Local leaders calls for peace at Nyamongo gold mine

SOME local leaders from villages surrounding North Mara Gold mine at Nyamongo area in Tarime district, Mara region have pleaded for government’s intervention in order to find lasting solutions on recurrent conflicts between the Canadian miner and the local communities surrounding the mining site. Speaking to the owner of this blog who visited the area last week, some irate leaders said that they are extremely disappointed by the government’s decision of keeping quite over the matter and turning a blind eye which has never yielded a positive result at all. However, they said failure of the government to mediate such conflicts for which they are aware of, pose a great threat to the lives of the locals an aspect which continues to affect them psychologically. However, they have also noted that, despite sporadic killing of villagers which are occasionally taking place in the area, a situation is likely to disrupt peace among the people thus, causing a growing enmity. One of the local leaders, Nyamhanga Mnanka said that, the government should have set aside special areas on which it should have licensed small scale miners to dwell in as a move to empower them. Driving his points, Nyamhanga admitted the fact that frequent killings of villagers is as a result of some who invade the mining after having been attracted by small stones believed to be having gold in it and which are openly exposed in piles within the mining site. He said villagers are not happy at all to see the mining pits in the areas are owned by foreigners alone, whereas for them they do not have an area to conduct their small mining activities a factor which drives many into such extremes and eventually ends up being fired indiscriminately. He has however asked the government through the ministry of Energy and Minerals to review the mining contracts so as to let the locals benefit the same way as foreigners do, as this is one way to empower them. However, he said killings of such innocent villagers would continue if the government does not take appropriate measures as ways to help the unprivileged poor indigenous Tanzanians who in everyday are looking for the livelihood. Weisiko Chacha, one of the elders of the Ingwe clan of the Wakurya tribe in the area, sadly lamented for his grandson who fell a victim three years ago when a group of youths invaded the  mining site and came into confrontation with the police who used excessive force to drive them away. His grandson Rioba Chacha aged 24 is now a disabled after being shot by the police in a leg, a situation that had his left leg amputated by doctors when he was taken in hospital in a grisly incident which he said left six people dead in March 2012. 

A casket bearing the body of one of the six people killed by police at Nyamongo gold mine in 2012, behind standing are irate villagers who had resolved to boycott the casket following inceeased police killings of their fellow villagers.

In view of this situation, an elderly man has called on the government to consider the local people over the investments of the portion of the mining operation in the area otherwise youths would continue losing their lives. However, he further noted that, this is one way to minimize such chaos which arises now and then. Mwita Mghendi, a hamlet leader in the area has asked the government not to use force and live ammunition when dispersing the invading youths from the mining site, as this is against the human rights and quite illogical as far as police operations are concerned. He has however warned the police force against using excessive force when flushing out intruders from the mine except use tactics to apprehend them peacefully and take them to court as per the procedures. The call by these leaders has come just one week after two people were shot dead by the police guarding the mining stones believed to be having gold in the area. Preliminary investigations over the matter has found out that, it was alleged that the deceased forced their entry into the mining site in attempt to steal stones at the violence-plagued mine when they came into confrontation by the armed policemen guarding the area and fired them. It is said that, one could get between Sh. 2 million and Sh. 10 million for a single gemstone weighing between 400 and 600 grams if crushed and process them for sale. The North Mara Gold mine owned by African Barrick Gold Corp sits in the midst of six villages in northern Tanzania. The villages are Nyangoto, Kewanja, Nyakunguru, Matongo, Kerende and Genkuru.  Reliable sources from the area maintains that, desperately impoverished villagers often attempt to gather rocks arranged in piles at the mine in the hope of finding tiny amounts of gold. The village elders had once complained to the Deputy Minister of minerals Steven Masele that the mine has failed to support development, artisanal miners and small scale projects in the area among other things. Mr Masele called for effective strategies that could help to end recurrent conflicts between the mine and the local communities once and for all, but no effective measures have been taken so far. The deputy minister noted that, the government had started putting in place measures aimed at supporting artisanal miners with skills, technology and capital in a bid to minimize conflicts between large scale miners and local communities. But the local leaders countered the deputy minister’s call as saying that, it was a mere joke that nothing has been implemented as part to help them and their families in general. According to the Tarime/Rorya Special Zone Police Commander, Mr Justus Kamugisha, More than 4,000 people in Tarime District armed with traditional weapons have been raiding trhe the North Mara Gold Mine (ABG) with the intention of stealing rocks rich in gold, prompting policemen who were on patrol to use weapons to disperse them.

