Government pushes ICT sector to focus rural areas in the country

Tanzanians living in rural areas will now have a wider coverage of the mobile phone communication technologies in their areas after the government has at last disbursed the tax payers’ money the sum total of Sh. 17.5 billion as subsidy for the development of communication infrastructures in the country. Speaking to journalists last week in Dar es Salaam, the Minister for Communication, Science and Technology Professor Makame Mbarawa said that, already the government has contracted five mobile phone companies to expand the services in rural areas.  He named the companies as Vodacom, Zantel. Airltel, Tigo and TTCL and noted that, had been given the tender to facilitate the move after having undergone the tendering processing procedures as laid down by the rule. Prof. Mbarawa noted that, the money had been issued by the World Bank as a loan and part of it has been contributed by the government as tax payers’ money from its coffers, but he couldn’t specify how much has been contributed by the government among the lump sum and vice versa. However, he added that these have been invested to facilitate the construction of the communication towers and other related devising tools in 152 wards in 869 villages which are in 29 districts in the country. Professor Mbarawa further noted that, the government through his ministry has seen the need to expand phone communication technologies in rural areas as part of the ministry’s role to ensure the big results now for future economic development. He also noted that, such areas have been abandoned by phone companies owing to the fact that they have no business attractions and poor goodwill, as this is one major reason for such areas were deliberately left from being developed by phone companies operating in the country. In order to curb with the increased challenges, the government had established ‘the communication fund for all’ with a view to effectively implement the existing irregularities affecting the communication sector in such rural areas. 

Tanzania Minister for Science and Technology, Professor Makame Mbarawa

“The main objective of the establishment of the fund is to ensure that all Tanzanians are reliably reached with the mobile phone communication technologies  wherever they are in the country, and with ease especially in those areas already abandoned by businessmen that pose danger for their development” he said. Efforts by the government to send mobile phone communication technologies to rural areas which are not attracted incorporates five major mobile companies in the country which according to Prof. Mbarawa should have their work finished at least in half of all 152 wards by March 2014. Either, Prof. Mbarawa noted that, three mobile phone companies have volunteered to build own communication towers in abandoned areas in additional 48 wards by using their own expenses without using the government subsidies. He said in an exclusive interview that each tower cost $ 200,000 (about Sh. 320 million) He mentioned the companies and the number of wards in brackets as Tigo (4), Airtel (4) and Vodacom (40). He has thanked the company for their merited support as they have shown their readiness to work in collaboration with the government towards facilitating the economic development of the country. According to Professor Mbarawa the government has targeted to accomplish the construction of the needed communication towers in rural areas to 220 wards with a view to boost business incentives in the country by end of this year. Apart from the efforts shown, the government is in line to look for other means in order to look for the external sources and incorporates stakeholders so as to save the Information and Communication Technology (ICT)  sector which has deteriorated in rural areas in the country with a view to speed up economic development  of the people and the nation. The growth of the ICT sector in the country has been so successful and a great help in facilitating and making reforms so as to ensure a smooth delivery of the social and economic services to the people. The sector has also played an important role for the development of the country. For example, many people uses the technology to settle down their bills such as water, electricity, paying of school fees and paying debts owned to TRA through internet communication, other services includes SIM Banking and many others.

How Tarime council prepares to avoid the looming land crisis in the district

As the issue of land crisis is becoming a hardcore problem in some parts in the country, the newly established Tarime Town Council (TTC) is set to prepare a master plan with a view to identify main administrative boundaries in mostly troubled areas of clans of the traditional Kurya tribes in the district, a senior district official has said. Speaking in an exclusive interview, Tarime District Executive Director (DED) Venance Mwamengo said when visited in his office recently that, the indented plans will wipe off or minimize the existing disparities of the land crisis in the district. The call by DED has come amid reports that, there is a looming land crisis in the district in some of the Kurya clans, the majority ethnic group covering 98 percent of the population in the district as most members do not know exactly their administrative boundaries and landmarks. “The move is to end up frequent land crisis in various parts within the district which in previous years were ravaged and became war torn tribal conflict zones as the indigenous were fighting for the arable land for settlements which have irregularities on their boundaries”, he said. According to him, the exercise to be done by help of a highly technologically made tool of the Global Positioning Systems (GPS), will take place in five wards which of recent had been declared to be within the jurisdiction of the newly formed management of the town council.  These are Turwa, Nyandoto Nyamisangura, Sabasaba and Bomani wards. In these wards he noted that, two of them namely Nyandoto and Turwa will be a pilot project on which the exercise will first take place in earnest and later on others will follow. He noted that, the two wards are occupied mostly by Wasweta and Wahumyaga furious clans who used to fight over the land as residents living in villages within these wards do not either recognize their boundaries or are aware but tend to ignore for personal interests. He clarified that, already his office has held a meeting with all district councilors and leaders of the two wards and have jointly agreed to put demarcation marks on mostly troubled areas which have problems on boundaries to clear worries of land users. Meanwhile, the Chairman of Nyasebe hamlet in Gamasara village of Nyandoto ward, Deus Ngera told this paper that, already there are some people who have invaded and annexed a portion of land in his area from the neighboring Turugeti village which belongs to another clan. According to him, invaders have extended the administrative boundary in approximately 100 meters away ignoring the demarcation marks in it and instead have declared for themselves a community boundary which they say is what they recognize. However, in view of this situation he said and warned that, if the district government will not take an appropriate action to stop them by now, the move is likely to escalate cause troubles in near future.   

