Opposition leaders welcome Judge Lubuva’s views

A Day after the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) the retired judge Damian Lubuva proposed his views requesting for the establishment of an independently working electoral commission in the country, leaders of the political parties have welcomed his views with great enthusiasm. judge Lubuva made his presentation on Friday last week in Dar es Salaam before members of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) led by Chairman Judge Joseph Warioba who were in their usual meeting of collecting people’s views to be included in the national constitutional review making process. Speaking in an exclusive interview at different times in Dar es Salaam on Friday last week, some political leaders jointly commented their appreciation over the idea noting that to have an independent working electoral commission is the key towards maintaining a true democratic leadership in the country. However, they have hailed Judge Lubuva’s views which he issued before the commission team saying that, the idea is also in line with their party’s manifestos for which they have been campaigning through since the re-introduction of multi-party politics in the country about two decades ago. “We have had been striving to have an independent electoral commission in which its members have to work independently and without any interference from the government” said Professor Ibrahim Lipumba, the Chairman of the Civil United Front (CUF) the second leading opposition party in the country. He said in a telephone interview that, the current National electoral commission works in an environment that it cannot be trusted at all as all its members are appointed by then ruling an aspect that creates some sort of uncertainties and disbelief among voters in the country. He said that, election supervisors at a district level where there are majority of voters are district council workers who are appointed by the government led by the ruling party, and therefore it becomes impossible to expect a free and fair election under such circumstances. According to him, if an independent commission is set to organize own matters under special law, then it would have opened an opportunity to conduct the country’s elections in a peaceful manner and moreover in free and with fairness without favoritism. Professor Lipumba has greatly thanked the Judge Lubuva for having seen the matter broadly bearing the fact that, he is a Chairman of the electoral commission for which he might have seen lots or irregularities on the course of work execution during elections. Cornered for comments, the Chairman of the UDP party, John Cheyo said that, the issue of having an independent election commission has long been a subject of debate ushered by opposition parties in the country, the demanding for the free commission process had been delayed ever since the multiparty systems came into being. He is however, appreciating the idea of Judge Lubuva which he issued before a constitutional review commission team, as it would make a democratic republic whereby political parties would be free when conducting national elections. In addition, Cheyo has suggested that, a newly instituted national election commission should recruit independent workers who are not affiliated in any way by any party whatsoever when it comes to decision making processes.  However he said for one thing, the commission must be well remunerated and that it should have its own governing policies and laws that guides elections and the internal governance should not be interfered anyway whatsoever. Comparing the current NEC with others in the world in terms of their internal operations, he noted that, Tanzania’s electoral commission is having some elements which do not show its proper implications and as such its budget is not stable. Citing an example of the election commission of the Republic of Ghana, he noted that is good to emulate as the commission has its own secretariat which deals with ethics, and is being invited by other political parties in their country to exchange views and share experiences with members of opposition parties if need be. Members of the Tanzania Electoral Commission are appointed the president of the ruling party as per the constitution of the country which was last amended in 1977 during the time of the one party system. However, after having realized the existing disparities among the stakeholders and peace loving people in the country, the public including the opposition parties have been crying to have the constitutional change in this aspect which was passed during the one party system. Speaking on behalf of the National Electoral Commission before the members of the constitutional review commission, Judge Lubuva said that, there is a need for Tanzania to have a free electoral commission which is acceptable by all elect ion stakeholders and people in general. However, he further noted that, the commission should be working independently without interference by the government and that it should be left to decide its own matters for the interest for the welfare of the nation. “The freedom of the commission should start right from name of the commission itself, which musty literally change and to replace the name freedom might cause a positive notion over the electoral commission” he said. However, he elaborated that, a free and fair national commission is supposed to be established under the new constitution of the country just as it is in other African countries. He mentioned the countries like South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Botswana and proposed that, the appointments of the members should be done by different stakeholders before their names are submitted to the president before is approved by the National Parliament.

