Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Better life for Zanzibar people, Shein promises



CHAMA Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate for Zanzibar in this year's general election, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, has insisted that he can turn Zanzibar to a stable democracy with admirable economic growth in the next five years. Zanzibar will be a better place to live for everyone," Dr Shein said while addressing thousands of CCM supporters and residents of Makunduchi Villages, South Unguja. He asked Zanzibaris to allow him to lead them for another five years. He said that the 2015-2020 CCM manifesto has the best development package to move Zanzibar to the right direction economically, socially, and politically. Dr Shein, said seaweed farmers and fishermen should expect to benefit more through better prices and working equipment including about 500 small boats (Vihor) for carrying harvested seaweed from sea to dry land. "In an effort to raise the prices of seaweed, I will discuss with exporters/buyers so that farmers can sell their product at a better price," he said as he commended farmers for hard work in increasing production. He said that farming and fishing still provides more job opportunities for the unemployed youth and graduates from higher learning institutions. Some of the youth like Mr Mussa Hassan, said he was impressed by promises made by Dr Shein, and that the President has proved to be a man of all Zanzibaris.

Former President urge Tanzanians to uphold existing peace



FORMER President Benjamin Mkapa has urged Tanzanians to uphold existing peace and tranquility especially at this time when the country is nearing general election scheduled for next Sunday. Talking to residents of Muheza District in Tanga Region recently, Mr Mkapa stressed the need for peace in attaining development. “We should maintain peace if we want to achieve progress,” he said. He noted that Muheza residents and Tanzanians at large should be aware of the fact that each individual was responsible for the country’s peace and security. “I have some experience in regard to elections, we should be very careful,” he explained. He called upon citizens to elect leaders who will be able to lead the country into mid-level economic status. He said that it was only CCM that is capable to produce such leaders and told the gathering that Amb Adadi Rajabu was the best choice to represent Muheza in Parliament. “I know Rajabu, he is a hard worker and capable leader,” he said. Ambassador Rajabu who is vying for Muheza parliamentary seat through CCM said he will work hard to bring development to the people of the area. “I want to assure you that I have zeal and am capable of dealing with problems facing Muheza,” he added. He promised to work with other leaders in achieving set objectives. “I will make sure that Muheza will have industries so that youth will get employment after completing their education,” he noted. The former president also held meetings in Handeni and Pangani.

Dr Shein vows to work together with Magufuli in defending nation



Zanzibar's CCM presidential candidate, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein has assured people in the isles of more cooperation with the Union presidential candidate, Dr John Magufuli in safeguarding the nation. Dr Shein said he knows many of the challenges in the Union but assured Zanzibaris that he will work hard to ensure that they are sorted out before the end of his second term in office. "I promise to work with Dr Magufuli to strengthen the Union and also to work on its challenges for the betterment of the two sides and the people. Our union has a long history,” he said. According to Dr Shein, the two sides will continue to respect the agreements inked by the fonding presidents, Abeid Amani Karume and Julius K. Nyerere that were aimed at uniting the two sides. He made the assurance at Binti Amran grounds over the weekend when addressing voters at a campaign rally conducted at Mpendae constituency. The presidential candidate said CCM is the only political party that has the capacity to safeguard the Union as it has so far worked on some of the challenges in it. He called upon Zanzibaris to turn out in numbers on Sunday to vote for CCM so as to give the party the power to continue serving them. Apart from the Union matters, Dr shein said that he feels proud to contest for another term while 90 percent of the promises made to Zanzibaris have been accomplished. Dr Shein said that he worked tirelessly to ensure that his government fulfills all the promises made by the citizens as they were told during the 2010 campaigns. According to Dr Shein, the government under the leadership of CCM worked on the projects it promised to the citizens of Zanzibar in a move to uplift their lives and the development of the nation. "I am standing before you looking proud because most of the promises made during the 2010 campaigns have been fulfilled. My government worked hard to accomplish them in time just before I contest for another term in office,” he stressed. He mentioned some of the accomplished projects at the constituency as providing clean and safe water, drilling four bore wells in line with constructing water tanks for easy distribution of water to the citizens. Others are the increased number of schools which are equipped with modern facilities and construction of a new health facility which has experienced medical staff. Dr Shein assured the public that his government will continue to implement all the uncompleted projects if they vote CCM in power again. He said the government will make sure that it quickly completes the construction of roads in Unguja. He urged them to vote for CCM saying it is the only political party in the country that will bring about development and is ready to work on the citizens’ needs. Seconding Dr Shein, CCM deputy secretary general (Zanzibar), Vuai Ali Vuai called on CCM supporters to maintain peace and harmony during voting and the release of the results. According to Vuai, there are reports that the Civic United Front (CUF) is preparing to initiate chaos before and after the voting. “There are already signs of chaos but I would like to take this opportunity to call upon CCM supporters to be calm,” he stressed. He assured them that Dr Shein is the right person who can lead Zanzibar peaceful and bring development. Ealier, First Vice President,Ambassador Seif Ali Idd said that CUF's presidential candidate Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad has no capacity to lead Zanzibar as he has failed five times in the race to State House. Ambassador Idd called Maalim Seif to accept that CCM is a superior party that Zanzibaris believe in its leadership. “You should only vote for Dr Shein and other party's candidates to bring you development. CUF has nothing new to offer to Zanzibaris who are already confident with CCM's leadership,” he said.