 Reports shows that, tribal conflicts among clans in Ta\rime district, Mara region are occasionally happening with the main cause of all these problems being misunderstanding of the available administrative land marks on various boundaries between one clan with the other. Other causes leads to rampant cattle theft and rustling which is growing at an alarming rate as it is being perpetrated by few individuals living in different traditional Kurya clans in the district. One traditional elder of Turwa ward who happened to meet the writer of this news, Samwel Magaigwa has appealed to the government to amend the current land Act in the country and if possible endorse it in the constitution whose second draft is out for discussion next month. According to him, he has suggested that there should be an aspect of land ownership within the Act that would enable owners to possess national land title deeds as these documents certifies a planned area that guaranties immediate compensation whenever land is given to investors for development.  Unlike at the moment whereby the majority uses village land permits which are unsurveyed.“Village land titles do not give full mandate in terms of ownership”, a situation which he has described as easily paves the way for land grabbers like investors who takes an advantage to acquire plots easily, thus resulting into endless land chaos in the country. Elaborating on the existing problem taking Tarime district as a case study, a traditional leader has noted that, there has been certain minor problems which arises on land issues occasionally caused by district land officers.  He claims that, most traditional leaders in the district do not know clear demarcations of their land boundaries which was issued by the colonialists to their Chiefs way back in 1947 when Tarime was first declared to be a district known by then as ‘North Mara district’.  The name continued during post independence time up to 1972 when it was renamed Tarime district, and which half of its land has been partitioned by the government to form another district known as Rorya in 2009.  Clarifying the matter, a senior district land officer Ruzama Misango said in an interview that, despite of being given a status of a town council, they are waiting for a certificate of approval from the government to start land surveying in appropriate areas to be designated later in a master plan to be issued soon. Tarime district was recently promoted into a status of being a town council following the partitioning of its division with Rorya district immediately when the fourth phase government of Jakaya Kikwete came into being in 2005. The partitioning of the district was done so as to quicken the provision of both social and economic services for the development of the entire people. In 2009, the government decided to transform Tarime/Rorya districts into special police zone in efforts to stop the clashes and rampant cross border cattle rustling in the area.

Mbatia flouts party members with mindset on religion and tribalism

THE National Chairman for NCCR-Mageuzi party James Mbatia has strongly criticized religion and tribalism attitudes which he said has started to emerge among his fellow party members when casting their votes to prospective candidates vying for leadership positions within his party. Mbatia threw a challenge last week in Dar es Salaam in his introductory remarks while addressing members of his party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) who had gathered moments before their election started. The party held general elections to choose its new members for NEC and top most positions of the party’s chairmanship for Tanzania mainland as well as Zanzibar respectively. A total of 234 out of 289 NEC members attended. Blasting over the issue, Mbatia noted that there are some members who have formed a tendency of asking to know the religion or tribes of the contestants while knowing that, the habit is quite against their party’s manifestos, he queried wondering where the party is heading. The meeting which was preceded by holy prayers of both Islamic and Christian denominations was attended by other political party leaders including the registrar of the political parties in the country Judge Francis Mutungi who was the Chief Guest. Other political leaders with their parties in brackets included CCM Vice-Chairman Phillip Mang’ula (CCM), Professor Ibrahim Lipumba (CUF), Freeman Mbowe (Chadema), Wilbroad Slaa (Chadema) Seif Khatibu (CCM) and a prominent businessman in the city Mustapha Sabodo.  In his speech, Mbatia cautioned his fellow members to get away with such habit noting that, the two attitudes are the main cause of divisions which leads to political mishaps in a country which is determined and committed into the building of proper democratic rule. He has cautioned his fellow party members not to elect their leaders by looking at somebody’s religious or tribe but rather they should look at somebody’s ability to rule regardless of either of the two affiliations.  In his long speech, Mbatia reiterated the need of quality education in the country which he said if this is not taken into account the nation would be producing narrow minded citizens with low level of the capacity thinkin. However, under this aspect he had hailed education for self-reliance which the Father of the Nation the Late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere pursued for Tanzanians in 1960s, 70s up to mid 80s. However, he said it actually built the capacity of most Tanzanians who were prepared to be self reliant and dependent during the socialist era than as the case today when Tanzania does not have a proper education curriculum which would drive candidates have more power of thinking. He also reminded members of his party about the history of the multi politics that NCCR-Mageuzi is the renaissance of the political movement for change in the country when it was first known as the National Committee for Constitutional Reform formed in 12^th June 1991. 

