Wednesday 31 October 2007

FdL native teaching medical techniques in Africa

From Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA
By Dr. Jennifer Hayes

Editor's note: Fond du Lac native Jennifer Hayes is spending a month in Mwanza, Tanzania, teaching anesthesia techniques to medical staff. She agreed to send The Reporter periodic updates on her adventures.

I've settled into Mwanza, the second largest city in Tanzania (after Dar es Salaam, the capital), located on Lake Victoria in the Northwest of the country -also the second largest freshwater lake in the world, after Lake Superior.

I live near Lake Victoria in a guesthouse on a hill overlooking the lake with somewhat of a view of the water below. Reminds me of Lake Winnebago in a way, but there are many inherent differences between this lake and the waters of Lake Winnebago, including the fact that it is infested with a parasite which causes schistosomiasis, so swimming is not recommended.

Read more:
http://www.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/FON0101/710310333/1289/FONnews


Tuesday 30 October 2007

All aboard in Tanzania

From CNN.com
By Lizzie Cameron for CNN

The Musoma Engineering Project is the only charity of its kind in the region and aims to provide teaching and support for local disabled children and teenagers.

With the project Lizzie will be helping the teachers teach skills like woodworking, leatherwork and dressmaking. Follow her experiences in her blogs and video diaries.

October 30, 2007
Dennis and I have just returned from Mwanza. We did the five hour journey in proper African style this time and took the local public bus. The buses are independently owned by the local people and are all painted, by hand, in various eye-catching colors and patterns.

Read more:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/10/30/btc.lizzie.blog.mwanza/

TRL must ensure passenger safety

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By The Editor


RESUMPTION of train services along the central railway line between Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Kigoma on Thursday is welcome news indeed.

Prior to the resumption, passengers to Mwanza and Kigoma from Dar es Salaam had to travel by road to Dodoma to catch the train to their inland destinations. Passengers to Dar es Salaam from Mwanza and Kigoma had to disembark in Dodoma where they had to board buses at their own expense.

All this of course inconvenienced travellers a great deal. Travellers, some of them moving with their families and belongings, had to bear additional costs for meals and at times, accommodation, while waiting for their preferred buses to Dar es Salaam. Their ordeal would now be over with the resumption of the full-stretch services.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=9329

Monday 29 October 2007

SPORTS NEWS: Mwanza City Basketball team criticises TBF

From IPP Media, Dar es Salaam
By Bahati Mollel

The first runners-up in the national basketball championship, Mwanza Region team, has criticized the governing body, Tanzania Basketball Federation,for poor organisation of local tournaments.

The captain of the team, Mr.Kizito Bahati, said in Dar es Salaam on Friday that the daily per diem of Tsh.8.000/- for each player, meant for accommodation, tea, lunch and dinner was too little.

"Just imagine, how can you pay for hotel room and eat bearing in mind the high cost of living in Dar es Salaam?" argued Mr.Kizito.

Read more:
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/observer/2007/10/28/101319.html

SPORTS NEWS: Yanga win as Simba falter

From IPP Media, Dar es Salaam
By George Ramadhani, Mwanza

The newly-promoted Toto Africans of Mwanza hit Simba 3-2 in a Vodacom Premier League match played at the Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza yesterday.

Philipo Arando scored two goals for Toto Africans in the 45th and 59th minutes while the other goal was registered in the 57th minute by Simba defender Said Kokoo when he was trying to clear the ball from danger.

Lethal striker Joseph Kaniki scored the first goal for Simba in the 79th minute before Haruna Moshi added the second in the injury time.

Read more:
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/10/29/101379.html

Saturday 27 October 2007

Geita Gold Mine spends 1.4bn/- on community projects

From IPP Meadia, Dar es Salaam
By Felix Andrew

Geita Gold Mine (GGM) has spent 1.4bn/- for supporting various social projects in Geita district, Mwanza region.

Speaking to reporters early this week Monday in Geita, the GGM Managing Director, Brent Horuchuk, said that funding was committed for seven years period and it focused on education, health and management.

GGM for instance has been organizing the Kilimanjaro climb challenge since 2002, in which monies collected are donated to various beneficiaries in the country.

Read more:
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/10/27/101249.html


Friday 26 October 2007

Upcountry train services resume next week

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By GODFREY OBONYO

PASSENGER train services from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza and Kigoma that were suspended by the now defunct Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) for almost one year will resume next Thursday.

The operations will resume under a new management set up led by the newly established Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL). For almost a year, passengers to Mwanza and Kigoma had to travel to Dodoma to board the train to their respective upcountry destinations.

Dar es Salaam-bound passengers from Mwanza and Kigoma and other stations along the railway line had to disembark in Dodoma where they had to board buses.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=9266


Thursday 25 October 2007

Fast boats to resume services on Lake Victoria

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By GODFREY OBONYO

Lake Fast Ferry Company is set to resume express service on Lake Victoria next month, nearly 10 months after the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA) suspended the company’s lake express ferries from operation.