High profile politicians and foreigners involved in poaching -Msigwa

As the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism battles the escalating wave of poaching in the country, Shadow Minister in the same docket Rev. Peter Msigwa has dropped a bombshell, saying high profile politicians in the country, including MPs are involved in the illegal business. The Chadema legislator (Iringa Urban) went further to include foreigners and some State House officials as one of the entities involved in the illegal business. However, when quizzed by reporters yesterday in Dar es Salaam to name individuals involved in such illegal business the opposition MP fell short of explanation, maintaining that his observations and findings were general. According to the shadow minister, researches showed that a quarter of tusks and rhinos’ horns impounded in various corners in the world originate from Tanzania. He told a press conference that various reliable information sources in the country confirms that about 23,000 elephants from various national parks in the country are indiscriminately killed every year, this number is equivalent to 67 elephants per day. According to him, the killing trend indicate danger for natural species and other resources and also it endangers the inheritance of the country’s natural resources. “As an MP for Iringa urban constituency, I have the mandate to stand for the government in defending our natural resources and effectively curb the increased poaching activities which takes place in our national parks” he said. He said that, due to the increased acts of corruption among stakeholders and the continued poaching network activities in the country, he has seen the need to submit the issue to the parliament and to enforce the government in taking stern legal measures which would ensure the safety of the country’s natural resources. In view of this, the MP will present his personal views about the matter before fellow members of parliament during the tenth parliamentary session scheduled to start on 29th January this year. Msigwa is also intending to inform the Chairperson of the National Assembly to establish an independent probing committee which would investigate the matter into details and come out with a clear solution. According to him, he is sure that the parliamentary probing committee to be formed would run smoothly with its activities in probing the matter as it would contact any suspected individual regardless of their high ranking positions and it would work free and fair to establish how far the truth is with the matter. Msigwa is optimistic with the facts that, once his views is presented before fellow members of parliament regardless of their political affiliations would be interested to discuss it without resistance as it’s their obligation to defend country’s wealth for the benefit of the nation. Narrating how he started to work on the issue, he noted that on 31st December 2012 he submitted an intended letter to submit a personal idea in parliament in relation to the continued illegal acts of poaching which takes place now and then in our national parks. The objective of his ideas is to request the government of the United Republic of Tanzania to defend the country’s constitution for the implementation of the constitutional rights for the people’s needs. This is in line with the government’s obligations in defending country’s resources and people’s rights to ensure their active participation in defending the country’s natural resources. According to him, he has already received a formal letter written by the Secretary of the National Assembly instructing him to submit his personal views to the Chairperson of the Parliament Anna Makinda so that it should be discussed in the coming parliamentary session later this month.

The government to work for people with vision disability

THE Government has pledged to provide learning facilities needed by the visually impaired people in the country so as to help them. The Minister for Health and Social Welfare Dr. Husein Mwinyi made the call last week at the climax of the international day celebrations of the Braille writings which was cerebrated at a national level in Dar es Salaam. Braille writings are dotted marks specifically designed on a paper by a machine to help visually impaired people in the world who use them to get their right of reading materials as well as getting various information which are issued in written documentation forms as this is a salvation for their life. These writings have been given the name ‘Braille’ to honour a young French national by the name Louis Braille who discovered the writings almost two centuries ago after having pricked his one eye by a sharpened iron object at his father’s workshop in 1826 at the age of 13 years old. The history tells that, he lived with the help of a single eye for a considerable time of years before it got destroyed at the age of 20, and later on became totally blind before he died at the age of 36 years. Many countries in the world have been celebrating this occasion now for over 190 years and it is a second celebration to have taken place in Tanzania. Before the Minister gave a pledge, he received a statement of complaints from Tanzania National Institute for the Blind (TNIB) in their speech which was read before him during the occasion, and later on made his own pledge on behalf of the government to solve such problems besetting members of the association in the country. He said that, his ministry would work in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to buy the necessary facilities and equip them in various schools for the blind people in the country. However, he has also asked TINB members to make sure that, are  convincing people with visual impaired to join their schools as one step development to get their social needs. Dr. Mwinyi pledged to help books written inn Braille dot marks which according to te association are few in their schools and these are so expensive as they are printed outside the country. Other challenges the association noted are lack of teachers and working facilities which Dr. Mwinyi has pledged to include in the national budget.  However, he told The Guardian in an exclusive interview after the occasion that, the government has established a council fund which would be contributed by individuals and civil society groups. The money will be used to help cater for the needs of all people with various disabilities in the country. Dr. Mwinyi has congratulated religious institutions such as the Anglican Church for their devotion after having been established schools for the people with visual impaired disabilities in the country. HG has also asked other denominations to follow the suit. He said the government is ready to work in collaboration with various civil societies which have shown interest to work for the people with disability and improve their lives whatsoever. This is in line with the government’s decision to form policies and enact law No. 9 of the year 2010. He said the law would help to make sure that all rights reserved for people with disabilities in the country are well transformed to the respective individuals and that these are protected and guided as required and given the priority it deserved. laws which guides the jurisprudence of the people with disabilities in the country. According to TINB Chairman James Shimwenye since the establishment of their association in 1998, there are a total of 32 schools for the visually impaired people and among them, 10 are secondary schools while 32 are primary schools.  Out of these both primary and secondary schools, 95 percent of them are owned by the government, the rest are owned by religious institutions. There is also one higher learning institution for them.

