Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday, September 21, 2023.
UNGA 78: Tanzania calls to end wars and a just transition to clean energy
Tanzania’s Vice President, Philip Mpango, delivered a speech during the 78th session of the United Nations General Debate yesterday. In his address, Dr. Mpango emphasized the importance of diplomacy and dialogue as alternatives to armed conflict.
“Tanzania firmly believes that the world needs to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy to prevent and resolve armed conflicts.”
“Wars and confrontation must be avoided at all cost because in war everyone loses including the non-warring parties,” said Dr. Mpango during his fifteen-minute speech.
Dr. Mpango further cautioned nations about the proliferation of weapons and the increased military expenditures, which he argued contribute to armed conflicts and deviate from the goal of reducing conflict. Specifically focusing on Africa, he called for increased international support for regional initiatives aimed at bringing peace to war-torn regions of the continent.
“Those who participate in fueling conflict in Africa either for the purposes of profiting from arms trade or access to blood mineral wealth should be tracked and condemned openly by the United Nations,” emphasized Dr.Mpango.
Dr. Mpango’s address comes during a time when the world grapples with the repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and several African nations, including Ethiopia, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the West African Sahel region, are experiencing armed conflicts and insurgency issues.
During his speech, Dr. Mpango conveyed messages of support to Libya and Morocco, which have recently suffered from devastating floods and earthquakes.
Drawing attention to the findings of the 6th Assessment Report (AR6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which confirmed that Africa is experiencing accelerated warming compared to the rest of the world, Dr. Mpango called for urgent action to reduce emissions and facilitate investments in climate commitments. In this context, Tanzania advocated for a fair and equitable transition to clean energy for Africa.
Pressure mounts on the Zanzibar port deal as the new investor takeover
On September 18, 2023, a French-based company Africa Global Logistics (AGL) went on to take over the operation of the Zanzibar, Malindi port.
Since the entry of the new investors traders have been complaining about the surge of rates at the port and other disturbances. For example, traders who spoke with The Chanzo said that truck entry to the port has shifted from getting a yearly permit to a day permit at a rate of Tshs. 80,000.
In the five-year agreement between the Zanzibar government and Africa Global Logistics (AGL), Zanzibar is set to receive 30 percent of the expected profits generated from the port, with AGL retaining the remaining 70 percent.
Adding to the traders complaints, the opposition party, ACT Wazalendo came out yesterday questioning the nitty-gritty of the deal:
“What investment did Africa Global Logistics (AGL) bring, and why did the Zanzibar government spend USD 6 million to install an e-port system for the investor”, asked ACT-Wazalendo’s Head of Ideology and Publicity Salim Bimani.
“Why did the government spend another 16.5 billion for equipment? Why was the agreement made in secret, why was there no open tendering,” continued Bimani.
In resolving some of the challenges the director general of the Zanzibar Port Corporation (ZPC), Nahat Mahfoudh Mohamed said that they are reverting to the old charges, citing a grace period for the time being.
Zanzibar government has embarked on a series of agreements and engagements with the private sector in several key sectors which include aviation, health, and lately the port.
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