The two 180-seat boats, which cost the company 1.9 million US dollars each, will resume their work as soon as the necessary paperwork is done, Lake Fast Ferry’s project co-coordinator, Azim Dewji, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

“We have already finished maintenance and are waiting for the fuel tax exemption permit from the ministry of finance,” Mr Dewji said.

Meanwhile, the SUMATRA Mwanza regional director, Mr Alfred Wariana, told the Daily News last Friday that the express ferry service which the government had halted to combat transport disorder on the lake should resume without a hitch.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=9217

SPORTS NEWS: Dar basketball team in semis

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By ABDALLAH MSUYA

DAR ES SALAAM men's basketball team yesterday qualified for the semifinals of the Barrick Gold Basketball Cup after crushing Morogoro region 112-44 at the National Indoor Stadium.

The defending champions dominated the proceedings with Mohammed Ali 'Dibo' and Ashraf Harun scoring 24 and 21 points respectively.

Despite the defeat, Morogoro had some brilliant displays and Frank Kalenda and Mazinda Haruna shared some good moments along the play as they managed to score 11 and 9 points respectively.

The day also witnessed Dar ladies thumping Mwanza ladies 54-35 to follow into the footsteps of their brothers.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=9244

Thursday 18 October 2007

Shipping survey to draw investors to Lake Victoria

From Business Daily, Nairobi, KENYA
Written by Maureen Ongwae

A Swedish company, Marin Matteknik, has launched a Sh100m survey of Lake Victoria that will guide the establishment of shipping services across the water mass that connects the three East African countries.

Lack of a comprehensive survey of the water body has in the past been blamed for the high rate of canoe accidents in the water body, as rocky points, areas with turbulent currents and hyacinth infested zones are not clearly marked.

Read more:
http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3729&Itemid=5813

Wednesday 17 October 2007

4 perish roasting hand grenade

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By Meddy Mulisa in Bukoba

FOUR members of the same family roasting a hand grenade mistaken for a sweet potato were blown to pieces when the device exploded as they circled an open cooking fire in Biharamulo District yesterday.

Acting Kagera Regional Police Commander Adihaki Rashid, told reporters that the lethal weapon had been picked earlier from a nearby bush by Chacha Juma (10), who took it home to cook thinking it was a potato. Their house was also severely damaged.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=9105

Monday 15 October 2007

Kenyan firm loses $5m to Tanzania and Uganda through counterfeits

From The EastAfrican, Nairobi, KENYA
By JOSEPH MWAMUNYANGE

The four fully loaded containers, worth $1.36 million, branded as transit cargo from Mombasa port to Mwanza in Tanzania, were impounded in Uganda after a co-ordinated investigation in the three East African countries.

The menace of counterfeits in East Africa came into sharp focus last week when it was revealed at a major international conference in Dar es Salaam that one of Kenya’s largest manufacturing firms may soon be forced to lay off up to half of its employees in the face of massive counterfeiting of its products in Uganda and Tanzania.

Haco Industries Ltd, which employees more than 600 workers, will have to trim its workforce down to 300 employees in the near future as shrinking sales in neighbouring countries are causing it to lose more than $5 million annually.

Read more:
http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/News1510079.htm


Saturday 13 October 2007

Gold-seekers stone helicopter, three arrested

From IPP Media, Dar es Salaam
By George Marato, Musoma

Police in Musoma yesterday arrested three persons for allegedly stoning a patrol helicopter, property of Barrick Gold Mine, injuring both the pilot and co-pilot.

The incident occurred when a group of people was in the process of sneaking into North Mara gold mine the Mara, Regional Police Commander, David Ole Saibull, has said.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Saibull said the incident occurred on Thursday evening at around 9.00 am, when the company`s helicopter was taking aerial photographs around the mine.

Read more:
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/10/13/100357.html


Thursday 11 October 2007

Italian deported for sexually exploiting minors

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By PATI MAGUBIRA in Mwanza

THE Resident Magistrate Court here has ordered an Italian national, Santi Angelo Yunus, to leave the country within 24 hours for taking nude photos of two under age girls and using them in acts of unnatural sex.

The prosecution charged that Yunus, whose real occupation was unknown, was caught at around 11:30 pm. on September 19, this year, sexually exploiting two 17-year old girls (names withheld) in a guest house here.

Resident Magistrate Euginia Rujwahuka had first ordered Yunus, a resident of Franco-Travico in northern Italy to pay a 300,000/- fine or go to jail for five years. He paid the fine and the magistrate immediately slapped him with the PI order.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=9015


Wednesday 10 October 2007

Canadian applied technology college backs up VETA

From IPP Media, Dar es Salaam
By Patrick Kisembo

Cambrian College of Applied Arts and Technology of Canada (CCAAT) has entered into a partnership with Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) to run a joint programme through the Mwanza Regional Vocational Training and Service Center.

