Friday 30 July 2010

Activists unhappy with death penalty against albino killers

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Bernard Lugongo

The death sentence slapped on an accused convicted of killing an albino in Mwanza Region has sparked fresh concerns from human rights activists over its validity.

They lashed at the government for maintaining the penalty after the High Court lake zone division had sentenced to death Mr Kazimili Mashauri on Tuesday after finding him guilty of murdering an albino girl.

The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) executive director, Mr Francis Kiwanga, told The Citizen over the phone that the judgement would never reduce their efforts to fight for the abolition of the punishment from the country’s laws.

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Wednesday 28 July 2010

Tanzania to hang blood-drinking killer of albino girl

From Reuters Africa, Dar es Salaam
By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - A man has been sentenced death by hanging for killing a five-year-old albino girl in Tanzania by hacking off her legs with a machete and then drinking her blood, media reported on Wednesday.

The High Court in the northern town of Mwanza on Tuesday convicted 50-year-old Kazimiri Mashauri after hearing he disappeared with the severed limbs and left her to die.

The girl's killing was one of a spate of attacks on the country's estimated 200,000 albinos in the past years, mostly in the remote northwest of the country near Lake Victoria, where superstition runs deep.

Albino hunters kill their victims and harvest their blood and body parts such as hair, genitals and limbs for potions.

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Man to die for killing albino girl

From The Citizen, Dar es Salaam
By Sheilla Sezzy, Mwanza

The High Court sitting in Mwanza yesterday sentenced a man to death for murdering a girl with albinism.

Mr Justice Projest Rugazia said in his judgment that lasted an hour and 11 minutes that the court had been left with no doubt that Kazimili Mashauri committed the offence.

However, the court acquitted Kazimili’s co-accused, Mathias Italanga, for lack of incriminating evidence.

Mr Justice Rugazia said the second prosecution witness had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Mashari murdered five-year-old Mariam Emmanuel. The witness, Nhindi Emmanuel, was sleeping in the same room as the little girl when she was murdered.

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Tuesday 27 July 2010

Motor-cycle accidents: How many handicaps should we make before we take action?

From ThisDay, Dar es Salaam
By Ibrahim Werrema

OUR nation has lately witnessed a surge in the number of motorcycles used as a cheaper and faster means of human transportation in heavy traffic cities like Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and others. The motorcycles are everywhere - in the central business districts and outskirts of these cities. We truly are reducing the double problem of transport and traffic jams marring the prevailing situation. But, unfortunately we’re also creating a more fatal problem in the process.

I am one person who values life and quality of life. A friend of mine who knows my deep love and respect for human life called me last week and told me to watch a local TV programme showing the increased number of emergency cases at the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI).

According to the programme, there are five new motorcycle related causalities every single day at MOI, ranging from minor to highly intensive cases. Some of these cases end up in amputation, after which people are left with no legs or hands and sometimes both hands and legs. Regrettably, we’ve also lost a number of lives through motorcycle accidents. By that figure clearly registered in my mind that there are normally 35 causalities every week, which will at the end of this year bring us to the neighbourhood of 1,820 cases of people turning from physical fitness to handicap. That’s too much a price to pay for an escapable cause as large chunk of the labour force is turned into handicaps and we end up having more street beggars whom we don’t care about.

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Ward leaders go without pay

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By NASHON KENNEDY in Mwanza

SOME local government leaders particularly at ward level here have complained that they have gone for months without salaries.

The complaints were raised at a workshop sponsored by Forum SYD and facilitated by Mwanza Policy Initiative with the aim of educating and empowering local leaders to know their rights and responsibilities.

The workshop was also aimed at enlightening the leaders on their responsibilities as well increase awareness on rules.

Speaking during the four-day workshop on good governance, good leadership and democratic governance, village executives said that they work in a 'very bad situation because they are not paid any salaries.'

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Monday 26 July 2010

Digital TV to cover all regions

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By ANNE ROBI

STAR Media Tanzania Limited has set aside 200 million US dollars (about 300bn/-) on the national digital TV project that will cover all regions by the year 2012, the company's Assistant Managing Director, Ms Lilian Masancha, has said.

Speaking to journalists who toured the plant at the weekend, Ms Masancha said that so far 30 million US dollars (about 45bn/-) has been spent on the project in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Mwanza and Arusha. The project started in January, this year.