Police in Tarime district blamed over the deaths of two people

SOME villagers living near North Mara Gold mine located at Nyamongo area in Tarime district have refuted reports issued by the police in the district over the deaths of the two people which occurred in a mysterious condition on Tuesday this week within the gold mine area. Earlier statement by RPC for Tarime/Rorya special police zone issued to the media and signed on his behalf by ACP Sweetbert Njewike on Wednesday this week is quoted as saying that, the deceased died when they fell on a gold pit within the mine while busy searching for precious gemstones. Speaking in an exclusive interview on Thursday this week at Nyamongo, almost everybody said that, the deceased were shot by the police on duty guarding the quarry after they had illegally forced their entry into the mining site with intent to steal the preserved precious gemstones. According to the statement a copy of which has been made available to the Guardian by the police, says that, at around 15:30 hrs at a gold mine pit located at Kewanja village at Kemondo ward, one person whose name was not immediately established died instantly after having fell on a pit. The statement further is quoted as saying that, another person named Samwel Cheiro died at Tarime district hospital shortly after he was admitted after having sustained serious injuries and was undertaking treatment. The statement also named one person Weisiko Mwita a resident of Magome village who was rushed to the hospital after having sustained minor injuries in a grisly incident which the police said was unavoidable in any circumstances. The reports about the deaths of the two people reached the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday evening, as news had quickly spread in the town and several people including the bereaved family members had gathered at the hospital to find out the truth about the matter which none of them seemed not to brother as these are normal thing happening at Nyamongo gold mine. Preliminary investigation by the Guardian about the matter started at the district hospital where the victims were taken after the incident, and an officer in-charge at the hospital could not be able to reveal the situation when contacted for comment saying that he was not a spokesperson. Efforts to contact the District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr. Nega Nyekeboko on Wednesday morning were successful after having admitted the presence of the victims who were brought to the hospital the previous day, and that he was very busy to do the medical postmortem on the deceased. However, he confirmed to the Guardian that two deceased had a bullet wound but could not specify where had these occurred to them. He named the two as Samwel Cheiro and Jeremiah Joash. The Guardian investigations could not end there after having realized that, there were two different statements with different clarifications connoting the same incident. This is when the police said the two died after having fallen on a gold pit, while the DMO maintained that, they had been gunned down with proof discovered of a bullet wound on their bodies. “Three people had been brought at the hospital when one of them was already dead, and the other died later while being attendee by the nurses. The third person is still at the hospital in a critical condition receiving treatment”,  he said .

 

People from different six villages surrounding the Nyamongo Gold Mine in Tarime district hurry up with looting taking gemstones being preserved in a quarry and disperse once they feel the presence of policemen around them.

The two contradictory statements has dismayed many including the writer of this news, and in order to be certain of the natter, the Guardian went further to meet the spokesperson of the North Mara Gold mine where the incident happened. A cordial welcome by this reporter at the main gate entering the offices of a giant mining company in the country on Thursday this week bore no fruits as the acting information officer could not give a detailed information about what had transpired and the fate of the deceased people when enquired for the truth. The firm’s Community Development Manager Sulleiman Monata told this reporter in a telephone call through a receptionist that, the police were working on the matter and that, if I could want to get to know the information, his company was not ready to give but the police knew it very well. The tragic killings of the two people in Nyamongo gold mine site has become the talk of the day almost everywhere in Tarime town and on the outskirts of it. Some villagers who spoke in favour of the police said that, the government should have set apart a portion for the small scale miners to operate in order to earn their living. Maginga Chacha who lives at Nyangoto village which is among the six villages surrounding the gold mine said that, it is impossible to see one starving while seeing precious gemstones believe d to be having gold in them exposed in pile, this would automatically attract people to invade them. He exclusively narrated that a group of youths in his village used to form a company to invade the area with intent to steal the gemstones without fearing the presence of the police who keep guard of the area throughout 24 hours. He noted that, there are several incidences of the people being shot by the police to death, and some have been left with body disabilities as a result of bullet wound, while others have been killing themselves when they see other fellows have managed to get pieces and resort to fight each others in order to snatch. Sylvanus Wankyo a resident of Nyakunguru which is also close to the mining site, noted that, is has become a normal thing for the police use force once attacked by the rowdy youths who tend to invade them while guarding the gemstones with intent to steal them. He said that, sometimes one could get more money from these stones if crushed and process them for production and sell. He said adding that, one could get between Sh. 2 million and Sh. 10 million for a single gemstone weighing between 400 and 600 grams. In view of this, he has blamed the police for what they described as violation of human rights for they use live bullets to their suspects as aspect which is contrary to what the police are supposed to do.

