TABOA wants corruption among police traffick stopped on roads

THE government has been urged to take stringent measures in order to curb corruption and negligence on part of law enforcement agencies so that accidents could be minimized in the country.
The call to that effect was echoed by the Tanzania Bus Owners Association (TABOA) secretary general Ennea Mrutu in an interview he granted to the Guardian in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
He said Tanzania Bus Owners Association (TABOA) has decided to use information and communication technology to educate its members on the increased road accidents, so as to avoid making mistakes while on the road.
"The national road safety committee should also show the way by discussing with relative transport stakeholders and road users alike on the importance of curbing road carnage in the country,” he said.
He added that although Tanzania amended its Road Safety Act in 1996 to require all bus owners to fix speed governors in their buses, the exercise couldn't yield the expected results as accidents increased dramatically.
Of course something is wrong somewhere, and a solution to the problem must be found quickly.
According to latest statistics, last year alone, 926 bus accidents claimed 332 lives and injured 1833 people.
He said this year alone, a total of 8,164 accidents has occurred, causing 1,126 deaths and 6,910 people were injured.
He said Tanzania Bus Owners Association has signed a contract with the Arusha-based Utrack system for the latter to install a tracking system for buses.
However, talking to this reporter at a meeting involving all Taboa members, some bus owners were unhappy with the initiative apparently because it will be difficult for them to install the equipment because it involves a lot of money.
Other Taboa members believe that the association is right to urge its members to install the U-Track System for the safety of passengers and the buses.
However some transport experts in the country have broken the silence and are warning the alarming wave of fatal road accidents will not abate unless only professional drivers are allowed to man lorries and passenger buses.
The road carnage continues to claim hundreds of lives and leaves thousands with permanent disabilities.
Speaking to this paper, some experts categorically stated that shortage of professional drivers, particularly of passenger vehicles, was the major cause of accidents  currently claiming  an average of 2,600 lives each year.
Statistics on  road accidents  in Tanzania have remained shockingly high for years now.
Apart from almost 3,000 people dying annually, thousands are left with permanent disabilities caused by severe injuries.
Alarming occurrences have involved upcountry-bound buses and the government is yet to find a lasting solution to the nagging problem.
The experts are particularly worried by an apparent failure by authorities to strictly enforce existing road safety regulations, sighting high level of corruption as the root cause of the problem.
Dr Emmanuel Mushaka, a retired university professor said it should be mandatory for lorries and buses to be handled only by professional drivers who have passed the necessary tests.
“The government should firmly declare that drivers must go to school, otherwise they are not allowed to operate vehicles,” he said.
He said although they have not done research on the matter yet, unqualified drivers account for over 70 per cent of bus and lorry drivers in Tanzania, because they get driving licences through dubious means, including bribery.
He estimated that as many as half of passenger bus drivers in the country are using fake or illegally obtained licences.
He urged police to make extra efforts to boost road safety in order to reduce persistent road accidents, which cost lives of innocent civilians and their properties.
Mr Mrutu said should serve as a challenge to the police and other road safety security organs to intensify efforts to make roads safer for all users.
“We want road safety laws to be enforced including the safety of vessels and passengers. The police must ensure that this is implemented,” he concluded.

He reminded traffic police to not only jump into action when an accident has happens by arresting the driver of the bus, and Sumatra imposing a ban on its operations.
Mrutu said the problem will persist and grow unless police and other law enforcers strictly enforce safety rules by holding accountable all those who break the road safety rules and regulations.

Shirika la ndege la Precision na Kenya Airways wadhamini mashindano ya Gofu

PRESS RELEASE/TAARIFA KWA VYOMBO VYA HABARI

Dar es Salaam, November 18th 2011. Shirika la ndege linaloongoza Tanzania la Precision wakishirikiana na shirika la ndege la Kenya Airways wanayofaraja kutangaza udhamini wao katika umoja wa Gofu (TGU) ikiwa imeandaliwa na Gymkhana Club mjini Arusha ikifanyika kuanzia tarehe 10 hadi 11 Desemba 2011 jijini Arusha.

Akiongea wakati wa mkutanao na waandishi wa habari katika klabu,,Mkurugenzi wa Biashara wa shirika la ndege la Precision Mr. Phil Mwakitawa alisema kwamba mashindano ambayo yamedhamiria kukusanya wahiriki zaidi ya 100 mpaka 150 kutoka Nairobi, Arusha na Dar es Salaam ni nafasi nzuri kwa washirika wa kampuni zote mbili za ndege kujihusisha katika kutangaza uboreshaji wa afya kwa njia ya michezo ya gofu.

Na wakati huo huo Meneja wa nchi ya Tanzania wa Shirika la ndege la Kenya Airways Bi. Lucy Malu aliongeza kwamba shirika la ndege la Kenya na Precision Air waliwahi kuunga mkono hapo awali na pia wanayofaraja ya kuendelea kuunga mkono hata kwa mwaka huu kwasababu ni sehemu ya kutangaza gofu ya ubora kwa Afrika Mashariki nzima.

Mwenyekiti wa Umoja wa Gofu Tanzania , Bwana. Paul Matthysen ameomba udhamini katika shirika la ndege la Precision na Kenya Airways’ kwenye mashindano haya kama njia ya kuchangia katika kutangaza Gofu Tanzania na Afrika mashariki kwa ujumla.

“Mchezo wa Gofu Tanzania na Afrika Mashariki bado ni mchezo unaaokua. Kwa kupitia mashindano kama haya ndipo tunapata uzoefu na kuwa katika nafasi ya juu duniani katika mchezo,” Alisema huku akisisitizia watu waje kushuhudia Mchezo huu utakaofanyika pale Gymkhana Arusha.

Shirika la ndege la Precision na Kenya Airways wametia saini katika mkataba wa makubaliano ya udhamini na Klabu ya Gymkhana Arusha kama wadhamini wakuu wa mashinano haya kwa mwaka 2011.