Star Media Tanzania is a joint venture with the Tanzania Broadcasting Cooperation (TBC) established by Star Communication Network Technologies as a digital TV service Provider.

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Sunday 25 July 2010

Mwanza to host the 5th East Africa Trade fair

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By NASHON KENNEDY in Mwanza

MORE than 300,000 exhibitors will take part in the 5th East African Trade fair, to be held here from August 27 to September 5. The trade fair, whose theme this year is 'Enhancing Export Trade within East African Member States', will be held at the Sabasaba Grounds.

The Chairman of Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA), Mwanza Region, Mr Joseph Kahungwa, told reporters here on Saturday that the fair is aimed at providing an opportunity to companies in the region to enhance their brand and corporate image.

He said the fair will be advantageous to Mwanza Region as it is expected to provide more opportunities to the business community to consolidate and strengthen their distribution network and enable the rest of East Africa to tap the vast trade potential of Lake Zone region as "the best available market and investment area with its excellent strategic location in East Africa’’.

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Saturday 24 July 2010

Sumatra to create rules on operations for ports

From The Citizen, Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Moses Matthew, Mwanza

Due to the Ports inefficiency in rendering transport services in the country, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority has for another time summon a meeting to stakeholders consultations on draft on licensing of port terminal operators regulations.

In order to fulfil the stated objectives, SUMATRA as regulatory appendage in the country for surface and marine Transport, needs the authority to establish standards and subsequently monitor the performance of regulated goods and services.

In this regards, the meeting was conducted publicly to collect views from stakeholders on Draft Regulations for Port terminal operations licence in Mwanza city aiming at pretty Transport sub-sector business across the country, so as to improve transport goods and services.

The SUMATRA Director General, Mr. Israel Sekirasa tinted that, it is for the same reason that SUMATRA conducted the first meeting on the Draft regulations at Karimjee Hall in Dar es Salaam on June 25, 2010 and therefore last week in Mwanza for the same purpose.

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Saturday 17 July 2010

Suma JKT hands over two storey teachers’ building

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Jane Kajoki, Mwanza

The economic wing of the National Service (Suma JKT) has handed over a two storey building it had been contracted to construct by the Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU) in Mwanza Region.

Until its completion, the building had spent Sh350 million, information obtained here yesterday said.

The building is one of the four offices that Suma JKT constructed for TTU in the lake zone regions.

The TTU national president, Mr Gratian Mukoba, received the block on behalf of the union.

Speaking during the handing over ceremony, the Suma JKT executive director, Col Ayubu Makang’ata, said other TTU buildings have been constructed in Mara, Shinyanga and Kagera regions.

He said the offices had not used a huge amount of money because Suma JKT was a government entity whose activities are service oriented.

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BSS back, much smaller ‘but better’

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Jessica Nangawe

After a long wait and uncertainty, reality TV show Bongo Star Search (BSS) season 4 will finally be held, organisers announced this week.

Speaking at a news conference this week, the director of Benchmark Productions Rita Paulsen, said they had to weigh out several issues before they could hold the auditions.

Unlike the last season where 10 regions participated in the talent search show, this time around the regions have been reduced to only four.

“After looking at several pertinent issues we decided to hold auditions in only four regions this year,” she said.

She named the regions as Arusha, Dodoma, Mwanza and Dar es Salaam.

“We expect this season’s show to be better than any other that we have held in the past four occasions in terms of production, and even the prizes,” said Rita Paulsen without going into the details of the prizes.

Last year’s winner took home Sh25 million plus a recording deal.

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Monday 12 July 2010

Tan Trade eyes Mwanza for another trade solo

From The Guardian on Sunday, Dar es Salaam
By Guardian on Sunday Correspondent

After kidnapping Kham Kakama, Godwin Tumusime called the baby’s father Sven Karikaho and demanded for a ransom of Sh1m through mobile phone money transfer. It turns out that this is a growing trend in East Africa, which has particularly rocked the Kenyan capital Nairobi in recent weeks.

Typically, the kidnappers take a person hostage and then demand for ransom money through the mobile phone money transfer system, which makes it easy for them to evade arrest.

Three weeks ago the Kenyan police unearthed a gang that had kidnapped and killed a three-year-old boy and then took ransom money from the father, who was unaware that his son was dead.

One of them had received the money through mobile phone money transfer, and was tracked down through his phone number. A watchman alleged to be one of the criminals led police to the bush where the body was found.

