Tuesday 31 December 2013

Social disputes, killings taint Lake Zone image in 2013

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By  Miguel Suleyman

Despite 2013 being a banner year for infrastructure and energy sectors in the Lake Zone, the major life-saving projects were largely camouflaged by widely reported killings and social disputes.

Serial killings that plagued the zone this year, including the recent murder of former CCM chairman Mr Clement Mabina, and five people who were torched to death in Geita, have been the most high-profile murders recorded recently.

The killings, however, don’t shadow disputes over slaughtering rights and killings on witchcraft beliefs which heralded major events that stained human rights records across the Lake Zone. The killings which were reported in Simiyu, Mara, Geita and parts of Mwanza region alarmed the authorities, including the Inspector General of Police Saidi Mwema, who reacted by ordering district security committees to intervene by recruiting people who would provide public awareness on the legal and social impact of the killings.

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Friday 27 December 2013

Makamba challenges local clerics to groom better future leaders

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

Mwanza. The deputy minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Mr January Makamba, has appealed to clerics in Lake Zone regions to take a leading role in grooming future leaders of the country.

Speaking at a Christmas dinner party hosted by the Great Lake Zone Entertainment here, Mr Makamba said that clerics could contribute immensely to grooming future leaders by giving them vital teachings which prepare them to serve their families, neighbours and other people better and with commitment.

With over 200 deacons, bishops and priests from six regions of the Lake Zone, Mr Makamba, quoted several verses from the Bible describing the kind of leaders who can serve Tanzania, which, in the recent years saw voluminous cases of riots, injustice, brutal killings and corruption and sex scandals.

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Thursday 26 December 2013

Construction of 71km road on target, says contractor

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By  Melard Karoza

The construction work of a road that connects Shinyanga and Mara regions via the newly promoted Simiyu Region was proceeding on schedule with over 50 per cent reportedly finished.

The 71-kilometre portion of 175-kilometre road that starts at Mwigumbi in Shinyanga, connecting with Mwanza-Musoma highway, has over a half being completed by this month.

The project was scheduled to be completed early next year.

The rainy season, which lasted for three months in the entire Lake Zone region, didn’t affect much the construction progress despite causing damage to some parts of the road, noted the project manager, Mr Wang Lizhi, whose China Communications Construction Company is implementing the project.

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Thursday 19 December 2013

ATCL resumes flights to Burundi

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Ludger Kasumuni

Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has re-launched its Dar es Salaam-Bujumbura flights after suspending the services for almost 20 years. The route - which will be served thrice a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays - has resumed after security in Burundi returned to normal.

The airline has also introduced Dar-Mbeya route which is scheduled for four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The national flag carrier has also resumed Dar-Mwanza daily flights which started on Sunday.

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Wednesday 18 December 2013

Burial of former CCM chairman set for tomorrow

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Miguel Suleyman

The burial of the late CCM chairman and Kisesa Ward councillor, Mr Clement Mabina, will be held tomorrow at Kanyama Hill.

Mabina, who was the CCM Mwanza chairman until October 2012, was killed by a mob at Kanyama Hill in Kisesa Ward on Sunday, about 10 kilometres East of Mwanza City. Family spokesman Timothy Gregory told The Citizen yesterday that burial arrangements, slated for Thursday, were on course.

“Some of the key members of the family who were outside the country have arrived, including his daughter,” said the family spokesman.

Read full story.

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Tuesday 17 December 2013

7 arrested over killing of former CCM chairman

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Miguel Suleyman

Police are holding seven people in connection with the killing of the former CCM Mwanza chairman and
Kisesa Ward Councillor, Mr Clement Mabina.

The arrest of suspects brought panic in Kisesa and Kanyama areas where the Mabina was killed on Sunday by an angry mob allegedly because of a land dispute.

Mwanza Regional Police Commander Valentino Mulowola, however, declined to name the suspects, pointing out that divulging their identities could disrupt ongoing investigations that sought to expose the actual killers and the motive behind their action.

