MEMBERS of parliament sitting in Dodoma yesterday tasked the government to file a legal suit against the Federal Republic of Germany in pursuit of compensation for more than 30,000 people who were killed during the Majimaji war in southern Tanzania more than a century ago The legislators also called for a proper official research to find out the real facts about the famous 1905-1907 rebellion and whether it was indeed led by Chief Kinjekitile Ngwale, as has been frequently reported.They said it was important to start the legal proceedings against German authorities as soon as possible in order to ensure that Tanzania’s former colonial master pays befitting compensation like what happened with similar rebellion wars in other parts of Africa.The MP for Kilwa North, Vedasto Ngombale (CUF), noted that Kenya for example has managed to secure adequate compensation for victims of the 1952-1960 Mau Mau uprising, which was basically a revolt against British rule. The British government in June 2013 agreed to compensate more than 5,000 Kenyans said to have been tortured and abused by colonial army soldiers during the insurgency. Ngombale queried whether the government was ready to press German authorities to do likewise for the sake of Majimaji war victims.Kigoma Urban MP Zitto Kabwe (ACT-Wazalendo) wondered why the government itself hasn’t ever properly acknowledged Majimaji heroes and victims, including those whose farms were destroyed by German soldiers in the Mahenge-Morogoro area.“Even the Namibian government paid compensation to its people who were killed by Germans at Nama-Herero...how about us?” Zitto said.Special Seats MP Riziki Said Lulida (CUF) queried whether the government was prepared to make correction to the official history version of the Majimaji war after the research findings, since it is widely believed that the rebellion began at Nandele-Kipatimo, Kilwa Kivinje and not Songea in Ruvuma Region.In his response, Defence and National Service Minister Hussein Mwinyi said the ministry will consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation to see how such litigation against Germany as a country can be initiated.According to Mwinyi, a proper investigation and research will be conducted to first determine which Majimaji victims’ families deserve to be compensated, and delegations will be sent to Kenya and Namibia to draw lessons on how the compensation exercises were done there.“We will learn from the Mau Mau experience…inquiries will also be made in Mahenge to see the possibilities of paying the said victims,” the minister when responding to the MPs’ queries.On the matter of where exactly the Majimaji rebellion began, Mwinyi said that will depend on the research findings. The war was reportedly triggered by a German colonial policy designed to force the indigenous population to grow cotton for export. According to reports, each village was charged with producing a quota of cotton, and the village headmen were put in charge of overseeing the production, which set them against the rest of the population.A drought that threatened the region provided the spark that triggered open rebellion against the Germans in July 1905. The insurgents are said to have turned to magic to drive out the German colonisers and used it as a unifying force in the rebellion. Supposed rebellion leader Kinjekitile Ngwale, also known as Bokero, developed a belief that the local people had been called upon to eliminate the Germans.According to German anthropologists, he gave his followers war medicine that would turn German bullets into water. This 'medicine' was in fact water mixed with castor oil and millet seeds. Hence the name 'Majimaji war' was born.
AMBASSADORS representing Tanzania abroad have been tasked to seek investors in the manufacturing sector so as to help the country attain its industrialisation dream. According to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, the government’s plan is to lay a foundation for an industrial-based national economy, with the role of envoys being to identify foreign funding sources for purposes of implementation.Majaliwa made the remarks yesterday when he held talks with several ambassadors who are set to take up representative positions in various countries.They are Dr Emanuel Nchimbi who has been assigned to Brazil, Elizabeth Kiondo (Turkey), George Madafa (Italy), James Msekela (Switzerland), Samuel Shelukindo (France), Paul Mella (DRC), and Mbelwa Kairuki (China).The PM told the envoys: “The government needs people to come and invest in industries that add value to our products before they are sold outside the country, and your task now is to ensure we get the best investors.”He also called on them to ensure they sell Tanzania and its attractions so that more tourists visit the country.Speaking on behalf of the other envoys, ambassador Mella said they will represent the country as directed and entrusted by the president.The PM’s call echoes that of the local private sector which also recently pointed out that the country’s envoys in foreign countries have a key catalyst role to play for the government’s industrialisation dream to come true.At a meeting with the newly appointed ambassadors last week, the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) called on them to help solicit trade opportunities especially in the areas of agriculture, technology and development of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).TPSF officials said the envoys should seek to capitalise on economic diplomacy, and work on the premise that an industrialised economy cannot be built by the government alone without close collaboration with the private sector which is key to mobilizing resources.
