Heathrow flight death man 'possibly Angolan'

Police officers, the UK's Angolan community and residents of a west London street where a stowaway fell to his death from a plane are hoping a computerised image of the man's face and a photo of his tattoo will lead to his identification.

Shortly before midnight on Saturday, 8 September, an unknown man thought to be in his 20s prepared for a terrifying journey.
Under cover of darkness, and dressed in a thin grey hooded top, jeans and a pair of white trainers, he clambered into a tiny space inside the wheel housing of a passenger jet bound for London.
As protection against the extremes of temperature and pressure which were to come, he had taken just one precaution - he had stuffed bits of crumpled white tissue paper into his ears.
Eight hours later, as the aircraft's undercarriage was lowered over Mortlake, in south-west London on its approach to Heathrow Airport, the man plummeted to earth through a clear blue Sunday morning sky.
"It was 7.42. A massive, massive bang woke us up," says Lizzie Calfe.
The man was found dead with horrific injuries directly opposite her house in Portman Avenue. Three months on, like many of her neighbours, she still wants to discover the man's story - who he was, and what made him attempt such a desperate journey.

Living in fear: Tanzania's albinos

Twenty-five people with albinism have been murdered in Tanzania since March, a BBC investigation has found. Albinos are targeted for body parts that are used in witchcraft, and killings continue despite government efforts to stamp out the grisly practice, the BBC's Karen Allen says.

Winifrida Rutahiro (2nd left) says she is now scared even to leave her house

Once, albinos used to seek shelter from the sun. Now they have gone into hiding simply to survive, after a series of killings linked to witchcraft. In Tanzania, 25 albinos have been killed in the past year. The latest victim was a seven-month-old baby. He was mutilated on the orders of a witchdoctor peddling the belief that potions made from an albino's legs, hair, hands, and blood can make a person rich. Sorcery and the occult maintain a strong foothold in this part of the world, especially in the remote rural areas around the fishing and mining regions of Mwanza, on the shores of Lake Victoria. Nobody seems to know why the killings are happening now, but Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete is now putting pressure on the police to identify where albinos live and offer them protection. This is not an easy task when BBC investigations suggest that some police are being "bought off" in order to look away when such appalling crimes are committed
BBC-NEWS

We want graduate MPs, say members of public

Tanzanians want the new constitution to demonstrate that members of parliament have a first degree as minimum qualification to join the House, saying this will allow them to effectively carry out their duties.

Commenting on the requirement, one Godfrey Karokora noted that some MPs do not have enough education to execute the tasks they are charged with.

“…we want legislators who are graduates…”he summed up his opinion.

He also suggested that MPs should not be paid salaries by the government since they are not civil servants but rather public representatives. According to him, giving salaries to them is akin to embezzlement of public funds.

Karokora said the government should stop providing subsidies to political parties but to instead direct them to find alternative revenue sources.

“We advise the government to remove special seats in parliament because they contribute to increasing the burden on taxpayers…” he suggested adding that the number of MPs should also reduced to one MP for each region.

A resident of Tabata in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam, Francis Kakoti was of the opinion that MPs should not be appointed to ministerial posts since it affects their performance in their constituencies.

Another contributor, Gordon Kiaro urged the government form an independent electoral commission to ensure fair elections. He said the commission members should come from different organisations and be placed under the Chief Judge.

The CRC started collecting opinions in Dar-es-Salaam on November 19, this year and continues to do so.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Tanzania's education drive

Tanzania's programme to provide free primary schooling for all has been hailed a success, but there are concerns over the quality of education many children receive.
Peter Greste reports

Morphine: The cheap, effective pain-relief drug denied to millions

It's cheap, effective and easy to administer - so why are millions of people around the world dying in pain, without access to morphine?

In an open ward at Mulago Hospital in Uganda's capital city, Kampala, an elderly woman named Joyce lies in the fifth bed on the left.
She has twisted the sheets around herself, her face contorted by pain. Joyce's husband, thin and birdlike, hovers over her.
Joyce has cancer - it has spread throughout her body - and until a few days ago, she was on morphine. Then it ran out.
"She's consistently had pain," says a nurse. "And she describes the pain to be deep - kind of into her bones."
The Ugandan government makes and distributes its own morphine for use in hospitals, but poor management means the supply is erratic.
"We're in a very difficult situation," says Lesley Henson, a British pain specialist on duty at Mulago Hospital. They have patients whose pain has been kept under control with morphine - but they are running out of it
BBC-NEWS

African viewpoint: Less is more

In our series of viewpoints from African journalists, Elizabeth Ohene in Accra, Ghana, complains that people are too verbose when seeking a job.

