Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on March 10, 2025.
Tanzania completes trial of 264 freight wagons for its electric train
Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) announced on Monday the completion of trials for 264 freight wagons designed for its electric train operating on the new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
The trial run, conducted over one month by the Land Transport Regulatory Authority of Tanzania, involved both static and dynamic tests. The evaluation focused on the train’s performance at a speed of 120 km/h and its braking efficiency in curved sections.
Of the 264 wagons, 200 are designated for transporting containers, while 64 are for loose cargo. These wagons are part of the 1,430 freight wagons manufactured by China’s CRRC Qiqihar Rolling Stock Co., Ltd.
Government clarifies decision to purchase electricity from Ethiopia via Kenya
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Engineer Felchesmi Mramba, has clarified that Tanzania’s decision to purchase electricity from Ethiopia through Kenya to Namanga, Arusha, will enhance power supply in the northern regions.
Speaking to journalists on Monday in Dar es Salaam, Mramba stated that the primary goal of buying or selling electricity is to strengthen national power grids and reduce costs. Given Tanzania’s geographical position, the country will leverage electricity markets in East and Southern Africa for both imports and exports.
He explained that the northern regions currently rely heavily on electricity generated in the southern regions. Therefore, this move benefits both sides, as the same transmission route used to buy electricity from Ethiopia will also facilitate the sale of electricity to other countries in need.
“These agreements are two-way. At times, we will buy electricity, and at other times, we will use the same route to sell power to neighboring countries. For now, considering the energy situation in the north, we will be purchasing more than we supply. However, there will be times when they may need electricity, and we will use the same route to deliver it to them,” Mramba said.
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Tanzania confirms first two cases of Mpox
The Ministry of Health of the United Republic of Tanzania has announced the confirmation of two cases of the virus that causes Mpox. This is the first time the disease has been detected in the country since outbreaks were reported in several neighboring countries.
This development follows the collection and testing of samples from suspected individuals displaying symptoms of the disease. According to the Ministry’s statement, one of the suspects was a truck driver who had traveled from a neighboring country and entered Dar es Salaam.
The announcement comes just days after a video circulated online showing a person with rash-like symptoms, similar to those of a Mpox patient. In the video, the individual is heard informing a relative that he had been admitted after being diagnosed with the disease.
“Hey, Brother Masoud, I’ve been given a bed here. They call this place Kipawa, Kipawa Majani ya Chai. There’s a VETA school, and right there at VETA, there’s a hospital where I have been admitted. I’ve been brought here with other patients with this disease. We are all here, receiving treatment. Even if you come to see me, you won’t be allowed to enter. You will stand outside, and maybe I will step out, but we will talk through the window,” the individual said in the video.
The Ministry of Health stated that in collaboration with the President’s Office (RALG) and all healthcare facilities, it continues to monitor, investigate, and identify any additional suspected cases to ensure timely medical intervention.
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DRC reports arrest of two Tanzanians on suspicion of recruitment by ADF
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) army reported on Monday the arrest of two individuals who identified themselves as Tanzanians, suspected of being recruited by the ISIS-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
The two suspects, identified as Mugeni from Zanzibar and Jackson from Arusha, were reportedly stopped at the Pasisi roadblock together with their motorcycle drivers, while allegedly heading to Mambasa, an ADF operational base.
The ADF was formed in 1996 following the unification of various Ugandan rebel groups and has since been operating in Beni, eastern DRC. One of its founders, Jamil Mukulu, was arrested in Tanzania in 2015 and extradited to Uganda for trial. According to the U.S. Department of State, the group established ties with ISIS in 2018. While most of its fighters are Congolese, the group has used religion to recruit members across the region.
In 2021, the governments of Uganda and the DRC launched Operation Shujaa, a joint military campaign against the ADF and its allies.
The ADF is notorious for committing atrocities against civilians, including mass killings, abductions, and sexual violence. On Sunday, March 9, 2025, the group attacked villagers in Ngohi, North Kivu, killing 13 people.
CCM holds National Executive Council Meeting
The Chairperson of the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has led a regular meeting of CCM’s National Executive Council (NEC) held in Dodoma.
An official party statement indicated that, in addition to other discussions, the NEC meeting also conducted the selection of candidates for various leadership positions within CCM and its affiliated organizations that were previously vacant.
The announcement of the meeting, released on March 8, 2025, stated that the NEC meeting would be preceded by a Central Committee meeting, which is also chaired by the party’s national chairperson.
Tanzania’s Mercury Mirage: A Promise Unkept?
Tanzania took a proud leap in 2017, ratifying the Minamata Convention to curb mercury’s toxic stranglehold on humanity and nature. By 2019, its National Action Plan for Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (NAP-ASGM) promised a roadmap to tame this poison in a sector employing over 1.5 million people.
These milestones gleam on paper – a nation poised for change. Yet, beneath the surface, Tanzania lags, its goldfields awash in mercury, its people blind to the peril, and its fish-laden lakes – like Victoria and Rukwa – silently turning toxic.
Why, despite these commitments, is Tanzania failing its promise, and how does it stack up against others wrestling the same demon?
In Geita, Shinyanga, and Mbeya, mercury is the lifeblood of Tanzania’s 1.5 million ASGM workers, with 10–15 tonnes burned or dumped yearly into rivers. The NAP aimed to halve this by 2024, pushing gravimetric alternatives, but as 2025 dawns, little has shifted.
Mercury flows cheap at US$50 per kilogramme, peddled by brokers tied to shadowy pre-financing schemes. Compare this to Ghana, where a 2017 ban slashed ASGM mercury use by 30 per cent in two years, or Zimbabwe, where partial bans nudge miners toward cleaner tech.
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