The upcountry station of the buses plying to the southern regions of Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma is currently located at Mbagala, Temeke District in Dar es Salaam Region. The PM wants it be shifted to Mkurganga District in Coast Region.
He urged the leaders of the two districts to meet immediately and see how they were going to implement the order.The PM made the remarks yesterday in Dar es Salaam when he met with the officials to discuss on the resolutions to reduce overcrowding at the bus station.According to him, there was no way to solve the congestion than shifting the bus stand to Mkuranga.
THE Kisutu resident magistrate’s court yesterday ordered 13 people including local entertainment celebrities, accused of drug-related offences, to execute bonds worth a total of 180 million/- to secure their release on probation. Eight of the accused were told by presiding resident magistrate Huruma Shaidi to register bonds worth 10m/- each without surety, while in a separate case led by magistrate Cyprian Mkena, five other accused were ordered to produce bonds worth 20m/- each, under the condition of one surety (each).The accused were arraigned in court yesterday after being held in police custody for several days on the orders of Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda.RC Makonda last week named several prominent local music and movie figures, along with at least a dozen senior police officers, and linked them to alleged involvement in illicit drug-dealing as part of a fresh, apparently all-encompassing crackdown on the city’s narcotics trade.But there was still no word on the real kingpins behind the apparently booming trade. Among the eight accused who were yesterday ordered to execute 10m/- bonds each without surety was leading Bongo Flava music artiste Khalid Salum, alias TID. Others were Hamidu Chambuso (Dogo Hamidu), Rajabu Salum, Romeo George, Cedou Madugo, Johance Johannes, Rachel Josephat and Anna Patric Kimario.The prosecution had submitted a request from the head of the Task Force Unit Dar es Salaam Zone, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dennis Mujumba, for the accused to be kept under probation for at least three years under section 73 (e) of the Criminal Procedures Act.According to ASP Mujumba’s submission, the police had evidence in the form of ‘information’ that the accused were using drugs and could destroy the entire society if no action is taken against them.The defence team led by advocate Albert Msando challenged what he described as ASP Mujumba’s ‘blanket’ statement of evidence, saying it didn’t specify when the ‘information’ was obtained and from where.Msando also pointed out that the prosecution affidavit did not specify who among the accused was engaged in which type of drug use, and furthermore challenged the cited section of the law as being irrelevant to the case at hand because it talks about ‘breach of peace’, not drug use.“How can someone breach the peace by using drugs?... it is obvious that the section is not clear in relation to drug-related cases,” said the lead defence counsel.Magistrate Shaidi chose to reduce the probation period from three years to one year, and also ordered the prosecution to seek out further proof of the accused’s engagement in drug use. In the other related case, however, magistrate Mkena accepted the prosecution’s request that the five accused should not only execute bonds for 20m/- each (double that of the first group), but also produce at least one surety each and be under probation for three years instead of one.The five are Ahmed Hashi (Petitman), Said Linnah, Nassoro Nassoro, Bakar Khelef, and Lulu Chelangwe (Lulu). The tougher court ruling on them came after the defence side had failed to challenge the prosecution’s request.Apart from being kept under probation for three years, they will also have to report to a local police station twice a month, while the court ordered the police to keep them under tight surveillance during their probation period, whereby if they don’t change their behaviour, they will be brought back to court.There was no immediate word on the fate of the likes of former Miss Tanzania pageant winner and Bongo movie actress Wema Sepetu and upcoming Bongo Flava songstress Vanessa Mdee, who were also last week summoned by RC Makonda to voluntarily report to the Central Police Station for further questioning on their alleged links to the narcotics trade.The Makonda-led crackdown on narcotics dealing in Dar es Salaam has been openly supported by President John Magufuli himself, who on Monday ordered security organs and law enforcers to ensure no suspects are spared on the basis of public status or popularity.