‘WAMATO chatoa huduma ya ARVs kwa wagonjwa wa UKIMWI Mbezi Beach’

Mama Basila Chuwa, Mwenyekiti wa WAMATO huko Mbezi Beach

Na Nasser Kigwangallah
KIKUNDI cha Akina Mama na Watoto (WAMATO) cha Mbezi Beach jijini Dare s salaam, ni miongoni mwa vikundi ambavyo hutoa huduma za kijamii kwa kuwasaidia watoto, akina mama na wajane ambao kwa namna moja au nyingine wameachwa na wazazi wao au waume wao waliofariki kutokana na ugonjwa wa UKIMWI.
Hivi sasa kikundi hicho kinatoa chakula, dawa za kurefusha maisha (ARVs), elimu n huduma za fya kwa wagonjwa wa UKIMWI wapato sitini hivi; wanake na wanaume khmsini n watoto kumi katika eneo la Mbezi Beach.
Hizi ni juhudi za kupongezwa sana na zinapaswa kuungwa mkono na wasamari wema hapa jijini na nchini kote kwa ujumla.
Pia WAMATO inaendesha shule ya awali na msingi hapo hapo Mbezi Beach, kwa kusomesha wanafunzi kutoka familia za kimaskini wa eneo hilo.
Shule hiyo, inayoitwa kwa jina la Bajeziro; ina wanafunzi mia tatu na tayari imesomesha wanafunzi elfu moja na mia mbili toka kuanziswa kwake miaka kumi iliyopita.
Wengi wa wanafunzi hao hivi sasa wako katika shule za sekondari na wengine wako chuo kikuu.
WAMATO inafadhiliwa na shirika moja la Canada ambalo limesema litasitisha msaada wake kwa kikundi hicho ifikapo mwezi Machi mwaka kesho kwa kuwa limekuwa mfadhili wake mkuu kwa takriban miaka kumi sasa.
“Kutokana na kukoma ufadhili wake huo, WAMATO sasa iko njia panda, haijui itawasaidia vipi akina mama na watoto wanoishi na virui vya UKIMWI na pia kutoa huduma ya chakula, dawa na sare za shule kwa watoto yatima, ambao wengi wao ni maskini sana,” anasema Mama Basila Chuwa, Mwenyekiti Mtendaji wa WAMATO.
Anaongeza kusema kuwa wagonjwa ambao anawahudumia hivi sasa ni maskini mno, hawajiwezi kwa lolote na hapana budi kuendelea kuwasaidia ili maisha yao yaweze kuimarika.
Anasema na kama hatopata msaada wa kutoha kutoka serikalini, mashirika ya kijamii na wahisani mbalimbali wa ndani na nje; bila shaka huduma zake za kutoa chakula, dawa na elimu bure kwa watoto yatima, maskini na wale wanaoishi katika mazingira magumu zitazorota.
Akizungumza kwa uchungu sana, Maria Magdlena Hasara (umri miaka 65) mama anayeishi kwa UKIMWI na kupewa msaada wa chakula, dwa n matibabu mengine kutoka WAMATO, anasema hali yake sasa imeimarika kutokana na msaada huo.

Anasema alipata UKIMWI miaka mitatu iliyopita kutoka kwa binti yke aliyekuwa na ugonjwa wa ukimwi na kupata uja uzito.
Alimsaidia kujifungua, bahati mbya ana hakutumia mipira wakati akimsaidia kujifungualia nyumbnani.
“Toka wakati huo, hali yangu ilibadilika ghafla na kujikuta nikiwa nimeambukizwa UKIMWI,”anasema.
Anongeza kusema kuwa kwa msaada wa WAMATO, hali yake ni nzuri na analea wajukuu sita, wawili wa huyo binti yake ambaye alifariki dunia mwaka 2007 na kumwachia watoto wawili; Tausi (15) na Neema (3)na wengine wanne ni watoto wa ndugu zake ambao nao wamekufa kwa ukimwi.
Maisha ya bibi huyu ni magumu sana. Anaishi kwa kugonga kokoto na wajukuu zake hao wanamsaisdia, hivyo maisha yanakwenda.
Na bila ya msaada wa WAMATO sijui hali yake leo ingekuwaje?
Kwani WAMATO wanamsaidia chakula, dawa na elimu kwa wajukuu zake hao, zikiwemo sare za shule.

TGNP MISTREATS JOURNALISTS AT GENDER FESTIVAL 2011 IN DAR

Miss Lilian Liundi, the TGNP Communication Officer

AS per invitation, journalists turned to the Gender Festival-2011 at TGNP Mabibo in Dar es Salaam from 13th September, 2011 to September 16th, , but were disappointed by the way they were treated by Kenny Ngomuo-TGNP, Lilian Liundi-TGNP and Ananilea Nkya-TAMWA.
In fact these three people are very dangerous to the media fraternity. They are the ones who were there to mistreat journalists.
TGNP should take note of these people if they want to continue working in harmony with journalists in Tanzania.
Once journalists are invited to attend any of the programmes, it is essential, as a matter of hospitality, to be paid some allowance for taking their time on the matter.
But alas, on Friday September 16th September, 2011 during the closing ceremony last week, things turned ugly as journalists left TGNP offices disappointed, when Lilian Liundi, the Communications Officer broke out news that no allowance was available to them, as per agreement prior to the festival.
Lilian, with no respect at all to the journalists said that no allowance was available to journalists from Dar es Salaam, unless they produced cuttings of their reporting of the festival events, while other participants, including upcountry journalists and gays were being paid on their presence.
She said: “You are not entitled to any allowance unless you bring your cuttings, showing how you have reported the event.”
This is a disgrace to the journalism profession, showing how journalists are being mistreated by TGNP and her partners.
Please make sure that journalists are paid their due whenever they attend any of your functions and if you cannot pay them, please do not invite them at all.
Due to act of disregard to journalists, we have decided that no journalist will ever attend any of the functions conducted by TGNP in future and editors should take note of that.
Journalists are not there to be used to foster TGNP campaigns and then ignored in that manner.
According to reports, most journalists who had been reporting the event fo four consecutive days, left TGNP offices without having any food as nothing was served to them, who were there since morning.
Time has passed when journalists were used as mere tools to send messages through, just to be ignored like that.
Journalists must be respected due to their profession so that they could perform their duties diligently.
I think this message will be heeded in order to have a good working relationship with TGNP and other such organisations in future.

