Sunday, December 9, 2012

Happy birthday Tanzania, but..


Today is the 51st birthday of the United Republic of Tanzania. On December 9, 1961, a child called Tanganyika was born, before this child was baptized in 1964 and adopted the new name of Tanzania -- a result of the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar islands.

This child has grown amid political, economic and social storms. At 51 year old, Tanzania has weathered many challenges. From building a nation from zero to a point where we almost ruined it due to mismanagement of the economy, Tanzania has certainly seen its days.

 As a young nation, having just recovered from the shackles of colonialism, Tanzania launched a war against poverty, diseases, illiteracy and hunger. On top of that the young Tanzania was forced to go to war with its neighbour to defend its borders as well as the security of our people. Not only that, the young Tanzania was also forced to fight the liberation war in Southern Africa---a war it fought bravely, but at great cost.

Back home, our four major enemies, namely, poverty, diseases, illiteracy and hunger continued to ravage our country. At the same time, another man-made enemy called corruption invaded our country, causing pain to millions but embarrassing wealth and other gains to a small group of greedy leaders and their allies.

As Tanzania celebrate its 51st birthday, it’s good to know that the very same major enemies it fought five decades ago are still alive and kicking -- with new vigour. The truth is that these enemies have also grown stronger than they once were fifty years ago -- reminding Tanzania that the war is still far from won.
That’s why the majority of Tanzanians are saying a skeptical “Happy Birthday Tanzania.”
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY

Zanzibar Heroes


Zanzibar Heroes came from behind to beat their counterparts Kilimanjaro Stars on 6-5 penalty shootouts to finish third in the Senior Challenge Cup which ended in Kampala yesterday.

The Isles side won 10,000 dollars (about Sh15m).
The game had ended in 1-1 draw in the normal 90 minutes before the third place playoff was taken into penalty shootouts at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Namboole.

The Mainland side scored first in the 19th minute through Mwinyi Kazimoto before Abdallah Othman Ali leveled for his side in the 85th minute.

This is the second time Zanzibar is overshadowing their compatriots in the Cecafa championship third place playoff.
In 2009, under Brazilian coach Marcio Maximo, they defeated Kilimanjaro Stars 1-0 in the third place playoff at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY

Taifa Queens win inter-continental title


The national netball team, Taifa Queens, have won the IFNA Inter-Continental netball title after defeating Malaysia 45-38 in the final match played in Singapore yesterday.

The Tanzania Netball Association (Chaneta) chairperson, Anna Bayi, said yesterday that her team finished the intercontinental tourney with an unbeaten record.

Bayi said that her team led 25-16 until the breather, noting that the team will return home tomorrow with trophy and individual medals.
The Singapore championship attracted national teams from scores of netball-playing nations across the world.

Tanzania’s inclusion in the Singapore event follows Taifa Queens’ impressive show at the Africa championship recently, where they finished runners-up in the championship held at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam behind Malawi Queens.

They also won a silver medal at the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY

Swimmers leave for world event


Three local swimmers will leave the country today for Turkey to compete at the World Championship that gets underway from Wednesday to Sunday at Sinam Erdem Arena, Istanbul. The Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) secretary general, Noel Kiunsi, said yesterday the country will.

CCM candidate drops appeal on petition


The 2010 CCM parliamentary candidate for Ubungo, Hawa Ng’humbi has dropped the case filed with the Court of Appeal against the petition judgment in favor of Ubungo MP John Mnyika.
The petitioner and the MP yesterday agreed to settle the wrangle out of court, thus instructing their lawyers to seek termination of adjudication of the pending appeal at the highest court of the land without costs.
Ng'humbi had earlier appealed against the High Court ruling delivered on May 24 in which High Court Judge Upendo Msuya ruled in favour of the lawmaker.
A panel of three justices at the Court of Appeal formally dropped the case after due notification by lawyers of the two parties, in a ruling read out by Appeal Justice Nathalia Kimaro on behalf of the panelists, Appeal Justices Salum Massati and Catherine Oriyo.
The development confirms Mnyika as MP for Ubungo until he finishes his term mid-2015, a turn of events coming after principal state attorney Obadia Kameya had informed the parties that the hearing of the appeal would have begun yesterday.
However Ng’humbi’s advocate Issa Maige informed the court that the appellant and the MP as second defendant had agreed an out of court settlement to remove the case without costs.
Under section 102 (3) and (4), of Rules of the Court of Appeal, the appellant had asked the court to remove the appeal in the court at no cost, the advocated noted.

