Major housing project underway in regions

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By Daily News reporter

A DREAM by the majority of lowly paid public servants to own modern and durable homes is set to be realised soon following a move by Watumishi Housing Company (WHC) to launch a construction drive of 800 houses in four regions.

The move by WHC is a fulfilment of a promise made by the fourth phase government under retired president Jakaya Kikwete for the government to seek a lasting solution to the lack of descent houses by civil servants.

Speaking to the press in Dar es Salaam, WHC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Fred Msemwa named the regions with the housing units in brackets as Tanga at Pongwe area (40), Mwanza at Kisesa Township (56) and Dar es Salaam which will receive the bulk of the houses to be built in Kigamboni (400), Bunju (190) and Magomeni Usalama (104). According to the WHC Chief Executive Officer, the Magomeni Usalama project is set to build two flat buildings with 15 floors each.

The buildings to be built right at the heart of a historical part of Dar es Salaam in which it used to be the home for a good number of mid-ranking civil servants of independent Tanzania Mainland (Tanganyika) is set to change once and forever the area’s scenery.

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Mwanza City urged to elect capable, educated mayor

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

THE newly-elected councillors in Mwanza Region have been urged to ensure that they elect a mayor who is graft-free, educated and impartial and one who will take the city to the next level.

Speaking at different occasions here, Mwanza residents pointed out that due to the rapid growth of the city and the huge economic activities conducted by both local and international investors, the city needs a competent mayor.

“The reputation of the councillor who should be elected as mayor of the city is that he or she must first have sufficient knowledge to question and oversee the revenue and expenditure of the city”, said Mr Robert Masunya, a Mwanza resident.

According to Mr Masunya, the new Mwanza Mayor must be able to interpret various policies, rules operating state authorities and not depend on the old requirement of one just knowing how to read and write.

“That is not applicable in the current environment, perhaps it may be used on councils in small towns and in rural areas”, he said.

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Mwanza city roads need urgent repairs

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By PIUS RUGONZIBWA in Mwanza

THE Mwanza City Council (MCC), is seeking 822m/- for the rehabilitation of the badly damaged road infrastructure caused by heavy rains that poured in early November this year.

In a letter written to the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Prime Minister’s Office in respect of the matter, the amount is urgently sought to return roads and bridges in their normal order to allow transportation of people and goods as it was the case before.

“Various roads in the city have been badly dilapidated to the point that it is making hard for the public transport to operate and this is mainly caused by the geographical position of the city which is surrounded by the hills,” read part of the letter that was made available to the ‘Daily News’ as signed by the Acting City Director, Mr Jeremiah Mahinya.

Many of the affected are unpaved roads interconnecting the hills surrounding the Lake side City involving damaged culverts and drainage systems. The most damaged part of the City that needs urgent renovation includes the Isamilo-Jeshini road, Mkuyuni-Tambukareli and Maina-Nyakato road and Igoma-Kishiri-Fumagila road.

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Meeting seeks to end Mwanza land conflicts

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

ILEMELA Municipality has been called upon to find lasting solutions to land-related disputes among Bugenda, Monze 'A' & 'B' and Nyamwilolelwa residents that arose from unplanned settlements.

The call was made by the Tanzania Home Economics Association (TAHEA) Project Manager (Improving Rural Housing), Mr Musa Masongo, here at the weekend, when he was giving an evaluation of land conflicts in the Municipality and measures taken to resolve disputes that include surveying plots for better housing.

TAHEA is a professional non government organisation (NGO) founded in March 1980 in Mwanza City, with the aim to empower individuals, families and the entire community in the country, socially, economically and with gender perspective through education, training, information and consultancy.

He said residents have bought plots and created unplanned settlements with the government failing to stop them, a situation he said will bring great harm if it is not controlled earlier.

"The biggest problem is having residents build unplanned settlements and later have their plots taken by the government. I am requesting the government to survey unplanned areas in order to avoid conflicts," Mr Masongo explained.

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Mwanza outlines plans to contain cholera

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

MWANZA City administration has outlined strategies to contain outbreak and spread of cholera. The strategy will engage all city workers who will provide public education on the nature, causes and how the disease is spread.

The strategy is the result of the action taken by the District Commissioner (DC) of Nyamagana, Mr Baraka Konisaga and the Mwanza City Director, Mr Adam Mgoyi, who on Friday convened a meeting involving ward executive officers, healthy officers and community development officers from all 18 wards of Nyamagana District.

“I have called you here in this meeting, so as to give you the government directives on strategy to combat cholera. You must supervise and work tirelessly in promoting hygiene,” Mr Konisaga said.

He urged the workers to be careful with the disease claiming that it may cause the city to spend a lot of money on treatment of the disease. “Prevention is better than cure. Tell the residents to take care and heed instructions of health professionals and urge them to cooperate with them. cholera is dangerous disease,” he explained.

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Mwanza contains cholera outbreak

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By PIUS RUGONZIBWA in Mwanza

Acting Mwanza Regional Medical Officer, Dr James Kengia, told the ‘Daily News’ yesterday that the cholera situation was sharply improving thanks to public awareness and massive campaigns deployed since the prevalence was first reported in September, this year.

Dr Kengia said there have been collaborative efforts by all stakeholders in spreading health education particularly to the fishing community, in Ukerewe and Sengerema districts that were severely hit by the communicable and deadly disease.

“We are working very hard to make sure the disease is contained to the maximum and I thank all the players who have demonstrated maximum cooperation with our department to return our region to normal and make sure it is free from the epidemic,” he said.

According to him, as of yesterday, cholera camps in all the affected districts recorded sharp decrease of patients with only five still admitted in Ukerewe, two in Sengerema, five in Ilemela and only one in Mwanza City Council (MCC).

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