TGNP WALETA WASENGE KWENYE TAMASHA LA JINSIA 2011

KITENDO CHA TGNP KULETA WASENGE KWENYE TAMASHA LA JINSIA 2011 HUKO MABIBO WIKI ILIYOPITA NI CHA KULAANIWA. SERIKALI INAPASWA KULIANGALIA SUALA HILO KIKAMILIFU NA IKIWEZEKANA KUWAFUNGIA KABISA WATU HAWA AMBAO WANATAKA KUTUPELEKA PABAYA.

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MR.Thomas Mihayo
MR.Thomas Mihayo, the Retired High Court Judge has brushed speculations from amongst the people in the country that a top government stalwart exerted pressure on judges to impose harsh life imprisonment on Nguza Viking 'Babu Seya' the accredited musical practinioner and his sons.
He said: “It’s not true at all…I went through the proceedings of the case and came to realise that what was being said in the streets about this case was purely gossip, with no elements of truth.”
He said surprisingly, the media were reporting these gossips,in full gear.
Judge Mihayo, the incumbent Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) Ethics Committee, said he had thoroughly read court proceedings of the sodomy case against Babu Seya and his sons, as prepared by the Kisutu Resident Magistrate, before making a final verdict.
Since it has no jurisdiction to determine on the matter, the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court received initial facts on the case, and forwarded it to the High Court for its ruling.
“In fact, as a high court judge who presided over this case, and made final verdict by sentencing Babu Seya and his sons to life imprisonment,” he confessed.
He added that in the course of reading these documents and proceedings of the case from the lower Court (Kisutu Magistrate's Court), I realised that what people had been saying on the streets was not true.
“It was not true that there was a certain top official in the government who put pressures on the judges in arriving at such a verdict,” he said.
According to him, he spent time to talk to the children alleged to have been molested by Babu Seya and his sons and noticed that these children had infact been sodomised, the acts which had been going on for some months before.
Judge Mihayo said he heard the story of the children and got the real picture of what transpired in the acts.
"Therefore I came to realise that parents of these children were not aware of the behaviour of their children," he said.
Babu Seya and his son are still in jail, serving a life sentence after being convicted of molesting the school children.
On February 12, last year Nguza Viking (55) alias Babu Seya (R) and his son, Johnson Nguza (27) alias Papii Kocha- lost their appeals against the life imprisonment.
But the Court of Appeal, sitting in Dar es Salaam, acquitted and set free two other Babu Seya sons - Nguza Mbangu and Francis Nguza – of the defilement charges for which they had been similarly convicted and jailed. It cited lack of evidence with which to uphold the earlier ruling.
Judge Mihayo said some media were giving wrong reports on Babu Seya and sons’ case, noting: “Had journalists conducted extensive investigative journalism, they would have uncovered the truth.”
“The bad thing is that journalists did not do thorough investigations on this case, otherwise they would have known the truth,” said Mihayo.
Investigative journalism is lacking in Tanzania, he noted, urging members of the media fraternity in the country to read the newly launched MCT print monitoring report with a view to identifying their weaknesses and correcting them

YAH: KUOMBA RADHI KWA NDUGU ZETU WALIOPATWA NA MAAFA YA AJALI YA MELI HUKO ZANZIBAR .

Bwana Hashimu Lundenga, mratibu wa Miss Tanzania

USIKU wa kuamkia Jumamosi tarehe 10 / 09/ 2011 tukio kubwa na la huzuni lilitokea huko Zanzibar.
Wananchi wengi walipoteza maisha yao na wengine kujeruhiwa kutokana na ajali ya kuzama kwa MELI iitwayo 'Zanzibar Spice Islanders' iliyokuwa ikitoka Unguja kwenda kisiwa cha Pemba.
Kwa bahati mbaya siku hiyo ya Jumamosi taasisi yetu ilikuwa inakhitimisha fainali za taifa za mashindano ya urembo ya Miss Tanzania-2011.
Kama waandaaji wa Mashindano haya na wenye Mamlaka kamili ya maamuzi juu ya ama kuendelea au la kuahirisha jambo hili, tulipatwa na mshituko mkubwa sana juu ya tukio hilo .
Kamati yetu ilikaa na kutakafari katika tukio hilo kwa kuzingatia mambo yafuatayo:
Taarifa kamili ya maafa hayo tuliipata rasmi saa tisa na nusu mchana siku ya Jumamosi ambayo ilikuwa ni masaa machache tu kabla ya fainali za miss Tanzania kuanza katika ukumbi wa Mlimani City.
Pamoja na msiba huo, wenzetu wa TFF waliendelea na mechi zao za ligi kuu, ikiwemo mechi kati ya Yanga na Ruvu Shooting.
Na katika kumbi za starehe ikiwemo mabaa na burudani za muziki wa bendi na kumbi za disco ziliendelea kama kawaida.
Muda uliokuwa umebakia kuwakilisha jina la mshiriki wetu kwenye fainali za Miss World zilikuwa zimekwisha hivyo kulikuwa na hatari ya kupoteza nafasi hiyo.
Pia tamko rasmi la kusimamisha shughuli zote za burudani lilianza tarehe 11 septemba 2011 kuomboleza kitaifa msiba huo.
Hata hivyo kama waandaaji tulifanya mashindano tukiwa katika maombolezo kwani kabla ya kuanza shindano Watu wote waliokuwepo ukumbini walisimama kimya kwa dakika moja na hata washiriki walipoingia kwenye jukwaa kwa mara ya kwanza walikuwa wamevaa vitambaa vyeusi katika mikono yao ikiashilia maombolezo.
Hali hii imetupa mkanganyiko na kujikuta tukiendelea na mashindano kitu ambacho tunaona tumewakosea Watanzania wenzetu.
Kama Waandaaji tunapenda kusistiza kwamba tunawajibika kwa hayo yaliyotokea na si Taasisi yeyote au Kampuni yeyote na tunaomba ichukuliwe kama ni makosa ya kibinaadamu hasa ukizingatia mazingira magumu tuliyokuwa nayo kwa wakati huo na mkanganyiko wa matukio na taarifa za tatizo hilo.
KUOMBA RADHI
Hata hivyo shughuli hiyo inawezekana imewakwaza watu wengi na kwa sababu hiyo na pia hali halisi ya janga hilo na kwa niaba ya viongozi wenzangu na wadau wa shughuli zetu tunatoa tamko la dhati kwa familia za ndugu wote walikumbwa na maafa haya, wale wote walionusurika katika ajali hiyo na Watanzania wote kwa ujumla.
TUNAWAOMBA RADHI KWA MKANGANYIKO ULIOTUTOKEA HADI KUFIKIA HALI HII. Hatuna neno zaidi ya kusema na kusisitiza ila kuomba radhi...
Mwenyezi MUNGU aziweke roho za marehemu mahali pema peponi,
ameen!

