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PM leaves public thirsty

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

Musoma Rural MP Nimrod Mkono signs a document to support a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda yesterday in Dodoma. With him is Kigoma North lawmaker Zitto Kabwe who is collecting the signatures. PHOTO | EDWIN MJWAHUZI

 

 

Dar es Salaam. Contrary to expectations that the government would announce concrete measures against eight cabinet ministers accused of corruption and embezzlement of public funds yesterday, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda issued what amounted to a political statement.

 

 

Adjourning the Parliament session in Dodoma last night, Mr Pinda quipped: “The government has taken note of suggestions made by Members of Parliament and it (the government) will take necessary measures.”

 

In a quick rejoinder, political analysts and politicians last night accused the prime minister of letting down Tanzanians in failing to fulfill his promise.

 

 

“I think it is high time MPs united and took government leaders to task,” said Mr Samwel Ruhuza, NCCR-Mageuzi secretary general. “MPs have remained the only hope for poor Tanzanians.”

 

 

A Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) caucus sitting in Dodoma last week backed the expulsion of the ministers after MPs from both the ruling and opposition parties called for their sacking.

 

 

On Saturday last week, the chairman of the CCM party caucus, Ms Jenista Mhagama (Peramiho-CCM), told journalists that the party had taken hard decisions to be announced by Mr Pinda.

 

 

Mr Pinda himself told journalists that he would make a statement on Monday (yesterday) —a promise that had millions of Tanzanians glued to televisions sets when the PM was adjourning Parliament last night.

 

 

Political analysts and politicians said millions of wananchi were expecting to be told what measures had been taken against ministers accused of poor performance and Mr Pinda’s speech had only unmasked CCM’s weaknesses.

 

 

University of Dar es Salaam Senior Lecturer Benson Bana said he was not surprised by the turn of events. It would be difficult for the government to give in easily if it feared that wananchi would interpret the action as a response to pressure from the MPs.

 

 

“I expected the PM to remain mum on the matter,” Dr Bana said. “It was not going to be easy for the government to take serious action against its ministers on the spot.” Dr Bana does not see the government taking serious measures any time soon. “It is my expectation that the government will not let this issue pass easily,” he added. “I hope the President will do a reshuffle in less than two months to come.”

 

 

The Civic United Front deputy secretary-general (Mainland), Mr Julius Mtatiro, said the only hope for change was the 2015 General Election. He accused CCM MPs and the government of failing to address the people’s problems and cited the PM’s speech as evidence that the government was incapable of taking serious measures against its ministers.

 

 

“I urge wananchi to think of making serious changes against this government,” said Mr Mtatiro. “The PM has disappointed us.”

 

 

The fate of the eight ministers under pressure to resign now lies in the hands of the appointing authority—President Jakaya Kikwete.The ministers targeted include Mr Mustapha Mkulo (Finance), Mr Omar Nundu (Transport), Mr William Ngeleja (Energy and Minerals), Dr Cyril Chami (Industries and Trade) and Mr George Mkuchika (Local Government).

 

 

Angry and emotional MPs who had for two days debated the reports of the Public Organisations Accounts Committee (POAC), Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Local Authorities Accounts Committee (LAAC) openly attacked government ministers, accusing them of abetting corruption and presiding over incompetence.

 

 

Opposition and CCM MPs set their traditional differences aside and joined forces to make spirited calls for the resignation of ministers they blamed for what they described as stinking rot in the government and the misery they said most Tanzanians were subjected to.

 

 

MPs from both sides initiated a process to table a motion of no-confidence in the prime minister in protest at the government’s seeming inability to halt corruption and the embezzlement of public funds.

 

 

In total, 75 MPs from the ruling CCM and opposition had by yesterday signed a petition to censure the prime minister.

 

 

In her remarks shortly after the adjournment of Parliament, Speaker Anne Makinda called for tolerance among the MPs and urged them to co-exist as friends and forget what had transpired. “All criticism that was made in the House Chamber should end here,” she said. “Since the criticism was aimed at building consensus, it should not be taken as a grudge against each other.”

 

 

The Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition in the Parliament, Mr Zitto Kabwe, who engineered the process to gather the signatures, said the written petition signed by 75 MPs had been handed to the Speaker’s office. Adjourning Parliament to June 12, Mr Pinda thanked the MPs for holding the government to account.

 

Source:The Citizen

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Tanzania ratifies African Youth Charter

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

 

Tanzania has ratified the African Youth Charter, but with one reservation. The charter was developed and adopted in 2006 by Ministers of Youth and the African Union Summit, with the support of UNFPA. To date, at least 27 African countries have ratified the charter.

