Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
It is Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan from now on
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was on Wednesday conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Doctor of Letters – Honoris Causa of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).
The first female Head of the Tanzanian State has been recognized for her “outstanding contribution to education and human rights,” according to the university.
Chancellor of UDSM, who served as Tanzania’s fourth-phase president, Jakaya Kikwete conferred Dr Samia the honorary doctorate degree at a well-attended event held at Mlimani City Hall in Dar es Salaam.
Dr Samia became the President of Tanzania on March 19, 2022, following the death of her predecessor John Magufuli who died on March 17, 2021, of heart complications.
She is credited for charting different political and economic paths for Tanzania from the ones her predecessor pursued.
She has engaged the political opposition in an attempt to achieve political reconciliation as well as open up the country for investment, which includes reforming Tanzania’s frosty relations with neighbouring Kenya.
Her 4-R strategy, which focuses on reconciliation, resilience, reforms and rebuilding, has won the hearts of many observers of Tanzania’s affairs although some doubts remain within some circles of Dr Samia’s commitments to reforms and reconciliation.
Speaking shortly after being conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree, Dr Samia touched on the importance of Tanzania’s education system to respond to market needs.
She said the education provided at the country’s higher learning institutions should reflect the requirements of the 21st-century world, including producing people with the necessary skills that will enable them to serve their nation meaningfully.
“We want an education system that responds to the current requirements of our communities,” President Samia explained. “An education system that produces people who are competent, employable and who can create employment opportunities.”
According to UDSM’s regulations, an award of any honorary degree is made upon a person who has rendered “distinguished service in the advancement of any branch of learning” or has otherwise rendered himself or herself “worthy of such a degree and his/her notable contribution must have relevance to Tanzania.”
At UDSM, honorary degrees are offered once per triennium and only three honorary degrees can be offered in that triennium.
Petra Diamonds delays production restart at Williamson following dam breach
Petra Diamonds announced on Wednesday that production at its Williamson mine in Shinyanga will resume mid-next year, longer than initially expected, following a breach in the wall of a tailings dam earlier this month.
On November 8, 2022, Petra Diamonds, a Jersey-based diamond mining group, announced that it was halting operations at its Williamson mine in Shinyanga after a tailings storage facility burst, causing mud flooding in nearby areas.
The company, which also operates three mines in South Africa, said the eastern wall of Williamson’s tailing dam was “breached,” but said in an e-mail that the pit was not affected.
Petra noted that there were no injuries or fatalities confirmed then, adding that the government and mine emergency response teams had been mobilized to the site.
But according to local authorities, the breach affected an estimated number of 19 households and 59 individuals in Tanzania’s northern region.
Following the breach, authorities initiated a joint investigation with the mine’s officials where it was found that the public has no reason to fear following the breach as the mud released from the factory is harmless.
Musa Kuzumila, the government’s chief chemist in the Lake Zone, told journalists on November 12, 2022, that based on the investigation, it was found that the mud is harmless both to human beings and animals.
“There are no chemicals that are known to be harmful to human beings and animals in the mud,” Mr Kuzumila was quoted as saying. “In fact, the water that this mud entered can be used for human consumption.”
But opposition party CHADEMA has rejected the preliminary findings, with the party’s regional chairperson for Shinyanga Mr Emmanuel Ntobi saying that the opposition party is not going to settle for that and that it’d wait for the full report of the investigation before they believe the findings presented.
“We do not want to believe that the mud is as harmless as these people have reported,” Mr Ntobi told The Chanzo recently. “There are reports of livestock being died after coming into contact with the mud. Some children were rushed to hospital. How can you say the mud is harmless?”
Full story here.
After Zanzibar, Air France now eyes Dar es Salaam
Air France has announced that it is adding Dar es Salaam to its route network, almost a month after France’s flag bearer added Zanzibar to its route.
By adding Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital, to its route, Air France is ending its 28-year absence, after its 1 weekly 747 Combi service ended in 1995, several aviation websites reported.
Aviation analysts have interpreted the move as the airline’s growing tendency to add non-Francophone destinations.
According to reports, the SkyTeam airline will launch three weekly flights to Dar es Salaam. It’ll use 279-seat 787-9s, its second-smallest widebody after the A330-200. And unlike the A330-200, considered Air France’s leading aircraft to sub-Saharan Africa, the 787-9 has more economy and fewer premium seats.
Dar es Salaam will be a triangular operation, tagged with Zanzibar, with Zanzibar-Dar just 45 miles (73km) apart. The routing and schedules are as follows, with all times local:
- Paris CDG-Zanzibar: AF876, 10:20-20:15
- Zanzibar-Dar es Salaam: AF876, 21:45-22:20
- Dar es Salaam-Paris CDG: AF876, 23:50-07:55+1
Air France launched Zanzibar in October 2021, routing and continues to route Paris CDG-Zanzibar-Nairobi-Paris CDG 3 weekly.
According to SimplyFlying, an aviation website, adding Dar means that Nairobi, which Air France started in March 2018, will be de-tagged and fully nonstop in both directions.
Currently, 4 flights are nonstop to Nairobi, and 3 are via Zanzibar.
This is it for today and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see below) or following us on Twitter (here) or joining us on Telegram (here). And in case you have any questions or comments, please consider dropping a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
One Response
“She is credited for charting different political and economic paths for Tanzania from the ones her predecessor pursued.”
Is that enough for one to qualify for honorary D Litt ?
Pure opportunism on the part of University big wigs. Shame