It is a tricky thing, this business of CVs, or curriculum vitae or resumes as the Americans call them.
What are you really supposed to say about yourself that tells the truth and manages to present you in the best possible light?
The original meaning of CVs was restricted to the short written description of a university teacher's career which they send out when looking for a new job.
The meaning of the term has now stretched to cover the rest of us, that is, a short written document that lists your education and previous jobs which you send to employers when you are looking for a job
BBC-NEWS

Viewpoint: How tribalism stunts African democracy

Africa's democratic transition is back in the spotlight. The concern is no longer the stranglehold of autocrats, but the hijacking of the democratic process by tribal politics.

Kenya's 2007-08 post-election violence revealed the extent to which tribal forces could quickly bring a country to the brink of civil war.
The challenge to democracy in Africa is not the prevalence of ethnic diversity, but the use of identity politics to promote narrow tribal interests. It is tribalism.
There are those who argue that tribalism is a result of arbitrary post-colonial boundaries that force different communities to live within artificial borders.
This argument suggests that every ethnic community should have its own territory, which reinforces ethnic competition
BBC-NEWS

Ghana election: John Mahama faces Nana Akufo-Addo

Voting is drawing to a close in parliamentary and presidential elections in Ghana, which is seen as a model for democracy in Africa.

Polls closed at 17:00 GMT, but those still waiting would be allowed to vote after enduring long queues.
Counting has begun in those areas where voting has finished.
A tight race is expected between President John Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo in the new oil producer - one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
Mr Mahama took over as president after John Atta Mills died in July.
BBC-NEWS

Turkish Airline launches maiden flight to KIA

Turkish Airlines on Wednesday launched its maiden flight to Kilimanjaro from Istanbul via Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, bringing too much hope to Tanzania's booming tourist industry and horticultural sector.

The 200th Turkish flag carrier touched the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) in the morning and welcomed by Tanzanian high-ranking officials and business community.

Speaking soon after the launch, President and CEO of Turkish Airlines TemelKotil said Tanzania is one of the countries in Africa whose economies are growing steadily, boasting potential for the airline industry.

This is the second route for the Istanbul-based company to operate in the East African country, whose economy largely depends on agricultural, mining and tourism.
In June last year, the company opened the Dar es Salaam- Istanbul direct flight.

"We have been dreaming to fly to Tanzania and particularly Kilimanjaro…our dreams is about Africa and we have started fulfilling the dream," Kotil said, adding that his company is set to launch seven new routes in African countries next year.
"Our task right now is to see how we can link Africa with the outside world through our airlines," he said.

Egypt opposition rejects President Morsi's call for talks

The BBC's Jon Leyne says opposition leaders saw the president's speech as "positively inflammatory"

Egyptian opposition leaders have rejected calls by President Mohammed Morsi to enter a national dialogue.

Mr Morsi, under fire for issuing a decree that gives him sweeping new powers, had invited all major political factions to a meeting on Saturday.
But the opposition said the president had offered little in terms of concessions, criticising his refusal to delay a constitutional referendum.
The announcement comes as Egypt is braced for another day of protests.
Opposition demonstrators gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square, with some heading towards the presidential palace.
Meanwhile thousands of supporters of President Morsi marched during the funerals of two men killed in clashes on Wednesday

Mathias Rust: German teenager who flew to Red Square

In 1987 a West German teenager shocked the world, by flying through Soviet air defences to land a Cessna aeroplane in Red Square. He was jailed for more than a year - but a quarter of a century later, he has no regrets.

Exactly 25 years ago, the USSR Foreign Ministry announced that it had rejected an appeal by a German teenager against his prison sentence.
Mathias Rust, just 19, had single-handedly flown more than 500 miles (750km) through every Soviet defensive shield in a single-engine plane to land at the gates of the Kremlin.
The idea had come to him a year earlier while he was watching TV at his parents' home where he lived in Hamburg, West Germany.
A summit between the US and Russian presidents in Reykjavik had ended in a stalemate, and the teenager who had a passion for politics felt he wanted to do something to make a difference.

