Good morning!The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on August 15, 2024.

Tanzania announces local govt elections amid opposition’s protests against overseeing authorities

Tanzanians on the Mainland will go to the poll on November 27, 2024, to vote for local government representatives, according to the announcement that the Minister of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Mohammed Mchengerwa, made Thursday.

Mchengerwa announced during a meeting in the capital, Dodoma, that eligible voters can vote for street, village, and hamlet chairpersons and members of their respective consultative councils in elections that aim to transfer power to the people.

“I announce here today to all Tanzanians, leaders of all political parties with permanent registration, that November 27, 2024, will be a local government elections day throughout Tanzania Mainland,” Mr Mchengerwa announced. “Voting will commence at 8:00 am and conclude at 6:00 pm.”

The announcement comes as some opposition parties have raised concerns over the authorities overseeing the elections. ACT-Wazalendo, for example, demands that the civic elections be overseen by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the recently passed law dictates instead of PO-RALG.

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President Samia says the latest reshuffle is about improving efficiency

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged the leaders she has appointed to work by utilizing the expertise of their respective fields of study and, where necessary, to go beyond and enhance their performance. The Head of State, who spent less than three minutes addressing the appointees promised to call these leaders from every sector to give them further direction.

President Samia made these remarks on Thursday, August 15, 2024, after swearing in the new appointees she had appointed on August 14. This marks her fourth cabinet reshuffle this year and the fourteenth such change since 2021.

“What I want to emphasize is what the Vice President mentioned, that in your work, there is an expertise in what you studied, and you need to go beyond and use ‘common sense.’ When you see that ‘common sense’ can be applied effectively, use it, enhance your performance, and serve the citizens,” Samia stated.

“What we expect from you is to enhance efficiency in your respective areas. You have taken an oath of ethics and according to your religious beliefs, live by those oaths, and follow the required professional ethics,” she said.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Justice of Tanzania, Professor Ibrahim Juma, stated that the shortcomings of laws, budgets, or institutions are not necessarily because of the laws but the implementers.

“Therefore, as we go to our respective workplaces, in addition to looking at the laws, we must also examine ourselves. Do we have any negative thoughts or habits that prevent the laws from being effective?” he said.

Alongside this, the Chief Justice emphasized that it is important for society not to place more emphasis on demanding rights without fulfilling the responsibilities they are supposed to.

PCCB uncovers sabotage in the new electric train

The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) in Morogoro Region has uncovered instances of a few passengers using the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train who are not paying the correct fare for the stations where they disembark. PCCB has warned that if these practices continue, the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) may struggle to sustain its operations in the future.

Speaking to reporters on August 15, 2024, Morogoro Deputy PCCB Chief, Christopher Mwakajinga, said that an investigation confirmed that some passengers traveling from Dar es Salaam, particularly those paying fares for nearby stations, fail to disembark at their designated stops and instead continue their journey without paying the correct fare.

“PCCB conducted an investigation that confirmed some dishonest passengers traveling from Dar es Salaam to other destinations, particularly those paying fares for nearby stations like Pugu (TSh 1,000), Soga (TSh 4,000), Ruvu (TSh 5,000), and Ngerengere (TSh 9,000), disembark at Morogoro. This situation is causing financial losses for the corporation,” said Mwakajinga.

Mwakajinga added that after uncovering this issue, PCCB held a meeting with the Morogoro Railway Corporation’s management, during which the management promised to implement ticket inspection measures and take strict action against any passenger found guilty. This includes imposing a fine of twice the amount of the fare they were supposed to pay.

These acts of sabotage come just 14 days after the launch of this modern railway in Tanzania, which was expected to bring various opportunities to the country, including boosting the national economy. The train on the SGR line began operations between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro on June 14, 2024, with over 600 passengers transported, and another route from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma was inaugurated on July 25, 2024, with over 1,000 passengers boarding the train.

The modern train, which cost TSh 10 trillion, is expected to travel at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, meaning passengers will take approximately two hours to travel from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma. These trains will have the capacity to carry 10,000 tons of cargo, equivalent to 500 cargo trucks, and are expected to connect Tanzania with landlocked countries, including Burundi, Congo, and Rwanda. Additionally, the project is expected to create over 15,000 jobs for locals.

An open letter to Masanja Kungu Kadogosa, Director General of Tanzania Railway Corporation, on the SGR ride and travel experience

The booking process was efficient, with timely reminders and multiple payment options, reflecting the strides TRC is making in leveraging technology. However, the travel experience itself left much to be desired, starting with the behaviour of the station staff. 

The interaction with guards, railway police officers, and the scan machine operator was marked by a noticeable lack of basic customer service. Their rudeness and dismissive attitudes made it clear that in our public institutions, the culture of treating all human beings with dignity and respect is still alarmingly rare unless you are perceived as a ‘big’ government official. 

This is particularly troubling in a publicly funded service, where every taxpayer, regardless of their status, deserves to be treated with fairness and professionalism.

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