PM orders seizure of undeveloped land

 Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa (pictured) yesterday revoked the ownership of 11 idle tracts of land totaling 7,700 acres in Ngara District, Kagera Region as part of the government’s ongoing repossession of undeveloped land estates.

The premier also ordered the recall of former Ngara district land officer Enock Mponzi, who has since been transferred to Rorya District, so he can lend a hand in the investigation of various land distribution issues at his previous work station.

Majaliwa issued the directives when speaking to residents of Kasulo and Rwakalemera villages in Ngara during a stopover while on his way to Geita Region.

The villagers blocked his motorcade as it passed through early in the morning, prompting him to summon Ngara district authorities to set up an on-the-spot meeting and respond to a series of queries raised by the villagers. 

The district’s current land and natural resources officer, Betty Munuo, who has been stationed in the district in August last year, told the prime minister during the impromptu public meeting that since her arrival she had been working on a myriad of land disputes she found on her desk.

She provided a list containing the names of 18 owners of huge tracts of land in the area, of which only seven were registered. According to Munuo, out of the seven registered plots, only three had been developed and used for agriculture, livestock keeping and school construction. 

The four registered plots which have not been developed in Rwakalemera village belong to Mshengezi Nyambele (two), Abdallah Sadala, and Mahsen Saidi, she revealed.  The owners of unregistered plots of land that Majaliwa ordered repossessed immediately were named as Joseph Rugumyamheto, Nicolaus Kidenke, Gwasa Angas Sababili and Makumi Adili Rufyega.

Others are Paulo Shikiri, Frank Mukama Derila, Godfrey Kitanga, Philemon Mpanju, Issa Samaekari, Hekizayo Mtalitinya and Joel Nkinga.

The prime minister also ordered local authorities to conduct an audit to establish whether the owners of the lands are all bona fide Tanzanians. 

“I want you to do a verification to establish how these lands came to be in their ownership, and the report should reach my office by March 20 this year,” he said.

He also ordered Rwakalemera village chairman Brighton Kemikimba to convene a village meeting before March 30 to identify all land exceeding 50 acres and establish whether they have been approved by the full village council.

Last month, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development announced a new land reform plan that could potentially lead to the seizure and redistribution of thousands of acres of privately-owned land across the country.

The three-year, nationwide Land Tenure Support Programme (LTSP) will involve an audit of land ownership and use in the country, targeting holdings that measure 50 acres and above that is considered unproductive or is being used for speculation.

According to minister William Lukuvi, the audit will help the government to expropriate the uncultivated land that performs no social or economic function, and hand it over to people without land.  

“There are literally thousands of acres of land that has been abandoned ...some of the owners claim to have reserved this land. This is unacceptable as there are many people struggling to get land for investment and other agricultural activities,” Lukuvi said.

Land speculation is rampant in Tanzania, where a few private companies and wealthy individuals own huge tracts of uncultivated land in the hope of selling it in the future for super profits.

The country has about 48.7 million hectares of arable land, but it is estimated that less than 15 per cent of it is actually under cultivation.

House committee serves ministry notice over hospital suspensions

PARLIAMENTARY Committee on Social Services yesterday gave the Ministry of Health seven days to explain why Mwanza Regional Commissioner suspended health workers at Butimba Hospital without following due procedures.

Earlier this month Mwanza RC Magesa Mulongo suspended three doctors, six nurses and two other workers at Butimba hospital due to several allegations, including the death of twin babies. But RC Mulongo defended his decision to suspend health workers, saying it was based on the fact that what they did was against medical ethics.

The chairman of the Committee, MP Raphael Chegeni, said the House team discovered that there was abuse of power in the decision by Mwanza RC to suspend the health workers.

The directive follows a question raised by Kigoma Urban MP Zitto Kabwe who wanted to know what happened in Mwanza that forced the RC to suspend health workers. Zitto told the Committee that there were a lot of patients who had died of lack of medical treatment with others experiencing difficult conditions in the hospital.