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Sunday 11 July 2010

Traditional birth attendants blamed for maternal deaths

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By ABDULWAKIL SAIBOKO

TRADITIONAL birth attendants in Mwanza Region are responsible for over 30 per cent of maternal deaths, the Regional Medical Officer, Dr Meshack Massi has said.

Dr Massi told the 'Daily News' over the weekend that over 200 women die every year due to pregnancy complications, 30 per cent of which are caused by infections contracted from traditional birth attendants.

''We are not against the traditional midwives. However, most of them shy away from training. As a result they have caused more harm to pregnant women as they lack skills on proper hygiene,'' he said.

Read full story >> - click here

Mob lynches 4 in Geita for highway banditry

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By LUDOVICK KAZOKA

AN irate mob have lynched 4 people for allegedly carjacking passenger vehicles and robbing them of their luggages at Ibanda Village in Geita District, Mwanza Region on Thursday evening.

The Mwanza Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Simon Siro confirmed the incident to the 'Daily News' on Saturday, saying the suspects were killed after they were alleged to have hijacked three lorries with goods on the same day.

“The suspects are alleged to have robbed the drivers of the three lorries of cash and other valuables . The suspects are also alleged to have ordered the drivers to leave their vehicles with them (the suspects) ,” the RPC said.

Read full story >> - click here.

Saturday 10 July 2010

US envoy donates HIV care, treatment facility to Bugando

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Beldina Nyakeke

The US Embassy yesterday launched a modern HIV/Aids Care facility with the capacity of providing care and treatment to over 3,000,000 people living with HIV and Aids (PLWHA) at Weil Bugando Medical Center (WBMC) in Mwanza City.

The embassy also donated a vehicle, which will be used for providing HIV and Aids support services throughout the Mwanza region.

The facilities were handed over during a ceremony attended by the US ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Alfonso Lenhardt, and the minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof David Mwakyusa.

The care and treatment center was funded through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar), according to the US ambassador. The envoy said the support intended to provide PLWHA with an access to sustainable care and treatment services.

Read full story >> - click here.

Monday 5 July 2010

Police on top of abuse list

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By The Citizen Reporter

Records from the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRGG) indicate that the police is the leading government institution on human rights violations for the past eight years.

The CHRGG director for Research and Documentation, Ms Epiphania Mfundo, said yesterday that out of 1,265 human rights violation complaints reported by people to the commission since it came into force in 2002, 80 per cent of them involved the police force.

“Most of the complaints were about police delays in investigating cases and cooking of cases,” she said when making clarifications at a news conference at the CHRGG headquarters at Haki House in Dar es Salaam.

Ms Mfundo named Dar es Salaam as the leading region with more cases of human rights violations by the police, followed by Mwanza, Tanga, Tabora, Kilimanjaro, Kagera and Mara regions.

Read more >> - click here.

Saccos fail to repay ‘JK billions’ loans

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Jane Kajoki, Mwanza

Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Saccos) in Mwanza are yet to repay a total of Sh200-million loan, issued by the government through its citizens’ economic empowerment initiative, it has been learnt.

The loans, popularly known as ‘JK billions’, saw in its second phase, 12 Mwanza-based Saccos in Misungwi and Kwimba districts receiving a total of Sh227 million, but until yesterday, only Sh15 million has been repaid.

The loans, which were disbursed in September last year as part of the initiative during the 2009/2010 financial year, were supposed to have been re-paid within six months.

Speaking to journalists in Mwanza yesterday, the Savings and Credit Co-operatives Union League (Sccult) manager for Mwanza Region, Mr Mathias Malagu, said attributed the difficulties in repaying the loans to mind set of and poor understandings by the people.

Read full story >> - click here.

Saturday 3 July 2010

Sh103bn set aside for rural power projects

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Alvar Mwakyusa, Dodoma

The government will spend Sh103 billion on the implementation of rural electrification projects in 16 regions of Tanzania Mainland, Parliament was told yesterday.

The minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr William Ngeleja, said the regions to benefit from the funding would include Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Tanga, Mwanza, Mara, Coast and Morogoro.

Others are Dodoma, Singida, Mbeya, Rukwa, Tabora, Kigoma, Kagera and Shinyanga.

Mr Ngeleja was presenting the government’s report on new power projects to be implemented through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and other development partners.

Read full story >> - click here.