 

 

“It is evident that UNFPA’s support to advance youth development has been instrumental in realizing the ratification,” said Ngasuma Kanyeka, Managing Director of Capacitate Consulting Ltd. However, Tanzania’s ratification has occurred with one reservation – that of allowing girls who are pregnant to return to school. “We still have our work cut out for us, but we are celebrating every step towards progress,” Mr.Kanyeka said.

 

 

Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Representative in Tanzania, congratulated all UNFPA’s partners “who also worked hard to get this through despite the reservation. The issue of pregnant girls not being allowed to continue school is a significant reservation and we need to continue the advocacy around this.”

 

 

However, the Tanzanian Government is attempting through other channels to by-pass the reservation. “The Tanzania Ministry of Education is working through the Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare to get Cabinet Approval to allow pregnant girls to continue with their education after delivery,” said Christine Mwanukuzi-Kwayu, UNFPA Gender Specialist in Tanzania.

 

 

UNFPA is supporting the follow-up ratification of the Charter and implementation in African countries, according to Dr. Akinyele Eric Dairo, UNFPA Africa Regional Office Technical Adviser for Reproductive Health/Maternal Health. He congratulated the UNFPA team and all those involved in the ratification of the Charter in Tanzania. “Special thanks go to all UNFPA colleagues for their hard work and support to young people on the continent. Everywhere we turn, we see the products of UNFPA’s support to young people in Africa,” he said.

 

 

 

The Charter was approved by African Ministers in Charge of Youth in May 2006, and endorsed in July 2006 by African Union Heads of State and Government as a legal framework of action for African youth. The Charter provides guidance for youth development policies and programmes at the national level. The process of developing the Charter was participatory, taking into account the voices of young people from all over the continent and the Diaspora.

 

 

Through the Charter, African governments have committed to undertaking critical actions to improve the status of young people in their countries. The Charter also highlights the rights, responsibilities and duties of young people and draws from various international agreements and commitments.

 

 

Governments committed through the charter to ensure that issues affecting young people in the areas of employment, sustainable livelihood, education, health (including sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention), youth participation, national youth policy, peace and security, law enforcement, youth in the Diaspora and youth with disabilities, are adequately addressed within the framework of national youth policy and youth development programmes.

 

 

Youth in Africa are particularly challenged and vulnerable as a result of poverty, unemployment, adolescent health issues, including HIV infection and other diseases. Only effective national strategies can improve the status of the youth in the continent. Although more than half of Africa’s population comprises youths, most of them live in extreme poverty – 60.7 million young people live on less than US $1 a day.

 

Source:UNFPA Africa

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CAG 2009/10 Report findings

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

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Can Richmond, Dowans to Symbion power moveTanzania from ‘dark’ ages?

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

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Puzzle as UDA Millions Paid to Board Chairman

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

By The Citizen Team

 

Dodoma/Dar. Some Sh270 million meant for the purchase of State-owned commuter transport firm Usafiri Dar es Salaam (UDA) was deposited in a private bank account of Mr Iddi Simba, a one-time Cabinet minister and former UDA board chairman, according to official documents.

 

Meanwhile, a parliamentary committee yesterday declared illegal the reported sale of UDA and ordered the immediate suspension of all ongoing plans to privatise the struggling firm. The move announced in Dodoma deepened the controversy surrounding the privatisation, coming hot on the heels of revelations of suspect financial dealings worth tens of millions of shillings at the public transport company.

 
The chairman of the Public Organisations Accounts Committee (Poac), Mr Zitto Kabwe, told a press conference in Dodoma that they had asked Parliament to direct the State to suspend any transfer of UDA assets pending an in-depth investigation into the sale.

 
“As a matter of public interest, my committee has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly to communicate our view that the deal is null and void,” said Mr Kabwe, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament.

 

 

The Kigoma North MP spoke in the presence of his deputy, Mr Deo Filikunjombe (Ludewa-CCM), and Ubungo MP John Mnyika (Chadema). They said the controversial deal would feature prominently when MPs debate the Transport ministry’s 2011/12 budget estimates to be tabled in Parliament this morning.

 

The MPs spoke moments after the executive chairman of Simon Group Limited, Mr Robert Simon Kisena, strongly defended the firm’s purchase of UDA, and demanded that the government fully implements its part of the deal.

 

The same documents in The Citizen’s possession showing that Sh270 million was deposited in Mr Simba’s account were produced by Mr Filikunjombe, who said the investor had been “conned”.

