Mission Fund event at Bay Street Complex

From Independent Online, Malta

The Mission Fund group will be organising a weekend of activities at the Bay Street complex today and tomorrow.

This activity is going to start at 10am till 9pm. on both days. Today there is going to be some entertainment between 7pm and 9pm and tomorrow between 3pm and 6pm.

This year Mission Fund is going to work on some projects in Tanzania. There are two Maltese Missionaries there, Sr Domenica Ciliberti, based in Mwanza, where she works in a clinic which cares for 400 persons who are AIDS afflicted, and Sr Maria Borda, who is also a doctor and is responsible of a 170-bed hospital in Singida.

The Mission Fund plans to furnish Sr Domenica’s clinic; continue the work on the school which was started in the summer of 2008 by this same group; build a centre for homeless children; do maintenance work at the hospital of Sr Maria Borda and also some work at the lepers’ village which houses young children and adults.

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Lake Victoria Mining Company Reports Drill Progress at Geita Gold Project

From CNNMoney, United States

Lake Victoria Mining Company (OTCBB: LVCA) is pleased to provide an up date on drilling progress at its Geita Gold Project in northern Tanzania, about 80 kilometers west of the city of Mwanza.

Exploration Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling started on January 29th and to date three major target locations have been tested; and two drill site locations have been selected for additional follow up infill drill holes. At least five major target locations exist on the property, and the drill program is proceeding systematically to test those targets; the fourth target is scheduled for testing next week.

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TCA to organize Twenty20 tourney

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Suleiman Jongo

After the successful establishment of the Muhimbili Cricket Academy some years ago, the Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA), has decided to organise an inaugural inter-regional Twenty/20 tournament to be held from March 7 to 9.

An official with the association, Kazim Nasser, said yesterday that the aim of the event is to promote the sport in upcountry regions and to scout for new talents.

"We need to scout for young talents who will later be groomed for their excellence in local and international ICC events," said Nasser.

He named regions whose teams will compete in the three-day 20-over tournament as Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Mwanza, Arusha, Tanga and Zanzibar.

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TRL introduces another services on Central Line

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Victor Karega

The Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL) will next month introduce an additional express train service using third class (seating) passenger coaches on the central line to ease overcrowding.

A statement issued by the company yesterday said the new service from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma, would start on March 1.

The new service is intended to increase efficiency, according to a statement signed by TRL managing director Hundilal Chaudhary.

He said the service would be followed by improved punctuality, maintainability and cleanliness of the rolling stock.

According to him, the introduction of two express passenger-service to Mwanza on Saturdays and to Kigoma on Wednesdays early this month, has proved very successful in terms of punctuality and comfort of passengers.

The company's management has called on the traveling public to desist from vandalising the newly introduced third class sleeper coaches.

Since it started its operations in 2007, TRL has been marred by industrial disputes which disrupted its operations.

RC plans vote on albino killers

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Faida Muyomba, Mwanza

Preparations for a secret ballot to identify criminals linked with albino killings and elderly women, are in final stages, Mwanza regional commissioner, Dr James Msekela, has said.

Dr Msekela called on residents in the region to turn out in numbers for the ballot exercise slated for Thursday next week.

The regional commissioner made the remarks at the weekend while chairing a meeting of the regional Committee on Security and Safety, which dwelt on various issues including on-going killings of the melanin deficient persons facing the Lake Zone regions.

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Magereza, JKT set for handball tourneys

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Suleiman Jongo

Tanzanian handball giants, Magereza and JKT will represent Tanzania in continental tournaments scheduled for August.

Both teams booked their places for the forthcoming international events after finishing tops at the recently ended tourney held in Mwanza.

Magereza will represent the country in men's tourneys after defeating the former champions, JKT and Ngome, while JKT women managed to retain the title.

Nicholaus Mihayo, Tanzania Amateur Handball Association secretary said the two teams will compete in the Commonwealth games slated for Nairobi, Kenya, next month.

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Tanzania illegal healers arrested

From BBC World News, London, UK

Three traditional healers in northern Tanzania have been arrested for defying a government ban issued last month.

It was meant to stop killings of people with albinism for ritual medicine.

Their arrest follows charges against a pastor, who was allegedly found in south-western Tanzania in possession of the body parts of an albino.

The BBC's Vicky Ntetema in Dar es Salaam says this case is blow to people with albinism, some of whom have been seeking refugee in churches.

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2009 BASKETBALL CLUBS TOURNEY: Mwanza confirmed as hosts

From ThisDay, Dar es Salaam
By JAPHETH KAZENGA

MWANZA will host this year’s national basketball clubs championship in April, THISDAY can reveal.

