Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.
Tanzania launches Salim Ahmed Salim’s Digital Archive as Centre for Foreign Relations renamed after former PM
Tanzania made history on Saturday following the launching of the first-ever digital archive in the country on the life of the East African nation’s former Prime Minister Salim Ahmed Salim, intending to “offer unique insights into his journey in public service and his role in international diplomacy and the African liberation movements.”
In a ceremony that saw several former and serving leaders attending, President Samia Suluhu Hassan led Tanzanians in officiating the digital archive, which some have described as a “treasure trove,” of a man many consider one of Tanzania’s outstanding diplomats and committed pan-Africanists.
In honouring the service Dr Salim committed to the nation, President Samia Suluhu Hassan took a decision that many have welcomed, renaming the country’s Centre for Foreign Relations (CFR) to Dr Salim Ahmed Salim Centre for Foreign Relations.
“We have agreed to rename the college after Dr Salim,” the Head of State announced, receiving a standing ovation from the audience who coloured the event. “From now henceforth, it will be called ‘Dr Salim Ahmed Salim Center for Foreign Relations.’”
Full story here.
Fire destroys over 500 shops in Kariakoo
Authorities in Dar es Salaam are investigating the source of the fire that broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning, razing down a three multi-storey building with indoor malls of some 500 shops at the bustling Kariakoo market in the city.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire also gutted down some 14 outdoor kiosks, with their shelves completely turned to ashes. The affected area is predominantly known for its scrap metal and secondhand goods businesses.
Big Bon Petrol Station and the Bank of Africa (BOA Bank) are among the businesses that Sunday’s inferno gutted.
Although the fire and rescue team is said to have arrived early to put off the inferno, unfriendly infrastructures were mentioned to have prevented it from implementing their task efficiently.
For example, Senior Fire and Rescue Officer for Kinondoni Region, Mr Elisa Mugisha, told journalists that the most significant challenge his team encountered was the crowded buildings, a situation which made it difficult for them to extinguish the fire prompt enough.
“The firefighting team arrived at 7:09 AM, just a minute after receiving the call,” said Mugisha.
“However, prompt response from airport fire brigade was slightly delayed because there was an international flight that was landing, and routine is that there had to be a firefighter vehicle standby for any eventuality when such a plane is taxing at the airport,” he added.
Speaking at the scene where the inferno occurred, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila issued a directive to business owners who have blocked pathways around buildings to open them to prevent fire disasters.
“Those who have obstructed alleyways in accordance with urban planning maps here in Kariakoo must clear the way,” he ordered. “We must be prepared for potential disasters, as fires can cause significant harm when there are no clear pathways for firefighters to access.”
This is not the first time that fire has broken out in Kariakoo and destroys hundreds of businesses before it was finally put off. On July 21, 2021, a fire broke out at the Kariakoo Market in Dar es Salaam, affecting dozens of businesses that were conducted around and inside the market.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa formed a committee to investigate the source of the inferno, promising to make the findings public once the committee was done with the investigation. Mr Majaliwa received the report on July 29, 2021, and it is yet to be made public.
Pope Francis creates 21 Cardinals, including Tanzania’s Protase Rugambwa
Pope Francis on Saturday elevated 21 clergymen from across the world to the rank of cardinal, saying diversity was indispensable to the future of the Catholic Church.
At the Vatican City’s St Peter’s Square, the 86-year-old pope welcomed the new, so-called ‘Princes of the Church,’ one of whom could one day become the successor to the current pontiff.
“The College of Cardinals is called to resemble a symphony orchestra, representing the harmony and synodality of the Church,” said Francis, seated under a canopy before the gathered cardinals on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica.
“Diversity is necessary; it is indispensable,” added the Argentine Jesuit. “However, each sound must contribute to the common design.”
Among those elevated on Saturday is Protase Rugambwa, who became one of three African Cardinals who have joined the College of Cardinals.
Full story here.
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