Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, June 19, 2023.
Stakeholders decry lack of public accountability in Tanzania
Tanzanians are not pleased with the state of public accountability in the country, which contributes to the current unsatisfactory level of social and economic development registered by the East African nation.
This feeling was evident on Monday during a forum organised by The Chanzo in the city to discuss the state of public accountability in the country, the 2023/2024 government budget, and the 10 per cent local government loans.
Dubbed The Chanzo Specials, the forum attracted over 300 participants from civil society, political parties, the government, and the private sector.
Supported by GIZ, a German international cooperation agency, the forum aimed at driving conversations around the three critical topics at the heart of Tanzania’s developmental journey.
Full story here.
Experts highlight ‘silences’ in govt 2023/24 budget
Twaweza Executive Director Aidan Eyakuze has criticised Tanzania’s budget for the 2023/2024 financial year, saying it focuses more on economic growth than lifting people out of poverty.
The leader of the regional non-governmental organisation criticised the budget during an analysis he presented at a forum organised by The Chanzo to discuss the state of public accountability in the country, the 2023/2024 budget, and the ten per cent local government loans.
Known as The Chanzo Specials, the forum attracted over 300 participants from universities, the private sector, the public sector, and civil society.
Supported by GIZ, a German international development cooperation agency, the forum took place at the PSSSF Commercial Complex in Dar es Salaam.
In his keynote address during a session to analyse the government’s proposed budget for the 2023/2024 financial year, Mr Eyakuze opined that the budget does not answer current critical challenges facing Tanzania.
He mentioned the challenges as widespread poverty among Tanzanians, widening inequality, and deteriorating quality of Tanzanians, to name but a few of the challenges.
Full story here.
Kenya’s KenGen seeks geothermal drilling contract in Tanzania
Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen), the state-owned electricity production enterprise, said Monday that it is pursuing two geothermal drilling contracts in Tanzania to diversify the power generation company’s revenue sources.
The Tanzanian government has targeted developing 200 MW of geothermal power generation capacity by 2025. To this end, 52 areas have already been identified for potential geothermal development nationwide.
Kenya’s Business Daily newspaper quoted KenGen’s acting Managing Director, Abraham Serem, as saying: “We have responded to expressions of interest for two from Tanzania, and we are waiting for their response. Some are for studies, and others for drilling.”
If the bid is successful, the contracts will add to similar drilling projects undertaken recently by KenGen in Djibouti and Ethiopia.
The drilling contracts are part of KenGen’s ambitious diversification strategy, in which the company seeks to acquire new revenue streams by offering commercial drilling services, geothermal consulting and other related services across Africa.
Australia’s RMI starts drilling at nickel project in Ruvuma
Australian-based Resource Mining Corporation (RMI) announced Monday that it has started its maiden 2,000-metre reverse circulation drill programme at the Liparamba Nickel Project in Ruvuma to find nickel resources.
The company said in a statement that the fieldwork led to identifying sulphides within mafics along the two-kilometre-long southern corridor.
The drilling will likely take four to five weeks to complete, with results anticipated in the next quarter.
RMI CEO Andrew Nesbitt said they are confident that the drill programme will successfully advance the company’s strategy of locating significant nickel resources within our Tanzanian project portfolio.
Ubongo launches new show to promote inclusive learning
Ubongo, Africa’s leading edutainment organisation, announced on Monday its new show, Nuzo and Namia, described as a “one-of-a-kind program” aimed at encouraging learning through play, promoting inclusivity, and raising awareness about neurodiversity across the continent.
Neurodiversity is a concept that recognises that individuals perceive and engage with the world in diverse ways, acknowledging that there is no singular ‘correct’ way of thinking, learning, or behaving. It celebrates differences rather than viewing them as shortcomings or deficits.
In a statement, Ubongo said that every child has a unique way of learning and that no child should be left behind in education, creating a new show that focuses on the diverse ways children can learn while emphasising the universal language of play.
Iman Lipumba, Ubongo’s Director of Communications and Development, said that the organisation has partnered with the LEGO Foundation, a global leader in children’s play and learning, to develop a groundbreaking early learning program specifically designed for, and with African children aged six to nine that celebrates different ways of thinking and learning.
“This partnership has provided us with invaluable insights and expertise that have directly shaped our approach to curricula, pedagogy, content creation, and product design across all of our programs,” Lipumba said.
At the heart of this initiative is Nuzo and Namia, a show that takes young viewers on a magical adventure. The story revolves around seven-year-old twins, Nuzo and Namia, who share a deep bond with their adventurous grandmother.
When their grandmother dies, the twins move into her house to cope with the loss. Inside, they discover a magical bookshelf that transports them to different African countries in each episode.
Accompanied by a magical creature named Bubelang, they embark on exciting adventures introducing them to diverse cultures, developing their character strengths, and enhancing their reading and listening comprehension skills.
“The launch of Nuzo and Namia marks a significant milestone in our journey to revolutionise education and create engaging, inclusive content that resonates with diverse learners,” Lipumba added.
“We plan to adapt the show to over 12 languages to ensure accessibility for audiences with different linguistic backgrounds and learning styles.”
This is it for today, and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see below) or follow us on Twitter (here), or joining us on Telegram (here). And in case you have any questions or comments, please drop a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