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Monday 16 December 2013

Ex-CCM boss killed by mob

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Miguel Suleyman

The immediate former CCM regional chairman and Kisesa Ward Councillor, Clement Mabina (pictured), died yesterday after he was attacked by angry residents in a land dispute, the Police and the ruling party authorities have confirmed.

Mabina, who was recently ousted by Anthony Diallo in a vote for regional party chair by was killed in the afternoon by furious crowd in a revenge attack following the death of a city resident the former chairman allegedly shot dead at a farmland in Kisesa, a suburb about 10km east of the Mwanza City.

Mwanza acting regional police commander Christopher Fuime confirmed the incident, saying police were deployed to the village after the fatal attack on Mabina. “Preliminary reports indicate that there was a misunderstanding, prompting Mr Mabina to open fire in the air to threaten the irate villagers,” he said.

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Saturday 14 December 2013

Govt faults district on Nyamagana renovation

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

Delay by Nyamagana District to react to a project proposal forwarded by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), is the main hindrance to plans of upgrading the Nyamagana Stadium in Mwanza.

The Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports said here yesterday that some $618,000 is needed to upgrade the stadium located in the centre of Mwanza City.

Elaborating, the ministry noted that the International Football Federation (Fifa) has agreed to provide $500,000 whereby Nyamagana Municipality is supposed to come up with $118,000 in order to fully finance the project.

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Wednesday 11 December 2013

Police search for rapist of 11-yr-old girl

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Jackline Masinde

Police in Mwanza have mounted a hunt for a Mwatulole villager (name withheld) for allegedly defiling an 11-year-old pupil on Friday night.

The Standard Three pupil (name withheld), who studies at one of the primary schools in Mwatulole Village was defiled by the man while asleep in her room.

The suspect was arrested after the victim’s father, Moses Cheketela, reported the matter to law enforcers. However, he managed to escape from custody while being taken to a nearby police station.

The victim, who has been admitted to Geita regional hospital, said her father was away when the man tiptoed into her half-closed room, grabbed and defiled her.

Read full story .

Sunday 8 December 2013

Students crack their heads to survive on campus

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Edward Qorro

Students and staff at St Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) in Mwanza have always held the name Zion dear to their hearts.

At Zion, there is a secretarial bureau and a restaurant where both students and staff frequent to have their daily meals.

Twenty three-year-old Noel Shirima, a third-year Public Relations in Marketing student is the brain behind the two ventures.

Before he joined the university, Shirima had no idea he would one day be a successful entrepreneur. However, circumstances compelled him to scratch his head and think of a way that could help him make money to solve his financial problems.

“At one point I nearly got de-registered by the university administration for lack of tuition fee. The only solution to my problem was to start up a business on campus,”
says Shirima.

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Tuesday 3 December 2013

Teaching now top choice for Saut students

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Miguel Suleyman

Mwanza. Teaching has now become an exciting career as evidenced in the 15th graduation of St Augustine University of Tanzania (Saut) where 30 per cent of the graduates attained a degree in education.

During the colourful ceremony at the Lake Zone’s biggest learning institution, 1,134 students out of all 3,963 graduates, attained Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in education.

“With private schools and universities trying to live up to the standards in terms of packages and attractive environment, the teaching profession seems to have a bright future in Tanzania and would remain the most secure job provider for a long time,” said Mr Iman Lwinga, one of the graduates.

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Sunday 1 December 2013

Roaring win for Mwanza flour mill in Top 100 poll

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Ludger Kasumuni
 
Mwanza-based Kipipa Millers is the overall winner of the 2013/14 survey of Top 100 Mid-Sized Companies carried out by KPMG in collaboration with Mwananchi Communications Limited, NBC Bank and the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE).

With five years’ business experience in milling cereals, Kipipa was cited for demonstrating robust business growth from a starting capital of Sh1.5 million in 2008 to sales turnover of over Sh5 billion and caters for Mwanza residents and Tanzania Breweries Ltd (TBL).

The minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Abdallah Kigoda, said the project plays a vital role in nurturing an entrepreneurship culture based on strong partnerships between the private and public sectors.

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