The Kigoma MP added that the RC did not ask for a performance report for the health workers to identify specific problems at the hospital.
Chegeni who is a Member of Parliament for Busega Constituency said the RC did not follow the required procedures which require that all matters concerning health workers are settled in their Councils.
“The committee has come to the conclusion that the RC used his political power to suspend the hospital personnel,” said the chairman.

He warned politicians to desist from mixing politics with serious matters including provision of health services to rural citizens as this could cause suffering to rural residents.

The chairman, however, told the ministry to make sure that they improve the working condition for health workers in terms of salaries and allowances.

“The ministry should review its policy to make sure that it matches the current situation by improving the living conditions of health workers… the main reason for poor health services in rural areas is due to poor living conditions for health workers,” he said.

Commenting, Special Seats MP Suzan Lyimo said government officials were supposed to acknowledge the contribution of health workers who played a big role in saving lives.

She added that currently the country was facing a huge shortage of health workers specifically in rural areas. “However, health workers in rural areas work under small salaries, with no incentives given to them to support their duties,” she said.

“If the government fails to give priority to health workers they will quit their jobs and seek employment in other countries,” she warned.


SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

73 people arrested in Zanzibar as tense election draws near

 Police here yesterday arrested a total of 73 people in connection with recent acts of violence in Unguja and Pemba islands.

Among those detained by law enforcers was the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) party’s director of mass communication and publicity, Hamad Masoud Hamad.

Zanzibar has been hit by a series of violent incidents including the torching of people’s houses and political party branch offices, and sporadic bombings in different parts of the archipelago in the run-up to Sunday’s scheduled rerun of a general election that was nullified last October in controversial circumstances.

Speaking to news reporters here, West Urban regional police commander Mkadam Khamis Mkadam said yesterday’s arrests followed a thorough investigation conducted by security forces across Unguja and Pemba.

He confirmed that those apprehended were suspected of being behind the increasing spate of such incidents currently rocking the isles as it gears up for the polls rerun.

“We have been working closely with the communities of both Unguja and Pemba to identify these people and locate their whereabouts,” Mkadam said.

He added that security forces will continue to work day and night to ensure peace and harmony prevails in Zanzibar during and after the voting exercise.

Although  it was not made immediately clear why CUF official Hamad was arrested along with the others, on Monday this week he accused the government of sending heavily armed security forces to Pemba island - a CUF stronghold – thus prompting residents to go into hiding in forests or flee to Mombasa, Kenya.

Asked to comment on the official’s detention, CUF deputy secretary general Nassor Ahmed Mazrui called it a bullying tactic by the security forces.

“We (CUF) condemn such actions because these security forces have a tendency to bully our party leaders and members without reason, as long as they succeed in their plans,” Mazrui told The Guardian here.

He said CUF’s decision to boycott the polls re-run should not be taken as a reason for the police to harass its leaders and members.

Earlier on, Home Affairs Minister Charles Kitwanga refuted claims that Pemba residents have been seeking refuge in Kenya or hiding in bushes due to a perceived military threat.

According to the minister, Pemba is safe and people there are moving around freely as always.

He said security forces have been deployed in Pemba to reduce tensions ahead of, during and following the Sunday election rerun.

“We are really puzzled by these spreading stories that Pemba is under any military threat…security forces are only there to maintain peace and harmony during the election and nothing else,” Kitwanga stressed.

While urging would-be voters in both Unguja and Pemba to turn out in large numbers to vote for leaders of their choice, the minister also warned that no one who will try to fuel chaos during the voting exercise would be spared.

“People who do not see the need to vote should stay home,” Kitwanga said. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Tourism officials set for talks on work permits

Work permits and other elements of the law on foreigners working in the country are among topics set to top the agenda at the tourism and hospitality sector annual general meeting which begins today in Arusha.

The two-day meeting to be graced by the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Jumanne Maghembe (pictured), will host working sessions between representatives of the public and private sectors on key issues including the country’s 1991 Tourism Policy and the 2008 Tourism Act, along with its regulations.

They will discuss a perceived skills gap within the tourism industry and the possibility of addressing it through proposed changes to the law regarding work permits for non-Tanzanian citizens, according to the chief executive officer of the Hotels Association of Tanzania (HAT), Lathifa Sykes.

