Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, April 08, 2024.
Kwahani MP, Ahmed Yahya Abdulwakil, dead at 65
The Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament, Dr. Tulia Ackson, announced the passing of Ahmed Yahya Abdulwakil, the Member of Parliament for Kwahani Constituency, who passed away suddenly on April 8, 2024, due to high blood pressure.
His burial is scheduled for today, April 9, 2024, in his hometown of Muyuni, Zanzibar.
Upon the Speaker’s announcement, Members of Parliament stood to pay their final respects. Parliamentary activities will be suspended today to allow MPs to attend the funeral.
Abdulwakil had previously served as a Member of the House of Representatives from 2017 to 2020, before becoming a member of parliament representing the ruling party CCM from 2020 onwards.
Lawmaker accuses govt of depriving people of Ngorongoro of basic social services
Ngorongoro MP (Chama cha Mapinduzi – CCM) Emmanuel Oleshangay on Monday accused the government of depriving people living in the UNESCO-inscribed world heritage site of basic social services, rendering the government’s rhetorics that the ongoing relocation exercise is voluntary as “hollow.”
Contributing to budget estimates proposed by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa for the 2024/2025 financial year, Mr Oleshangay, an Indigenous Maasai from Ngorongoro, said that over 180,000 residents have been living under difficult circumstances since 2022 when authorities launched the so-called voluntary relocation.
In the exercise, which the government has repeatedly claimed to be voluntary, an estimated 7,000 residents of Ngorongoro have been transferred to Msomera village in Tanga as part of authorities’ attempt to reduce the population there to achieve proper conservation of the area.
But Mr Oleshangay questioned the veracity of the government’s voluntary claims since the start of the controversial exercise, arguing that how can the exercise be voluntary if those who choose to remain are subjected to a life-threatening cut of basic social services?
Read the full story here
Mortar round kills three Tanzanian soldiers in DR Congo
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) announced Monday the passing of three Tanzanian soldiers who are part of the regional bloc’s Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) deployed in the country to support the Congolese government to restore peace and security in eastern DRC.
In a statement, SADC said that the “unfortunate incident” happened after a hostile mortar round had fallen near the camp where the soldiers were staying. Apart from killing the three Tanzanian servicemen, the missile also injured three other soldiers.
None of the soldiers has been named, nor have further details been given on where or when the attack occurred. SADC has also not said who was responsible for the attack on its soldiers.
SAMIDRC was deployed on December 15, 2023, to support the government of the DRC to restore peace and security in the eastern DRC, which has witnessed an increase in conflicts and instability caused by the resurgence of armed groups.
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