AT LEAST $46.2 billion in power investment is required over the next 20 years to revamp Tanzania’s aging energy infrastructure and meet soaring demand for electricity in east Africa's second biggest economy. Investors have long complained that a lack of reliable power is one of the obstacles of doing business in the country.A power system master plan released on Monday by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals said 70 per cent of capital expenditures would be financed by debt and the rest by the government's own resources."Currently, power supply in Tanzania cannot meet the demand. Such imbalance has to be solved as soon as possible," said the government's updated power blueprint."The power demand growth rates for industrial and commercial sectors are expected to reach 18 per cent per year from 2015 to 2020," it added.Tanzania aims to boost power generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts over the next decade from around 1,500MW at present, by using some of its vast natural gas and coal reserves to end chronic energy shortages and boost industrial growth.The government announced last year it had discovered an additional 2.17 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of possible natural gas deposits in an onshore field, raising its total estimated recoverable natural gas reserves to more than 57 tcf.The power system master plan says around 40 per cent of the estimated national population of 50 million currently has access to electricity, but the government wants to boost the electrification rate to 90 per cent by 2035.The government said in January it was seeking a loan of $200 million from the World Bank for the debt-ridden Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) after President Magufuli refused to allow the state-run utility to hike tariff prices to cover costs.Although Magufuli has said he wants cheap electricity to drive industrialisation, the World Bank is likely to insist the loss-making utility increases prices so it can cover the cost of producing power and begin much-needed reforms.TANESCO has debts of $363 million, up from $250 million at the end of 2015.The Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) on December 31 approved a tariff hike of 8.53 percent, less than half of what the utility said it needed to cover the losses.But the next day, Magufuli blocked the tariff increase and sacked TANESCO’S chief executive officer, saying the price hike would stymie his plans to ramp up industrial output.Decades of mismanagement and political meddling means TANESCO sells electricity below cost. It also struggles to cope with transmission leaks and power theft.
MAIZE and sorghum supply is expected to be limited in Eastern Africa in 2017 as a result of below average harvests across most countries despite above average sorghum harvest in Sudan, and average maize and sorghum harvest in Ethiopia East Africa Cross border Trade report issued by Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) that was made available to The Guardian indicated that maize prices in USD are expected to be higher than 2016 and 2012-2016 average prices in most markets.However, sorghum prices will probably be lower than 2016 and 2012-2016 prices in Ethiopia and Sudan reflecting a faster rate of decline of grain prices than the rate of depreciation of the local currency against USD. It indicate that the first and second quarters of 2017 (January-to-March) will likely experience seasonable but atypically faster rising maize and sorghum prices across most markets in many countries due to considerable tightening of supplies, exacerbated by planned or impromptu, verbal or documented decrees by governments banning exports; traders obtaining and holding grains, with the intention to sell to customers on a high profit in the future as prices rise. The exception would be Sudan and Ethiopia where prices are expected to decline seasonably through April.In Sudan, the prices of sorghum and millet are expected to continue declining seasonably through March as a result of increasing supplies from the above average November-to-January harvest, and will most likely fall below 2016 price and recent five year average prices in USD, but in local currencies the prices will likely be above the fiver year average mostly due to high inflation which by December was 30.47 on an annual basis.Sorghum exports to northern South Sudan is expected to increase seasonably and be higher than last year but still below the recent five year average, attributable to insecurity -related trade disruptions.In northern Tanzania, including Bukoba, Musoma and Arusha, maize prices are already significantly higher than last year and recent five year average prices and are expected to continue increasing through April instead of declining seasonably between February and March because of significantly below average January-to-February (Vuli) harvest. Prices are then expected to start declining seasonably but atypically steadily from May (June for Dar es Salaam) as a result of increasing supply from the May-to-August (Msimu), and imminent start of the July-to-September (Masika) harvest which by January 2017 are expected to be below average. In the central and southern regions of Tanzania, the prices are expected to continue increasing seasonably but atypically faster through April as supplies tighten rapidly, then decline seasonably but gradually following the start of the Masika harvest.
ZIMBABWEAN members of parliament (MPs) have reportedly attacked Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, labelling him as "unsmart" for "constantly "squeezing already impoverished citizens for revenue". According to New Zimbabwe, the MPs joined voices across the political divide, urging Chinamasa to prove his financial astuteness by creating alternative sources of revenues that bring relief to citizens.This came as reports on Friday said that Chinamasa had accused black businesses of refusing to pay taxes and yet "expect government to provide them with public services".Chinamasa said this, as he challenged the MPs to offer constructive suggestions to help the government increase its revenue inflows."If you do not want to be taxed, please do not shout and expect better service delivery. Our people in the informal sector do not want to be taxed. When a black person takes over a business, they do not want to pay taxes," Chinamasa was cited as saying.But the MPs hit back at him, with the Norton MP Temba Mliswa saying piecemeal approaches would not give government the financial liberties it needed."People are suffering; we are being insensitive to their plight by not providing solutions. Government has a tendency or working up to introduce a tax, you must ask yourself where the money is coming from if you are failing to do it yourself," Mliswa was quoted as saying.The government reportedly introduced a 15 per cent value added tax (VAT) on meat recently.The MPs said government officials needed to trim their lifestyle budget and "redirect the funds to social services like what Tanzanian President John Magufuli has done".
