Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Thursday
Commotion in Runzewe, Geita, as Police Disperse Small-Scale Miners Using Tear Gas Following Strike
Small-scale miners at the Msasa mine in Runzewe, Geita Region, were dispersed by police on January 22, 2026, using tear gas, following a commotion over the distribution of gold revenue at the mine.
The strike, which small-scale miners have dubbed the 50–50 strike, began at around 9:00 a.m. Witnesses estimated the number of participating miners to be at least 5,000. The protest stemmed from opposition to a revenue-sharing arrangement between individuals who were awarded licenses for the mining area and the small-scale miners operating there.
The miners were opposing a distribution agreement that required them to surrender 50 percent of their earnings to the license holders. They argue that small-scale miners were the ones who initially uncovered the mining area, while the license holders were awarded permits afterward.
According to the Mbogwe mining office, operations at the site began as a “gold rush” toward the end of 2025. Mining activities were carried out under two parallel arrangements: license holders worked directly in one section, while small-scale miners were allowed to operate in another. However, there was no formal agreement governing this arrangement.
The strike emerged after license holders attempted to introduce contracts within areas occupied by small-scale miners. Some site owners refused to sign the contracts, citing disagreements over ownership structure and revenue sharing. Read the full article here.
Government to Cancel Mining Exploration Licenses Held Without Implementation
The Minister of Mining, Antony Mavunde, has announced that the Ministry will begin a review of mining exploration license holders who have failed to carry out exploration activities in the areas allocated to them.
Mavunde made the remarks on January 22, 2026, during a performance review meeting with officials from the Ministry.
“All Resident Mine Officers (RMOs) are required to return to their respective duty stations within seven days and submit reports on all large-scale licenses in areas where no operations are taking place. It will not be long before you hear me announce the cancellation of exploration licenses in Mbogwe and Shinyanga. The concerned parties have already been informed, and anyone who feels unfairly treated should follow the established procedures,” Mavunde said.
He added that many individuals acquire large licensed areas solely to hold onto them while waiting for investors, effectively delaying development.
“In doing so, they force the Government to wait according to their own timelines. Only when they secure an investor do the licenses become operational. We cannot allow the country to be run in this manner,” he emphasized.
South Sudan Proposes Customs Cooperation to Enable Use of Tanga and Dar es Salaam Ports
The Commissioner General of the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA), Mr. William Anyuon Koul, has proposed enhanced customs cooperation to enable South Sudan to use Tanzania as a gateway for its imports and exports through the ports of Tanga and Dar es Salaam.
The proposal was revealed during a meeting with the Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Mr. Yusuph Juma Mwenda, held on January 22, 2026, following an official visit by the South Sudan delegation to Dar es Salaam.
South Sudan is currently the second country, after Uganda, that routes the majority of its goods through Kenya’s Mombasa Port. This is largely due to geographical factors, as Mombasa is relatively closer to South Sudan compared to alternative ports.
During the meeting, the two Commissioners General agreed to continue strengthening and formalizing cooperation between their respective authorities through the finalization of a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will serve as an overarching framework for collaboration.
The TRA Commissioner General stated that the MoU is expected to be signed before the end of February 2026 and will take effect immediately thereafter.
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