Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Are cracks forming in Tanzania’s main opposition party?
Speculation over possible cracks forming in the opposition CHADEMA party has been gaining steam lately, with some observers pointing to a possible strife between the party’s national chairperson Freeman Mbowe and his deputy for Tanzania Mainland Tundu Lissu.
Talks of likely fissures building up in Tanzania’s main opposition party started to attract the attention of observers as late as March 2022 when authorities dropped their terrorism charges against Mbowe in a manner that left observers with many questions.
His decision to meet President Samia Suluhu Hassan immediately after his release, instead of his supporters waiting for him at the party’s headquarters, plus stances he has taken since then, have put Mr Mbowe in a precarious defensive position and a burden to shore up his reputation.
The burden has been so heavy on Mr Mbowe’s shoulders that he used his entire speech during CHADEMA’s inaugural public rally in Mwanza on January 21, 2023, to address the sell-out accusations dubbed kuramba asali, which means licking the honey in English.
“If there is anything that has hurt me so much during the 30 years of service to CHADEMA, then it is the decision by some people to accuse me of being compromised and of betrayal,” Mr Mbowe said in his scathing speech. “I’ve been ignoring these claims for there are important issues to address, but they are claims that hurt me so much.”
Full story here.
Kenya jails Tanzanian man for seven years over possession of Sh65.4m ivory
A Kenyan court on Wednesday sentenced to seven years in jail a Tanzanian national who was facing charges of possessing 38kg of elephant tusks worth Kenyan shilling 3.8 million, an equivalent of Sh65.4 million.
Morris Mure Kadili was charged before Chief Magistrate Boaz Ombewa of a Kahawa Law Court, where he admitted to the offence, Kenya’s The Star newspaper reported yesterday.
The court heard that the accused person committed the offence on April 29 at around 8.20 pm in the Mbakasi area along the Kenyan-Tanzania border in Magadi Ward within Kenya’s Kajiado County.
The court heard that the accused person committed the offence alongside others still at large. According to the facts read before the court by the prosecution, the accused was arrested after Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers were tipped off about his illegal activities.
The prosecution produced two pieces of elephant tusks seized from the accused during his arrest. A certificate of weight measurement and an expert report to ascertain that the exhibits were indeed tusks were also presented in court.
The accused person agreed with the facts as read by the prosecution but added that the owner of the tusks had run away.
Tan-Trade delegation in Iran to boost mining, agricultural cooperation
A delegation by the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), led by its Director General Latifa Khamis, is currently in the Iranian capital of Tehran to meet officials in the Western Asian nation as part of the government’s plans to boost mining and agricultural ties with the Islamic Republic.
During a meeting with the Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Trade (ICCIMA), Gholam-Hossein Shafeie, Ms Khamis is reported to have noted that the purpose of her trip to Iran was to consult with Iranian officials and to identify areas for economic cooperation and investment between the two countries.
Iranian state media reported that Ms Khamis noted that her accompanying delegation seeks to sign memorandums and cooperation agreements with their Iranian counterparts.
“Due to the progress that Iran has made in the field of agricultural machinery, we are interested in cooperation in this area,” she said. “Of course, in the meantime, we will follow up on the development of relations in other areas if possible.”
On his part, Shafeie said: “Iranian companies can invest in technical and engineering services, agricultural machinery, and mining activities in Tanzania.”
Shafeie considered the development of relations with African countries as a main strategy of the Iranian government, saying: “Despite this special view, unfortunately, the level of Iran’s relations with this region is unfavourable and should be improved.”
According to information from the Iranian government, Iran-Africa annual trade stands at 2.545 million tons worth $1.278 billion.
Iran exported 2.452 million tons of products valued at $1.183 billion to 49 African countries in 2022 and imported 92,898 tons of goods worth $95.316 million from 23 African countries.
Project to support coastal communities in Tanga-Pemba Seascape launched
Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Abdallah Ulega on Wednesday launched Bahari Mali, a three-year (2022–2025) blue economy programme implemented in Tanga aimed at unlocking sustainable development of the blue economy by supporting improved coastal community livelihoods and ecosystems conservation in the Tanga-Pemba seascape.
