Good morning!The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on August 06, 2024.
Police say investigations into gang rape allegations involving TPDF officers continue
Police said Tuesday that investigations into the allegations that officers with the Tanzania People’s Defense Force (TPDF) gang raped and sodomised an unnamed girl from Yombo, Temeke district, Dar es Salaam continues, urging the public to remain calm.
In a statement, police spokesperson David Misime said the law enforcement agency had been inundated with calls recently from people asking for updates on the arrest of the alleged perpetrators of the crime that has invited condemnation from across several corners of the country.
Police are looking for at least five men who video-recorded themselves gang-raping the desperate girl, supposedly on the order of their female leader in the army, who accused the girl of having an affair with her husband, also an army officer.
In video recordings that have since gone viral on the internet, the men appear to question the girl if she regretted her actions of going out with another woman’s husband before they start gang-raping her while video-recording themselves.
Since their publication, the reports have elicited anger among many Tanzanians and human rights activists, who have demanded that authorities find the perpetrators of the action and bring them to justice.
“The Police Force calls on all of us to reflect on how we discuss this matter and share opinions on social media and in the media,” Mr Misime said. “Are we not exacerbating the emotional wounds of this girl? Are we not causing psychological harm to her family by continuing this conversation?”
Misime’s statement came after Home Affairs Minister Hamad Masauni said the people appearing in the video have already been arrested and are awaiting further legal and procedural steps.
Tanzania Embassy in the UK issued a warning to citizens following racist attacks across multiple British cities
The Tanzania High Commission in the United Kingdom has issued an alert to Tanzanians living in the UK following the violent riots that have spread across multiple cities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland targeting migrants.
The riots were fueled by misinformation that spread on social media that Muslim migrants who came illegally to Britain were responsible for the death of three girls Bebe King (6), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), and Alice Dasilva Aguiar (9) who were stabbed to death on July 29, 2024 in Southport. Seventeen-year-old Axel Muganwa Rudakubana is accused of the incident.
Police officials in the UK have pointed out there might be some paramilitary link to the riots. So far about 400 people have been arrested and the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a second emergency COBRA meeting to address the situation.
Sky News reports about 6000 officers are mobilized to deal with the riots.Tanzania embassy said it is ready to assist in cases of emergencies and provided emergency contacts.
A British citizen of Tanzanian origin appeals for help after her husband allegedly threatened to kill her
Tanzania has appealed to authorities in the United Kingdom to intervene in a case of a female British citizen of Tanzanian origin, who published a video on social media claiming that her husband had threatened to kill her.
Martina Farrall lives in Northern Ireland with her husband and four children; she posted a video on social appealing for help after she claimed that her husband was abusing her and threatened to kill her.
“The police and my husband want to kill me,” claims the frightened woman in the video. “I am posting this video on Facebook and elsewhere so anyone who sees it can help me. I need help.”
The Tanzanian Embassy in London issued a statement Tuesday saying that it is following up on the matter and is contacting the UK authorities to ask for necessary support in ensuring the woman’s safety.
“A short video message has circulated on social media recorded by a British citizen of Tanzanian origin, Martina Farrall, describing her life as being in danger in Northern Ireland,” the statement quoted Tanzania’s ambassador to the UK, Mbelwa Kairuki, as saying.
“Additionally, today, August 6, 2024, a Tanzanian embassy officer is travelling to Northern Ireland to the town where Ms Farrall lives to meet with relevant authorities to follow up on this matter,” Mr Kairuki added.
Martina’s appeals for help coincide with the ongoing demonstrations in several towns of the UK following the stabbing of three white children by a black immigrant boy, leading to racist attacks against immigrant communities in the country.
EU issues Sh97b in budgetary support to Tanzania
The European Union (EU) said Tuesday that it has released EUR33.12 million, or Sh97 billion, as budgetary support to Tanzania, which is aimed at sectoral reforms and promoting social and economic development.