 
The figure was also quoted in a lengthy document sent to Parliament by Consolidated Holdings Corporation (CHC) confirming the payments to Mr Iddi’s accounts in three separate transactions in unclear circumstances.

 

According to CHC, the body tasked with handling the privatisation of public entities, the UDA deal was controversial and pinned the blame on the board that stayed in office for nine years without the Treasury Registrar’s supervision as required by law.

 

 

According to the documents, Simon Group was directed by the suspended UDA general manager, Mr Victor Milanzi, to deposit the money in Mr Simba’s account because the transport firm’s accounts had overdrafts. The amount was commitment fees and was part of the Sh1.2 billion the investor was supposed to pay for a 52 per cent stake in UDA.

 
However, Mr Simba denied that the money was meant for UDA when The Citizen reached him for comment last week. “It’s very true that Mr Kisena deposited about Sh270 million into my personal account…that money has nothing to do with the sale of the UDA stake,” he said. Mr Simba added that Mr Kisena was the right person to explain why he deposited the money in his personal account.

 
“If you read carefully, the bank slips show that the payments were for transportation…that’s all,” he said without elaborating. A total of Sh20 million was deposited in an account of Pride Tanzania Limited, also associated with Mr Simba.The former MP and Cabinet minister said all issues related to the privatisation of UDA were being handled by CHC.

 
But when asked yesterday about Mr Simba’s claims, Mr Kisena maintained that his firm had paid the money as part of the purchase price, adding that the cash was paid to Mr Simba as directed by the UDA management.

 

 

“We have documents showing that we were asked to do that, and we have raised the matter with the other shareholders after learning that the money was not paid to UDA as expected,” said Mr Kisena.

 
He told The Citizen he had no business dealings with Mr Simba other than the UDA deal, adding that the firm owned by local investors wanted to invest billions of shillings to improve public transport in Dar es Salaam.

 

But Mr Kabwe said the committee would not allow the sale to proceed because it “reeks of corruption”. “This matter will land someone in jail…we promise that this will not end here,” he said.

 
The MPs said documents were forged to push the deal through. Mr Kabwe also said some individuals were hiding behind the deal and their real intention was to grab UDA assets, including land.Available documents show that Simon Group Limited deposited Sh270 million into an account (name of bank and account number withheld) belonging to Mr Simba on September 2, 2009.

 
The documents further indicate that Sh20 million was deposited in a bank account (name of bank and account number withheld) belonging to Pride Tanzania in December 2009. Mr Simba is chairman of Pride Tanzania, a micro finance institution involved in the provision of credit to small and micro entrepreneurs in Tanzania.Mr Simba acknowledged the depositing of the money, but said it was a private business transaction between Mr Kisena and himself and had nothing to do with UDA’s privatisation.

 

 

CHC said last month that there was a case in the High Court (Commercial Division) concerning the privatisation of the Sh12 billion worth of the public transport firm’s assets.

 

 

Reported by Tom Mosoba in Dodoma and Mkinga Mkinga in Dar

 

 

Source:The Citizen

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Release new Bill on Constitution, State urged

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

 

The Citizen Reporter
Dar es Salaam. The government came under pressure yesterday to make public the revised version of the Constitutional Review Act 2011.Participants at an open forum demanded that the revised bill be made available for popular debate before it is tabled in Parliament.

 

The bill, first introduced early this year, was overwhelmingly rejected during debates in Dodoma, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, forcing the government to withdraw it for amendments.Participants at the meeting accused the government of being reluctant to issue the document and vowed that they would not relent in their quest to have it released.

 

The forum organised by civil society organisations and activists came on the heels of unconfirmed reports that the government had already revised the bill, and was intending to table it soon in parliament.

 

But the chairmanof the Constitutional Debate Forum, Mr Deus Kibamba, said the government appeared not to be ready for change, and was trying to delay the process.Mr Kibamba alleged that the government had secretly started amending the current constitution without following the right legal procedures.

 

 

The country might experience chaos should the process of writing the new constitution not be transparent, he said.

 

 

Calling on the public to stand firm on the matter, Mr Kibamba declared: “We will not accept any more cheating on this. We are fully prepared to be jailed or killed if they do it contrary to the public’s expectations.” The Reverend Christopher Mtikila expressed the same sentiments and said: “Let us join hands together for the deliverance of Tanganyika that will provide a clear roadmap to the new constitution.”

 

Rev Mtikila also urged the public to “get ready for anything” to ensure their views were incorporated in the envisaged mother law.Land ownership and exploitation of minerals and other natural resources took centrestage as speakers demanded that the new constitution clearly spell out guidelines on such matters.