Rust was sentenced to four years in a labour camp

"I thought every human on this planet is responsible for some progress and I was looking for an opportunity to take my share in it," he says.
Rust already had a pilot's licence and had clocked up 50 hours in the air when it occurred to him to put his skill to use.
"I was thinking I could use the aircraft to build an imaginary bridge between West and East to show that a lot of people in Europe wanted to improve relations between our worlds."
Many idealistic teenagers may have had similar fantasies of bringing about

Palestinian Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal visits Gaza

The political leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, has called his first visit to the Gaza Strip his "third birth".

He said his previous two "births" were the day he survived an assassination attempt by Israeli agents in Jordan in 1997, and his actual birth in 1956.
Mr Meshaal had not set foot in the Palestinian territories for decades.
His visit follows a ceasefire that ended days of violence between Israel and Hamas. The Islamist militant group has governed Gaza since 2007.
Mr Meshaal entered Gaza from Egypt at the Rafah border crossing, kissing the ground in celebration. Officials there said his wife had arrived late on Thursday.
In a statement to the media, he said: "I consider this moment my third birth, and I pray to God that my fourth birth will be the moment when all of Palestine is liberated."
"Gaza is always in my heart," he said

Lulu back in custody as case is adjourned

The Kisutu Resident Magistrate court in Dar es Salaam yesterday adjourned the case facing actress Elizabeth Michael, popularly known as Lulu, who is charged with alleged murder over the death of a domestic film star, Steven Kanumba, until December 17, this year. Prosecution led.

Human rights week marked with free legal aid in Dar

Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Deputy Minister Angela Kairuki has again urged the public to exercise their human right to self expression and freedom of speech by participating in the ongoing constitutional review.

Kairuki made the remarks on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam during the opening of celebrations to mark the Human rights value week organised by the Tanzania Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance held at the Mnazi Mmoja grounds.

“I call upon the public to use this opportunity to give their views and opinion and in so doing bring about changes in the country’s constitution and governance…” said Kairuki.

She emphasised that this week in particular should be utilized given that there is free legal aid offered as part of the celebrations. Public can access these services by visiting the Human rights and values exhibitions availed at the fair grounds by the Ministry for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

According to her, other government institutions including the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Commission for Constitution Reform, High Court of Tanzania, legal aid secretariat and all legal related organisations are at the grounds.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Govt out to harmonise cement price

The government has directed cement companies in the country to come up with an authentic production cost structure in order to harmonise the prices of the commodity.

Industry and Trade minister Dr Abdallah Kigoda said the move will help the government to know the reasons for price variation between locally produced cement and imported one, which is cheaper.

Dr Kigoda issued the directive yesterday in Dar es Salaam at the inauguration of Kiln 3 upgrading project at Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPCC).

He said it was difficult for the government to advise on reduction of cement prices in the local market if it did not know the production costs.

“The government is working on modalities to harmonise cement prices in order to protect local industries and create a level playing field, but it should first know the structure of production costs,” Dr Kigoda said.

He said the government's intention was to see cement sold at a price which was affordable to the majority of wananchi, but that would not be possible if the costs of production were not disclosed.

According to cement producers high taxes, poor infrastructure, unreliable electricity supply are among the factors contributing to high cost of production.

A study entitled: ‘Equity Research Cement Sector Local Listed Companies’ released mid this year indicates Tanzania cement production costs are projected to decline in the near future on the back of the falling energy costs and improved supply, hence pushing the country’s competitiveness edge in the region.

Dr Kigoda noted that the government could not put trade barriers on imported cement as had been requested by cement companies because local production was still insufficient.

He admitted that imported cement was sold at a lower price compared to the locally produced one, saying that was a challenge to ensure that local industries competed in the market.

“Currently we have three factories which are Tanga Cement, Mbeya Cement and Twiga Cement, all of which are operational, while four others are in the final construction stages,” he said.

He added that in order to control importation of more cement, local factories had to increase production to meet the demand as the country was surrounded by potential market opportunities such as Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC).

Dr Kigoda clarified that the government was aware of the challenges facing local industries, such as unreliable power, but added that it was taking measures to stabilise the situation.

He mentioned another challenge as high distribution costs caused by poor infrastructure, noting that the government was working to improve railway transport.

For his part, chairperson of Heidelberg cement company board Jean Junon said the cement industry was still facing a number of challenges, including massive importation of subsidised cement.

He said the upgrading of kiln 3 would help to expand the factory's production capacity. “TPCC aims at joining a group of few cement factories in sub-Saharan Africa able to produce more than 2 million tonnes per year," he said.

He added that modernisation of the Kiln 3 will complement kiln 2 and kiln 4, which will allow full utilisation of the company's installed capacity of more than 1.3 million tonnes of cement.