The funds are allocated to five key sectors: the blue economy, urban improvement, gender equality, digital growth, and promoting a digital Tanzania. These sectors were chosen to enhance the resilience of Tanzanian citizens and improve their living conditions.
The EU said in a statement that “these funds will be directed towards governance reforms, capacity building, and increasing coordination between ministries in Tanzania’s coastal areas, including Zanzibar and the Indian Ocean.”
Additionally, this support will strengthen sustainable development, particularly in Mwanza, Tanga, and Pemba. The goal is to improve environmental sustainability, create economic opportunities, and enhance public services, especially for women and youth.
Regarding gender equality, this funding aims to address gender-based violence, promote women’s economic empowerment, and support their participation in leadership and decision-making processes. This is a significant step in advancing gender equality in the country.
Moreover, the programme to promote a digital Tanzania aims to improve financial governance and access to finance. It will enhance the mobilisation of domestic resources, support financial market infrastructure, and foster dialogue between the public and private sectors, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises and women and youth.
Amnesty International issues report accusing private companies of complicity in the ‘eviction’ of Maasai in Loliondo
A New Amnesty International report has accused three private companies operating in the Ngorongoro area of participating and being involved in the forced eviction of Maasai communities from the Loliondo area.
Released Tuesday, the report reveals that since 2009, private companies have been involved in the forced eviction of Maasai communities from their ancestral lands in Loliondo in collaboration with Tanzanian authorities.
Titled Business As Usual in a Bloodied Land? The Role of Business in Forced Evictions in Loliondo, Tanzania, the report exposes how the trophy hunting company Ortello Business Corporation (OBC) was involved in injuring and torturing Tanzanians and then forcefully evicting them in collaboration with Tanzanian security forces.
The report also states that other tourism companies, such as TAASA Lodge and &BEYOND, are involved in these activities in areas where the Maasai have been evicted.
The report explains that in June 2022, Tanzanian security forces used live bullets and tear gas to break up peaceful protests by residents of Ololosokwan village who were protesting against the marking of boundaries. More than 40 people were injured, some lost their homes, and many fled to Kenya seeking refuge.
Amnesty International explains that this is the fourth time the Maasai have been evicted from their lands, following previous evictions in 2009, 2013, and 2017, and calls on the Tanzanian government to conduct an independent and fair investigation into the involvement of these companies in the eviction of Maasai communities and to take action against those responsible for human rights violations.
“The authorities should investigate the alleged wildlife crimes committed by hunting companies and ensure that victims receive justice and appropriate compensation,” the report urges.
Amnesty International interviewed former and current OBC employees and residents of Loliondo about these companies’ internal activities. In July 2024, the organisation wrote to &BEYOND, OBC, and TAASA Lodge allowing them to respond to the allegations in the report.
&BEYOND and TAASA Lodge explained that although the land in dispute is not under the management of the Ololosokwan Village Council, it is under the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority, which permitted them to stay in the area. Therefore, they cannot disclose the terms of their rental agreements. The OBC company, however, did not respond to the accusations.
Amnesty International’s report comes just days after the release of a report by Human Rights Watch, which also states that it found that the Maasai in Loliondo are forcibly and violently evicted without their consent.
Tanzania’s new e-procurement system to comply with the open contracting data standard
The Director of Information and Communication Technology at Tanzania’s Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, Michael Moshiro, has revealed that the new e-procurement system developed by the Tanzania government, NeST will comply with the Open Contracting Data Standard(OCDS).
Moshiro revealed this today, August 06, 2024, during the first day of the ITAC conference at the Gran Melia Hotel in Arusha. The two-day conference is organized by the public accountability think tank, Wajibu Institute of Public Accountability focusing on fostering effective public procurement systems in Tanzania.
Tanzania migrated to NeST in July 2023 last year, this is after the country has been using the World Bank-supported e-procurement system, TANEPS which was owned and developed by European Dynamics.
“We took the OCDS format and made sure all the required data are available in the system; at the moment, the remaining process is the publication of this data, I expect this to be done by September,” said Moshiro.
Full story here.
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