Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.
Tanzania marks 100 years of founding leader Nyerere
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Saturday joined fellow citizens in commemorating 100 years of the birth of founding leader Julius Nyerere.
Speaking in a debate to mark the occasion, President Hassan was quoted as urging Tanzanians to continue honouring what Nyerere stood for during his lifetime.
“In order to honour him, we should continue nurturing peace, unity and solidarity that the founding leader stood for,” President Samia was quoted as telling an audience at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in the Kibaha district in the Pwani region.
President Samia also urged Tanzanians to continue nurturing Nyerere’s philosophy which entailed self-dependence.
“We have to work hard in using our resources in order to become economically independent,” said the Head of State.
On February 3, the government of Tanzania launched a program dedicated to marking 100 years of Nyerere.
The program called “Mwalimu Nyerere@100” is being coordinated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and will climax on April 13, the birthday of Nyerere, in his native village of Butiama in the Mara region.
The program is aimed at identifying new strategies to commemorate the work, life and philosophies of Julius Nyerere in the next ten years.
Nyerere, who ruled Tanzania from 1964 to 1985, was one of Africa’s leading independence heroes.
He was born on April 13, 1922, in Butiama on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria in northwest Tanzania.
Tanzanian picked CEO of Africa Health Research Fund
A Tanzanian medical scientist has been appointed the chief executive officer of Africa Research Excellence Fund (Aref), The Citizen newspaper reported Sunday.
Prof Gibson Kibiki will now head the continental facility geared to implement world-class medical research, the paper said.
Aref was established by the UK Medical Research Foundation to invest in talented, emerging researchers in Africa.
“He has a proven track record of providing sound leadership, developing strategic programmes,” The Citizen said, quoting a statement issued by the Fund this week.
Prof Gibson Kibiki will, among others, be tasked to ensure emerging African researchers become the research leaders of tomorrow.
“I am thrilled that Prof Kibiki is taking on this role,” remarked Aref Founder and co-President of Aref Sir Tumaini Corrah. “His knowledge, understanding and experience on what Africa needs to do excellent science are remarkable.”
Plan to decongest Dar in the offing
Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and the government of Tanzania have signed a cooperation agreement for a project that seeks to decongest the commercial capital, according to media reports.
Titled “Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) for Dar es Salaam,” the project will be jointly implemented for the first time in Tanzania’s economic development trajectory, to improve urban development in connection with the public transport infrastructures and services.
“It is one of the concrete strategies to decongest Dar es Salaam as proposed in the Transport Master Plan supported by Jica in 2018,” the agency said in a statement.
In response to the request from the government of Tanzania, Jica dispatched a detailed planning study team to Tanzania from February 3, 2022, to February 8, 2022, for the project.
The team held a series of discussions with the officials from the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART), and other stakeholders to develop a detailed plan for the project.
“The project’s overall goal is to promote Transport Oriented Development (TOD) pragmatic methodology in the urban planning of Dar es Salaam,” the statement added. “The project purpose is to enhance the capacity of relevant institutions to use TOD method for urban planning, improve mobility along the BRT lines and establish coordination mechanisms for planning and implementation.”
The project will be implemented in 36 months from June 2022 to May 2025.
The Project concept involves technology transfer and capacity building in various forms such as co-working, on-the-job training, and seminar with respect to the plan for officials of the concerned stakeholders.
Connectivity with other modes of transport in other stations will be improved. Feeder bus network information (route maps, bus stops, frequency, operating time, and fares) will be incorporated. Another expected output of the project is improved access to BRT stations safely, comfortably, and efficiently.
Aminex to return Nyuni license to the government, shares fall
Shares in the UK-based oil and gas company Aminex PLC fell Friday after the company said it wasn’t able to agree on a second exploration period for the Nyuni Area, offshore Tanzania, Morning Star reported over the weekend.
The energy company said it has opened discussions with the Tanzanian authorities regarding the return of the license to the government.
According to reports, Aminex said that despite a number of exchanges with the country’s authorities, the terms for the second exploration period weren’t agreed upon.
“Having been unsuccessful in finding a joint venture partner for the Nyuni Area PSA,” Executive Chairman Charlie Santos said, “the return of the license is the correct move as it reduces portfolio risk, preserves our capital resources and allows the company to focus attention on our other two more significant assets in Tanzania.”
Shares at 0738 GMT were down 11 per cent at 0.83 pence, according to media reports.
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