Kinana blasts the government over land crisis

The CCM party’s Secretary General Abdulrahman Kinana has blasted the government for its failure to settle down the long standing land crisis between small scale miners of the Nyarugusu village in Geita district and National State Mining Company (STAMICO) who issued the land to an American mining firm known as ‘Tanzam’. Kinana who currently is in a regional tour of Geita region made a concern yesterday while addressing a public rally in Geita district when people of Busanda constituency asked him to clarify party’s standing point about their issue which President Jakaya Kikwete had promised to give them but unfortunately there had been a slack implementation on the matter. Kinana asked Busanda people time of approximately one month under which he is going to sort out their queries with the Minister for Energy and Minerals that would ensure the mining site which currently is managed by the STAMICO in collaboration with the American firm (Tanzam) for over 30 years is returned back to local people. “First let me apologise on behalf of the government and my party’s jurisdiction that we have made a great mistake ever since the President visited the area and made a promise that you could b e provided with this land and unfortunately nothing has been implemented so far”, he  said. However, he added that it is impossible for anyone to contradict with what the President has ordered to be done, and in view of this he has issued an ultimatum of one month to ensure that he sorts out the problem once and for all. He said he is quite embarrassed by constant promises by some national leaders who never fulfils their promises whenever they visit such areas and fails to come out with a solution. He elaborated that, what has been done to them is not part of the implementations of party’s manifesto of the ruling CCM party which says that, people of the United Republic would have acquired an area set for their economic development. He further noted that the American firm which had entered into contract with the government for mining activities, has never done anything for the last 10 years since it signed a joint contract with STAMICO, saying that this is contrary to the legal procedures. “Both parties have legal rights but it is amazing to see that the long signed contract should stay without implementation ”, he queried and insisted that the government should reclaim back the piece of land and redistribute it to0m the needy local people as it is not fair. He said this is the worst form of rudeness that compels the people of Busanda to have hatred against their government whose few untrustworthy executives do not have interest with the lives of the people at Nyarugusu village. He said that many government executives are good at heart while some are not corrupt and that is why if people consult them in their offices are not given special attention as deserved by the law. Some are asking questions that educe them to pay bribes for the services rendered. He said such types of leaders have been keeping going the bribes and embracers theft and to the great amazement, the government fails to take legal action against them as there are numerous committees formed to investigate their mischief. He has also affirmed that bit is a responsibility of the CMM party to ask the top executive why haven’t they be given the land they were promised and instead have been receiving  endless promises which are never implemented, and according to him what he knows is that, a Tanzanian should be given priority and followed by an investor. He assured the people that it is his government which messes up and once it has failed to work for the poor and unprivileged groups, he as a Secretary general has the right to stand to push on where people have got stacked. He has also asked fellow CMM members to emulate the father of the nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere who built a firm foundation of the CMM party who refused to take a bribe and never engaged in theft and grand corruption. Alongside with this, Kinana insisted that it is high time to repeal all the existing laws which are here to defend offenders and protect their destiny, and badly once such laws are enacted ordinary people are not involved. In view of this, he has pledged to consult all CMM legislators to scrutinize such laws. Kinana is currently going on with a tour visit of Geita region after he finished a visit in Kagera and Mwanza regions respectively.

The suspected albino seller jailed 10 years

THE Nzega district resident magistrate court in Tabora region has sentenced to 10 years imprisonment one Masdanja Mwinamila (44) a resident of Ugembe village after having found him guilty of selling his sister’s child who suffers from albinism. Reading the sentence before the court, magistrate Salad Nana  said that, due to the plea of an offence that the accused entered once the accusations were read before him, the court has ruled over him 10 year imprisonment. Earlier, the police prosecutor told the court that on June 15^th this month at around 21:00 hours at night, the accused who is a peasant at Ugembe village was arrested by the police after a good Samaritan tipped off the police that the suspect was looking for a customer to who could buy a child. He told the court that Masanja had planned to sell an albino child Magreth Hamissi (6) for Sh. 90 million. The police prosecutor added that, due to the spiraling cases of albino killings in the country asked the court to impose a severe punishment to the suspect to deter others who are fond of such malpractices. Before the judgment was passed, the court gave the accused time to defend himself whereby the accused pleaded for a lesser severe punishment because he is suffering from AIDS disease and that he has a number of dependants in his family. However, the court did not have time to listen to his grievances whatsoever except he was compelled to go to prison to start his life by serving such a long term sentence.