CCM party to ward off bureaucracy that retards the development of SMEs

IN mid of November this year, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) held elections of its leaders from the district to National Executive level who would lead the party to another five coming years. After the election, the party outlined various resolutions it had put forward during its 8th general meeting which was held at Kizota hall on the outskirts of Dodoma town, a prospective Tanzania’s capital city. Among the most important recommendations put forward, the ruling party has directed the government to give priority to entrepreneurs and also to ensure that it removes all sorts of bureaucracy among the executives of the financial institutions against money lenders. The party has also directed financial institutions and money lenders in the country to limit down some of their tougher conditions which they have imposed to their money lenders so as to allow entrepreneurs and individuals as a whole to take loans of affordable interest rates with ease. Announcing the new basic concepts of the party’s stance, the newly appointed CCM secretary general, Abdulrahaman Kinana said that, CCM has reiterated its commitments to help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which offers self employment to about 80 percent of Tanzanians. CCM’s concept has come amid statistics which shows that the current inflation in the country stands at 19.2 percent from 12 percent it had been seven years ago when the fourth phase government of President Dr. Jakaya Kikwete came into being in 2005. The CCM’s development concept aims at empowering SMEs and the move prompts national strategy on poverty reduction drive whose aim is to seek better life for Tanzanians before its goal has to be realized by 2015. But despite of the efforts shown by the government, interviewed loan seekers say that bureaucracy is still existing in some micro-finance institutions which are involved in the provision of loan facilities to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) including banks which are operating in the country.