Funded by the Embassy of Ireland in Tanzania with a budget of Sh4.64 billion, the project is implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international nature conservation organisation with close engagement from the government of Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Building on a successful pilot phase for 12 months in 2021–2022, the project will be implemented in four districts: Mkinga and Pangani in Tanga and Micheweni and Mkoani in Pemba.
In a press release, IUCN said the project promotes a regenerative seascape approach by supporting sustainable blue livelihood and conserving critical marine and coastal ecosystems in the Tanga-Pemba Seascape.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Mr Ulega said by engaging communities in the development and sustainability of the blue economy, the government has not only managed to improve the livelihoods of our people but also reduced pressure on critical ecosystems, which then provided long-term benefits to our community.
“The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries is promoting and supporting the implementation of various community-centred blue economy activities in the country,” Mr Ulega said. “This financial year, the Ministry had allocated Sh33.2 billion to support community-led blue economy activities with soft loans.”
Dr Aboud Jumbe, Principal Secretary of Zanzibar’s Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, said authorities in the semi-autonomous archipelago are working with partners such as IUCN and the Embassy of Ireland to implement their blue economy policy and strategy.
“Zanzibar being an island, our communities depend heavily on ocean-related economies,” he said. “Therefore, our blue economy policy and strategy emphasise on creating, promoting and supporting enabling environments for communities to participate and benefit from various blue economy opportunities.”
Sustainable development of the blue economy is a key priority for both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Blue economy sectors in Zanzibar contribute 60 per cent of the GDP, with the tourism sector alone providing employment to 33 per cent of Zanzibar’s population.
The fisheries sector in Mainland Tanzania contributes 1.75 per cent of the annual GDP, the third most important sector after mining and tourism.
It provides direct employment to 195,435 fishers and 30,064 aquafarmers and indirect employment to 4.5 million people (6.89 per cent of the total population) who engage at different points on the fisheries value chain.
Ambassador of Ireland to Tanzania Mary O’Neill said she was delighted to see Bahari Mali’s progress to support women and youth empowerment by providing access to sustainable economic opportunities in the Tanga-Pemba seascape.
“As an island, Ireland understands the key role the blue economy can play in a country’s development,” the envoy said. “We know the importance of providing sustainable coastal livelihoods whilst protecting marine resources so they are available for future generations.”
The Bahari Mali project is expected to achieve several results, including increased income and improved livelihood of coastal communities, especially women and youth, improved conservation and management of marine and coastal ecosystems and enriched knowledge and awareness of stakeholders on marine conservation and sustainable utilisation of marine resources.
IUCN Regional Director, Eastern and Southern Africa Luther Bois Anukur applauded the governments of Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar for prioritising sustainable development of the blue economy.
“The word sustainable is key here – conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems and associated biodiversity must be prioritised if coastal communities are to reap benefits both now and for generations to come,” he said.
“Functioning marine and coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs and seagrasses must be protected if fisheries and coastal tourism are to be sustained. If these ecosystems are destroyed, all associated sectors will collapse,” he added.
Samia to inaugurate new Chamwino State House next week
President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to inaugurate new State House structures in Dodoma’s town of Chamwino on May 20, 2023, the presidency announced on Wednesday.
According to the information, soon after the inauguration, President Samia and all State House staff will move to the new State House, whose construction started in 2020.
The new state-of-the-art State House is locally funded and built by the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) National Service wing as opposed to the State House in Dar es Salaam built by colonialists.
The late President John Magufuli laid the foundation stone for constructing the State House in a function attended by former presidents of Tanzania.
The new State House sit on 8,473 acres or 34km square piece of land, which is said to be 16 times larger the size of Saanane Island National Park in Mwanza and is expected to give the State huge breathing space for other different activities.
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One Response
‘The new state-of-the-art State House is locally funded and built by the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) National Service wing as opposed to the State House in Dar es Salaam built by colonialists.
The late President John Magufuli laid the foundation stone for constructing the State House in a function attended by former presidents of Tanzania.
The new State House seats on 8,473 acres or 34km square piece of land, which is said to be 16 times larger the size of Saanane Island National Park in Mwanza and is expected to give the State huge breathing space for other different activities.’
This is really weak bro, you can do better. How much did the new state house cost to build? ‘Sits’ not ‘seats’, your numbers are wrong, and your nationalism is out of place. Why do you need such a huge chunk of land to build a nice little state house?
Editor take note!