Other issues on the meeting agenda include the need to demolish tourism facilities located less than 60 meters away from a water source, and similar environmental matters related to the industry, Sykes said. 

“We are thrilled that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, under its new leadership, has instigated these sessions which will give the private sector a chance to directly engage with the government,” the HAT boss added.

The executive secretary of the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania (TCT), Richard Rugimbana, noted that tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner for the country with the potential to prop up the national economy.

He said in light of this, it was unfortunate that the sector continued to be hampered by wanton destruction of Tanzania’s natural assets, a crippling skills gap, and restrictive labor laws which – according to him - prevented international experts from sharing critical knowledge to improve industry standards.

“The multiplicity of taxes and levies, incoherent policies and regulations continues to impact negatively on the tourism business environment, which in turn hinders investment for further growth of the industry,” Rugimbana told The Guardian. 

The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) also confirmed in a recent report that tourism continues to be the country’s biggest source of forex at present, easily outperforming the mining and manufacturing sectors. 

Tourism revenues soared 11 per cent in 2015, reaching $2.23 billion on the back of higher tourist numbers, the central bank said. But a supposedly uncondusive business environment, including the tough tax regime and various infrastructural constraints, has led to growing worries among industry players of a possible decline in the not-so-distant future.

For example, many hotels are said to be paying at least 55 different taxes and levies, with some of them overlapping with each other. Some international hotels have even threatened to pull out of the country in protest against the plethora of taxes.

At a meeting with members of the Arusha business community in late February, the Minister for Finance and Planning, Dr Philip Mpango, said the government would take steps to ease the tax regime from the next financial year (2016/17).

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Mwana FA to perform in exhibition

Local musician Hamis Mwinjuma, popularly known as Mwana FA, will today perform in Dar es Salaam as part of activities to mark four-day exhibition of 250 years of Hennessy.

Nuru Mosha, director of the venue which will host the event, Oasis Wine Bar, said Mwana FA performances will be accompanied by dances from other musicians and also it will involve artworks and some artists will profile the history and heritage of Hennessy. 

Mwana FA is famed for songs like ‘Ingekuwa Vipi’, ‘Alikufa kwa Ngoma’, ‘Msiache Kuongea’, ‘Bado Nipo Nipo’, ‘Yalaiti’ and ‘Ameen’ among others.

 He said the Hennessy 250 years exhibition is a multidisciplinary event in which the exhibition showcases the treasures of its heritage. 

Mosha added that it reflects the vision that Hennessy has always had of itself and the world around it, a taste for the avant-garde and the pull of distant horizons. 

"This hybrid cultural event and exhibition with accompanying music and live performances, is a reflection of the unique bond that Hennessy has always maintained with the art world," he said.

He also added that since the Hennessy family were early patrons of the arts and have always been close to artists themselves, the exhibition would of course involve the arts. 

"This has given us reflections of the longevity and permanence of its products in limited editions with prestigious signatures and even here in Tanzania. Hennessy is very proud to support artistic activities," he said.

Dar's Afro band ushers New Year tonight in Z'bar

MUSICIANS in Tanzania must diversify to represent the country’s rich and diverse culture, Jane Mary Suraphel, the Lead singer and manager of Afro band has urged.

Speaking to The Guardian mid this week in Dar es Salaam, the talented and experienced singer said; “this is partly why Afro Band is going to perform this major show to welcome the New Year in Zanzibar.”

“I don’t want my band to be isolated to the mainland only...I think musicians should embrace the island vibe as well,” she said.

“This will be our first show on the island but we hope to come back and do more,” added the musician cum businesswoman.

The singer and songwriter went on to detail that musicians in the country have become very rigid as most focus only on the young generation genres of R and B and Hip Hop.

“There are numerous genres to be explored,” she said.

“There is no reason whatsoever why we should all be rap artists or R and B singers,” the experienced vocalist said.

Coming from a choir back ground, Suraphel is a dynamic vocalist with profound control of the music scale capable of hitting the high notes and mellowing down to softer deep treble. Having had extensive experience with bands before starting her own, Afro Band, she also has an outstanding stage performance.