NCCR-Mageuzi Chairman James Mbatia addressing fellow members (not in the picture)

But this name was later on changed when the focus on movements for constitution changed and became a political party when the nation allowed the formation of the multi-partism democracy on 10^th February 1993 and came to be known as National Convention for Construction and Reform-Mageuzi (NCCR-Mageuzi). Mbatia also used the opportunity to clear the worries of most his members who thought his party had chased away a Member of Parliament for Kigoma South David Kafulila and said that he is an active member of the party may be he decides himself to quit. On his part the Chief guest, Judge Mutungi has reinforced unity among the party and asked members to choose leaders who would stand for the national unity and not otherwise.On his part, the leader of the opposition camp in Parliament Freeman Mbowe noted that, without active participation the move towards democratic change would be impossible in Tanzania. Mbowe is on the view of the fact that, political parties need to unite in order to have an equal number of Parliamentarians in the House, and in this way he  said is one way to maintain a true democracy for all. However, he has wondered at this time when the nation is in constitutional review process, and blasted the CCM party’s ideas which says in its policies they know Tanzania has two governments and that are not accepting a three tier government structure. Elaborating on this, Mbowe noted that, CCM members should understand that, the national constitution does not entertain the interests of any party in the country, instead it looks at the national interests regardless of the party’s affiliations as the constitution is a property of Tanzanians and not parties. On his part, the CCM Vice-Chairman Phillip Mang’ula thanked James Mbatia for his leadership code which he said has taken the NCCR-Mageuzi party up to where it is now. He said that, the party had been the founder of the democratic change in the country in early 1990s and got into troubles in early 2000 and set apart. But because of his inspiration, he has however managed to lead the party into a high level standard that and in peace up to where it is now. Speaking on behalf of other invited guests, a prominent businessman in the city of the Asian origin Mustapha Sabodo noted that, unity is the strong weapon to bring democratic change in any society. Sabodo contributed Sh. 20 million to facilitate the party’s election process and has also promised to offer water wells in areas which have party’s representation in parliament.

Tarime DC implicated in education fund project

The Management of the Tarime District Council (TDC) has accused its District Commissioner (DC) John Henjewele for what they regard as the abuse of office power after having been interfered with the education fund project in the district. The fund project which is being donated by the giant global mining company, the African Barrick Gold Corp in the district is managed by the district council, and aims to help students of families of the seven villages surrounding the North Mara Gold mine located at Nyamongo township in the district. This is part of the agreement reached over five years ago between the company which operates mining activities in the area and the management of the district council with a view to sponsor college students of such families who are pursuing studies in various colleges in the country. The contribution on the education fund is part of the Social and Corporate Responsibility the mining company offers for social development targeting education sector alone. The Chairman of the Tarime District Council (TDC) Amos Sagara said in an exclusive interview in his office last week that, since the DC’s interference the fund has been dwindling and is engulfed with lots of problems which has disrupted their programs as a whole. He noted that the DC has directed the fund to be under his own management, thus causing the  operation to become so difficult to evaluate transactions properly, adding that most students in needy are likely to miss such a potential help. He said the DC has overtaken the management of this fund by force using his power of the office as a district commissioner, an aspect that the beneficiaries have a less chance of getting admission in various colleges and learning institutions at this opening time because he does the work by segregating the intended group. 