Mwanza Regional Basketball Association (MRBA) acting secretary general Kizito Bahati confirmed over the phone from Mwanza yesterday that the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) has given them the green-light to host the tournament.

He also said preparations for the eagerly awaited championship have already begun.

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Rwanda: EALA Report Decries TZ Mining Sector

From AllAfrica.com
By Gashegu Muramira in Arusha

Kigali - A report by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) shows that Tanzania's mining sector lacks a functional regulatory system that should benefit its local communities and not just mining companies.

The report tabled before the assembly yesterday, was compiled by the committee on agriculture, tourism, and natural resources who conducted a site tour of Tanzania's extractive industries.

"We went to Mwanza, and Shyinyanga, to visit the gold mines. We saw that there is clear lack of transparency and according to the people we met, there is need to look into the contracts and review them to address these issues of benefit," the committee chairperson George Francis Nangale (Tanzania) said.

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Two held for albino murder

From News24, Cape Town, South Africa

Dar Es Salaam - Tanzanian police arrested two people suspected of killing a teenage albino girl this week in the country's northern Mwanza region, an official said on Friday.

Among the suspects was the father of the 14-year-old girl killed on Wednesday night when five attackers stormed her room, murdered her and chopped off her legs, said a police commissioner in the region Almasi Palangyo.

Mwanza, on the shores of Lake Victoria, is notorious for albino killings.

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Mobile phone billboards cleared

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Patty Magubira, Mwanza

Advertisements of the cellular phone network operator, Tigo, which were last week pulled down for being erected without the Mwanza City permission, have been re-erected along the city roads, it has been learnt.

A letter signed by the city engineer whose copy was availed to The Citizen here yesterday, indicate that the advertisements were now allowed to be erected along seven city centre roads namely Rufiji, Uhuru, Rwagasore, Lumumba, Market, Bugando and Saut.

Tigo, according to the letter, has been allowed to erect the advertisements after bowing to a demand of maintaining Rock Beach Garden established by a fish processing plant, Vic Fish Limited.

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Police impound six trucks carrying cyanide

From ThisDay, Dar es Salaam
By ThisDay Reporter

SIX trucks belonging to a French-based SDV International Logistics, loaded with deadly sodium cyanide, destined for Resolute Golden Pride mines in Nzega District, Mwanza Region that were impounded last month, are still under police detention at Chalinze in Bagamoyo District.

The trucks were apparently travelling to Mwanza without police escort as required by law and the transport company has no international clearance to handle such kind of deadly chemical.

Sources told THISDAY that police stopped the delivery of the consignment at the end of last January basing on normal traffic regulations violations. The sources said the six trucks were travelling without the compulsory police escort while investigations have also established that Chief Government Chemist, Dr Ernest Mashimba, issued a permit to Golden Pride, the consignment owner, and not to the transporter as required by law.

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Mwanza workers sue union over salaries

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Patty Magubira, Mwanza

The Tanzania Plantations and Agricultural Workers Union (TPAWU) have sued Nyanza Cooperative Union (NCU) at the Commission for Mediation and Arbitration (CMA) for failure to pay a decade's salaries to its workers.

NCU owes its workers Sh1.2 billion in outstanding salaries. Two cases had been filed at the commission, one involving 160 union workers and another involving 15 other workers of the same, a CMA official, who is presiding over both cases, Mwanaidi Mmbaga, confirmed.

Mmbaga said NCU management has been served with one summons for the first case, but failed to appear at the commission on February 10, this year, and that another summons for the second case required the union management to appear at the commission on March 2, this year.

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Albino man flees to Iringa from Mwanza fearing for his life

From IPPMedia, Dar es Salaam
By Friday Simbaya, Iringa

A man with albinism has run away from Mwanza to Iringa region for fear of his life due to rampant killings of albinos in the Lake Zone, it has been learnt.

Lazaro Lazaro, who is an albino, told 'The Guardian' on Sunday that he ran away from Mwanza after realizing that his life was in danger due to the ongoing inhuman killings of albinos.

He said many of his friends had been killed, which made him take flight to Iringa Region where he felt resoanably safe because there were no incidents of albino killings yet.

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Mystery still surrounds pair's killing

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Patty Magubira, Mwanza

Mystery still surrounds the suspected murder of a detective and council driver who were shot dead two weeks ago while reportedly returning from investigating a murder case at a village in Geita District.

Sergeant Zakari Mayingu and district council driver Abdul Mussa were found dead at the Geita Gold Mine airstrip, Mwanza regional police commander Jamal Rwambow said.

Two local militiamen were arrested in connection with the detective and driver's murder but the real motive for the crime is not yet clear.