Statistics indicate that the combined production of Tanzania’s three cement manufacturers - Tanzania Portland Cement Company, Mbeya Cement Company Limited and Tanga Cement Company – stands at 1.2 million tonnes against the domestic demand of 1.6 million tonnes a year.

Due to the shortfall, Tanzania has been relying on imports.

At the moment a bag of cement in Dar es Salaam sells at between 14,500/- and 15,500/-, while up-country it sells at 17,000/- and above, depending on transport costs.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Journalist survives police gunshot

Shaaban Matutu, a journalist with Free Media Limited - publishers of the Tanzania Daima newspaper - is recovering in hospital after being shot by police in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday night.

The incident occurred at the victim’s residence in Kunduchi Machimbo where it is alleged he attacked the police with a machete. During the altercation with the police officer, who was accompanied by four others, a shot was fired hitting Mtutu in his left shoulder.

Kinondoni Regional Police Commander, Charles Kenyela confirmed the incident saying it was accidental and happened when police officer F.8991D/C Idirisa, and four others were conducting what they say was an ‘emergency patrol’.

According to Kenyela, both the police and the journalist were rushed to the Mwananyamala district hospital in Kinondoni. But while the police officer is reported to have sustained minor injuries and has fully recovered, Matutu had to be referred to MNH for further treatment.

Police say they received a tip from a Good Samaritan who reported there were armed bandits in the journalist’s house.

“During emergency patrols police can force their way into a house without permit…” explained the RPC, who went on to allege that as the police ‘forced’ their way into Matutu’s house, he apparently attacked them with a machete and in response an officer discharged fire but the officer and the weapon are yet to be identified.

A statement issued by the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) Secretary Neville Meena said that after the incident, Mtutu was referred to Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute (MOI) for surgery where he was taken to theater yesterday morning around 8:30am.

The incident comes only months after Daudi Mwangosi, a TV reporter was killed by riot police Pasifious Cleophace Simon (23) who fired a gas canister at him on September 2, this year during a rally organised by Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) in Nyololo village in Iringa region.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Content concern in digital migration

As Tanzania approaches transition from analogue to digital transmission, broadcasting stakeholders have expressed concern that the system could lead to flood of undesirable content in television programmes.

The stakeholders feared that people could use the opportunity to watch more foreign programmes which have been prepared based on foreign ethics and content regulations.

The concern was raised yesterday in Dar es Salaam at the broadcasters’ workshop attended by more than 100 delegates comprising all licensed broadcasters operating in Tanzania.

The workshop is part of the Annual Broadcaster’s Conference (ABC) scheduled for today with the theme: ‘Beyond Analogue Switch-off: Challenges and Opportunities’.

A renowned journalist Ayub Rioba said there are still challenges in terms of time and technology required to oversee the digital system.

“How much is the government able to control the digital system… we can’t control it much but we should not leave it uncontrolled,” Rioba queried.

He said it is not bad to share content from other countries but broadcasters should have different programmes with local content to differentiate them from foreign programmes.

Rioba said adverts these days do not encourage people to work hard, but only promote short-cut means of acquiring valuable things through ‘scratch and win’.

He called on the government to empower local producers to produce useful programmes which will value “home content” because the issue of content can easily be overwhelmed by programmes from other countries.

“We need to strike a balance in allowing creativity which will help teach and enable producers to produce good programmes with the required content,” he said.

For his part, Prof John Nkoma the Director General of Tanzania Communication Authority (TCRA) said the authority has policies, laws and rules governing content.

“People should not worry about this new digital system especially in the case of paying for the services,” he said adding: “Things are not much different from the changes which occurred with the introduction of mobile phones. We all remember that during the introduction of mobile phones people were anxious, but now they are enjoying the services.”

H said on the side of TVs, the production of programmes will be done by the TV stations including ITV, TBC, Channel ten, Star TV and EATV which will be shown for free, but broadcasting will be done by three specified digital companies.

He said one of the reasons for migrating to digital system by December 31, is to avoid the cost of running both analog and digital systems simultaneously.

The Director of Broadcasting Affairs with TCRA Habbi Gunze assured people that TCRA has arranged two systems which will be used to regulate the programmes broadcast by TV stations to ensure that the content adhered to the specified ethics.

“We will have a special machine to record all programmes while TCRA’s Consumer Society will give us views…we have guidelines which will guide them in giving out the views,” he said.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

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