Govt to review high fees charged by private schools in the country

At last the government has set to review the controversial fee structure which is being charged at exorbitant rates by some private school owners in the country, reliable source from the Ministry of Education and Vocational training has said. Sources who spoke on strict condition of anonymity said recently in exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam yesterday that, the government has admitted the fact that there is unfair treatment among Tanzanians who are in need of quality education for their children being provided in private schools accredited in the country. But for some reasons whatsoever, most of them are unable to afford the highly introduced fee structures which are being charged by the privately run schools in the country. In view of this, the government has listened to people’s claims and is now going to look at the matter to see what it can do in order to review the existing fee structure which it has noticed to be charged at a higher rate an aspect that only few Tanzanians could afford. The government’s reaction has come amid long complaints from some parents and guardians of students and pupils who are learning in private schools mostly those of English medium primary schools, as well as secondary schools. According to the source, the government is in plan to introduce indicative fee structure for the running schools in the country judging from the kind of education and the facilities being provided by the said schools in the country. Sources have maintained that, the government is intending to minimize such complaints which it has seen is likely to cause segregation and discrimination among education stakeholders, whereby people who have will continue to benefit the fruits of the country than those who do not have. It said, while executing the move, the government plans to make negotiations in collaboration with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) known as Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non-Government Schools and Colleges (TAMONGSCO) in the country. However, the Secretary General of the association Benjamin Nkonya was recently quoted as saying that, the high fee structure in private schools in the country is as a result of the poor education policy which recognizes the presence of private schools but states nothing or little on how they are going to be run. He said the policy does not clearly state how the private schools are to get students. Due to this weakness, he added, the schools are forced to recruit students at any cost including advertising posts which need a lot of capital investments. The official further noted that, lack of policy guidelines has been cited as a major factor behind private schools’ arbitrary fee charges, which have drawn complaints from parents and various other guardians across the country. He also noted that, such schools are accused of conducting admissions at their own discretion, selling joining instruction forms at exorbitant prices and undertaking tuitions even where they are not needed, all in order to boost their revenues. Education sponsors and parents say private schools charge between 5,000/- and 200,000/- for a joining instruction form, which is not refundable if the candidate is not called for an interview. Preliminary investigations carried out by this paper has discovered that, there is high fee structure being charged by English medium schools in Dar es Salaam city and in other parts in the country from the kindergarten level to secondary levels. The survey done in some schools in Dar es Salaam city shows that, charges range between Sh. 800,000 and Sh. 1.5 million to pupils in nursery or kindergarten schools. And between Sh. 1.8 million and Sh. 2 million in primary schools and between Sh. 2.3 million and Sh. 3.1 million paid per year for secondary schools. The rates are equivalent and even more to those ones being charged by the higher learning institutions that range between Sh. 1.9 million to Sh. 2.5 million respectively. Some parents have complained about the fee structures and noted that, in some schools there are no proper educational facilities being provided as compared to the huge sums of money they pay at the school for their children. Dismayed over the matter, some have called on the government to intervene as the money which they pay is too much as compared to what is being paid in higher learning institutions. This they say does not match with the quality of education their children receives. Anthony Michael, a professional doctor in the city said that, he has two children and has no any other means to escape except to incur the huge expense which aught him sometimes to take a loan. For her part, the Education Commissioner Prof Eustella Bhalalusesa said the government is aware of the problem and it has introduced a joint admission system to address it. Bhalalusesa said correct changes are needed to do away with the problem because private schools on the one hand are doing business, calling for correct decisions so that their businesses are not affected. She said the government is committed to removing all contradictions between private and public schools