 

 

Dr Bashiru Ally, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, described the situation in the country as a “grief period” as the nation’s resources are allegedly being easily squandered by a small group of people. “The public need to be told who bought the privatised ranches, government houses and other properties,’ he said, adding that the new constitution has to consider such key issues.

 

 

A participant, Zuwena Kamba, accused politicians of “double standards” in the search for a new constitution. She said they did not practise what they said and deceived the public. Some politicians do not have a firm stand, she added, “as they say one thing during the day and preach another at night”.

 

 

Tanzania Teachers Union Chairman Gratias Mukoba called on the public to prepare for demonstrations and take risks for the sake of change. He envisaged a new constitution that would overhaul the current education system and create the foundation for a good one that would promise a better life for all.

 

 

Dar es Salaam University College of Education student Gwakisa Gwakisa urged youth to forge a new platform free of political affiliation to help push the process forward.“Youth should shun party politics and come together to advocate collectively for our affairs,” he said. According to Mr Gwakisa, young people have been ignored in the process of drawing a new constitution.

 

 

Meanwhile, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Celina Kombani declined to comment on claims that the government was secretly going on with the amendment of the constitution.Speaking on phone from Dodoma, the minister said she would answer all questions on the constitutional review bill when tabling her budget speech.

 

 

“I cannot say anything now,” she said. “Wait until I table my budget speech and you will get answers to those questions.”

 

Source:The Citizen

 

 

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First African urban youth assembly to be held in Abuja

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Nairobi, 15 Jul 11

 

 

Young people from some 53 African countries are set to congregate in Abuja, Nigeria between 26-28 July 2011 for the first ever urban youth assembly on the continent.

 

The First African Urban Youth Assembly to be held at the Yar A’dua International Conference Center is scheduled to be officially opened by the Nigerian head of state Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and will be held under the theme ‘youth and prosperity in the city for sustainable urban development’.

 

Staging over three days, the gathering event will also be attended by UN-HABITAT Envoys.

 

The Habitat Agenda promotes a positive vision where everyone has access to adequate housing, a safe and healthy environment with basic services and which can manage mobility through better urban planning and provide better public services to avoid urban sprawl. Sixty per cent of people in African cities also live in slums and informal developments because of inappropriate or inadequate policies. This percentage is even higher in post-conflict countries.

 

Addressing urban issues offers opportunity to tackle wider development concerns such as unemployment, safety and security, social exclusion and the provision of basic services, gender inequality, climate change and the environment.

 

At the same time, this is an opportunity to learn from the young optimistic spirit and seemingly boundless energy, best practices and lessons from the local, national and global levels and to present a platform for recognizing the potential of youth and youth initiatives to advocate for youth concerns, achievements and solutions.

 

Of around 620 million economically active 15 to 24-year-olds, 81 million were unemployed at the end of 2009, the highest number since records began in 1991, according to the ILO. That puts the global youth unemployment rate at 13%, up from 11.9% just before the global downturn in 2007.

 

Unemployment can lead to idle young people engaging in crime and violence. This has a profound impact on human development and economic costs can be very high, particularly for developing countries. Africa’s rapidly growing cities need to be strategically guided for longer-term sustainability.

 

 

Source:UNHabitat

 

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Open Government Partnership (OGP) launched

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

A potentially powerful new global initiative, the Open Government Partnership (OGP), was launched in Washington DC on July 12, 2011. OGP is a global effort to make governments better. We all want more transparent, effective and accountable governments — with institutions that empower citizens and are responsive to their aspirations.

 

The Open Government Partnership aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. In the spirit of multi-stakeholder collaboration, OGP is overseen by a steering committee of governments and civil society organizations.

 

Twaweza is one of the members of the Steering Committee, and has been involved in the formation of the idea from its earliest days. Fifty nine governments and over 80 CSOs participated at the launch. Kenya and Uganda were represented at a high level, and we hope that Tanzania too will soon join the process.

 

For more information, visit the Open Government Partnership. To learn more about how countries can participate, download the OGP’s Roadmap to Participation. Watch the official OGP launch here .

 

Source: Twaweza

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Tragedy as bus hits truck, bursts into flames

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Two vehicles are engulfed in flames at the Mikumi

National Park in Morogoro yesterday

 

The Citizen Reporters

 

Dar  es Salaam/Morogoro.  Scores of passengers died and many others seriously injured when their bus hit a stationary truck yesterday evening.Police reports said the accident occurred on a road stretch along the Mikumi National Park in Morogoro Region due to poor visibility caused by smoke emanating from burning grass within the national park.