They say the developing habit has been the main stumbling block for the development of their SMEs in the country. The situation has discouraged most loan seekers who sometimes are asked to introduce bribes (the so-called kitu kidogo) before the service is rendered to them whenever they apply for loan facilities from these institutions. Some loan seekers when interviewed early this week in Dar es Salaam said that, the low capital which they have is not enough to run their business activities and instead resort to depend on loans from various financial institutions to help them run their businesses but to in vain. Expressing their emotions over the issue, some disappointed entrepreneurs said that they have been met with lots of challenges accompanied by tough conditions an aspect that most working groups have failed to meet them. “Postponements of unfulfilled appointments are the order of the day” says Rhoda Kilasa who has been making frequent visits in follow up for her loan application she had applied two months ago from one of the well-known financial institution (name withheld) located in Dar es Salaam, but to no avail. Ezekiel Kilambo (42) a resident of Ukonga-Madafu who was in need of a medium loan to increase his working capital from one of the famous micro-finance institution in the city (name withheld), is discouraged when he failed to get financial support due to tough conditions imposed by loan officers. However, in desperation, he says that, there was no need of establishing such institutions which do not fulfill their appointments to help the needy people as required. Mr. Kilambo is on the view of the fact that, the long process of obtaining loans is too cumbersome and time consuming without success an aspect that most loan seekers gets discouraged. According to him, loan officers have been using a loophole without shame of soliciting for bribes whenever contacted by their customers at their working places. Apart from bureaucracy, banks have to be blamed for stiffer conditions say Marcelina Adoyo. According to her, Banks have been giving stringent conditions in order to get loan facility to the extent that some groups fail to meet them. However, she said that, although many banks have been providing loans especially to women groups, but they have imposed tough conditions which require loan seekers to own things like immovable properties such as a house as collateral, a thing that most of them cannot afford. Cornered by this writer, one lady by name of Lucia Wambura (38) who conducts a shop business selling both human and animal drugs at Kipunguni ‘A’ suburb in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam region, had long been in need of a loan from a renowned micro-finance institution, but she is yet to receive such loan owing to conditions imposed by the firm that she can’t meet. According to her, in order to fulfill one condition, she was told by loan officers to bring a contract she had had entered with the landlord in a house in which she conducts her business. As if that was not enough, she was also told to show alongside the annual property tax receipt if paid to Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), she dropped the order upon failure to meet all these. When contacted for comments, the head of the loan section of the National Micro-Finance Bank operating in the city who spoke on strict condition of anonymity said that, most loan seekers are not trustworthy an aspect that ought them (as bank) to investigate their customers’ businesses to establish their existence. However, one loan officer from one famous and long serving Micro-finance institution known as Promotion of Rural Institution and Development Enterprises Ltd, in short ‘PRIDE (T) Ltd’ Rehema Boniface said that, the issue of bureaucracy is personal and has nothing to do with his firm’s operations. PRIDE (T) Ltd has been a liberator of most women groups in the country, and in view of this, the institution takes long time to verify the authenticity of the documentation produced by their customers who needs personal loans as collaterals for proof as some documents presented by their customers are not genuine. However, she added that, they have to check them thoroughly according to procedures any documents presented to them by their customers so as to ascertain any irregularities and or suspicion that might have been noticed before decisions to accept them is made. However, she said adding that, the exercise takes about one month or two including a visit to a principal place of business. Customers might take it as an easier task and that’s why it takes long process to complete. The essence of doing this is to verify the truth before the actual money is issued as loans to would be applicants, he said adding that many of their customers’ presented documents have sometimes been found not to conform to their original ones, therefore a need for more time scrutiny is essential. According to one economic analyst, Rebeca Mdoe “lack of enough capital has been a stumbling block to most newly formed business enterprises in the country which have failed to develop for lack of bigger capital. Some of these have ceased operations for failure to meet their business targets mainly due to low capital investments”. In a bid to keep customers’ credit information database into a single databank system, the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) which is the main financial regulator in the country launched a Credit Reference System (CRS) in the country two months ago. The CRS system is designed to collect and provide information on the payment record of all clients of the lending banks and other financial institutions as well as those of Savings and Credit schemes in the United Republic of Tanzania and other entities engaged regularly in the extension of credit. The BOT’s Director of Banking Supervision, Agapiti Kobelo said during the launching that, “the establishment of CRS is a continuation of government’s efforts to reform the financial sector with the enactment of the banking and financial institution’s Act which started way back in 1991”.

