Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
Will DP World issue influence Tanzania’s 2025 electoral politics?
The debate around the necessity of an inter-governmental agreement between Tanzania and Dubai that would allow the latter’s multinational logistics company DP World to operate the Dar es Salaam port has been so consistent that some have started to think about its possibility of influencing the 2025 electoral politics.
On June 10, 2023, lawmakers unanimously endorsed the controversial deal that continues to polarise the nation, with division in opinion between its supporters and critics appearing as clear as day. The government and the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party describe the agreement as “the best deal ever,” while activists and opposition parties describe it as “the worst.”
In the middle are religious leaders and legal experts who, while appreciating authorities’ efforts to attract investors into the country, are very clear in their analysis that if the agreement goes to implementation in its current form, Tanzania will lose more than it’ll benefit from it.
Sunday’s analysis by the Tanganyika Law Society represents many recommendations that others have shared to make the deal more favourable to Tanzania, which include, among other things, doing away with provisions that prevent parties from terminating the agreement due to material breaches.
Full story here.
Debate swirls around Samia’s decision to extend Juma’s tenure as Chief Justice
A senior Court of Appeal Justice has expressed concerns over President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision to extend Prof Ibrahim Hamis Juma’s tenure as Chief Justice, calling the decision “unconstitutional,” which threatens to implicate the Head of State in “a serious constitutional crisis.”
Justice Stella-Esther Mugasha expressed her concerns in an undated letter to the Chief Court Administrator, Elisante Ole Gabriel, after the latter informed the former of Samia’s decision of June 15, 2023, to extend Prof Juma’s tenure as the Chief Justice of Tanzania.
June 15 should have been the last day for Prof Juma to serve the position after turning 65, an age limit set by the constitution for anyone serving as Tanzania’s Chief Justice.
Article 118, subsection two, says that the Chief Justice shall hold the office until he attains the retirement age of the Justice of Appeal, which is 65, according to Article 120 of the constitution.
Prof Juma, born on June 15, 1958, became the sixth indigenous chief justice following his appointment in 2021 to replace Justice Mohamed Othman Chande, who retired according to the law. Before his appointment, Prof Juma served as Acting Chief Justice since 2017. He also served as Justice of the Court of Appeal.
Full story here.
Annual East Africa Philanthropy Conference kicks off in Zanzibar
The 8th Annual East Africa Philanthropy Conference kicks off in Zanzibar today as local charitable trusts, foundations, grant-making and non-grant-making organisations will deliberate on how African philanthropy can push the sector beyond conversations by specifically focusing on futuristic advancement, tireless generosity, and revitalising philanthropy.
Organised jointly by the East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN) and the Legal Service Facility (LSF), the event will take place from June 28 to June 30, 2023, at the Madinat Al Bahr Business & Spa Hotel, in Zanzibar, with over 300 practitioners and philanthropic organisations expected to attend.
In a statement on Tuesday, EAPN Chief Executive Officer Evans Okinyi said the event seeks to provide a platform for sharing experiences, collective reflection, and the curation and development of philanthropic and social tools and investment practices for the continent’s people and partners.
“The 8th EAPC is an in-person event aimed at spurring philanthropy actors towards engaging actionable tools to build a resilient sector by aligning to the changes inherent and unanticipated in the ecosystem and establishing collaborations that embrace the new demands of philanthropy while creating an environment for philanthropy to thrive,” Mr Okinyi said.
The three-day conference will allow industry players and practitioners to unpack the broader theme of ‘Systems Transformations Catalyzing Collective Action.’
Mr Okinyi said that collectively and collaboratively, the meeting will centre on how African philanthropy can push the sector beyond conversations by focusing on futuristic advancement, tireless generosity, and revitalising philanthropy.
“Distinguished practitioners and influential philanthropic entities from both regional and global domains will converge on a dynamic, inclusive, and outcome-driven platform for stakeholders in African and global philanthropy to engage in strategic deliberations, forge invaluable connections, introspect on accomplishments, and curate transformative initiatives that address prevailing sectoral accomplishments and hurdles,” he said.
A report that includes proposed actions and strategies for a more collaborative and connected philanthropic sector shall be distributed after the conference.
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