Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
Could Tanzania become India’s next defence customer?
A recent visit to India by Minister of Defence and National Service Dr Stergomena Tax, which follows the previous visit to Tanzania by her Indian counterpart, has led the Indian press to speculate that the East African nation could be the next customer of Indian arms.
On August 29, 2022, Dr Tax visited India in the company of other senior officials from the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF). The Tanzanian delegation was hosted by the Indian Defense Advisor accredited to Tanzania and officials from the Indian Ministry of Defense.
Dr Tax and her delegation visited the manufacturing facilities of Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), considered one of India’s biggest manufacturers of ammunition and missile systems.
According to a press release from BDL, the delegation was briefed about the products that BDL is offering for exports, which included the “Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, Surface to Air Missiles, Underwater weapons, Counter Measure Dispensing System, Drone delivered bombs, and Drone delivered missiles.”
“Honoured by the visit of HE Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Defence Minister [from] Tanzania at BDL today,” the company said in a Twitter post on August 27, 2022. “The visit will further strengthen Defence Cooperation existing between India and Tanzania and will give a fillip to [the] export of ‘Made in India’ defence products.”
Dr Tax’s visit to India comes after India’s Deputy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri visited Tanzania in May to strengthen defence ties with the East African nation “where India is considered a net security provider,” according to Eurasian Times.
During his visit, Misri discussed a security partnership with the top leadership of Tanzania, which included enhancing maritime security cooperation and exporting Indian defence products to meet Tanzania’s defence requirements.
Apart from his visit to the BDL’s manufacturing facilities, the Tanzanian defence minister also held bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh.
The two sides agreed to set up a Task Force to prepare a five-year ‘future road map’ to enhance defence cooperation between both countries and to hold the next Joint Defense Cooperation meeting in Tanzania.
Construction on track at Shanta’s Singida project, company says
Shanta Gold, a mining company that runs a gold project in Singida, said Wednesday that it remains on track for the first production in early 2023, and is set to transform the company into a greater than 100 000 oz/y gold producer with a diversified resource base.
Mining Weekly quoted the company’s CEO Eric Zurrin as saying: “We are delighted with the great progress being made at Singida, with construction on schedule for [the] first production in quarter one 2023.”
Overall construction activity at the project is about 70 per cent complete, the website said. A Metso-manufactured crushing circuit has been installed and cold commissioning has been completed.
Scirocco Energy shares rise on deal to sell stake in Ruvuma gas project
Shares in Scirocco Energy PLC rose Wednesday after it said that it has reached a deal to complete the disposal of its 25 per cent stake in the Ruvuma gas project in Tanzania, MarketWatch reported.
The AIM-listed energy company said that operator ARA Petroleum Tanzania intends to exercise its pre-emption rights, and the parties will work to complete the transaction by the end of the year.
Shares at 1440 GMT were up 11 per cent at 0.25 pence, the website reported.
Apollo Hospitals, Eclipse Group to set up cancer diagnostic centre in Dar
Apollo Hospitals, one of Asia’s foremost and trusted integrated private healthcare services providers, enters Tanzania by signing an MoU with Eclipse Group to set up a cancer care centre in the Msasani area, Dar es Salaam, a statement released yesterday said.
With this partnership, Apollo will provide healthcare services with advanced cancer care treatments.
The 60-bedded state-of-the-art cancer centre will offer comprehensive cancer care right from diagnosis to treatment. It will offer medical, surgical, and radiation treatment to cancer patients across age groups, from paediatric to adults, the press release stated.
It will offer best-in-class treatment and care with a team of experienced oncologists, cancer care management and some of the world’s finest technology, to make quality cancer care accessible to over 55 million people in Tanzania.
Dinesh Madhavan, President Group Oncology and International, Apollo Hospital Enterprises Ltd said during the signing ceremony that the partnership is in line with the company’s vision to touch billions of lives across the globe.
“Together, we will strengthen the healthcare ecosystem of the country and support the citizens of Tanzania and neighbouring countries in accessing quality cancer care without travelling miles for treatment,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Zahir Damji, Chairman, Eclipse Group, Africa called the collaboration “a matter of pride and gratitude.”
“With this enterprise, we will invest our energies in the greater good of society,” he said at the signing. “Rising cancer cases and a lack of quality cancer care are prevalent issues in Tanzania.”
This is it for today and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see below) or following 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.