WILDAF official tells men to expose their sufferings

AS the 16 days of the National gender activism campaign against violence and human rights is going on, an organization which stands for women in law and development in Africa (WILDAF) has urged men in the country to expose any acts of violence being committed against them by their spouses. An official with the WILDAF Tanzania chapter expressed the concern recently in Dar es Salaam in a move to favour men who are subjected to various forms of violence and made it clear that, the campaign is not only for women but also for men. Speaking in an exclusive interview WILDAF Director in Tanzania Dr. Judith Odunga said that, his office has done a research and found out that, there are some acts of gender violence being committed to men by their wives who in turn are afraid to expose such mischief before the society. “Although there is increased human right violations to women which is seen at a higher rate percentage in Africa, men are also subjected to a certain extent with the humiliations caused by their spouses, but are unable to speak out such sufferings” she said adding that, it’s high time for men also to liberate themselves and be free from gender violence. Dr. Judith who is currently a national coordinator of the campaign which ends on Monday countrywide has urged men not to shy and instead they should also join forces in support of the campaign by revealing out what makes them feels unhappy once mistreated in whatever ways by their wives. However, she has urged them to join forces to oppose this malpractice, and explained her emotions urging them to emulate their fellow Kenyans who have gone to the extent of forming an association that stand for their rights. Apart from men, Dr. Judith has also thrown a challenge to the government urging its machineries such as police and the judiciary to put more emphasis in its fight against gender violence especially to women whereby the malpractice is growing at an alarming rate in the country. She has also urged that, to make a good success if not to reduce a malpractice, she has asked the government to introduce educational curriculum in the national teaching syllabuses which will put an awareness to school children starting in primary level understand the impact of the issue in debate about their rights and gender activism in society. The campaign on gender activism which started early this week ends on 10^th next month, and carries a message that opens people’s mind to oppose violence against women and comprehensively insists for a joint accountability, which has seen with a wide spectrum groups of people still practices acts of violation against women. According to WILADF acts of gender violence have been increasing to a greater extent and statistics carried by the organization in newspaper shows that in 2012 alone there were 6,001 cases of violence which were re[ported in newspapers compared to 3,542 cases reported in 2011. This is an increase of 90 percent. The outcome of the research carried by the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) in 2010 shows that, gender violence has been committed in various ways such as beatings, female circumcision, raping, women killings, killings of people with albinism, women inheritance, violence at homes and many others. According to Dr. Judith, the victims suffers the great and have their physical bodies deteriorated due to this mistreatments and moreover others are more psychologically affected an aspect that the situation undermines their economic well being together with the nation as well. Analyzing the impact of it she noted that, it inwardly causes stress and a victim overcome permanent disability and sometimes leads to death. Despite of this, she is optimistic that a society might be applying positive changes that cold avert such kinds of attitude to dominate people’s mindset. The essence of the 16 day gender activism program came into being after the killings of the 16 women who were killed in Dominica in 1960. As from November 25^th 1991, the United Nations adopted the day and commemorated it as a special world day to be honoured as a day to commemorate women violence. The day will be climaxed on 10^th December this year as the International day of the special declaration of human rights and also to insist that, the day is a sign of relating violence against women and insisting that it is a violation of human rights.

Tibaijuka launches Land law book in Dar

THE Government has pledged to work on people’s views to be considered for inclusion in a new national constitution in order to ward off the existing problem of illegal land ownership among the individuals and civil societies which has been prevailing in many parts in the country. The Minister for Lands and Human Settlements Development Professor Anna Tibaijuka made the concern on Wednesday this week as a guest of honour during the launching of a land law book titled, “Land as a human right”. She said that people’s views and their decision over the issue of legality of land acquisition is an important aspect at this time around when Tanzania is going through the constitutional making process, and added that, it’s the only way to cut off attitudes of some corrupt government executives. Describing about the book, she noted that, the contents highlighted are relevant and helpful and consented that her ministry would be a prime custodian as they relevantly interacts with the legal matters pertaining to the development of land policies in the country.  The 412 paged book has been written by a young academician Abdon Rwegasira who joined the school of Law of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) as an assistant lecturer in 2010. She said the author has described the entire background history of land law and its practice in Tanzania since independence time. She said that, in order to spread the land law knowledge which most Tanzanians do not have in the country, her ministry has ordered 150 copies of the book from a Dar es Salaam based publishers, Mkuki na Nyota Publications Ltd which she said would be distributed in all districts in the country. The reasons behind the move as described by Professor Tibaijuka, a former UN Habitat Director and a former senior lecturer at the UDSM, is to enlighten the district land officers in the country in their job execution when analyising issues of land acquisition in general. However, she added that the move behind is to limit controversies on land issues in some parts of the country.  She further said that, the continued problems of land ownership in the country is as a result of some few executives from the village levels to district levels who do not know the application of land Act sections  4 and 5 as stipulated in Village Land Act of 1999. She said as a result of poor performance emanating from the relevant authorities, her office has been receiving about 300 grievances from people complaining about land cases channeled through the ministry’s email address requesting for her intervention as most people are unable to see her personally. “The issue of land use and control has never been an easy matter under the administration of my Ministry and the government in general” she said adding that, the government still see thousands of her people living in slums without security of tenure both in rural and in urban areas. However, she noted that, as long as the government continues to record controversial land cases and the allocations of prime areas including open spaces, it also continues to face case of land conflicts between farmers and livestock keepers in various parts of the country and many other similar cases. Detailing author’s views, she said he has described land to be an important resource for the country’s economic development on the one hand, but also an essential need of all human beings and major source of livelihood. In other words the author is on the view of the fact that, it’s through land that the state is well placed to advance sustainable national economic development. According to Rwegasira, the two categories of interests such like state and private, have not been reconciled by law or its proper administration and in view of this, land has ceased to be an important resource but an arena of struggles and conflicts of every description between the contending forces across all ages. According to the Dean of the school of law, Professor B.I.Rutinwa, Land law has always been a subject of great difficulty mainly because of scarcity of literature based on contemporary land law and practice in Tanzania. This is both challenge and an inspiration to all junior and senior lecturers.