The programme is aimed at developing capacity of the VETA Mwanza centre to deliver training so as to support the mining sector in the country.

'The training will also support small scale miners on safety measures in mining and good environment practices,' VETA Director General, Zebadiah Moshi told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Read more:
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/10/10/100132.html

Tuesday 9 October 2007

HIV infection rate drops at Mwadui

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By DAILY NEWS Reporter in Mwanza

HIV infection rate is declining at the Williamson Diamond Mines in Mwadui, Shinyanga region, statistics from the mine indicate.

Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the mine hospital, Dr Wallace Ngwessa, said at the weekend that six out of 100 members of the mining community were currently estimated to be infected with the killer disease as opposed to seven out of 100 last year.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=8981

Saturday 6 October 2007

Geita mine contributes 240

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By TITUS KAGUO

GEITA Gold Mines (GGM) has paid out 200,000 US dollars (about 200 million/-) to Geita District as part of its contribution to local government development in the area as negotiations to improve other parts of the deal between the government and the country’s second largest gold mining firm continues.

GGM Executive Director, Mr Hatibu Senkoro told ‘Daily News’ yesterday that his firm has decided to pay the amount while negotiations are on because the decision reached earlier by other stakeholders to contribute to local government is valid enough and does not require much haggling.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=8949

Thursday 4 October 2007

Mwanza police nab “hard core criminal”

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
DAILY NEWS Reporter in Mwanza

POLICE are holding an alleged hard-core criminal, according to the Regional Police Commander, Mr Zelothe Stephen.

The suspected bandit, Ayoub John alias Ryoba (44), was caught with a pistol -- Browning -- with serial number 'A' 3623 which he was illegally possessing.

The pistol was loaded with four rounds of ammunition when it was impounded around 10 am at Mabatini Post 'A' on Monday, he said.

"Ryoba kept misleading police officers during an interrogation claiming that he hailed from Orega in Tarime district, Mara region, and at times that he hailed from Kigoma region.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=8937

Fish soup vs AIDS pandemic joke will annihilate us

From IPP Media, Dar es Salaam
By Chris Joe

I was amused last weekend when I read in one of the local Kiswahili newspapers about the people of Ukerewe in Mwanza region telling the Prime Minister Edward Lowassa that the cause of fast spreading HIV and AIDS in the district was fish, or rather, the consumption of fish and fish soup.

Yes, it sounds funny and you can even laugh at it as the biggest joke. You can describe it as the lamest excuse of the century to justify the irresponsible habit of indulging in wanton and unsafe sex for the people of the district.

You may think (and I also think so too), that these people in the Ukerewe archipelago are not serious about fighting the AIDS pandemic.

Read more:
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/10/04/99705.html

Govt acts to speed up disposal of cases

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By DAILY NEWS Reporter

THE government is recruiting lawyers to facilitate speedy prosecution of piled up criminal cases in many parts of the country.

Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mary Nagu told the 'Daily News' that at least 150 lawyers were going to be recruited and deployed to Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Shinyanga regions.

"We are at an advanced stage of the exercise," Dr Nagu said, reacting to blame that the judiciary was responsible for delay in disposal of criminal cases.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=8928

Monday 1 October 2007

RC stresses good workmanship

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By PATI MAGUBIRA in Mwanza

MWANZA Regional Commissioner James Msekela has called for good workmanship among workers of the city's water utility firm.

He also directed Mwanza City Council and utility firms officials to meet regularly and exchange notes on cutting down operational costs.

Dr Msekela said he was surprised to learn that executive officers of two major utilities did not know each other until he introduced them to each other.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=8896

Measures planned against exam hoaxers

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By DAILY NEWS Reporter

THE government plans to take stern measures against indiscriminate teachers or individuals embroiled in examination cheatings in primary and secondary schools.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, deputy minister in the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Mr Ludovick Mwananzila said the government won’t tolerate practices that lower education quality.

The minister was giving his reaction to over six primary teachers who were last week reported to have been allegedly caught writing examinations on behalf of candidates during the national Standard Seven examinations in Mwanza and Shinyanga regions.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=8897

Concocted statistics annoy PM

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By ATI MAGUBIRA

THE Prime Minister, Mr Edward Lowassa, has directed the Mwanza Regional Commissioner, Dr James Alex Msekela, to recommend punitive measures against district leaders who cheated him during his weeklong tour of the region.

Mr Lowassa observed while giving a recap of his tour that some of the statistics stipulated in reports of Kwimba, Nyamagana, Magu and Geita districts were concocted apparently to please him.

He gave the Nyamagana District Commissioner, Mr Peter Madaha, a 20-day ultimatum to submit a fresh report to his office after learning that the DC did not collaborate with his experts in preparing the report.

Read more:
http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/page.php?id=8891