Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on June 12, 2024.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk Meets with Tanzanian Deputy Prime Minister Doto Biteko for clean energy talks
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk visited Tanzania as part of his three-day trip, which began in Nairobi and concluded in Dar es Salaam. On June 12, 2024, Turk met with Tanzania’s Deputy Prime Minister Doto Biteko to discuss opportunities in the clean energy sector and strategic minerals.
Following the meeting, Dr. Biteko highlighted that their discussions centered on opening up the country to various sectors, particularly focusing on strategic minerals. “First, these discussions stem from the vision of our President, who consistently emphasizes the improvement of economic diplomacy. This has enabled the country to open up in various areas, including talks and visits like this,” he said.
Dr. Biteko added that the visit by the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy and his delegation also focused on investment in the mining sector, specifically minerals such as nickel and graphite, which are crucial for energy production. He explained that Tanzania has been collaborating with the United States on various matters and will continue to work together to ensure that Tanzania succeeds in adding value to its strategic minerals domestically, thereby enhancing the country’s resources.
A proposal was made to formulate a joint task force between Tanzania and the U.S. to identify strategic areas for collaboration in the energy sector, further strengthening the partnership between the two nations.
SGR train service to begin Dar es salaam-Morogoro route on June 14
The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) has announced the commencement of modern Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train services from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro starting Friday, June 14, 2024. These services will begin nearly two weeks before the official launch by President Samia Suluhu Hassan on June 25, 2024.
The train services will start a month ahead of the deadline set by President Samia, who on December 31, 2023, instructed TRC to ensure the trains begin service by July 2024.
Speaking during the launching of the services which goes together with a campaign, “Let’s ride our train, take care of it, and appreciate it, the Director-General of TRC, Masanja Kadogosa said the official launch will be on June 25.
“We have launched a campaign aimed at encouraging more people to travel by train so that by the time the official SGR rail operations from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma commence, more people will be familiar with it. It will be officially launched on June 25 by President Samia,” he said.
Kadogosa mentioned that TRC commences the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro route as an initial step to gain experience and address potential challenges, aiming to improve future journeys. The train fares from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, with economy class is priced at TZS 70,000, business class at TZS 100,000, and royal business class at TZS 120,000.
“To meet customer demand, TRC plans to start with two trains from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma and Dodoma to Dar es Salaam every day,” he said.
Regarding safety, he assured that there would be reliable security as the train engines are equipped with CCTV cameras to monitor passengers while onboard and during disembarkation.
The Dar es Salaam to Morogoro lot construction started in 2017 with an initial construction cost of USD 1.2 Billion. The Second lot which covers Morogoro, Mkutupora, and Singida including Dodoma is constructed at a total cost of USD 1.93 Billion by construction firm Yapi Merkezi.
Human Rights Watch: Police linked to killings at North Mara Gold Mine, calls for an independent investigation
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported that police guarding the North Mara Gold Mine in Tanzania have been linked to the killings of at least six individuals and the injury of several others since February 2024.
The report alludes that the incidents have occurred during confrontations between police and locals in the Tarime district of northern Tanzania. The report says that the police have accused those killed and injured of invading the mine and conducting illegal small-scale mining inside the mine’s premises, but it noted that no arrests have been made related to these abuses.
HRW urges Tanzanian authorities to conduct independent and impartial investigations into these killings and other related abuses.
“The Tanzanian authorities should promptly undertake independent and impartial investigations into the killings and other abuses in northern Tanzania’s Tarime district,” reads part of the report.
Since 2019, Barrick Gold, a company headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and the Tanzanian government have jointly owned the mine. Barrick Gold responded to HRW’s request for information, stating that the company does not control the police and their actions. The company claims it requests police presence only to uphold law and order when employees’ lives are at risk. Barrick Gold asserts that it has no involvement or awareness of police activities outside the mine and cannot be held accountable for such activities.
Tanzania launches a task force to research minerals, aims to survey 50% of resources by 2030
A team of 13 experts from both the public and private sectors was inaugurated yesterday in Dodoma to conduct comprehensive research on Tanzania’s mineral resources. By 2030, the committee aims to have surveyed 50% of all mineral resources in the country.
Currently, only 16% of Tanzania’s mineral resources have been surveyed. In the last financial year (2023/2024), this research generated TZS 2.1 trillion, equivalent to 15% of the nation’s domestic revenue from taxes.
Speaking at the task force inauguration, Minister of Minerals Anthony Mavunde highlighted the economic potential of thorough mineral research. “Despite the significant contribution of the mining sector, we have only researched 16% of the area. So, we thought, if just 16% can contribute this much, what if we triple it? That’s why we came up with Vision 2030, which aims to have at least 50% of our country’s mineral resources surveyed by the year 2030,” he said.
Mavunde emphasized that achieving this ambitious goal requires a dedicated team. “We realized that this couldn’t be achieved without forming a dedicated team to help us reach this goal,” he added.
The committee is chaired by Professor Abdulkarim Mruma, who previously led the team that investigated the amount of minerals present in mineral concentrates (makinikia) and submitted its report to President John Magufuli in 2021.
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