JK tells manufacturers to add value on their products

PRESIDENT Jakaya Kiwete on Thursday night directed industrial product manufacturers in the country to add value on their products so as to achieve an international accreditation which would enable them to lead in global business competition. He made the concern at the award giving ceremony that recognized best local manufacturers of the year 2012 from 17 selected economic sub sectors that were presented with certificates and trophies at the occasion which was organized by the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) through its President’s Manufacturer of the Year Award (PMYA) that took place at Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam. In this year’s award, the organizers announced the Tanzania Distilleries Limited the overall winner, other winners from three contesting categories grouped in small, medium and large categories were Prestige industries Ltd (small industries), DPI Simba Ltd (medium industries) and Kioo Limited (large industries).  The occasion which was fully sponsored by the IPP Limited is the eighth running annual event which was established in 2005 by CTI with the aim of recognizing and appreciating the manufacturing sector’s important role in Tanzania’s economic development process. In appreciation, the organizers awarded the IPP Limited Chairman, Dr. Reginald Mengi with an appreciation plague for the sponsorship of the event, who after the presidenbt’s speech, he thanked him with assurance that, through action they are able to perform. This is because the industrial sector with its strong backward and forward linkages has the unique capacity to provide activities with high value addition, wealth creation and employment creation that are key to economic growth and poverty reduction. The occasion also enables key stakeholders to share experiences on matters related to their daily activities. In the occasion, the President threw the challenge to manufacturers shortly after he had received claims from industrialists in a speech which was preceded by the Chairman of the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) Felix Mosha who requested the government to look at the means on how they could improve their industrial productions to higher standards. In reply, the President reaffirmed them that, his government depends on their innovations and creativity in order to achieve the utmost standards of their product manufacturing processes despite of the challenges facing the industrialists such as the continued erratic power supply in the country. The President assured them that, this would come to an end when the gas pipeline project currently in construction at the main station at Kinyerezi from Mtwara starts operation. He noted that, the government recognizes the importance of industries and manufacturers as is the most crucial sector which has the largest revenue contribution to the government treasury, and added that, it’s imperative therefore to give the sector the priority it deserves for being a driving engine of the national economic development growth. “The industrial revolution and their production in the country depend entirely on your own decision as members of this confederation” the President said urging them to make a strategic plan for a certain period to work through to achieve the targets. However, he insisted that trade competition is inevitable by any means whatsoever, so what is needed at this juncture is to cope with the emerging trend in terms of technology in order to ward off all obstacles lying ahead and by doing so would pave the way for success. “I urge you to add value on your products to become the leading producers with best quality, and if possible should you put a roadmap on how to go about it”, he said assured them that under that spirit the country would change industrially within ten years to come. The President also assured them that, the government is currently working on the problem of the basic infrastructures such as railway for transport, and is also working on the availability of water supply to ensure adequate electricity supply as currently the power generation largely depends on hydro power energy.