Hashim Lundenga
MKURUGENZI
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BREAKING NEWS FROM TANZANIA: Man on ARV develops abnormal breasts

A.N Mvati, AfricaNews reporter based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania recently wrote:
"SOME Tanzania men on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs have experienced abnormal breast enlargement similar to that of women. There are even cases where women taking the life prolonging drug against HIV are also complaining of queer side effects including becoming disabled.
Joseph Mkanda, 43, one of the victims, said he developed strange symptoms plus growing breasts after taking the drugs. Initially, he suspected the cause to be lack of a balanced diet. But he soon realised that the main problem was the type of drugs he was taking.
“I feel very much ashamed to go out of my house, because I have developed breasts like a woman. …I fear that other people would laugh at me,” he said from his Mtwara-base.
“I went to one of the medical doctors in my village, who told me that such signs were normal for people suffering from AIDS who have been taking the drugs for a long time. At the moment, I don’t know what to do or where to go,” said Mkanda.
Salima Omar, 36, from Mtwara said she developed strange symptoms after taking the drugs. Salima, a mother of seven, said one of her daughters died shortly after birth in 2006 when she had undergone the HIV test.
Changes in body
One of her sons is also HIV positive and has been taking ARV drugs since October 2007.
She explained they had both been taking the drugs, but due to unknown reasons, she started noticing changes in her body.
But she believes the changes were caused by the fact that she has been unable to follow the instructions of taking the ARVs. She said the drugs were very strong and required the users to get a balanced diet. But Salima was unable to follow the instructions and at times stopped taking the medicine.
“These drugs are very strong; if you take them without enough food you become very weak. But there are days when I'm forced to take them without eating anything, especially when I get seriously sick. In other words, I take the medication irregularly,” she explains. The family lives off the earnings of her husband who repairs bicycles.
After spending the money on alcohol, which Salima admits she likes very much, there is little left to support a big family like theirs, especially for buying food. Actually, she has been forced to sell all the family goats in order to keep the family alive.
Like many families in Mtwara District, Salima’s has been experiencing food shortage since 2007, a situation complicated by the recent long drought in the district, forcing many people to survive on only one meal a day.
She feels very weak on days she does not take the medication. “I have even started developing some complications …I believe it is due to my inconsistency in taking the drugs. My left side is developing rashes, and I suffer much pain," she says.
Despite her HIV-positive status, Salima had until recently insisted on having more children. Three months ago she gave birth to twins. One died, and the other is very weak. While pregnant, Salima’s doctors gave her treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to her babies.
Hassan has agreed they will not have more children, although Salima is not convinced. She particularly dislikes his refusal to use a condom when having a sexual intercourse.
There is no alternative to taking ARVs by HIV positive persons, even though it is challenging to adhere to the treatment because of lack of resources to get proper diet.
Combination
According to health community reports certain drugs should not be used together because of the way they interact. For example, Idovudine and Stavudine should not be used together, and Zalcitabine should not be combined with Didanosine, Stavudine, or Lamivudine.
Dr Lilian Mtei, who has been working with people taking the life-prolonging drugs at Muhimbili National Hospital advised patients who develop strange symptoms to see a doctor immediately so that the medication can be changed.
She said there are many side effects caused by the reaction of different types of ARVs on an individual.
For his part, the Management Development for Health (MDH) and Africa Academy of Public Health (AAPH) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chalamilla Guerino, said such strange symptoms in patients are caused by Stavudine and AZT drugs when taken by a person for a long time.
“Such patients need to see a doctor whenever they notice any strange symptoms developing,” he explained.
According to the doctor, Stavudine ARVs were phased out this year because of the symptoms, but AZT is still being given to people although it has the same side effects.
For her part, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Lucy Nkya said all patients who have developed such strange symptoms should be referred to regional hospitals where they can get more assistance.
She clarified that AZT was also phased out and so could only be in the market illegally.
She explained that AZT was only given to pregnant mothers, but later the government decided to phase it out because of the side effects.
The deputy minister said that medical employees based in the rural areas receive training continuously especially those dealing with HIV/Aids cases so as to be able to face the challenges of helping the patients.
Meanwhile United States of America confirmed that it has phased out the Stavudine ARV drug because of its side effects. Despite its users developing a number of disorders, including some men using it growing breasts, Stavudine ARV is one of the drugs still being used in the country.
Ilya Levin First Secretary Director, Public Affairs Section in the US Embassy in Tanzania, told the Guardian in an exclusive interview that the side effects include lipodystrophy hyperlactatemia and polyneuropathy.
Lipodytrophy is a disorder of fatty tissue characterised by a selective loss of body fat.
Hyperlactatemia is increased levels of lactic acid in the blood while polyneuropathy is a condition in which many peripheral nerves are afflicted with a disorder.
According to Levin AZT drug is still being prescribed and used in the US under the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents - January 10, 2011.
The purpose of the changes to the guidelines is to bring them in line with international recommendations and ensure the use of more efficacious drugs, including the phasing out of Stavudine from the national ART programme.
ART initiation criteria have changed. All pregnant women and people with HIV and TB co-infection with a CD4 count below 350 would start on lifelong ART. All HIV-infected children under the age of 1 would also be started on ART, irrespective of CD4 level. All other patients would still commence treatment at a CD4 level of 200 and below. HIV-infected pregnant women with a CD4 above 350 would receive the normal PMTCT dual therapy regimen.
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SAYINGS OF THE WISE:
"That which is good is never finished." - Sukuma, Tanzania
"Generosity is not limited by income or wealth, only by passion and creativity."
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MSAADA WA RAMBIRAMBI WA VODACOM WAKATALIWA ZANZIBAR

