Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.
After traders’ strike, envoys call for dialogue citing unfair tax practices to investors and arbitrary freezing of bank accounts in Tanzania
Following a trader’s strike that lasted for four days, from June 24, 2024, to June 27, 2024, spreading across nine regions, with the main complaints around tax systems, several envoys have also requested dialogue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Investment and Planning, Minister for Industry and Trade and the Commissioner General of TRA to discuss challenges that investors face.
“Many of our investors are encountering significant disruption due to unevidenced notices from the TRA demanding payments and account reconciliations dating back up to 15 years. Many businesses have faced ‘bank agency notices’ that freeze accounts, halt operations and negatively impact employee salaries and supplier cashflow,” reads part of the letter that The Chanzo has seen.
The envoys also say that TRA has refused to recognize tax concession agreements that investors have entered with the Tanzania Investment Centre and ministries saying the agreements are not gazetted. The letter also shows that TRA officials are using threats to pressure investors into submitting to its demand.
Read the full article here
Another great migration? CHADEMA’s Peter Msigwa moves to CCM
Peter Msigwa CHADEMA’s former members of parliament, a member of the party’s central committee, and the former chairperson of the Nyasa’s zone has joined the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
Msigwa’s announcement was made on June 30, 2024, during the CCM’s National Executive Committee meeting, where Msigwa was received by the CCM’s chairperson, President Samia Suluhu Hassan alongside party’s Vice Chairpersons Abdulrahman Kinana and Dr Hussein Mwinyi.
Speaking in a press after the announcement, Msigwa says he has joined CCM because the CHADEMA has become the property of one man.
“I have been a committed member of CHADEMA for twenty years, and this is because of its principles. There was a time when we saw the party that was standing for freedom, justice, democracy, and people’s development. But with time the party has become the property of one man, what he wants is what goes,” said Msigwa.
Read the full article here
Hope is truly a dangerous thing: Is Tanzania going back to the dark days?
Hope is a dangerous thing; hope can drive a man insane. These are the words in a scene of a movie Shawshank Redemption, where actor Morgan Freeman (Red in the film) was telling Tim Robbins (Andy Dufresne). The two were both convicts imprisoned for a very long time in a maximum-security prison and were longing for freedom.
For some reason, these words have been on my mind since June 27, 2024, when we received the news that social media personnel, Edgar Edson Mwakabela popularly known as Sativa who was abducted on June 23, 2024, had been found inside a national park.
In an astonishing circumstance, he was shot in the head. Luckily the bullet hit his jaw and now he is recounting a harrowing tale that others who vanished may be under similar circumstances could not.
Read the full article here
Debunking Myths: From childhood curiosity to fighting injustice
The heartbreaking loss of Asiimwe Novath has shattered our collective hearts. Reports of the authorities finding her body sacked, mutilated, and abandoned left an indelible scar on our humanity. Asiimwe, a precious toddler with albinism, was cruelly abducted and murdered, her innocent body mutilated for mythical beliefs. This unspeakable crime is a grim reminder of the deep-seated prejudice and violence faced by individuals with albinism.
Despite debunking the myth that people with albinism vanish, the belief in their body parts’ mystical properties persists. Allegedly, these killings surge during elections, exploiting superstitions to gain political advantage. To combat this, we must not only change beliefs but also hold accountable those who perpetuate these myths—the witch doctors who benefit from such heinous acts, and their clients in need of popularity and wealth.
Read the full analysis here
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