A philosopher predicts a bleak future on Tanzania education system

A renowned philosopher has predicted that, Tanzania will continue loosing more intellectuals in future on certain professional disciplines of the country’s main economic developments due to poorly designed education system in the country. Speaking in an exclusive interview yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Dr. Jason Ishengoma of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) said that, the practice of education system in the country drives most school candidates into cramming theories and it doesn’t prepare them have a critical mindset of thinking about the future. He gave specific examples as related to field works which he noted that, most students are not performing well but are in good in theoretical work to which are basically specialized on cramming. He said with the current education system, prospective students are not taught to become more innovative and creative enough so that, on completion of their studies should they be in a position of employing themselves instead of being dependent and wait for the government’s employment opportunities. Dr. Ishengoma who is a senior lecturer of philosophy and religious studies at the university expressed his dismay over the education system in the country and noted that, it’s the government which is the main cause of all these problems. However, he said adding that, if the government will not alter the system will face hardship in future as the current educational system is not enough to provide adequate philosophical knowledge required. He said teachings must begin at home at a tender age so as to give a proper directive to children to have a dependent life which would bring them up and parents should also be strict. He also noted that, children should not be made to think by using other people’s language. Dr. Ishengoma is on the view of the fact that, for someone to have a critical thinking must have mastered a particular language of use. Unlike in Tanzania, Kiswahili is commonly used as a dominant business language used for all communication, but English is taught as a subject and rarely used in official matters this is an aspect that, most Tanzanians fails to communicate themselves globally. Dr. Ishengoma made a concern when met by this reporter during the official launching ceremony of a network known as ‘Your uniqueness is your capital’ initiated by a Dar es Salaam based NGO known as Registered Trustees of the Community Development Services (RTCDS). The network brings together people of all walks of life in the country with a common stand to think of various ways on how to curb with various challenges affecting their daily life. The major obstacles in this aspect includes the fight over grand corruption, illicit drug trafficking, poaching on wildlife, unemployment and other forms of economic sabotage.

Need for a committee to verify government’s answers in Parliament

The opposition legislator has suggested that, there is a need for the Tanzania parliament to form its own special committee which would edit thoroughly government’s written answers before these are read in parliament during question and answers sessions. David Kafulila (Kigoma South, NCCR-Mageuzi) said in an exclusive interview during the 14^th Parliamentary debate session which ended ten days ago in Dodoma capital city. The legislator was narrating how the national parliament is conducting its sessions which he noted it to be contrary to parliamentary debate procedures of other East African member states which he said everything is checked and verified by the committees to see if such government statements are informative. He said that, despite having various parliamentary standing committees there is no committee which is specifically assigned to verify answers given by the government for any query raised. The legislator is on the view of the fact that some government answers issued in written form and read by ministers in early opening sessions do not nave sufficient information contents needed for public consumption.

 David Kafulila (Kigoma South, NCCR-Mageuzi)  insisting a point in parliament recently

 Kafulila is on the view of the fact that, under the current system ministers who normally answer such questions on behalf of the government do not give adequate and satisfactory answers which he says do not cater for the need of those who have asked and people who follow the session in television screens. Citing an example of what is happening in other countries which conducts the same as in commonwealth parliamentary debating systems, Tanzania is not serious with the matter mainly due to the absence of a committee to counter-check the answers to see if have sufficient information contents. In view of this, he is therefore proposing to have a special standing parliamentary committee to be assigned for the work and go through such answers before are read before Members of Parliament in order to satisfy the demand of legislators in need of clarification for a question put across.  Contacted for comments, the Minister of State in Prime Minister’s office responsible for Policy, Coordination and Parliamentary Affairs, William Lukuvi said that, with his mandate as a minister he is not directly concerned with the formation of Parliamentary committees. However, he said in a telephone interview and directed this reporter to contact the speaker of the national assembly whom she said was closely responsible. Efforts by this paper to contact Speaker of the House, Anne Makinda throughout this week has proved futile as her two phone numbers could not be reached when dialed.