a firm that works with local and international clients, including corporations and international consulting organizations, seeks to “set the standard for quality service across all industries and be a one-stop shop for all business needs,” the statement said.
“The past few years have been a transformational period for our firm and this collaboration with Andersen Global boosts our ability to provide best-in-class service to our local, regional and international clients,” Lawhill’s Managing Partner Hadija Kinyaka said in a statement. “This collaboration effectively makes the firm achieve its vision of remaining one of the premier tax and corporate law firms in Tanzania and is a key milestone to our global reach.”
Andersen Global Chairman and Andersen CEO Mark Vorsatz said in a statement that as the company continues to establish a strong presence in the Africa region, Lawhill and Co. Advocates will provide valuable insights into the Tanzanian market and work synergistically with the surrounding member firms and collaborating firms to deliver seamless service globally.
“Hadija and her team consistently demonstrate the highest professional standards and have established a firm based on transparency and stewardship,” said Vorsatz.
Tanzania, Qatar hold talks over regulating expatriate workers
Qatar’s Ministry of Labour has organised a coordination meeting with the delegation from Tanzania, which is currently visiting the Western Asian nation, aimed at discussing cooperation in the field of manpower and regulating the use of expatriate workers.
According to a report by Peninsular Qatar, the discussions took place against the background of the labour agreement that has been signed between the two countries.
The Qatari side was chaired by Mohamed Hassan Al Obaidli, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Labour, while the Tanzanian side was headed by Jamal Adam Katundu Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Youth, Employment & Persons with Disability).
The meeting, which was held at the headquarters of MoL in Doha, discussed ways to facilitate the procedures for bringing in domestic workers to Qatar, and to coordinate between the approved recruitment offices, in addition to promoting and developing procedures for bringing in technical and specialised Tanzanian workers.
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