Mr Rwambow said the motive for the murder could be anger among local criminals who had not been happy with the detective.

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Albinos receive Sh1.5m sewing machines

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Frederick Katulanda, Mwanza

The Mwanza City Council has donated nine sewing machines worth Sh1.5 million to albinos in Mwanza Region. The donation was handed over to the Tanzania Albinos Society (TAS).

The society's regional chairman, Mr Alfred Kapole received the donation yesterday on behalf of the beneficiaries. Council public relations officer Joseph Mlinzi said the donation was aimed at creating self-employment opportunities for albinos.

Mr Mlinzi said the city council sympathised with albinos who have been victims of witchcraft-associated killings in the region.

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Police dispatches team to investigate albino killings

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Mkinga Mkinga

The police force has dispatched a team of intelligence officers to the Lake Zone regions as part of Interpol's coordinated mission to tackle albino killings.

The intelligence will be looking for information over several weeks, according to sources familiar with the investigations.

The sources said about nine senior officials from various departments led by the police intelligence unit had already been dispatched to the area to undertake the task.

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Northern Zone nears HIV/Aids free zone

From IPPMedia, Dar es Salaam
By Adam Ihucha

The latest figures from the Tanzania Commission of Aids (Tacaids) show that HIV prevalence has fallen throughout the country and significantly in the northern highlands over the last five years, but the rate of infection has gone up, and in one case more than doubled, in Mara, Shinyanga and Iringa regions.

The rate of HIV infection fell most dramatically in Kilimanjaro region, where 7.3 percent of people were infected in 2003-04 and only 1.9 percent infected in 2007-08.

The prevalence of the virus also dropped in the northern regions of Arusha and Manyara, though less precipitously.

In Arusha, HIV prevalence dropped from 5.3 percent to 2.0 percent over the five years, and in Manyara it dropped from 1.6 percent to 1.5 percent.

Other notable declines include Mtwara region, where the rate dropped from 7.4 percent to 3.6 percent, and Mwanza region, where it fell from 7.2 percent to 5.6 percent.

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Forgery case against MP for mention on Tuesday

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Frederick Katulanda, Mwanza

A forgery case involving Sumve MP (CCM) Richard Ndassa will come for first mention before Judge Josephat Mackanja next Tuesday.

The case was filed five years ago at the High Court in Mwanza. In case number 3/2004, Ndassa is charged with forging documents purporting to show that he had legally bought a house at Rwagasore Street Plot, Number 200 Block U from the late William Sogoni Busigasolwe.

The MP is accused of writing a fake sale agreement for the property at Sh1.5 million on June 2, 1998.

Speaking on behalf of the family, the son of late Busigasolwe, Mr Emmanuel, pleaded for the court to expedite the hearing and duly deliver the judgement.

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Authorities destroy illegal fishing gear

From IPPMedia, Dar es Salaam
By Edwin Agola in Mwanza

Marine and regular police this week impounded 45 beach seine nets and other illegal fishing gear on Bezi Island in Ilemela district, Mwanza Region in the ongoing Operation Safisha na Linda Ziwa Victoria.

Fishery officers and Beach Management Unit (BMUs) also took part in the operation, which aims to maintain zero tolerance to "all forms of illegalities in the fishing sector" according to Angelus Mahatane, officer-in-charge of monitoring, control and surveillance unit.

Bezi Island, situated about 25 nautical miles from Mwanza, is notorious for illegal fishing practices.

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Police to reward informers on albino killings

From IPPMedia, Dar es Salaam
By Edwin Agola in Mwanza

The Inspector-General of Police Said Mwema said yesterday that the Police Force has set aside 20m/- to reward people who will volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of people behind albino killings.

Speaking with police officers here, Mwema said he would deploy a special team comprising of experts from all fields to areas prone to crimes.

He refuted claims that some of his men were committing crimes on the pretext that they were working under harsh working condition.

"Two wrongs don`t make a right," said Mwema, adding that those who associate themselves with corruption would be rooted out from the force.

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Dental care in Africa

From Stornoway Gazatte, Stornoway, Scotland, UK

IMAGINE suffering with the toothache for weeks or months on end and then perhaps having to walk for days before you can receive dental treatment. For many in Tanzania this is the reality of trying to get dental care.

In May three members of the NHS Dental Clinic at Bayhead, Stornoway, will be spending some of their annual leave taking part in the Bridge2Aid Dental Volunteer Programme in Tanzania, which aims to give much needed dental treatment to the population.

The programme is a UK registered charity based in the Mwanza region of North West Tanzania and works closely with the Tanzanian Government to deliver aspects of their dental strategy.