Police apprehends explosive materials

POLICE in Nyasa district in Ruvuma region in collaboration with residents of Lunyere village have succeeded to apprehend two boxes each weighs 25 kilogramme containing explosive materials. The boxes which were being transported in a motorbike from Mbinga to Lunyere had their ignites which are yet to be known. Regional Police Commander (RPC) for Ruvuma, ACP Mihayo Msikhela confirmed yesterday that, the incident happened at around morning hours at Lunyere village close to the border of Tanzania and Mozambique. Elaborating more about the incident, he said that police in the village managed to apprehend two boxes containing  explosive materials alongside ignites which were being transported on a motorbike with the registration number T 331 ADE of the m HAOJUE make by unknown person who after having seen had been spotlighted by the police, he abandoned his motorbike and ran away to unknown destination. He said the police are going on with the investigations about the matter by tracing the whereabouts of the suspect and the motorbike to establish the owner of the motorbike. Either the RPC Msikhela has called on the residents in Ruvuma region that, as there have been various incidences related to terrorism which have been reported in some parts in the country, they should be cooperative to report such incidences once are suspicious of anything unusual through a cell phone number 0715009956. Meanwhile a truck driver belonging to a road construction company of China Railways seventh Group (CRSG) Godwin Katigula (36) has died instantly after the truck which he was driving veered off the road and overturned. ACP Msikhela confirmed the incident and said that, the accident occurred at around 15:30 in the afternoon at Mchomoro village in Namtumbo village. He said the truck with the registration number T345 BPP of the Benben make which belongs to a road construction currently constructing a stretch of road between Namtumbo and Tunduru in a tarmac level, that it overturned due to a high speed the driver has been driving an aspect that caused his death instantly. He further noted that, up to now the body of the deceased has been preserved at a mortuary of the government designated of Namtumbo district hospital waiting for recognition from relatives. Either Commander Msikhela said that, police in the district is appealing to all drivers and other motor in drivers in the district to be careful and observe the traffic signs on the road while driving so as to avert any possible accidents that might overcome them.

Public servants to receive disaster manangement training at work places

THE department for disaster management cordination at Prime Minister’s Office has prepared training for the public  servants on how to take precautions so that they could become aware of variouis tactics to be undertaken by them once a disadter occur in their places of work. Speaking at the opening of the management of the disaster management training yesterday in Dodoma, the permanent secretary in  the  Prime Minister’s office who was represented by the director of the cordination unit Obbey Assery said that, they have started to issue such training courses to public servants and other servants would be empowered by the disaster management. “We have started with our office and later omn other servants would be followed so that we might be able to empower them with skills that would enable them be in a position to curb with any disaster at their work places”, he said. He added rthat, there has been some disasters which encountyers public servants while at work such as fire break out, earthquake and other normnal acciodents, but by having knowledge on how to curb with such disasters we can be able to reduce to a greater extent the numbert of disasters”, Assery said. Earlier when welcoming the Permanent Secrertary in Prime Minister’s Office to open the exhibition, the director of the disasterb cordination unit Brig. Gen Mduya said that, under the workers’ empopwerment programme, he has found ouytg bthat there is a nbeedc for every participant to convey such a training they have attained for the society surrounding them.  Participants of the training sessions are being trained many things that includes among others, the ‘Concept of disaster Management and the system of management in the country, the first aid in the community and how to curb with any disaster that might occur and how to take appropriate measures on bow to curb fire disasters in order be on the safe side. Such trainings are being conducted by the department of the disaster management from the Prime Minister’s officer in collaboration with the police force in the country, department of the fire brigade of the ministry of Home Affairs, and Ultimate security Ltd under the sponsorship of te United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through various projects which are being coordinated through by the early disaster preparedness management systems in the country.

Tanzania is self sufficient in food, says NFRA

PLANS by the government to sell its stock of 100,000 tonnes of food reserve in order to compensate a long standing debt it owe farmers residing in regions of Rukwa , Iringa and Ruvuma will not cause food insecurity in the country, a government official has said. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) Charles Walwa confirmed on Wednesday last week that, Tanzania has reserved enough food stock to enable sustain the impending shortages up to the coming harvesting season. He said in a telephone interview that the decision by the government to sell its stock has a good significance, for one thing he noted that, the out movement of stock from the national reserve helps stock from rotting and it also allows the purchase of newly harvested stock to take place. He said the government is very keen to ensure that food is available all the time pending on regular purchase orders made to keep the stock intact without experiencing any discrepancy. “We haven’t yet encountered with the problem of food shortages as we are periodically working alongside with the government closely to ensure food is available”, he said. The CEO was contacted for verification to ensure how safe would it be following the looming reports that speculated in the media that there is a food shortage in the country.   Last week the government issued an order to sell its 100,000 tonnes of maize from the NFRA in order to raise money to cover farmers’ debts that the government owes Sh. 24bn/- from the previous Sh. 130 bn/-  The government’s call was echoed in Parliament on Monday this week during questions and answers sessions when the deputy Minister for agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Godfrey Zambi was responding to a supplementary question by Kalambo legislator Josephat Kandeghe who wanted to know how the government has solved the long standing problem of farmers in these regions. He said the government has failed to pay farmers in time because funds for extra food were not allocated in the budget. Statistics from the Prime Minister’s office shows that since February this year the government has paid only Sh15 billion and borrowed another Sh15 billion from CRDB Bank. Up to January this year the debts that the government owed farmers were Sh89.2 billion equivalent to 175,606 tonnes of food. Up to March 11 this year the government through NFRA had bought 304,514 tonnes of food  including  295,900 tonnes of maize 4,674 tonnes of sorghum and 3,940 tonnes of rice. According to the statistics, until now the NFRA has 494,007 tonnes of maize, 5,180 tonnes of sorghum and 3,940 tonnes of rice.”