Elaborating more, he noted that, “the DC has formed an institution which he didn’t mention to which the money donated is being directed may be for his personal benefits”. However, he could not give the specific amount of money likely to have got lost when asked by this reporter. He said it was not good to divert the management system for which the fund has been operating under the auspices of the district council as the main custodian for the people in Nyamongo township since its establishment over five years ago. It is from this point of view that, the TDC Chairman has therefore regarded the move as the abuse of office power an aspect which he said has caused an internal crisis for most users are likely to miss the intended help for which the fund was established. However, he said that, his council has been affected to a certain extent by its DC’s interference which has deteriorated the development of the district council’s other development plans. On his part the DC Henjewele has refuted such allegations leveled against him when contacted by this reporter in a telephone interview on Monday this week. “I cannot elaborate more on the issue because you have failed to come into my office the moment you heard about the matter” he said adding that, he had the details that could verify the authenticity of the whole issue which he couldn’t be able to speak in a telephone interview. However, he declined to give those details as he was not ready to speak anything further. Meanwhile, the CCM party publicity secretary for ideology Mr. Nape Mnauye paid a visit to the area in his familiarization tour in early November last year and was briefed various problems facing the people in villages surrounding the Gold Mine. Among the most crucial problems the CCM cadre was told is the misappropriation of the education fund which leaders of the villages noted that had been sabotaged by few including the DC John Henjewele. However, the CCM party cadre promised the leaders that the government would investigate the matter for a span of time, after which it would not hesitate to take legal actions against those who would be found to have been directly implicated in the mismanagement of the fund.

LUKU customers stranded for hours at vending stations in Dar

DESPITE increase of the electricity power tariffs by a National Power Utility firm (TANESCO) effective this month, pre-paid customers of such a precious commodity have experienced problem of buying electricity units and other services at various vending stations in the city of Dar es Salaam, the survey by this blog can reveal. A week long survey carried out by this paper in various vending stations in the city since Monday last week witnessed a number of customers who got stranded in public halls at the customer service counters of various vending stations pondering over what to do as an alternative move. Reliable information made available to customers including the writer of this news had it stated that there has been a consistent problem of the failure of internet server at the main Ubungo head office along Morogoro road in the city resulting into imminent disconnections, and that the technicians were busy working to sort out the impending problem. Following this, customers have been duly informed to wait as there were no services rendered at such unlikely time of the day as technicians were working on the issue which could take long time to be finished. The situation had prompted the waiting customers who some of them were in a hurry and resort to leave the vending areas as they might have wasted their time in order to meet other appointments for the day. Report was relayed to them that, there has been a problem of the network in staffs’ working computers as the main server from the head office at Ubungo had broken down causing inconveniences in all vending stations in the city. Up to Thursday evening, only few people could get their units sold to them as the computers at vending stations worked by guessing at a time whenever a connection comes unexpectedly giving a wave of expectations to the waiting customers who stood in a queue for long. This reporter witnessed a loud murmuring of disbelief from the rowdy customers who gathered at Ilala vending station along Samora Avenue at the heart of the city with some of them complained that had no electricity now for two days and had had no alternative to do. 

Ezekiel Sichalwe, who seems to be a house boy of one of the prominent businessman in the city, said that, his employer told him to wait until at a time when the server would be restored to allow connection which could résumé the services. He noted that, his boss was not ready to sleep in darkness (that was on Thursday) as all he had expected to make his things move was the presence of the electricity around his house. Contacted for comments, a senior official from the customer care office at the centre who preferred anonymity said that, such sudden disconnections occurs and there are no alternatives except to wait as technicians are working to solve the matter. However, he said that, failure of the server at the main office is primarily caused by lack of electricity emanating from power blackout in the building, but could not specify why such a blackout should occur to TANESCO when asked. Efforts to reach the TANESCO’s Public Relations Manager Badra Masoud proved futile as the reports from her secretary said that she was on annual leave. But her close aid Adrian Severine who had admitted of the impending situation and said in a telephone interview on Thursday evening that, the inconveniences are due to low bandwidth the control room at the head office is experiencing at the moment but the technicians were working to solve the matter. However, he could not specify when or at what time the work would be finished but noted that would not take longer. Citing another reason, he stated that the problem was caused by a technical fault which had occurred after a main wire was stolen at Ubungo power sub-station machine an aspect that caused some sensitive parts in the machines to explode and got burned. Investigations by this paper can reveal that, as up to yesterday (Friday) afternoon, some vending stations had not yet recovered back their operation to normalcy.