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Ultraviolets, ultraviolence: double threat for Tanzania's albinos

From AFP, Paris, France

When he walks down a street in northern Tanzania, Alfred Kapole knows that his legs, arms, skin, tongue and hair are worth thousands of dollars to local witch doctors.

As an albino, he used to have to hide from the sun but now he is also being hunted as an ingredient for "lucky potions" to make people rich, a macabre trade for which more than 40 albinos have been slaughtered over the past year.

"Once we were walking down the street, with the albino society's secretary and treasurer, heading to the hospital for a check-up and some builders started yelling 'Deal! Deal!'" said Kapole.

The chairman of the Tanzania Albino Society in the Mwanza region said the men were arrested but a court later let them off, arguing that it could not be established whether they were guilty of abuse.

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Employment centres to be opened upcountry

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By Dailynews Reporter

The Deputy Minister for Labour, Employment and Youth Development, Makongoro Mahanga, has said that plans were underway to open up employment centres in Arusha, Mbeya and Dodoma, to enable more Tanzanians get jobs.

This will bring to five the number of such centres in the country. Those operating currently are in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza regions. Answering Ms Mkiwa Adam Kimwanga (Women - CUF), Mr Makongoro said more centres will be opened in phases once funds were available.

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Central Line to have two more services

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Damas Kanyabwoya

The Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL) will introduce more passenger services in the Central Line.

A TRL management notice to the public in Dar es Salaam yesterday showed that two additional express passenger services from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma and Mwanza would start on February 7.

The services will involve third class sleeper coaches which have been acquired recently. "These trains will also reduce the travel time each way by four hours," read part of the notice.

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JK moves to reassure albinos

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Patty Magubira in Mwanza


President Jakaya Kikwete has called for cooperation from people in Mwanza Region to curb albino killings saying the Government "will not retreat" in its war against the killers.

In his message to albinos in the region, the President said he was "deeply concerned" about the witchcraft-associated killings of both albinos and elderly people in the country.

More than 60 albinos and sympathisers in Mwanza demonstrated in support of Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda's recent tough stance against albino killers.

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Finn’s Facts: Pinda is a caring premier concerned by the plight of albinos

From This Day, Dar es Salaam
By FINNIGAN WA SIMBEYE

IN a statement, Canadian founder and director of Under the Same Sun, Peter Ash, wrote: ’’We are being hunted like animals ’’please help us!!’’ In his statement, Mr Ash warned that archaic beliefs by some people in the Lake Victoria region is endangering survival of some 170,000 people with albinism in the country.

Ash, himself an albino, described the reception accorded his delegation which visited Mwanza and other lake regions where albino killings are rampant on a fact finding tour last year, as hostile. ’’Deal, deal’’! They shouted at the delegation which included people with albinism from the United States, South Africa and hosts Tanzania.

Prime Minister Mizengo Kayanza Pinda on Thursday last week defended his statement that albino and elderly women murderers who are caught red handed should be lynched. Mr Pinda, who is a lawyer by profession, stirred a controversy which prompted the official opposition in Parliament to demand his resignation.

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Man killed after police ignore threats

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Patty Magubira in Mwanza

Police are interrogating a Village Executive Officer and an in charge of a police post in Geita District allegedly for ignoring death threats ahead of a murder.

Despite reporting to the relevant authorities that his life was under threat, one Juma Luyengela, 38, was ignored and eventually hacked to death by unknown people The ill-fated resident of Ikangala village at Kalumwa area in Geita district was killed around 8:00pm during the Christmas eve.

Mwanza Regional Police Commander, Jamal Rwambow, said Luyengeja was informed beforehand that he would be killed on the day, compelling him to report his fate to Kalumwa Police Post.

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Leather exports down 45 percent

From IPPMedia, Dar es Salaam
By Edwin Agola

The country`s leather industry faces serious challenges and may need government intervention as the global financial crunch has forced export orders down 45 percent on the world market.

Chairman of the Leather Association of Tanzania, Elbariki Mmari told The Guardian on Sunday in Mwanza this week that exporters of raw hides and skins in the country are feeling the pinch of the global economic turmoil as export orders for the commodity have dropped to 30 percent from 75 percent six months ago.

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Albinos rally behind Premier on killings

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam

By Sunday Citizen Reporters

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda's increasingly candid and emotive crusade against the ritual killings of albinos received a boost yesterday, with the announcement of a demonstration in the lakeside town of Mwanza in his support.

A group of albinos in the Lake Zone, which has been the epicentre of numerous brutal attacks on people suffering from the skin condition by crooks sent by witchdoctors to harvest their body parts, said they would demonstrate tomorrow to endorse Mr Pinda's stand against the killings.

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