Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
Anti-FGM Coalition: There is slow progress in ending female genital mutilation in Tanzania
Tanzania Network to End Female Genital Mutilation says that there is slow progress in ending female genital mutilation in the country.
The coalition cited the recent report from the Tanzania Health and Demographic Survey which showed that there is a reduction in genital mutilation in women aged 15 to 49, from 10 percent recorded in 2015/2016 to 8 percent recorded in 2022.
The coalition made a statement yesterday which was the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
It was also noted there is an emerging trend that is observed including; the mutilation of women after delivery and also the mutilation of toddlers and infants.
“Some of the women found themselves mutilated after delivery, this is mainly done by traditional midwives without the knowledge of women,” said Advocate Getrude Dyabene Senior Program Officer at the Legal and Human Rights Centre.
It was also noted that there is an increase in cases of children aged 5 and below as well as children aged 10 to 14. The coalition also noted an alarming case where regions that were not known to have many cases of female genital mutilation such as Tanga, Pwani, Mtwara, and Morogoro. This shows the problem needs intervention beyond the usual suspects.
Some of the coalition recommendations include the enactment of a comprehensive law against FGM to also protect adults who are not covered in the current legal setting. The coalition also recommended the amendment of the Marriage Act of 1971 to raise the legal age of marriage for girls.
Members of the network include: NAFGEM, Hope for Girls and Women, LHRC, TAMWA, C-SEMA, Children Dignity Forum, TAWLA, CCT, AFNET, World Vision Tanzania, Women Wake Up, ATFGEM Masanga, ESTL, HIMD, Sauti ya Jamii Kipunguni, Timiza Development Group, GAESO, WILAC, Msichana Initiative, Salama Foundation and People’s Development Forum.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda expected in Tanzania to promote Polish businesses
President of Poland Andrzej Duda is expected to visit Tanzania between February 8 and 9, 2024, as part of his tour to the East African region to boost bilateral cooperation in political, economic, and military areas with East African nations.
Apart from Tanzania, Mr Duda will also visit Kenya and Rwanda, where Poland is expected to open its embassy. The Polish leader is expected to arrive in Tanzania on February 8 at the Julius Nyerere International Airport, where he’ll be received by Minister of Foreign Affairs January Makamba.
On February 9, President Samia Suluhu Hassan will host Mr Duda at the Dar es Salaam state house, where the two leaders, accompanied by their respective delegations, will talk about bilateral cooperation between Tanzania and Poland and how to improve them.
Full story here.
TRA lowers tax stamp fees by 30pc in a move that manufacturers have welcomed
Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) announced Tuesday that it has reduced the prices for tax stamps by 30 per cent following fruitful engagement with key stakeholders, which include manufacturers.
TRA said in a statement that the move follows the completion of negotiations with the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) and CICPA SA, a global provider of security inks and secured identification.
“The manufacturers, producers and importers of excisable goods listed in the First Schedule of the Electronic Tax Stamps Regulation, 2018, shall purchase stamps from the vendor CICPA Tanzania Limited” at the prescribed prices, TRA announced.
TRA said the prescribed prices came into effect on January 24, 2024.
Several people welcomed the move, saying it’d lead to the lowering of the cost of production. “A cry that had gone unheard for many years,” Mr Andrewa Mahiga, a commercial specialist at the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
CCM’s statement on Taiwan Question: ‘Not related to any recent developments’
Tanzania’s ruling party CCM said that its recent statement that reaffirmed its position in supporting the One-China policy is not related to any recent developments.
CCM’s Secretary for Political Affairs and International Relations, Rabia Abdalla Hamid, told The Chanzo that the statement was issued because of the party’s ‘long-standing relation with China’.
In its statement released on February 03, 2023, the party says that Tanzania remains committed to the principles and consensus that guide its relationship with China.
“[The Party] will consistently strive to support China’s core interests including the One-China Policy which recognizes Taiwan as an inalienable part of China.”
The Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Chen Mingjian responded to the statement by saying, “China cherishes centuries-longlasting friendship with Tanzania.”
The statement comes amidst a growing fear of China’s military intervention in Taiwan, a land hosting over 23 million people.
CCM and the Communist Party of China (CPC) enjoy a relationship that stems back to the 1960s. Outside government-to-government relations, the two parties bolster their relationship through exchange programs and frequent visits of leaders of the two parties.
The Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School is the recent flagship project that highlights the relationship between the two parties.
Protecting the rights of persons with disabilities will foster Africa’s economic development
Every December 3, the United Nations (UN) celebrates the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day is set aside to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities (PWDs).
According to data from the UN and World Bank, about 15 per cent of the world’s population live with some form of disability, and 70 per cent of the over one billion PWDs are unemployed.
The plight of PWDs in Africa is tragic. Several policies and circumstances expose PWDs to attitudinal, physical, policy, and social barriers that violate their rights. In most African countries, PWDs experience exploitation, abuse, exclusion, and marginalisation.
Full analysis here.
This is it for today, and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see below), following us on X (Twitter) (here), or joining us on Telegram (here). And if you have any questions or comments, please drop a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
