Water shortage is still a perenial problem in Tanzania

A MINOR Mwanzani Athuman collects underground water which comes through an internet cable chamber along Kilwa Road in Dar es Salaam on Friday. In spite of the availability of such water still several city residents cannot afford to drill wells to extract clean water. (Photo by Robert Okanda)

Tanzania's Vice-President in USA.

Vice-President, Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal in an interview with UN radio presenter, Ms Flora Nducha, in New York on Friday. Dr Bilal is attending the UN conference on AIDS. (Photo by Muhidin Sufiani of VPO)

Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam, poses a great threat to passersby.

A woman displays her merchandise in a restricted trading area at Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam. The market has correctly lost its reputation as the authorities looks at the market environment which is surrounded by filth that stays uncollected for long time and apparently doesn’t take any action as the photo at the scene shows, a trailer full of filth that pose unhealthy condition at the market.

Why denouncing Tanzanian coins on the streets?

Is the Central Bank of Tanzania aware of this? Tanzanian worthless coins have been turned a selling commodity in public. The situation can be seen in most Daladala bus stops in Dar es Salaam. Few unscrupulous traders who calls themselves money changers in black markets exchanges Tanzanian coins to would be Daladala conductors and other people around at the expense of the shortage of keep change. Each bundle of a coin worth Tshs. 800/- is exchanged for Tshs. 1,000/- note. But it’s very unfortunate that, these traders are not licensed to operate like bureau de change shops and to make it more worse, the Bank of Tanzania seems to have turned a blind aye to the situation that has escalated broadly in the city of Dar es Salaam. Above, a young lady and a boy arranges their coins in bundles at a bus stand at Banana when I captured them waiting for customers. According to them, they make a profit of Tshs. 200/- for every bundle sold so as to make end a day’s living.

Poverty stricken situation in Tanzania denies the basic rights of citizens.

Information is power and newspapers have become expensive commodities that is rarely affordable by most citizens in Tanzania. A daily newspaper sells at between Tshs. 500/- and Tshs. 700/- this is almost a half of a daily earning per person according to the statistics made available by the National Economic Statistics Bureau. The firm’s shows that, due to the prevailing poverty stricken situation in the country, most people still depend on 1 USD, an aspect that most citizens are not able to buy newspapers and instead relies on reading news stories which have been given the precedence on the front pages to quench their thirst. The photo above shows a group of people peeping their eyes through such news at a newspaper vending area whose owner has decided to hang them up for fear of being damaged by crook readers who never buys them.

Scattered rubbish, a common phenomenon in Dar es Salaam city.

As the scene depicts, petty traders selling their merchandise at a railway crossing at Buguruni near SSB industries. In the background two trucks loaded with unmoved heap of a stinking filth. Those in the environmental health sector hazards have to be blamed for their failure to keep the surrounding clean, as this is likely to pose health dangers to people around.

Elaborating EPZA’s achievements

The Director General of the Economic Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) Dr. Adelhelm Meru responds questions to a National Television crew (TBC) during a two day workshop organized by EPZA together with the investors in Dar es Salaam recently. The workshop was held at Mlimani City Conference centre. According to Dr. Meru, his Authority plans to expand its processing zones in upcountry regions with the first pilot project to be established at Bagamoyo. This is in a bid to increase more investors

Developing the beauty of Mwanza city

I recently visited Mwanza city in northern Tanzania. This is the third city in bigness in Tanzania after Arusha city which is famous for it’s the centre for International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda genocide which took place in 1994. Arusha is also the headquarter of the East African Community (EAC). Mwanza of late has become famous as it’s the hub of lake zone business. Because of its importance in business, the city’s municipal council authorities are striving hard to make it look more attractive to tourists who visits some of the famous tourist attraction located at Saa Nane Island. At the heart of the city centre, there has been constructed a fish like structure of a common fish name known as “Sangara” as a significance of its popularity. Sangara fish were introduced into lake Victoria way back in 1975 for a test research activity which was conducted by Lake Victoria Management Authority. But the research proved the abundant breeding of this fish species whose population now covers about 70 percent in the whole of lake Victoria which links the three East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