Meeting to discuss El-Nino starts today in Naivasha



East African bloc countries are set to meet in Kenyan town of Naivasha today for a regional consultative meeting on impending El Nino impact and preparation for early action, organisers said on Sunday. The Inter-Government Authority on Development (IGAD) through their specialised institution IGAD Climate Predictions and Applications Centre (ICPAC) said the Oct. 20-21 meeting will be used to create awareness about the effects of El Nino. “The organisers expect to use the consultative forum to facilitate national and regional experts to create awareness and provide an update of the predicted El Nino event including preparedness at community level across the region," IGAD said in a statement released in Nairobi. The consultative meeting, which falls under the ICPAC Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forums (GHACOFs), is expected to bring together climate scientists, communication experts, policy makers including ministers of finance and ministers responsible for disaster risk management from the Greater Horn of Africa. ICPAC is the specialised IGAD institution based in Nairobi, mandated to provide timely climate warning information, which covers IGAD members' states as well as Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. The meeting comes as aid agencies have warned of the sub-Saharan Africa region is at risk of acute hunger as food production situation is set to further worsen with the looming El Nino. The agency said a series of climatic shocks in 2014 and 2015 decimated harvests, leaving many people dependent on food aid to survive. Floods and droughts in southern Africa resulted in significant declines in maize production, the regional staple.  But the agency warned that the worst is yet to come. The El Nino climate phenomenon, characterised by a warming in the Pacific Ocean, is set to strengthen over the coming months and persist into 2016. When El Nino occurs, rainfall patterns shift, increasing the risk of extreme weather events. Also expected to participate at the IGAD meeting are parliamentary committees on agriculture and infrastructure in the member states, climate experts and a wide range of user communities. "There will also be representation from the National Red Cross/Red Crescent and the International Federation of Red Cross," it said. The ICPAC Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forums (GHACOFs) are seasonal forums for the release of the climate outlook for the upcoming season to facilitate early action. GHACOF has made enormous contribution to the improvement of the quality of the seasonal rainfall outlook, biomass prediction and dissemination of climate information and prediction products for disaster risk management.

Veteran journalist rendered homeless in Dar



 Veteran journalist Simeon Ileta who retired recently now lives in difficulty, after his house was burnt down by fire that was caused by electrical fault at his Tegeta Wazo residence in Dar es Salaam. For about a week now, he sleeps outside where there is neither blanket nor shelter to provide him with cover. “The fire outbreak razed down everything including valuables that were inside my house," lleta said in an interview with journalists who went to comfort him at the weekend. The incident occurred on last Wednesday midnight when Ileta and his wife and his family were asleep. Efforts by neighbours and residents in the area to try to put off the fire failed to bear fruits as it had already spread in the entire house and scorched its walls. “We tried to call the firefighting office, but to no avail," said Ileta, who added: "later we decided to ask for help from Wazo Hill cement factory firefighters, who by the time they arrived at the scene the fire had already scorched everything.” “To some extent, however, the Combat Fire from the Cement factory helped to prevent the fires to spread out to the neighbouring houses," he added. Explaining further, Ileta said that the incident occurred at midnight when he, his wife and two children were asleep. "On the material day there was a funeral in the neighbourhood and I was late to return home from the funeral. A few minutes while resting on my bedroom, I heard my neighbours shouting fire, fire, after a roar and a huge explosion. I rushed to find out as I was asking where is my wife? Where is my wife? he said. “I wanted to go inside so as to save her, but they grabbed me and prevented me from returning inside,” he said. “I latter came to realize that my wife was safe and resting somewhere at a corner of our compound,” he said. Ileta, now retired is a veteran journalist, who began his career at the government daily English paper, The Daily News in 1973, before he joined the Tanzania news Agency (Shihata) and later the Foreign Service in Zambia. On his return home, he became editor of several newspapers, including This Day and Kulikoni, and latter The Guardian on Sunday.