SERIKALI ya mapinduzi ya Zanzibar imeukataa msaada wa maafa uliokuwa utolewe na kampuni ya simu za mikononi ya VODACOM kufuatia wananchi kuilalamikia kampuni hiyo kuendesha mashindano ya miss Tanzania wakati Wazanzibari wapo katika msiba wa kitaifa.
Waziri wa nchi ofisi ya makamo wa pili wa rais Mohamed Aboud alithibtisha kuwepo kwa taarifa hizo za SMZ kukataa msaada wa maafa uliokuwa utolewe na kampuni ya simu ya mikononi ya VODACOM.
'Ni kweli tumekataa kupokea msaada huo ingawa hatujuwi ni kiasi gani cha fedha....unajuwa wananchi wengi wametoa malalamiko yao na kukerwa kwa wafadhili hao wa mashindano ya urembo kuendelea na unesho lao wakati huku taifa limepatwa na msiba mkubwa'alisema Aboud.
Alisema wadhamini hao walikuwa wanatakkiwa kufahamu wajibu wao kwa jamii zaidi wakati inapokutwa na maafa kama hayo ya kuzama kwa meli na wananchi zaidi 197 kupoteza maisha yao.
Aboud alisema haielekei hata kidogo kwa kampuni hiyo iliyodhamini mashindano hayo kuendelea wakati huku rais wa jamhuri ya muungano Jakaya Kikwete ametangaza msiba wa taifa pamoja na rais wa Zanzibar dk.Ali Mohamed Shein.
Wananchi wengi wa Zanzibar walikerwa na kitendo cha kuendelea kufanyika kwa maonesho ya urembo ya kumtafuta miss wa Tanzania katika kipindi ambapo taifa lipo katika msiba mkubwa.

GENDER FESTIVAL 2011

Women activists at The TGNP gender festival 2011 held at Mabibo in Dar es Salaam from 13th September, 2011 to 16th September, 2011

A Trip to the USA

Mr. Kenneth LuePhang, Contracting Officer for USAID at the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam presents a ticket to an International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) participant Dr. Hawa Juma Ngasongwa, a Medical Officer at the Department of Internal Medicine and member of the Tanzanian People's Defense Force who will participate in the Public Health and Infectious Disease Education and Prevention Program in the United States of America.

tgnp gender festival 2011

TGNP GENDER FESTIVAL-2011

Libyan Ambassador to Tanzania, summoned to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr Bernard Membe yesterday summoned Libyan Ambassador to Tanzania, Prof Ahmed El Ash’ab, for raising the rebel National Transition Council (NTC) flag without prior consultations.
The envoy was seen at the Foreign Ministry’s office with minister Membe, indicating that the minister had fulfilled his promise he made before journalists on Sunday that he would summon the ambassador to explain why he had raised the flag of a rebel government without notifying his hosts.
No details were available yesterday over the meeting between the envoy and the minister.
The minister said on Sunday that he was aware that the embassy had raised the flag of the Libyan rebels.
“It’s wrong. There are rules and regulations to follow for the government to recognise the existing government. They have not followed them,” said Membe.
The minister also said that Tanzania would not recognise the Libyan transitional government formed by the rebels until its true architects were known and the government was satisfied that ordinary Libyans were fully involved in its formation.
“We in Tanzania will not recognise the transitional government led by the rebels, until we are sure of the participation of Libyans in its formation and the officials leading it,” Membe maintained.
He said out of 54 African states only 14 have recognised the transitional government.
“TNC has not been able to convince Tanzania to recognise the government. We are not ready to make hasty decisions over something we hardly know,” said Membe.
“We do not know who the members of the rebel movement are, how many they are and whether they are Libyans or foreigners,” he stressed.
Membe said Tanzania would recognise the new Libyan government only if all stakeholders of the country, including citizens and all political parties, participate in the formation of the transitional government, which would prepare for elections.
Some of the countries that have already recognised the rebel-led Libyan transitional government are Kenya, Rwanda, Gabon, Nigeria, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Senegal, Burkinafaso and Botswana.
Membe also said Tanzania joins AU in calling on the three sides in the Libyan conflict, namely NATO, Col. Gaddafi’s army and the rebels to end the fighting so as to save the lives of people in Libya and give the country a chance to form its own government.
He added that Tanzania and AU had agreed that Gaddafi’s leadership in Libya had come to an end, and that what was urgently needed was to ensure that the country returned to normality as soon as possible.

NATO ACTION IN LIBYA CONDEMNED

THE chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Peace initiatives Mr Edward Lowasa

THE chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Peace initiatives Mr Edward Lowasa has condemned the western allies NATO, led by the USA for invading Libya for no apparent reason at all.
Mr Lowasa, who was the Tanzania's prime minister in the first five-year term of president Jakaya Kikwete, before being forced to resign on bribery scandals was reacting to a barrage of questions from Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) crew members in Dodoma yesterday. Mr Lowasa is still the MP for Mbulu constuituency.
"The alleged purpose of U.N. Security Council resolution 1973, passed on March 17, was to seek to protect Libyan civilians from violent attacks by both sides. But alas, In NATO's eager hands, it has rapidly mutated into a straightforward bid to destroy Qaddafi's regime, specifically to murder Qaddafi, financially, politically and militarily by missile or bombardment and no doubt by land-based teams of Special Force assassins now deployed in the desert," he said.
He condemned also the cowardly attitude of African Union leaders for keeping mum on the issue without helping Qaddhafi, who was a staunch supporter of Africa.
"I'm saddened by the cowardly attitude shown by African leaders for not acting quickly to solve the problem which has turned into a humanitarian disaster. Libya's oil infrastructures, roads and airports have been bombed and thousands of people have been killed and injured and it remain a poorer country than ever before," he added.
NATO says more than 10,000 sorties have been flown over Libya since operations began, which shows how the Western allies have no regard to humanity.
This includes 3,794 "strike" bombing raids across the country. In the heaviest strikes yet, concentrating on attacks in Tripoli, NATO launched 157 strike missions on Tuesday, more than three times the previous daily average.

