Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.

High cost of living on top of ACT-Wazalendo’s agenda as it inaugurates its political rallies

Opposition party ACT-Wazalendo held its first political rally here on Sunday with the high cost of living crisis dominating its messaging as the left-leaning political party strategizes to win more popular support.

Sunday’s rally in Mbagala was preceded by the launch on Saturday of the party’s so-called ‘Brand Promise’ to Tanzanians at the Serena Hotel which saw the party coming up with another slogan – Taifa la Wote, Maslahi ya Wote, which essentially means a people nation for the benefit of all.

Speaking during the rally, ACT-Wazalendo party Zitto Kabwe said any reforms in the country right now will be useless if the government will not address “the elephant in the room,” which is the high cost of living.

Mr Kabwe dismissed the defences that the government has been giving every time the debate on the high cost of living comes up – ongoing war in Ukraine and COVID-19 – saying that though the government is not responsible for the two there are still interventions the government can make to address the crisis.

“One of these interventions is for the [National Food Reserve Agency] NFRA to release the food available in its stock something that will reduce the cost of some basic commodities like maize in the market,” Mr Kabwe told the rallygoers.

“It is also important that NFRA goes to those areas where farmers have started to harvest their produces and buy them so that Tanzania can be a good place to address a hunger crisis if it happens,” he added.

Sunday’s political rally by ACT-Wazalendo follows a decision taken by President Samia Suluhu Hassan on January 3, 2023, to lift a ban previously imposed on opposition parties to hold political rallies, a ban that existed for almost six years.

Full story here.

Analysis of the CHADEMA political rallies

Political party rallies have returned after seven years hiatus following a ban placed by the fifth phase government.

CHADEMA has held its public rallies in Mwanza, Musoma, Tarime, Dar es Salaam and Singida. We have assessed these rallies by looking at issues discussed in each rally and weighing them by measuring the time spent on each issue across all rallies.

Our analysis shows that the new Constitution was the issue that was mostly discussed in these rallies taking 23 percent of the time spent on all issues, followed by the political crackdown of the Magufuli government taking 18 percent of all the time.

Full story here

African Court to lobby Tanzania for the completion of a permanent office

President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud has revealed that this year the African Court will lobby the government of Tanzania, to make sure the Court’s permanent building project becomes a reality, reports suggest.

African Court in this year’s New Year message captured in the “African Court 2023 Blueprint,” and copied to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema commended Tanzania for the bold step to ensure that the African Court gets its permanent premises.

According to reports, Lady Justice Aboud said the African Continental Court, which has its permanent seat in Arusha, is currently operating from temporary offices at the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) buildings.

The government of Tanzania last year approved a budget of about US$1.7 million to commence the construction of the African Court permanent office edifice on a 25-hectare land in the Laki Laki area, on the outskirts of Arusha town.

The location is in the vicinity of the United Nations Mechanism for International Tribunals (ex-ICTR and ex-ICTY).

The African Court President described the effort to build a permanent office for the court as a historic move and another demonstration of Tanzania’s commitment to the cause of human rights, and generally, its unconditional support for the objectives of Pan-Africanism.

Lady Justice Aboud also noted that in its 2023 strategic plan, it will continue the drive towards international accreditations, and “we will continue increasing our recognition, and reputation as a continental human rights court, both at home and abroad.”

She also revealed that the judicial work of the African Court will not be effective without the input and commitment of all stakeholders, including the Member States of the African Union, “that is the purpose of developing judicial diplomacy with other stakeholders.”

It is also important to note that the protection of human rights cannot be fully realized without the active participation of African citizens and the support of non-governmental actors, who represent the people of Africa for whom and on whose behalf the Member States established the African Court.

She said the African citizens should proactively engage with the African Court directly and through the African civil society to ensure the effective protection of their rights and fundamental freedoms.

“I called on all of you to lend a hand in the realization of the African Court’s vision of creating a continent with a viable human rights culture in order to support the objectives of Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

“We are looking forward to working together to ensure we have a better African Court and a better Africa that we want. Let us move our world forward — with and for human rights.

“Let us continue to fight the battle, make the case for human equality, human dignity, and human and peoples’ rights for one and all,” Lady Justice Aboud stated.

Tanga to distribute over 500,000 mosquito nets to pupils

Tanga regional commissioner Omary Mgumba said Sunday that a total of 529,641 mosquito nets worth Sh2.9 billion will be distributed to pupils in 1,083 primary schools in the region.

Mr Mgumba said the distribution of the mosquito nets was aimed at protecting the pupils from malaria infections.

He made the remarks when he launched the distribution of mosquito nets to pupils at Tanga district primary school. He said the distribution of the mosquito nets in all the region’s districts was expected to be done in 45 days.

Mgumba said the distribution of the mosquito nets was being coordinated by the government through the Ministry of Health and the President’s Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government.

He urged community leaders to supervise the distribution of mosquito nets in their respective areas.

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