“There is a lot young musicians need to learn in terms of vocalising their tunes and even writing,” she said noting that writing lyrics is only a small part of the process and that the bigger chunk of the task is in creating melody for the lyrics.

“Music is all about melody....even if you don’t know the language a certain song is performed in, as long as you like the melody then you enjoy the music and you can even sing along,” she said.

She went on to emphasize that music should embrace and represent various cultural and traditional activities as well as the economic and political spheres.

“Our music should showcase our lives, there is a time for planting and a time for harvest and we traditionally had music to fit each season,” said the singer-songwriter.

Summing up, she urged musicians to be self-reliant and not be solely dependent on their bands or managers but to also be creative and business oriented. She did not specify where in Zanzibar the grand New Year show will be hosted but promised a memorable night to usher a prosperous new year.

Wema Sepetu pregnancy good news for her fans, but risks abound

Controversial actress and model Wema Sepetu is reportedly expectant, something that has shattered a pernicious myth in the social media and yellow tabloids, that she is not capable of conceiving on account of having had abortions earlier.

Yet the story of her pregnancy did not come without a typical Wema Sepetu catch to it, that she did not know for sure who was the father of her expected baby, which in like manner as the first rumour, she has herself made that version of things credible, admitting more or less the same but cited at least one name as likely.

It is Namibian actor Luis Munana who is being given the credibility of having sired the baby to come, meanwhile as no word has been heard from that side, or at least it wasn’t visible alongside that first impression.

It would imply that like the legendary nine lives of a cat, Wema Sepetu shall have another Diamond Platinumz sort of situation in the coming months, as someone had shouted from Kampala that DNA tests be made on ‘Princess Tiffa’ if she is really daughter to the local hip hop star, or perhaps the Kampala sleuth. Diamond and Zara, the mother, just ignored it.

If the not so sure business on the Wema Sepetu baby persists, something of that sort could rightly be demanded so as to the paternity of the baby, at the end of the pregnancy and once the baby is up and sitting.

Still one hopes that the public and the socialite will be spared a petulant situation of naming several lovers within a short space who could have fathered the baby, if the hunch on the Namibian actor refuses to stick.

As nobody else has so far been mentioned, or at least not right away, there are chances that finding the baby’s father become a smooth, not prickly affair.

The are some hidden dangers that Wema and the baby face, quite apart from the father, arising from her situation as a model, socialite or actress.

It is undeniable that at some point in the recent past the model had a fairly noticeable number of sharp adversaries, such that some of us started worrying if she would remain mentally stable and composed given the din around her, swearing, etc.

Much of that was tied to her inability to become pregnant which has now been resolved, but those animosities may have run a bit deep, and this being Bongoland, there are ways that can tell.

Being what she is, and indeed like a few other stars outside, some with stable and known family set ups but incapable of getting out of the limelight like Kim Kardashian and daughter plus another relative lately, getting out of the news could be a problem.

At another level, there are specifically Bongo issues and peculiar situations related to actors and actresses to an extent, which bring up worries.

Ex-boyfriend Diamond was saying a couple of months back or slightly earlier that he will not have much long to live as if picturing himself as another Steven Kanumba.

There are things that aren’t always said or admitted but there is a rule about deaths of infants at the time of being born, that it is often a psychic contest between life and death, where one’s spiritual loyalties have a significant part in the outcome.

Women who start serving demons before they have children, or during their child bearing phase, are likely to surrender a baby to precisely those forces when they deliver, a situation which mostly comes up as complications of this or that sort, and medical experts will always explain it in physiological terms. Since Bongo artistes are often involved in occultism to polish their careers, fears like these are unavoidable.

In that case those around the actress and model have some counseling work to do as how the baby should not be put in peril by excessive engagement in one way or another which could have psychological drawbacks on one way or another.

It is vital to realize that the birth of an infant is a battleground, not just a medical situation where everything is supposed to go in the normal way  and the outcome of that battle depends on what spiritual forces we serve, and their demands upon us.

Hopefully if there are some errors already some intercession, via prayer, can be sought.