School pregnancies, hinders education progress for girls in Tanzania

HUMAN right activists have proposed the revival of societal morals as a strategy to curb schoolgirl pregnancies.
According to a press statement issued in Dar es Salaam yesterday by the Tanzania Media Women’s Association (Tamwa), the gender activists said without stern measures to revive national moral values, schoolgirl pregnancies would escalate posing unbearable challenges to national efforts and making the right to education for all children an illusion.
Representing six human rights organisations, a statement insisted that teachers impregnating schoolgirls should be sacked forthwith, forced to pay compensation and then charged in a court of law.
It urged students to name without fear all teachers engaged in love affairs with schoolgirls to facilitate effective action against the culprits.
Of late, the country has witnessed an alarming increase of cases of schoolgirl pregnancies.
According the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training between 2004 and 2008, a total of 28,590 schoolgirls in the country dropped out of school as a result of unwanted pregnancies, 11,599 being secondary and 16,991 primary schoolgirls.
The leaders interviewed by Tamwa on what needs to be done to revive teachers’ morals were executive directors Bubelwa Kaiza (ForDia), Ussu Mallya (Tanzania Gender Networking Programme – TGNP), Ann Marie Mavenjina (Tanzania Women Lawyers Association – Tawla), Scholastica Jullu (Women Legal Aid Centre – Wlac) and Maimuna Kanyamala (Kivulini Women Human Rights Organisation). Another was Harold Sungusia, Director of Advocacy and Reforms, Legal and Human Rights Centre.
A newspaper survey which Tamwa conducted on schoolgirl pregnancies and stories published by local newspapers between December last year and the end of March this year showed there were 11 cases of schoolgirl pregnancies which involved teachers.
The activists noted with concern that schoolgirl pregnancies contributed to illiteracy and poverty among women, maternal mortality and HIV/Aids infection.
The country’s Demographic Health Survey (2010) shows that 454/100,000 equivalent to about 8,000 women and girls die annually due to preventable causes of maternal deaths including controlled schoolgirl pregnancies.
On HIV/Aids infection, a national survey conducted between 2007 and 2008 shows that 5.7 per cent of the country’s population estimated to be about 40 million people has contracted HIV/Aids and the population of women and girls is more affected at a rate of 6.6 per cent compared to 4.6 per cent of the male population.

SAKATA LA JENGO LA TGNP, MABIBO JIJINI DAR ES SALAAM

Bi Usu Malya, mkurugenzi mtendaji wa TGNP



MTANDAO wa Jinsia Tanzania (TGNP) ni mmiliki halali wa jengo lenye hati namba 56998, Kiwanja namba 22/3/1 lililoko katika eneo la Mabibo Dar es Salaam
Mtandao wa Jinsia ulinunua jengo hilo kutoka kwa Mfilisi (Benki ya Rasilimali Tanzania- TIB) kwa iliyokuwa Tanzania Sewing Thread Manufacturers Limited ambayo ilikuwa sehemu ya kampuni tanzu ya Tanzania Textile Company Limited (TEXCO) kwa gharama ya shilingi milioni 200 ambapo makubaliano ya manunuzi yalifanyika tarehe 15/6/ 1997.
Mchakato wa uuzaji wa jengo hili ulikuwa wa wazi uliotangazwa katika vyombo vya habari nchini hususan magazeti.
Baadhi ya watumiaji wa ofisi waliokuwa ndani ya jengo hilo wakati TEXCO ikiwa inafilisiwa nao walishiriki katika mchakato wa kununua bila mafanikio.
Baada ya TGNP kushinda ‘tender’, baadhi ya watumiaji hao , mnano mwezi wa Julai 1997 walifungua kesi namba 215 / 1997 dhidi ya TIB kama mshitakiwa wa kwanza na TGNP mshitakiwa wa pili katika mahakama kuu kupinga maamuzi ya TIB kuiuzia TGNP jengo hilo.
UAMUZI WA MAHAKAMA KUU
Kesi hii ilichukua muda mrefu sana takribani miaka kumi na mbili mpaka kufikia tarehe 15/10/ 2009, uamuzi wa Mahakama Kuu ulipotolewa na Mheshimiwa Jaji T.B. Mihayo.
Mahakama Kuu ilitowa hukumu ambayo iliwapa haki TGNP na kuwaamuru walalamikaji kuondoka mara moja na kulipa gharama za kesi.
Wakati mchakato wa kutekeleza hukumu ya Mahakama Kuu ukiendelea, tarehe 19/9/2009 walalamikaji walipeleka katika Mahakama ya Rufaa azimio la kusimamisha utekelezaji wa hukumu ya mahakama kuu ya kuwatoa kwenye jengo kwa kupitia ombi na 129 la 2009.
Ombi lao hilo lilitupiliwa mbali na Mahakama ya Rufaa tarehe 23/8/2011.
MCHAKATO WA KUTEKELEZA UAMUZI WA MAHAKAMA
TGNP,ambao ndio wamiliki halali wa hili jengo hilo tunasubiri utekelezaji wa uamuzi wa Mahakama ya Rufaa iliyotolewa terehe 23/8/2011.
Tutaendelea kuwataarifu maendeleo ya mchakato huu.