 

 

Reports said some of the victims were charred while the vehicles were burnt beyond repair.Reports from the scene of the accident said last night that the accident involved a 60-seater Hood Bus Service and a stationary lorry carrying edible oil.The reports said the driver of the lorry who was heading to Songea from Dar es Salaam had stopped on the road waiting for the smoke to clear.

 

 

And the bus that was full of passengers was travelling to Arusha from Mbeya.Unconfirmed police reports said the 19 injured persons out of the 65 passengers were rushed to Mikumi hospital and Morogoro, adding that the remaining 48 passengers were unaccounted for.They said bodies were seen trapped inside the wreckage of the bus, adding that confirmed reports said the driver and his tout died on the spot.

 

 

“The smoke which was coming from a nearby burning bush within the national park was the cause of the accident because both drivers lost visibility,” said Mr Alex Kadeya, a witness.Other witnesses said the truck which was ferrying 28 tonnes of edible oil stopped on the road, waiting for the smoke to clear.

 

“The driver of the bus did not wait for the smoke to clear only to hit the truck,” said Mr Kadeya.Mr Kadeya added that both vehicles were completely burnt, adding that passengers who got outside the bus did so after breaking windows.

 

The Morogoro regional crimes officer, Mr Khamis Suleiman, confirmed that the two vehicles were destroyed beyond repair.

 

 

Contacted for comment last night, the Mikumi National Park chief warden, Mr John Shemkunde, admitted that grass burning was done routinely to control bushfires.

 

 

“We have been doing that all these years and it has caused no accident,” said Mr Shemkunde when asked whether the park authorities could have been blamed for the accident.“There is no need of putting up any signs. The accident could have been caused by the recklessness of the drivers.”

 

 

New Habari editor in ICU

 

Meanwhile, the deputy managing editor with New Habari Corporation, Mr Danny Mwakiteleko, is in a critical condition after he was involved in a road accident on Wednesday night.

 

 

Mr Mwakiteleko has been admitted to the intensive care unit of the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI). Mr Mwakiteleko is among the founders of the Mwananchi newspaper.

 

 

New Habari CEO Hussein Bashe said yesterday Mr Mwakiteleko was involved in the accident at Tabata in Dar es Salaam at around 10pm as he was returning home from the media house’s Sinza Kijiweni office where he had edited Rai newspaper.

 

 

Mr Bashe said Mwakiteleko was assisted by good Samaritans who ferried him to Amana hospital from where he was transferred to MOI.He said Mwakiteleko’s car rammed into a trailer.

 

 

Reported b y Fredy Azzah and Lilian Lucas

 

Source:The Citizen

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AfDB approves Sh37bn to boost businesses in Africa

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

By The Citizen Reporter

 

Dar es Salaam.  The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $25million (Sh37.5billion) to support some selected portfolio companies across the Africa, the bank said yesterday.

 

 

The amount is to be channeled the equity investment in Vantage Capital Fund II (VCF II).
“This second-generation multi-sector fund, designed to reach $250 million, will provide mezzanine financing – a combination of debt and equity instruments,” the bank said in a statement made available to The Citizen.

 

 

The pan-African  fund, with up to 45 per cent of its portfolio in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries, 30 per cent in North Africa and 25 per cent in East and West Africa, will support the growth of African businesses. According to the bank, the first generation Fund (VCF I) helped create some 19,300 jobs, generated $91 million in tax revenue for the South African government, and added $281 extra capital flow to South African businesses over a period of eight years.

 

 

“VCF II is expected to help catalyze some $735 million in aggregate capital flows to African mid-markets companies, trigger the creation of 10,000 additional jobs and bring in $145 million in government revenues,” the bank said.

 

 

The AfDB’s investment in VCF II will promote the expansion of mezzanine financing as a mainstream asset class on the continent.The Fund is expected to attract institutional investors from several African countries and promote higher levels of investment in long-term instruments.

 

 

As the first fund domiciled in Botswana, VCF II will help launch the nascent Botswana International Financial Service Center (BIFSC).Mezzanine assets currently represent less than 2 per cent of African private equity funds, compared to a world average of 10 per cent.

 

 

However, a host of factors- including sustained growth rates, the increasing needs of mid-market companies for expansion capital, sound but conservative banking sectors and increasingly favorable tax and regulatory regimes- have generated an African mezzanine market potential estimated at $1.6 million over the next 5 years.

 

 

Source:The Citizen

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