Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on June 19, 2024.
Dinna Maningo’s lawyer drags Police and Attorney General to court over journalist’s detention without bail or trial
The High Court has summoned the Mwanza Regional Commissioner, the Mwanza Regional Police Commander, the Mwanza Regional Crime Officer, the Mwanza OC-CID, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney General to appear in court tomorrow, June 20, 2024, to explain why journalist Dinna Maningo continues to be detained without being granted bail or brought to trial.
This summons follows a habeas corpus petition filed by Ms. Maningo’s lawyer after being unable to secure bail for his client since Friday, June 14, 2024, despite ongoing efforts.
Dinna Maningo was arrested on June 13, 2023, and has been held by the police since then. According to her lawyer, Amir Linus, Ms. Maningo is facing allegations of publishing confidential investigation reports.
It is notable that on June 10, 2024, the website owned by Ms. Maningo was the first to publish news about allegations against the former Regional Commissioner of Simiyu. The allegations involved the sexual assault of a college student in Mwanza, leading to the revocation of his appointment on June 11, 2024, with the police confirming his detention for investigation.
Reports from the committee of journalists monitoring this issue indicate that Ms. Maningo has been frequently interrogated and that her work equipment remains in police custody.
A priest arrested for the murder of a two-year-old albino girl Asimwe Novath
Nine people, including the Assistant Parish Priest of Bugandika Parish in Misenyi District, Kagera Region, have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a child with albinism, Asimwe Novath (2).
According to a police statement released today, June 19, 2024, among those arrested is the assistant priest, as well as Asimwe’s biological father, Novart Venant, who has been in custody since May 31, 2024.
Asimwe was snatched from his mother’s arms at their home in Mbale Hamlet, Bulamula Village, Muleba District on May 30, 2024. Later, on June 17, her body was found thrown into the gutter with some parts missing, and she was buried at their home yesterday, June 18.
According to the police statement, the suspects were arrested in possession of body parts believed to belong to Asimwe, which they had stored in plastic bags while seeking a buyer. The statement also noted that the suspects were apprehended between May 31, when the manhunt began, and the early hours of June 19, 2024.
Others arrested include Desideli Evarist, a traditional healer residing in Nyakahama; Dastan Kaiza from Bushagara; Faswiru Athuman from Nyakahama; and Gozibert Alkadi from Nyakahama, Kamachumu.
Additionally, Rwenyagira Burkadi from Nyakahama, Ramadhani Selestine from Kamachumu, Nurduni Hamada from Kamachumu, and Elipidius Rwegoshora, the Assistant Parish Priest of Bugandika Parish, have been identified as involved in this brutal incident.
“Elipidius Rwegoshora, the Assistant Parish Priest of Bugandika Parish, is alleged to have approached and persuaded the child’s biological father to engage in the trade of human organs. He is also accused of seeking out the traditional healer and covering all the associated costs,” the report reads.
The police force also issued a stern warning to those who indulge in superstitious beliefs, including consulting witch doctors, believing they can gain wealth through such means citing that they should abandon these behaviors.
Fear grips Albino community in Tanzania as pressure mounts on authorities to ensure its members’ safety as elections near
The untimely and horrific murder of a two-year-old albino girl, Asimwe Novath, will most likely confirm and strengthen fears that some actors hold that authorities in Tanzania have failed to ensure the safety of people with albinism. This failure might constitute the violations of the country’s national and international obligations to protect people with disabilities.
Asimwe’s body was found dumped in a gutter while preserved in a sachet bag on June 17, 2024, without several parts of her body, like eyes and arms. The toddler from the Muleba district, Kagera region, was found three weeks after unidentified men snatched her from her home in the Bulamula village with her body already showing signs of decay.
Police in the region said they’d launched an operation to arrest people responsible for the crime, with the Kagera deputy regional police commander Yusuph Daniel telling journalists on June 18, 2024, that law enforcement officers will do whatever it takes to bring people responsible for the crime to justice.
Read the full article here
EU to Inject Tsh11.23 billion to boost inclusive finance for SMEs and Startups
The European Union and the Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDT) have entered into an agreement worth Tsh 11.23 billion (EUR 4 million) aimed at promoting inclusive finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups operated by women and youth.
Speaking at an information session showcasing European Union financing opportunities in Tanzania, Peter Kingu, the Head of Policy, SME Development, and Inclusive Finance at FSDT, said the fund would provide capital and operating grants to startups and SMEs that support green and sustainable activities.
“We’re looking for this particular grant to enable youth and women-led enterprises to create more jobs and drive sustainable and green activities,” said Mr. Kingu.
The grants will support both registered and informal businesses in an organized marketplace. For informal businesses, the grants will assist in their formalization so that they can have opportunities to access more credit products from financial institutions.
Read the full story here
Government applauds clean cooking energy stakeholders
Tanzania government has commended the efforts of development partners, including the European Union (EU), in pushing the clean cooking energy agenda, a specific strategy to enable the nation to have clean energy at home.
Opening the Clean Cooking Energy Workshop that began June 19, 2024, in Dar es Salaam, Deputy Minister of Energy Judith Kapinga said that the government recognizes the contributions of development partners.
“Various programs are being implemented by development partners and the private sector, including the CookFund project ongoing in our country,” she said. “We are ready to continue collaborating with UNCDF and other stakeholders in clean cooking energy.”
She also urged stakeholders to collaborate with the government to jointly seek and propose strategies that will accelerate the country’s goal of reaching 80% of Tanzanians using Clean Cooking Energy by 2034.
“This workshop is one of the implementations of President Samia’s directives during the launch of the National Clean Energy Strategy 2024-2034, where she instructed the Ministry of Energy to collaborate with stakeholders to achieve the goals of the strategy,” said Kapinga.
The meeting brought together various stakeholders, including policymakers, development partners, innovators, the private sector, and international partners.
The head of UNCDF in the country, Peter Malika, said they are collaborating with the government in various areas, including the CookFund, aimed at improving Clean Cooking Energy. He mentioned that Clean Energy is an opportunity and a business, urging various stakeholders to seize this opportunity now.
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