DAWA ya Mchungaji wa KKKT, Ambilikile Mwasapila ni feki

CHAMA cha Madaktari nchini (MAT) kimesema tiba inayotolewa na Mchungaji Mstaafu wa Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutheri Tanzania (KKKT), Ambilikile Mwasapila, kwa njia ya kikombe kwa ajili ya kutibu magonjwa sugu, imeleta maafa makubwa kwa wagonjwa.
Makamu wa Rais wa MAT, Dk. Primus Saidia, alitoa tamko hilo wakati akizungumza na waandishi wa habari kuhusiana suala zima la magonjwa yasiyoambukiza na tiba mbadala.
Alisema kuwa wagonjwa wengi baada ya kunywa kikombe cha Babu waliacha kunywa dawa za magonjwa yaliyokuwa yakiwasumbua na kusababisha wengi wao kupooza, kufa na wengine hali zao kuzidi kuwa mbaya.
“Ni vyema wananchi walio wagonjwa wa shinikizo la damu, kisukari, anemia na magonjwa mengine wakafuata ushauri wa madaktari badala ya kulaghaiwa na wachache,” alisema Dk. Saidia bila kufafanua zaidi.
Alisema umma wa Watanzania umekuwa ukilaghaiwa kwa tiba mbadala na kuacha kutumia dawa za hospitali hivyo kuongeza ukubwa wa tatizo na wanapokimbilia hospitali tayari hali zao zinakuwa mbaya.
Dk. Saidia alisema ili dawa iweze kutumika hufanyiwa utafiti kwa kati ya miaka 10 hadi 15.
Naye Katibu Mkuu wa MAT, Dk. Richard Kabangira, ambaye ni daktari bingwa ya tiba wa Hospitali ya Rufaa ya Bugando, alisema: “Serikali yetu haisikilizi wana taaluma, mfano Babu wa Loliondo utafiti uliofanyika pale ni wa dawa kutokuwa na madhara kwa binadamu na sio kutibu magonjwa.” alisema Dk. Kabangila na kuongeza:
“Hospitali ya Rufaa ya Bugando ilipokea wagonjwa wengi wa kisukari baada ya kutoka Loliondo kufuatia wagonjwa hao kuacha kunywa dawa walizopewa hospitalini.”
Alisema waliwasiliana na wanachama wao nchini kote kufuatilia hali za wagonjwa waliokuwa wamekwenda kwa Babu kupata kikombe na waligundua kwamba waliokuwa wanatumia dawa za kufubaza virusi vya Ukimwi (ARV), shinikizo la damu, kisukari na hata saratani waliacha dawa baada ya kunywa kikombe cha Babu.
Alisema pamoja na watu kadhaa kutoa ushahidi kuwa wamepona kwa dawa hiyo, utafiti uliofanywa na MAT, umegundua kuwa hakuna hata mtu mmoja aliyepona baada ya kunywa dawa ya Babu.
Alisema watumiaji wa ARV walipungua kama ilivyo kwa hao wengine, lakini baada ya muda hali zao zilikuwa mbaya wengine walikimbilia hospitalini lakini kwa kuwa walikuwa wamevuruga mtiririko wa tiba, walipata madhara makubwa.
Dk. Kabangira alisema MAT ilimwandikia barua Katibu Mkuu wa Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii juu ya hatari ya tiba ya Babu, na kutoa ushauri wao, lakini ulipuuzwa kwa sababu za kisiasa.
Kufuatia hali hiyo, MAT imetoa wito kwa Serikali na Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii kuwaeleza wananchi ukweli ili wasiangamie huku wakieleza kusikitishwa kwao kutokana na tiba hiyo kutumika kisiasa.
Mchungaji Mwasapila alianza kutoa tiba hiyo mapema mwaka huu na kusababisha maelfu ya wananchi kutoka pembe zote za nchi na nje ya nchi kukimbilia nyumbani kwake katika kijiji cha Samunge, Loliondo katika Wilaya ya Ngorongoro, mkoani Arusha kupata tiba hiyo dhidi ya magonjwa mbalimbali yakiwemo ya kisukari, Ukimwi, saratani na shinikizo la damu.
Viongozi mbalimbali wa madheheu ya dini nao walikuwa miongoni mwa maelfu waliokwenda Samunge na kupata kikombe huku wakitoa ushuhuda kwamba wamepona kwa dawa ya Mchungaji Mwasapila maarufu kwa jina la Babu.
Safari ya kwenda Samunge ilikumbana na changamoto ya barabara mbovu zilizosababisha misongamano na kuilazimisha serikali kuingilia kati kupanga utaratibu pamoja na kusaidia kuboresha miundombinu.
Chama hicho leo kinafanya mkutano wao mjini Mwanza, suala la tiba ya Babu linatarajiwa kuibuka katika mkutano huo unaowakutanisha wanachama wake.

LIBYAN REBELS AND WESTERN INFLUENCE: A PANACEA FOR DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA

LIBYAN rebels are united by hatred towards the current leader. Once Colonel Gaddafi is out of the game, they will turn on each other and NATO.This is a prediction from many people, including political pundits in Tanzania. As the civil war in Libya rages, many say the country could go the way of Egypt and end up with a disillusioned society impatient for reform, but others believe it could be even much worse. One political commentator in the country said that there is a huge potential of Libya turning into a new Afghanistan. The NATO-led regime change in Libya might well turn the country into a failed state, following the examples of Somalia, Iraq and now Afghanistan. Once Gaddafi leaves power, one way or another – because it is simply impossible for him to fight the whole of the NATO and their puppets or stooges rather; the so called National Transitional Council (NTC) will have huge divisions within its own rank and it is highly doubtful it will be able to keep Libya as a united state. They predict that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi will stay in Libya and nobody knows either where he is or what will happen to him, though he and his sons still have political power in the country. ‘The problem of post-Gaddafi era could be actually more problematic than the problem before the removal of Gaddafi regime, because there is a huge split among the rebels themselves.’ The majority of people who are fighting Gaddafi are Muslim extremists or people who believe they must create an Islamic state in Libya. They are saying that legitimizing this group would be a great problem for NATO. Once NATO decides officially to start a ground operation in Libya it will turn the rebels and Muslim extremists that are now fighting Gaddafi against the troops that would invade Libya. People in Libya have never seen democracy and imposing it will be a very long and complicated process. Democracy is a culture of practice. “You cannot parachute democracy to people in Libya, in Iraq or Afghanistan.” Talks about democracy are very sweet and we know about that. Under the banner of democracy the West intervened in Afghanistan and Iraq – and look what happened. It is the 10-year anniversary of the American invasion in Afghanistan this year and the Western powers have not learnt any lesson from Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, and Afghanistan. “NATO is not a charitable organization” so there must be some sort of oil deal between the Libyan rebels and the alliance which helped the insurgents to gain everything by bombing out military objects of Libya. Libyan cake is lucrative and already shared and the NTC will pay the demanded price to aggressors: exploration contract and military bases. The Libyan future government should pay and will pay a very heavy price – this is not a free service and for sure NTC definitely has a secret oil agreement with the NATO countries. As for the UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s statement that NATO is going to stay in Libya as long as needed, that is a pure imperialism and the Libyan people will not tolerate this and will fight the aggressors.

