Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Thursday, June 8, 2023.
Lawmakers pass Tanzania’s ‘controversial’ Intelligence and Security Service Bill
The parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed the much-criticised Tanzania Intelligence and Security Service Bill, with the government dismissing criticisms directed at the proposed amendments as “ill-informed.”
The proposed amendments to one of Tanzania’s sensitive sectors were released to the public following an outcry that authorities are attempting to force them through without public discussion, something the critics called undemocratic and counterproductive.
The proposed amendments put intelligence operations under the president, doing away with the previous arrangement where they were under the respective minister. Other provisions include formalizing the institution’s responsibility in protecting national leaders and also allowing for cooperation with similar bodies at the international level.
Critics have taken issue with the bill’s proposal that it will be among the Service’s functions to protect all presidential candidates during the general election.
Some opposition politicians have complained that the arrangement will allow intelligence officers to listen to opposition candidates’ tactics to remove the ruling CCM from power.
The bill also has very stringent provisions that stakeholders consider detrimental to press freedom and access to information in Tanzania.
Full story here.
Tanzania, IAEA sign Country Programme Framework
Tanzania and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world’s centre for cooperation in the nuclear field, have signed the East African nation’s Country Programme Framework (CPF) for 2023–2027, outlining almost a dozen areas of cooperation.
A CPF, prepared by a Member State in collaboration with the IAEA Secretariat, defines mutually agreed priority development needs and interests to be supported through technical cooperation activities.
It reflects national development plans and priorities, country-specific analyses and lessons learned from past cooperation, and also considers the Sustainable Development Goals as appropriate.
The framework ensures the application of nuclear technologies is integrated with existing development initiatives and plans and supports identifying areas where such technologies might be usefully deployed.
Tanzania’s CPF 2023-2027 was signed by the country’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Dr Natu Mwamba, and the IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, Mr Hua Liu.
In a statement on Wednesday, the IAEA said that the signing occurred on April 26, 2023, and June 8, 2023, for Tanzania and the IAEA, respectively.
A Member State of the IAEA since 1976, Tanzania identifies eight priority areas in its 2023–2027 CPF.
These are the nuclear legal framework; nuclear and radiation safety and nuclear security; food and agriculture; human health; water resource management; energy planning; industry; and nuclear knowledge development and management.
Veteran Z’bar’s politician, businessman Mohammed Raza dies aged 61
The ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi’s (CCM) politician Mohammed Raza died on Wednesday, aged 61, at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam where he was receiving treatment, his family announced.
According to his family’s explanation, Mr Raza, a well-known businessman in Zanzibar, was buried on the same day of his death, keeping up with the Islamic tradition.
Mr Raza was elected to represent the Uzini constituency in the Zanzibar House of Representatives in February 2012.
During President Salmin Amour’s tenure, Mr Raza served as his advisor on sports and is credited with the rise of Malindi Sports Club in the Isles in the 1990s.
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 ensure you do not miss any of these briefings. And in case you have any questions or comments, please drop a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