Fastjet shakes Dar`s aviation sector


The entry of a low cost airline into Tanzania’s skies is causing panic and uncertainty among local airlines with Precisionair and Air Tanzania facing a tough business future, The Guardian on Sunday can reveal today.
The low cost airline backed by Easy Jet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou hit Tanzania’s skies two weeks ago, bringing low-cost flights to thousands of people in the country.
Dubbed Fastjet, the no-frills carrier is expected to dent the profit margin of the country’s only big private airline, Precisionair as well as the struggling Air Tanzania, which resumed its services two months ago.
The move comes after Haji-Ioannou's EasyGroup teamed up earlier this month with pan-African conglomerate Lonrho to create the low-cost carrier. Lonhro, owner of budget airline Fly540, has agreed to sell its aviation business to investment firm Rubicon Diversified Investments, in which EasyGroup will hold a 5 percent stake.
Apart from Tanzania, the new airline would also start operations using the Lonrho existing network in Ghana, Kenya and Angola, before expanding to more markets in the future.
According to a survey conducted by The Guardian on Sunday, Precisionair has been affected by the new low cost airline, which charges $20(Sh32,000) excluding taxes and other airport charges.
Though Precisionair this week said it wasn’t threatened by the new low cost airline, the reality on the ground shows the opposite because the airline has been forced to review its fares immediately to cope with the growing competition

Museveni lectures SADC on DR Congo


Uganda president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni yesterday made a spirited plea to his colleagues in the southern African Development Community (SADC) to go back to the ‘basics’ in resolving a running political stalemate in the DR Congo

Zanzibaris call for ban on 1permanent1 presidency

If politicians running for Zanzibar president fail once, they have a second chance – after which they’re out. That’s the choice facing all candidates in Zanzibar seeking mandate to lead the people at the top.
At least that is what is going to happen if the people’s voices carry the day before the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) on a call of duty in the Isles right now.
Participants at yesterday’s session at the Ziwani police grounds within Mjini Magharibi region made an impassioned peal before the CRC to put a cap on the number of attempts candidates could make at assuming the isles presidency – and most agreed at most twice was good enough.
Soud Salum Soud, told the CRC meeting a chaired by Commissioner Prof Mwesiga Baregu that such a limit would eliminate unnecessary tension in the prevailing democratic politics in Zanzibar.
If an aspirant twice – and twice fails -- to win the presidency, it is a sign that he or she lacks public appeal for the position and allowing them to stand yet again would increase the likelihood of unwanted political stress and ultimately undermine the democratic process.
“A presidential candidate should not be allowed to contest more than twice. Such a stand will strengthen democratic principles and help do away with boycotting presidential election results,” Soud said. He said since this is a law applied in regard to the Union presidency, the same should prevail in Zanzibar as well – and should therefore be incorporated in the Isles Constitution.
There cannot be real democracy in a situation where some political parties have ‘permanent’ candidates whom they field every election time, and always boycott election results after realizing their defeat. In another development, the Union Minister for Health, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi cited five key public issues that should be removed from the list of Union affairs to get rid of uncalled for clashes among the Isles people.
Among others, he cited the following: access to loans, research and foreign trade, improved ports, industries and a reliable database on natural resources such as oil and gas.
“I don’t see any problem if these key issues were removed from the list to Union matters … the decision would resolve any potential conflicts over the exploitation of these resources,” Dr Mwinyi said
GUARDIAN