'IRAN ORGANISES QURAN RECITING COMPETITION IN DAR'

To honour the holy month of Ramadhan, in which the Holy Quran was revealed, The Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran yesterday, organised a Quran reciting competition. A total of 25 pupils participated, and nine of them emerged as overall winners; three in the art of reciting, another three in the art of memorisation and three in the art of qirat. One of them emerged as the best and was awarded a ticket to go to perform pilgrimage this year in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
See photos below:

'IRAN INVITES JOURNALISTS TO IFTAR'

THE Cultural Centre of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on Tuesday 23rd August, 2011 hosted an 'Iftar' party to journalists based in Dar es Salaam who are constatly play a leading role in highliting various issues of that county.
See photos here below:

LIBYA AND WESTERN IMPERIALISTS

THE so called "War on Terror" and battle against "Oppressive Regimes" continues unabated, the only question is "who's next" on the list? The vast majority of the media...terrified to report anything less than pure NATO propaganda.
It has always been about the oil and natural resources, the Bush/Blair years helped pave the way forward for the so called "super powers" to exploit nations for their wealth (except that time they actually called it war), a simple "smash and grab" under the flimsy pretence of "limited Allied involvement" is what we have now.
This has economic hit man written all over it.
And who leads the charge to claim Libya's wealth while the country is still in a state of shock? Step forward that great beacon of light...Italy, closely followed by other beacons...Britain...France...and oh, hang on...I almost forgot...the ace in the hole...the place of freedom and liberty itself... how could I have forgotten...America, wow I feel so much safer knowing these people are in charge on the world, don't you?
I mean, these people actually care about democracy and all that good stuff we read about every day in the news and reported by the media, it's not about material wealth, no this is about freedom people, so get with the program, it's time to shape up, or shut up.
In generations to come, when humanity has actually woken up to see what our governments have created in the name of "peace and democracy", they (our children) will hang their heads in shame at what this century of "peace" has accomplished.
Remember, the victors write history, not the losers, and it's always the people on the ground that are the losers, just ask the thousands of Libyan's that have lost family members to the Allied bombing campaign.
NATO, the UN and America, are nothing more than a combined group of world economic thieves.
Of course it will be worse. That's how it always goes, it gets worse. Take down the dictator to install another one just to make sure you can come back anytime and bring them peace again not sure.
And of course every country has material interests, so if Russia started a war against anyone I'd be reading US-news to know what's probably going on.
If they would at least combine their agenda with the will to install an independent regime that won't make the people suffer more after taking down the old one I could live with that.
But, that's not going to happen and you don't even have to be that smart to know.
And if it's going to happen this time for the first ever then yes "God bless NATO" for doing right!
I'm sorry, but it is simply laughable. Libya’s oil wealth was spent on the welfare of the people, but the media and government propagandists simply deny this fact.
Free education, subsidized housing and commodities, cheap fuel, free medical care, massive infrastructure projects for water supply and agriculture, the list goes on, which you cannot find in any western countries, even in the USA; where poverty looms high among the lower class cadres of the population.
Whatever the faults of the Qaddafi governmental system, a lack of spending on the peoples welfare was simply not one of them.
Qaddafi did not live in golden palaces like the Saudi royals, or the Kuwaiti/Qatari/UAE/Bahraini monarchs; that speaks volumes for the man’s ideals.

ADOLF HITLER, THE CONQUERER OF EUROPE

THE Second World War changed the landscape of human life on Earth.
In January of 1933, the ailing German leader Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as the Chancellor of Germany.
Paul von Hindenburg passed various legislative acts that suspended German civil liberties and gave Hitler administrative control over the entire country.
In 1933, the era of Nazi Germany began and Hitler laid out plans for world conquest.
Adolf Hitler was a master of deception and media propaganda.
In 1934, he began to display the message “One people, One Germany, One Führer.” Hitler made sure to trick foreign powers into thinking that Germany was a safe place to live.
In fact, Adolf Hitler was named the U.S. Time Magazine person of the year in 1938.
During this time in German history, Adolf Hitler took control over the youth.
He passed laws that forced German teachers to use Nazi propaganda.
German children were taught to despise Jewish people and to show all loyalty to the Third Reich.
He organized a program called Hitler’s Youth, which recruited all kids over the age of nine years.
Between the years 1936-1938, over 8 million German children took part in Hitler’s Youth oath of allegiance.
In 1935, Hitler passed the first laws against the Jewish population.
He ordered that all Jewish people were no longer German citizens.
Marriage and sexual intercourse between Germans and Jews was outlawed.
At this time, Hitler pushed thousands of white Arian German women into pregnancy. He demanded that teenage girls attend Nuremberg rally camps, where they had sexual intercourse with boys and became pregnant.
In 1936, nine hundred girls came home from the Nuremberg rally pregnant. Unwed mothers were knows as the Führer’s brides.
In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria under Nazi rule.
This was accomplished because Mussolini’s Fascist Italy made an alliance with the Third Reich and no longer was protecting Austria.
Many people welcomed Hitler into Austria, but within days of the move, 70,000 Austrians were sent to concentration camps.
During the Second World War German armies occupied most of Europe.
Nazi forces defeated France, took Norway, invaded Yugoslavia and Greece and occupied much of the European portion of the Soviet Union.
Germany also forged alliances with Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and, later, Finland, and collaborated with individuals in several other nations.
Hitler’s decision to launch Operation Barbarossa and attack the Soviet Union turned the tide of war.
Had Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin remained in alliance how would your life be different today?
Would the United States nuclear technology have been used in the European Theatre of World War II?
How much influence could one man, Adolf Hitler, really have on the rise of the Third Reich in Germany?
All of these questions should be considered when examining your ancestry and this dark time in human history.