Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, January 15, 2024.
Tanzania’s CCM picks Emmanuel Nchimbi as its twelve secretary-general
The ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) on Monday named Mr Emmanuel Nchimbi as its twelve secretary-general since the formation of Africa’s second longest-ruling party in 1977 following a merger between Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP) of Zanzibar.
Mr Nchimbi, 52, is succeeding Daniel Chongolo, who resigned on November 30, 2023, after reports surfaced on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, implicating him in sexual WhatsApp messages with an unidentified woman.
In the leaked WhatsApp conversation, Mr Chongolo and the woman share intimate and sexual messages, accompanied by nudes that the two exchanged during their communication. Following the scandal, Mr Chongolo tendered his resignation to the party’s national chairperson, Samia Suluhu Hassan, which she approved.
Full story here.
Tanzania bans Kenya Airways from its airspace in a retaliatory move
Relations between Tanzania and Kenya worsened on Monday after the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) banned Kenya Airways (KQ), the country’s flag carrier airline, from Tanzania’s airspace in retaliation to what Kenyan authorities did to Air Tanzania.
TCAA director-general Hamza Johari said in a statement that the move reciprocated the decision by Kenya’s aeronautical authorities to refuse the Tanzanian request for an all-cargo flight by Air Tanzania under Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights between Nairobi and third countries.
Mr Johari said Kenya’s decision violated section four of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on air services between the two East African neighbours, which was signed on November 24, 2016, in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi.
Full story here.
Electoral bills review: Genuine commitment for transitional justice in Tanzania?
The year 2024 is crucial for democracy stakeholders in the country as it marks the upcoming local government elections and a test of how much the democratic environment in the country has improved.
Ahead of the elections, there are three bills tabled at the parliament for discussion and review in February. They include the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Bill, 2023, the Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections Bill, 2023, and the Political Parties Affairs Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
As a part of legal reform, the review of the bills is quite an important process in measuring the willingness of the government to bring forth reforms as coined by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in the philosophical 4Rs (Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms, and Rebuilding). It is also a way to measure the fairness of the upcoming Local Government Authority Election.
Full analysis here.
Govt issues seven mining licenses to Marula’s local partners in Tanzania
The government on Monday issued seven new mining licence applications to Marula Mining’s local partners, Takela Mining Tanzania (TMT) and NyoriGreen Mining Limited (NML), at the Nyorinyori and NyoriGreen graphite projects in Tanzania, it has been reported.
In a statement to shareholders, Marula, a London stock exchange listed and African-focused mining and exploration investment company, said the new mining licenses are valid for seven years, effective from 10 January 2024 and are being incorporated into the commercial and technical services agreements with TMT and NML, through which Marula has secured its 75 per cent commercial interest through the funding of exploration and mining and development activities.
The company said that an upfront consideration of US$25,000 per license is being made to TMT and NML, which has been satisfied through the issue, in aggregate, of 1,050,000 new ordinary shares in the company at a price of 13.5 pence per new ordinary share.
Full story here.
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