Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Thursday, April 6, 2023.
‘No Cause for Concern’: Tanzania briefs foreign ambassadors on the status of Marburg Virus Disease
Tanzania has briefed ambassadors representing their countries to the East African nation on the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) status, assuring them that the country is safe and there is no cause for concern.
Foreign Affairs Minister Stergomena Tax informed journalists here on Thursday that the government decided to brief the envoy on the disease because they’re essential links with the countries they represent.
“We wanted them to be aware of steps that the government has taken so far to contain the disease as well as understand what the situation currently looks like on the ground,” Dr Tax told reporters.
According to her, cases of the disease remain at eight, as reported earlier, with no additional fatality reported. Two of the three people remain hospitalised, and one has been discharged.
“The disease is currently under control,” Dr Tax assured the ambassadors. “We have procedures to prevent the disease from spreading, including requiring people arriving in Tanzania to undergo testing of the disease.”
“We also carry out an effective contact tracing,” she added.
According to her, ambassadors appreciated the government’s quick response to the disease, promising to continue working with local authorities to contain it.
Tax emphasised the need to get this information out, warning that if the issue is not well communicated, Tanzania’s economy could be in danger.
“You could find that people stop coming to Tanzania, something which will have adverse effects on business and the economy in general,” she pointed out.
Full story here.
Tanzania, Kenya to construct immigration office at common border to ease movement
Tanzania and Kenya are set to construct an Immigration Office at the common border in Olposimoru area- Narok West Sub County to ease movement between the two countries, Kenya’s Capital FM reported Thursday.
The outlet quoted Narok West Member of Parliament Gabriel Tongoyo as saying that the Kenyan side has already set aside a piece of land for the construction and was awaiting the Tanzania side to give their share.
Tongoyo, also the Chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on National Security and Administration, said this while on a tour to hand over a patrol vehicle to the police post at the border, the outlet reported.
He was accompanied by Loima constituency MP Protus Akujah and Lari constituency MP Joseph Mburu, who are also members of the National Security Committee.
Tongoyo reiterated the many insecurity incidents reported in the area, saying the vehicle would help patrol the area and curb crime.
Tongoyo said constructing the border point would also boost business in the area as more people would visit.
“This is an initiative of the National Government to boost development in this region,” Capital FM quoted Tongoyo as saying. “We believe that the construction will begin immediately when the Tanzania side allocates the land.”
MP Mburu noted that the initiative would boost the livelihood of the pastoralist communities living in the area, adding that many young people from the region would be employed to work at the border point.
Report: Tanzania has the largest number of electric vehicles in East Africa
A new report has found that Tanzania has the largest number of electric vehicles (EVs) than all EVs in East Africa combined, with over 5,000 EVs estimated to be on the road.
The report, titled The Barriers to E-Mobility in Tanzania, is part of a two-part series in collaboration with UN-Habitat and the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI) on the barriers to and policies for electric mobility in Tanzania.
This first report, released on Thursday, is on the barriers to e-mobility in Tanzania and was led by the Africa E-Mobility Alliance (AfEMA) and supported by UNH and UEMI.
The following upcoming report is on the policies for e-mobility in Tanzania and is supported by AfEMA.
Written by Tom Courtright, Warren Ondanje, and Paschal Giki, the 26-page report says that over the last few years, at least ten companies have entered the e-mobility industry market in Tanzania.
They give an example of Piki, a food delivery service that has successfully deployed electric mopeds driven by women and students, exemplifying the demand and opportunities for affordable and reliable EVs suppliers in Tanzania.
But the report’s authors warn that the electric vehicles industry in Tanzania faces several barriers which slow adoption.
Full story here.
A look back At some of Sabaya’s controversial decisions and attempts to convict him
On April 5, 2023, Moshi Resident Magistrate’s Court set free former Hai district commissioner Lengai Ole Sabaya, who was facing economic sabotage charges, ordering him not to commit criminal offence for a duration of one year.
His release follows his submission of a request to the Director of Public Prosecutions’ office to settle the matter outside the court.
We look back at some of Mr Sabaya’s controversial decisions and Tanzania’s attempts to imprison the controversial DC:
See the timeline here.
Marula Mining confirms high-grade graphite at its Nyorinyori mine
Jason Brewer, the CEO of Marula Mining, an African-focused mining and development company, announced on Thursday that the company was pleased with the promising results observed during its recent site visit to the Nyorinyori Graphite Project, in Tanga.
In a statement, Mr Brewer said the high-grade graphite mineralisation and jumbo graphite flakes indicate the immense potential that the company believes the project holds.
“As a result, we will fast-track our on-site activities and accelerate exploration work to demonstrate further and realise this potential.
“We are now submitting several samples of the high-grade graphite mineralisation taken whilst on site for analyses. In addition, we will also be taking an initial bulk sample to give us a better understanding of this mineralisation and its grade and flake sizes.
“Graphite is essential in green energy technologies, such as electric vehicle batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. The Nyorinyori Graphite Project aligns with our strategic focus on battery metals and positions Marula to, in our opinion, quickly contribute towards the global demand for graphite as we collectively push towards the green transition.”
In early 2023, Marula Mining increased its interest in the 10 granted mining licenses comprising the Kinusi Copper Project located in Mpwapwa, Dodoma, from 49 to 75 per cent, for a total consideration of up to US$550,000 through cash and staged equity payments.
It followed a recent site visit by the company’s Board, which confirmed the high-grade copper mineralisation and potential that the directors believe exists there, particularly with the identification of 30 additional surface exposures of copper mineralisation across the project area in the previous quarter.
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