UN envoy hails Tanzania as best investment destination in Africa

United States Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk has said that Tanzania is among African countries where his government invests more time and resources. A press statement issued in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday quoted Kirk as saying that the fact that Tanzania was a safe and peaceful country had attracted many US companies and trading institutions to opt for conducting business here. “Tanzania stands a chance to record successes, and the US government would like to be part of these successes”, said the ambassador during his meeting with President Jakaya Kikwete at State House in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday. Elaborating, he said the US government was impressed with the bilateral relations between the two countries, and that it would like to continue strengthening them. “The US government enjoys its relationship with Tanzania and there is not a single African country where we invest much of our time and resources. This is the best country for business and economic relationship,” he said. Kirk said some of the areas where the American government provides support was 'Feed the Future’ project, and other areas under the Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC). Projects under MCC are energy, infrastructure, water and major health projects through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Tanzania also enjoys business opportunities through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). He said the US was gearing itself up to increasing its business investments with the intention to create more employment opportunities. He said the biggest US companies would continue to establish business ventures in Tanzania so as to boost economic growth. For his part, President Kikwete thanked the US government for supporting development projects. He said US companies could still invest in the sectors of construction, five-star hotels, minerals, agriculture, infrastructure and construction of the central railway line.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Tibaijuka: Don`t tamper with international border marks

Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development Prof. Anna Tibaijuka has called on wananchi to stop removing marks which have been installed to demarcate the country’s boundaries because doing so is sabotaging the nation. Briefing journalists on Africa Border Day, which was marked on Wednesday, Prof. Tibaijuka said there were some people who purposely remove the marks which had been placed at borders, thus creating misunderstandings with neighbouring countries. She however said the country’s borders with the neighbouring countries were secure and talks to verify them were proceeding in order to make them official by putting marks where they had been removed. The minister called on Tanzanians living near the country's borders to guard the installed marks and inform the authorities in case they have been removed.

Professor Anna Tibaijuka

Tibaijuka said international boundaries were crucial and needed to be handled with care because they might result in conflict between countries, as it occurred between Tanzania and Uganda in the late 1970s. On the boundary between Rwanda and Tanzania, Prof. Tibaijuka said the boundary stretched for 201 kilometres. She said during the colonial era Rwanda and Burundi were under German East Africa, thus there was no border to separate the two countries. “After World War 1 Burundi and Rwanda were given to Belgium, thus Britain and Belgium set out to fix a boundary between Tanzania and Rwanda,” she said. The current border was according to the Anglo-Belgian Protocol of 1924 and amendments which led to the repeal of the Anglo-Belgian Treaty of 1934. She said there was no problem in relation to the boundary, but Tanzania and Rwanda would start talks to demarcate the boundary, especially with regard to Kagera River. On borders between Burundi and Tanzania she said it was set as per the Anglo-Belgian Protocol of 1924. She said the length of the entire boundary was 374 kilometres. Prof. Tibaijuka said there was a need to verify the names of rivers which were maintained in the 1924 protocol to see whether the rivers were still in existence or some of them had disappeared due to climate changes.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

US State secretary jets in Dar

Secretary of State of the United States of America, Hillary R. Clinton is expected to arrive in Dar es Salaam today, for a three-day official visit.A statement issued by the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ministry said on arrival at the Julius Nyerere International Airport, the visiting Secretary of State will be received by her counterpart, Bernard Membe. Clinton, who arrived in Zambia yesterday, is on a five-day Africa trip that will also take her to Ethiopia.


The statement said Clinton’s visit is geared towards enhancing the existing strong bilateral relations and partnership between Tanzania and the US that include support for democratic institutions and promotion of good governance. It also aims at fostering sustainable economic growth and support of sectors of education, infrastructure, energy and agriculture; combating health pandemics; prevention of conflicts and enhancement of maritime security. The statement said further that Clinton will have an opportunity to attend a meeting on Nutrition in Dar es Salaam and also launch a “Feed the Future Initiative Project” in Kibaha. “She will also have an opportunity to visit the Ubungo Power Station and the Buguruni Health Centre in Ilala before laying a wreath of flower in memory of victims of the 1998 terror attacks at the former US Embassy along Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road in Dar es Salaam,” it said. The US Secretary of State is expected to leave Tanzania next Monday.

An aerial view of the Dar es Salaam city centre.
In Lusaka, Clinton grooved with an ululating chorus of African businesswomen who have benefited from US help at a meeting on AGOA, the US programme signed into law by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in 2000 to give trade preferences for some 37 eligible African countries. "The most successful development programme is one that will someday make itself unnecessary," Clinton said, describing a range of US programmes aimed at strengthening governance and accountability and supporting grassroots economic growth. Other countries, Clinton said, may successfully sign a deal or construct a building, but do not "leave anything sustainable behind other than perhaps a physical structure." "Africa does not lack in physical structures," Clinton said. "Africa lacks in connections between countries." To get there, she said Africa's leaders still needed to deliver on promises to cut local trade barriers, streamline regulation and expand opportunities, particularly for women. US officials want Congress to extend AGOA when it expires in 2015, but say it is time to take a hard look at ways to address nagging bureaucratic and infrastructure problems, widespread corruption and often lopsided trade. Meanwhile both the White House and the State Department have denied news that Clinton was seeking the top World Bank post.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN