Militants in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region say they have "declared war" on the government after battling security forces guarding facilities.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said it was responding to attacks by the military.
The military said it had repelled several Mend attacks. Both sides say their opponents suffered heavy losses.
Mend's violent campaign for a bigger part of the area's oil wealth has cut Nigeria's oil output by more than 20%.
Mend militants are the largest of several armed groups operating in the impoverished delta region. They frequently kidnap foreign oil workers and sabotage oil installations and pipelines.
Nigerian President Umaru Yar'adua is under pressure to crack down on the militants and make the delta safer for international oil firms.
Lawless region
In an email released by Mend, the group said it had launched an "oil war" on the government in response to what it described as unprovoked aerial attacks on its bases in the Niger Delta.
The group said its heavily-armed fighters had fanned out in hundreds of boats to attack oil installations in Rivers state.
"The operation will continue until the government of Nigeria appreciates that the solution to peace in the Niger Delta is justice, respect and dialogue," the group said.
An oil platform at Kula, operated by oil giant Chevron, was among the facilities targeted, Mend said, adding that 22 Nigerian troops had been killed in the attack.
A Nigerian military spokesman said they had repelled an attack on an oil platform operated by the US company, Chevron. He said the militants had suffered heavy casualties.
The Niger Delta region is the source of most of the Nigerian government's income, yet it remains blighted by poverty and corruption.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Make use of bank's loan facilities, urges JK
President Jakaya Kikwete has asked Simanjiro residents to come up with business proposals to access loans from the newly-inaugurated National Microfinance Bank (NMB) branch in the district. He told a public rally at Orkesumit on Friday that banks and other financial institutions were willing to support people's business initiatives provided they submitted viable proposals. "Do not just go to the bank empty handed and ask for loans. You need sound business proposals to secure the loans," said the president. He also advised them to form small groups that would evenly give them access to credit facilities. President Kikwete urged the residents to develop a culture of saving part of their income in the banks than in their houses, which, he said, was risky.The NMB branch is the first banking institution in the district. Previously, one had to travel to Arusha or Kiteto to get such services. Meanwhile, the NMB Chairman, Mr Misheck Ngatunga, said the Simanjiro branch was one of the 15 new branches to be inaugurated through the country. He said other branches to be launched this month include those in Kilindi, Rukwa, Kilole, Misenyi, Mvomero, Mukikombe and Longido. More branches will be opened next month in Tandahimba, Namtobo, Chato and Mkuranga. By December, Mr Ngatunga said his bank will have also opened branches in Rorya, Bahi and Mkunyumbu.
Friday, September 12, 2008
University dons worry over own handiwork
The Engineers Registration Board (ERB) has hired independent consultants from the University of Dar es Salaam Bureau of Industrial Cooperation (BICO) to examine the safety of the 11-storey building at Zanaki Street in Dar es Salaam. The decision follows fear and widespread rumours that the building might collapse anytime – since it has started leaning on adjacent buildings.
The structure was put up some eight years ago - and it is largely used as a residential complex. The ERB Registrar, Mr Steven Mlote and other officials of the board yesterday visited the building and thereafter told the 'Daily News' that the ERB was concerned with people’s fear and therefore they had decided to hire consultants to establish its safety. He said they had questioned engineers who constructed the building but whose explanations were not satisfactory. The registrar noted that Bico would examine generally all parts of the building and conduct non-destructive test. Mr Mlote however could hesitate to show his doubt over capacity and size of the elevator which is very small and with only one door. On Wednesday and yesterday scores of people thronged to the area to witness ‘what could have been another incident of building collapse in the city’. Some families staying in the building said that it had always been nightmarish and worrisome to use the elevator and therefore embark on cumbersome and tiresome task of climbing the building on foot. The building seemed to lean on the other four-storey building. According to ERB officials, the two buildings, should at least, be three metres apart. Families staying in the building were unrestful and panicked as the crowd was looking at the building. “Our life here is at jeopardy, we do not know what will happen to us as rumours are everywhere that the building is going to collapse. We appeal to the government to act fast and provide advice on what to do,” said one tenant. One passer-by, Hassan Salum, said that the government should order evacuation of tenants from the building while waiting for consultants to do their tasks. About two months ago on the same Zanaki Street a ten-storey building under construction collapsed, claiming life of one person.Information have it that there are at least 100 buildings in the country which are at risk of collapsing.
End to World Bank's Chad oil deal
The World Bank has cancelled an oil pipeline deal with Chad after a dispute with the government over failed pledges to use profits to tackle poverty.
The bank said Chad had also failed to use revenues on health and education.
It said Chad had paid the outstanding balance of $65.7m (£37m) under a $140m loan agreement, after talks with the government of President Idriss Deby.
Chad called the decision "practically consensual" and that relations would continue in non-oil sectors.
The pipeline was seen as a test case for how Africa's oil wealth could benefit the poor if spent properly.
'Improve governance'
The central African country is expected to earn about $1.4bn in oil revenues this year.
"Regrettably, it became evident that the arrangements that had underpinned the bank's involvement in the Chad-Cameroon pipeline project were not working," said Michel Wormser, the bank's director of operations for Africa.
"The bank therefore concluded that it could not continue to support this project under these circumstances."
But he said future cooperation was possible "if the government of Chad wishes to focus its energies on a programme to support inclusive development to overcome poverty, assist displaced people and improve governance".
Sudan election 'could be delayed'
A minister in South Sudan's government has said nationwide elections due by July 2009 could be delayed by at least six months.
Minister for Presidential Affairs Luka Biong said torrential rain and a series of logistical problems could make it difficult to vote as scheduled.
The polls, agreed on in a 2005 peace deal, would be Sudan's first democratic elections in more than two decades.
The peace deal ended a 21-year civil war between the north and the south.
"Practically, it won't be feasible to have them [elections] by July," Mr Biong said, according to Reuters news agency.
He is from the SPLM party of former rebels, which is planning to contest the polls against the NCP of President Omar al-Bashir.
The two parties signed the 2005 deal and share power at a national level but analysts say relations remain tense.
In July, a law was passed, paving the way for the elections.
The peace deal gave the south a semi-autonomous government and provided for a referendum on independence for the south by 2011.
Correspondents say any delay to the elections would also raise worries over the timing of the referendum.
Minister for Presidential Affairs Luka Biong said torrential rain and a series of logistical problems could make it difficult to vote as scheduled.
The polls, agreed on in a 2005 peace deal, would be Sudan's first democratic elections in more than two decades.
The peace deal ended a 21-year civil war between the north and the south.
"Practically, it won't be feasible to have them [elections] by July," Mr Biong said, according to Reuters news agency.
He is from the SPLM party of former rebels, which is planning to contest the polls against the NCP of President Omar al-Bashir.
The two parties signed the 2005 deal and share power at a national level but analysts say relations remain tense.
In July, a law was passed, paving the way for the elections.
The peace deal gave the south a semi-autonomous government and provided for a referendum on independence for the south by 2011.
Correspondents say any delay to the elections would also raise worries over the timing of the referendum.
SA court rejects Zuma graft case
A South African court has ruled that a corruption case against ruling party leader Jacob Zuma cannot go ahead.
He was facing charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering relating to a multi-billion dollar 1999 arms deal.
A judge in Pietermaritzburg said there was reason to believe the decision to charge him was politically motivated.
His words were drowned out by cheers of supporters outside the court. The decision means Mr Zuma is likely to become president in polls next year.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Pietermaritzburg said there were scenes of celebration outside the court, where thousands of people had gathered - some since Thursday evening for an all-night vigil.
After leaving court, Mr Zuma addressed the crowds, and led them in his trademark anti-apartheid guerrilla song, "Umshini wami" (Bring Me My Machine-Gun).
"This is a lesson that we should never keep quiet when those in power break the law," he told the crowds in his mother-tongue, Zulu.
Judge Chris Nicholson said the decision to prosecute without consulting Mr Zuma, 66, had been invalid and ordered the charges to be set aside - for the moment.
"I must repeat that this application has nothing to do with the guilt or otherwise of the applicant. It deals only with the procedural point relating to his [Zuma's] right to making representations before the respondent [the prosecution] makes a decision on whether to charge him," AFP news agency quotes him as saying.
He was facing charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering relating to a multi-billion dollar 1999 arms deal.
A judge in Pietermaritzburg said there was reason to believe the decision to charge him was politically motivated.
His words were drowned out by cheers of supporters outside the court. The decision means Mr Zuma is likely to become president in polls next year.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Pietermaritzburg said there were scenes of celebration outside the court, where thousands of people had gathered - some since Thursday evening for an all-night vigil.
After leaving court, Mr Zuma addressed the crowds, and led them in his trademark anti-apartheid guerrilla song, "Umshini wami" (Bring Me My Machine-Gun).
"This is a lesson that we should never keep quiet when those in power break the law," he told the crowds in his mother-tongue, Zulu.
Judge Chris Nicholson said the decision to prosecute without consulting Mr Zuma, 66, had been invalid and ordered the charges to be set aside - for the moment.
"I must repeat that this application has nothing to do with the guilt or otherwise of the applicant. It deals only with the procedural point relating to his [Zuma's] right to making representations before the respondent [the prosecution] makes a decision on whether to charge him," AFP news agency quotes him as saying.
Expulsions stoke US-Venezuela row
A series of tit-for-tat expulsions has left the US without ambassadors in three Latin American countries.
Bolivia and Venezuela have expelled their US envoys, accusing Washington of trying to oust Bolivia's government.
Washington has responded by throwing out envoys from Bolivia and Venezuela and freezing the assets of three aides to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Meanwhile, Honduras has refused the credentials of a new US ambassador, postponing his appointment.
US officials said the actions of Venezuela and Bolivia showed their leaders' "weakness and desperation".
The BBC's Emilio San Pedro said relations between the US and Latin American opponents such as Mr Chavez had seemed to be on a holding pattern.
But the situation has changed in a matter of days, he says.
This week's arrival in Venezuela of two Russian bomber planes taking part in a military exercise is not thought to have helped the situation.
And with more joint military exercises in the pipeline, our correspondent says it could take a while for tensions to subside.
Bolivia and Venezuela have expelled their US envoys, accusing Washington of trying to oust Bolivia's government.
Washington has responded by throwing out envoys from Bolivia and Venezuela and freezing the assets of three aides to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Meanwhile, Honduras has refused the credentials of a new US ambassador, postponing his appointment.
US officials said the actions of Venezuela and Bolivia showed their leaders' "weakness and desperation".
The BBC's Emilio San Pedro said relations between the US and Latin American opponents such as Mr Chavez had seemed to be on a holding pattern.
But the situation has changed in a matter of days, he says.
This week's arrival in Venezuela of two Russian bomber planes taking part in a military exercise is not thought to have helped the situation.
And with more joint military exercises in the pipeline, our correspondent says it could take a while for tensions to subside.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
WAZIRI MKUU MH.PINDA ATAKA WATANZANIA WACHUNGUZE FURSA ZA KIBIASHARA ZILIZOPO EAC
WAZIRI MKUU Mizengo Pinda amewataka wafanyabiashara wa Kitanzania watakaozuru nchi za Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda na Burundi wachunguze fursa zilizopo kwenye nchi hizo ili wenzao waweze kufaidika pia.Amesema hayo leo mchana wakati alipofanya mazungumzo na ujumbe wa wafanyabishara Watanzania watakaofanya ziara katika nchi hizo nne kuanzia Septemba 7-16, 2008. “Katika ziara hii mjitahidi kuangalia ni maeneo gani tuna fursa kubwa ya kushindana na wenzetu ili nasi tuwezeshe wajasiriamali wetu wengi kuingia katika biashara za kimataifa,” alisema Waziri Mkuu alipokutana nao kwenye ukumbi wa Karimjee, jijini Dar es Salaam.Akizungumza na wawakilishi wa wafanyabiashara 50 watakaowepo kwenye msafara huo, Waziri Mkuu alisema: “Nyie ndio wenye uwezo wa kuongoza biashara, Serikali ina jukumu la kujenga mazingira mazuri yatakayowawezesha kufanya biashara zenu kwa utulivu na amani. Na hilo nawahahakikishia tunalifanya na tutaendelea kulifanya. Ainisheni vikwazo tufahamisheni Serikalini ili tuweze kuchukua hatua za kuondoa vikwazo hivyo.” Waziri Mkuu alisema kwa kubuni na kukubali kufanya ziara hiyo, wafanyabiashara watapanua uelewa wao wa biashara, watapata mbinu mpya za kibiashara na ni pia ni wakati muafaka wa kuboresha miundombinu ya kufanya biashara zao. Wafanyabiashara hao wanatoka mikoa ya Dodoma, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Morogoro, Arusha na Dar es Salaam.Aliwataka waangalie fursa za uwekezaji kwenye viwanda ambako hali si nzuri ikilinganishwa na nchi za jirani. “Hapa kwetu ni kweli tuna fursa nyingi na takwimu za uwekezaji zinaonyesha kuongezeka, lakini tujiulize kweli viwanda vikubwa tunavyo vingapi na vinazalisha kiasi gani?”Alitoa mfano wa Kenya ambayo ina viwanda vikubwa 900 na kati ya hivyo 200 ni vya wawekezaji wakubwa wa nje (Multinationals) ambavyo vinamilikiwa kwa ubia na wananchi na wawekezaji wa nje pekee.Alisisitiza haja ya kutafuta fursa za uwekezaji kwenye sekta ya kilimo na zile zitakawezesha kuleta mapinduzi katika kilimo. “Tunahitaji kuanza kilimo cha mashamba makubwa yanayotumia teknolojia za kisasa zenye tija, yaani Kilimo cha Kibiashara (Commercial Farming).Akitolea mfano sekta hiyo, alisema Kenya wameanza kilimo hiki muda mrefu kwa vile wana mashamba makubwa ya Kahawa, Nafaka, Maua na Chai. “Pia, Kenya na Uganda wana uzoefu mkubwa wa kuzalisha mbegu bora za nafaka… Tanzania tunaagiza asilimia 75 ya mahitaji yetu ya mbegu bora kutoka nje na sehemu kubwa inaagizwa kutoka Kenya… hili ni eneo muhimu sana ambalo tunapaswa kujifunza kutoka kwao ili tubadili kilimo chetu kiwe cha tija kubwa na cha kibiashara.”Aliwasihi wafanyabiashara kujitokeza kwa wingi kushiriki katika ziara hii ambayo, alisema ni ziara itakayoandika historia mpya kwa wafanyabiashara wa Tanzania. “Ni ziara ya kuwafungua macho wafanyabiashara. Ni ziara ya kujifunza na kuwafanya wafanyabiashara kujiamini zaidi,” alisisitiza.Alisema mbali na kuangalia nchi hizo nne za Afrika Mashariki, wafikirie pia soko la SADC kwa sababu Tanzania ni wanachama wa jumuiya hiyo na akawakumbusha wasiisahau nchi ya DRC kwani ina wakazi zaidi ya milioni 60. “… hili nalo ni soko kubwa na eneo la kibiashara na uwekezaji, tuandaae mkakati wa kutambua fursa zilizopo katika Ukanda wa SADC bila kuwasahau jirani zetu wa DRC… Tuondokane na mawazo potofu kuwa masoko yako kwenye nchi zilizoendelea tu,” alisema. Wakiwa katika ziara hiyo, wafanyabiashara hao wanatarajiwa kujikita zaidi katika sekta saba ambazo ni miundombinu yaani barabara, reli na usafiri wa angani na majini (Infrastructure Development of Airports, Seaports and General Transportation); Nishati na Madini (Energy & Mining) na Biashara (Trade – Import/Export).Nyingine ni Usindikaji na biashara ya mazao (Agribusiness); Hoteli na Utalii (Hotel & Tourism); Viwanda, Ujenzi na Uhandisi (Manufacturing, Construction & Engineering); na Sekta ya Huduma za Fedha (Financial Services).
BREAKING NEWS
Zimbabwe rivals agree unity deal
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says a power-sharing deal has been reached with President Robert Mugabe in Harare.
"We've got a deal," said Mr Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has helped broker the talks, said an agreement would be signed on Monday.
Mr Mugabe has not yet commented. Weeks of negotiations have faltered over how the two sides are to share power.
The government and MDC have already agreed Mr Tsvangirai will be named prime minister and Mr Mugabe will remain as president.
Mr Mbeki told a news conference: "An agreement has been reached about all the matters on the agenda of the negotiations."
Mr Mugabe won a controversial June presidential run-off election unopposed after Mr Tsvangirai withdrew, claiming his supporters were the brunt of a state-sponsored campaign of violence.
In the first presidential election in March, Mr Tsvangirai gained more votes than Mr Mugabe, but official results say he did not pass the 50% threshold for outright victory.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has helped broker the talks, said an agreement would be signed on Monday.
Mr Mugabe has not yet commented. Weeks of negotiations have faltered over how the two sides are to share power.
The government and MDC have already agreed Mr Tsvangirai will be named prime minister and Mr Mugabe will remain as president.
Mr Mbeki told a news conference: "An agreement has been reached about all the matters on the agenda of the negotiations."
Mr Mugabe won a controversial June presidential run-off election unopposed after Mr Tsvangirai withdrew, claiming his supporters were the brunt of a state-sponsored campaign of violence.
In the first presidential election in March, Mr Tsvangirai gained more votes than Mr Mugabe, but official results say he did not pass the 50% threshold for outright victory.
Deadline for Kenyans to quit camp
Some 10,000 Kenyans displaced in electoral violence earlier this year have been given until Friday morning to leave the camp where they are living.
A BBC reporter in Eldoret in the Rift Valley says riot police have been deployed to the camp in a showground.
In May, the unity government started to resettled the displaced, but many say they are too scared to return home.
Eldoret's district commissioner told the BBC many of them were opportunists, waiting for handouts and must leave.
Leonard Ngaluma said most families in the Eldoret camp had been given 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($140) two weeks ago to help them make the move.
"The moment we gave that money, which we did about two weeks [ago], we had a very clear understanding that they ought upon receiving that amount to move out of the showground," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
But the BBC's Wanyama wa Chebusiri in Eldoret says many of those at the camp say they have not received the money and have nowhere to go.
"I am confident that they will leave," Mr Ngaluma.
"I have no doubt in my mind that we shall be able to close the showground without having to use excessive force."
Eldoret is in the Rift Valley, which was the area hardest hit by the clashes following disputed presidential polls in December 2007.
About 1,500 people died in the violence and 600,000 were displaced.
A BBC reporter in Eldoret in the Rift Valley says riot police have been deployed to the camp in a showground.
In May, the unity government started to resettled the displaced, but many say they are too scared to return home.
Eldoret's district commissioner told the BBC many of them were opportunists, waiting for handouts and must leave.
Leonard Ngaluma said most families in the Eldoret camp had been given 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($140) two weeks ago to help them make the move.
"The moment we gave that money, which we did about two weeks [ago], we had a very clear understanding that they ought upon receiving that amount to move out of the showground," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
But the BBC's Wanyama wa Chebusiri in Eldoret says many of those at the camp say they have not received the money and have nowhere to go.
"I am confident that they will leave," Mr Ngaluma.
"I have no doubt in my mind that we shall be able to close the showground without having to use excessive force."
Eldoret is in the Rift Valley, which was the area hardest hit by the clashes following disputed presidential polls in December 2007.
About 1,500 people died in the violence and 600,000 were displaced.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Zambian election date announced
Zambia will hold an election on 30 October to choose a successor to President Levy Mwanawasa, who died in a French military hospital last month.
The poll was announced by the acting President, Rupiah Banda, who will be the candidate of the governing Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).
He is likely to face a strong challenge from opposition leader Michael Sata, who narrowly lost the election in 2006.
Mr Mwanawasa, who had led Zambia since 2001, suffered a stroke in June.
Under the constitution, an election must be called within 90 days of the post of president becoming vacant.
The poll was announced by the acting President, Rupiah Banda, who will be the candidate of the governing Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).
He is likely to face a strong challenge from opposition leader Michael Sata, who narrowly lost the election in 2006.
Mr Mwanawasa, who had led Zambia since 2001, suffered a stroke in June.
Under the constitution, an election must be called within 90 days of the post of president becoming vacant.
Hopes grow for deal on Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have resumed talks in Harare, amid growing hopes of a power-sharing deal.
"We are optimistic, we are never pessimistic," Mr Mugabe said as he arrived at the Harare hotel.
On Tuesday, both men both said they hoped to address the outstanding issues between them on Wednesday.
South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki has stayed in Harare to lead the talks, delaying a summit in Swaziland.
In a sign of Zimbabwe's economic crisis, some shops will be allowed to sell goods in foreign currency, the government has announced.
With annual inflation running at an official 11,000,000%, the Zimbabwe dollar is rapidly depreciating. Last month, the currency was revalued, so Z$10bn became Z$1.
Security role
"I must say that there is a positive development," Mr Tsvangirai said on Tuesday evening after two days of talks.
"We are optimistic, we are never pessimistic," Mr Mugabe said as he arrived at the Harare hotel.
On Tuesday, both men both said they hoped to address the outstanding issues between them on Wednesday.
South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki has stayed in Harare to lead the talks, delaying a summit in Swaziland.
In a sign of Zimbabwe's economic crisis, some shops will be allowed to sell goods in foreign currency, the government has announced.
With annual inflation running at an official 11,000,000%, the Zimbabwe dollar is rapidly depreciating. Last month, the currency was revalued, so Z$10bn became Z$1.
Security role
"I must say that there is a positive development," Mr Tsvangirai said on Tuesday evening after two days of talks.
US Bolivia ambassador 'expelled'
The US ambassador to Bolivia has been ordered to leave the country by President Evo Morales, reports say.
Mr Morales accused Philip Goldberg of supporting the opposition and encouraging the division of the country.
He said the foreign minister would inform Mr Goldberg that he "should return to his country at once".
Bolivia has seen large protests in recent weeks by opponents of Mr Morales' economic and social policies.
Mr Morales accused Philip Goldberg of supporting the opposition and encouraging the division of the country.
He said the foreign minister would inform Mr Goldberg that he "should return to his country at once".
Bolivia has seen large protests in recent weeks by opponents of Mr Morales' economic and social policies.
Kikwete inaugurates AU council assembly...
African Union Chairman President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday launched the first Permanent General Assembly of the continental body`s Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC). In an address to members of the council at a ceremony in Dar es Salaam, he described the landmark development as a measure of the AU leaders` commitment to abiding by the letter and spirit of the legal requirements the body ought to meet. ``The Constitutive Act of the AU is designed to be a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society in the African continent,`` said the AU chairperson. He explained that, by establishing ECOSOCC, the AU was creating a people-oriented, people-centred and people-driven community in the AU in which all stakeholders were effectively represented. ``This is the first time that an institution such as the AU that began as an inter-governmental organisation is incorporating non-state actors as full partners in the policy making enterprise,`` said the AU Chairman. ``Our ECOSOCC is not an allied or associated body of the AU. It is more or less a civil society parliament made up of elected representatives of civil society organisations of member states and the regions of the continents,`` he added. He further noted that the council`s birth meant that civil society organisations in Africa have now got a formal platform where their voices could be heard and considered. The council`s newly elected Presiding Officer, Akere Muna of Cameroon, said ECOSOCC would concentrate on the sensitisation of the people of Africa on the challenges facing the continent.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Israeli PM 'should be indicted'
Israeli police have formally recommended to prosecutors that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert be indicted in a corruption investigation.
The decision about whether to indict Mr Olmert now rests with Attorney General Meni Mazuz.
Mr Olmert has already announced that he will resign later this month because of the multiple corruption investigations he is facing.
He has consistently denied all the accusations against him.
The ruling Kadima party is to hold a leadership vote on 17 September.
The police said they had evidence showing Mr Olmert allegedly accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from American businessman Morris Talansky.
Mr Olmert is also accused of filing duplicate claims to government agencies for travel expenses.
The accusations date back to his time as mayor of Jerusalem and minister of trade and industry before he became prime minister in 2006.
Mr Olmert's lawyers said the police recommendation to indict the prime minister was meaningless.
"The only person authorised by the law to decide whether to indict a prime minister is the attorney general. He has the authority and he bears the responsibility over the issue," his lawyers said in a statement.
Mr Mazuz is expected to make his decision in the next few weeks.
The decision about whether to indict Mr Olmert now rests with Attorney General Meni Mazuz.
Mr Olmert has already announced that he will resign later this month because of the multiple corruption investigations he is facing.
He has consistently denied all the accusations against him.
The ruling Kadima party is to hold a leadership vote on 17 September.
The police said they had evidence showing Mr Olmert allegedly accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from American businessman Morris Talansky.
Mr Olmert is also accused of filing duplicate claims to government agencies for travel expenses.
The accusations date back to his time as mayor of Jerusalem and minister of trade and industry before he became prime minister in 2006.
Mr Olmert's lawyers said the police recommendation to indict the prime minister was meaningless.
"The only person authorised by the law to decide whether to indict a prime minister is the attorney general. He has the authority and he bears the responsibility over the issue," his lawyers said in a statement.
Mr Mazuz is expected to make his decision in the next few weeks.
Prospects for wealth ‘lure illegal traders’
The influx of illegal immigrants in Tanzania mainly from neighbouring countries and farther afield is due to the country’s wealth in natural resources, investment and business opportunities coupled with prevailing peace and tranquillity. Authoritative sources said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that illegal immigrants who operate in syndicates involving officials in government offices and institutions were stealing billions of shillings through illegal exports of natural resources. Those engaged in trading (goods and services) take their money plus government revenue (unpaid taxes and levies) out of the country by getting international currencies from bureau de change outlets. Government records show that illegal immigrants come from Ethiopia, Somalia, China, India, Thailand, Korea, Europe, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Others come from former communist countries. The Director of Immigration Services, Mr Kinemo Kihomano, confirmed the presence of scores of illegal immigrants in the country. He said there was a shortage of immigration officers to stem the rot. He said that the directorate was operating with only one third of the required number of immigration officers. He said that some illegal immigrants engaged in minerals (mainly gemstones), forest products (logs, sleepers), trophies and the hotel industry. “In order to alleviate the current problem of illegal immigrants, Tanzania needs 9,000 immigration officers but we have only 3,000 of them and some of them are not honest,” he said. He appealed for cooperation from members of the public. He said the 'wananchi' should report to the nearest police station or any security organ any sighting of people they suspect to be illegal immigrants. A total of 1,646 illegal immigrants were netted by immigration officers at different parts of the country since early this year. The group comprised 1,000 Ethiopians, two Eritreans and 644 Somalis. Mr Kihomano said that out of the 1,000 Ethiopians, 256 were recently escorted to border points of Horohoro and Namanga where they were received by their relatives. He said that efforts to locate relatives of the remaining immigrants were going on. Mr Kihomano said that consultations between the governments of countries from where the illegal immigrants hail and Tanzania on how to take them back home helped Tanzania escape from paying for air tickets costing 600 US dollars (about 700,000/-) each.
Kikwete in Sudan
President Jakaya Kikwete was due in Khartoum, Sudan yesterday evening for an official visit during which he would hold talks with his counterpart, Omar Al-Bashir.
President Kikwete is also scheduled this morning to meet the Sudanese Vice- President, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and the Chairman of the National Assembly, Ahmed Ibrahim Eltabir. Presidents Kikwete and President al-Bashir will later hold a joint news conference. He is expected to fly back home in the afternoon. Details on President Kikwete's tour were not made available, but it is understood that the crisis in the Darfur region would prominently feature during the visit.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
SMART SPENDING
Want fuel economy? Consider a good old stick shift
Better gas mileage can be had from what used to be standard in cars -- the manual transmission, or stick shift. But how many drivers know how to use one these days?
It's a lost art, but a very efficient one. For its October issue, Consumer Reports bought two versions of seven different cars -- ranging from a $15,800 Scion to a $24,000 Mini Cooper -- and found a gain of 2 to 5 mpg with a standard versus automatic transmission in the same model.
Extra bonus: The three-pedal versions were not only faster, they were $800 to $1,200 cheaper.
This sounds great. A Green Lantern piece at Slate says a very proficient driver can improve gas mileage by about 15% -- cutting annual carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds of a metric ton. (Green Lantern also informs us of this shocking fact: A gallon of gas puts out 19.564 pounds of carbon dioxide.) Plus, your brakes will last longer, and your transmission will be cheaper to repair or replace.
Also, we know from experience that stick shifts are more fun to drive. Our current new-to-us car, purchased about four years ago, is our very first automatic.
Plus, as this post at DigitalJournal.com suggests, run-of-the-mill car thieves don't know how to drive with a clutch.
But, as the Lantern says, don't count on the manual becoming the transmission of the future, at least in the U.S. "Fewer than 9% of new cars in the United States are manuals, and that figure is set to drop to 6% by 2012," the Lantern writes. (In more energy-savvy Europe, most cars have manual transmissions.)
Also, although stick shifts are more expensive to make, car companies can charge more for an automatic transmission "because it's a marketable creature comfort," wrote Tom Whitehurst of the Corpus Christi Caller.
Yet another reason stick shifts aren't popular: Fewer people know how to use them or are inclined to learn, even though Patrick at Just Wondering ... says it takes only 45 minutes. We like his instructions about what to do if you stall while trying to get moving after stopping on a hill. "Don't freak and don't let the guy with the horn bother you. Brake. Clutch. Key to restart and try again."
It's a lost art, but a very efficient one. For its October issue, Consumer Reports bought two versions of seven different cars -- ranging from a $15,800 Scion to a $24,000 Mini Cooper -- and found a gain of 2 to 5 mpg with a standard versus automatic transmission in the same model.
Extra bonus: The three-pedal versions were not only faster, they were $800 to $1,200 cheaper.
This sounds great. A Green Lantern piece at Slate says a very proficient driver can improve gas mileage by about 15% -- cutting annual carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds of a metric ton. (Green Lantern also informs us of this shocking fact: A gallon of gas puts out 19.564 pounds of carbon dioxide.) Plus, your brakes will last longer, and your transmission will be cheaper to repair or replace.
Also, we know from experience that stick shifts are more fun to drive. Our current new-to-us car, purchased about four years ago, is our very first automatic.
Plus, as this post at DigitalJournal.com suggests, run-of-the-mill car thieves don't know how to drive with a clutch.
But, as the Lantern says, don't count on the manual becoming the transmission of the future, at least in the U.S. "Fewer than 9% of new cars in the United States are manuals, and that figure is set to drop to 6% by 2012," the Lantern writes. (In more energy-savvy Europe, most cars have manual transmissions.)
Also, although stick shifts are more expensive to make, car companies can charge more for an automatic transmission "because it's a marketable creature comfort," wrote Tom Whitehurst of the Corpus Christi Caller.
Yet another reason stick shifts aren't popular: Fewer people know how to use them or are inclined to learn, even though Patrick at Just Wondering ... says it takes only 45 minutes. We like his instructions about what to do if you stall while trying to get moving after stopping on a hill. "Don't freak and don't let the guy with the horn bother you. Brake. Clutch. Key to restart and try again."
Zambian VP to lead ruling party
Zambia's ruling party has chosen the current Vice-President, Rupiah Banda, as its candidate to succeed President Levy Mwanawasa, who died last month.
Mr Banda, a former foreign minister, will stand as the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) candidate in an election due before December.
He is likely to face a strong challenge from opposition leader Michael Sata, who narrowly lost the election in 2006.
Mr Mwanawasa died in France, having suffered a stroke in June.
Under the constitution, elections must be held within 90 days of the president's death.
The process of choosing a successor to Mr Mwanawasa had created deep divisions in the MMD.
He is likely to face a strong challenge from opposition leader Michael Sata, who narrowly lost the election in 2006.
Mr Mwanawasa died in France, having suffered a stroke in June.
Under the constitution, elections must be held within 90 days of the president's death.
The process of choosing a successor to Mr Mwanawasa had created deep divisions in the MMD.
Mr Banda only joined the MMD a few years ago.
He was a member of the United National Independence Party, founded by Zambia's first leader Kenneth Kaunda.
He is seen as an experienced politician, having served under Mr Kaunda.
He was a member of the United National Independence Party, founded by Zambia's first leader Kenneth Kaunda.
He is seen as an experienced politician, having served under Mr Kaunda.
Angolans vote in landmark polls
Angolans go to the polls on Friday to elect a new parliament - the first election in 16 years - and no expense has been spared in the preparations.
It was never going to be easy holding an election in a country after so many years of war with damaged infrastructure and millions of displaced people.
But as polling day approaches, it seems as if the authorities may be about to pull it off.
More than eight million people have been registered using an anti-fraud system of cards with holograms, pictures and fingerprints, and there is no shortage of publicity material encouraging citizens to vote - some of it being sent out via mobile phone text messages.
The electoral commission is setting up polling stations on oil rigs and helicopters will collect ballot papers from some remote voting stations while satellite and solar-powered fax machines will send lists from others.
And for those who have lost their voting cards, more than 6,000 hand-held computers will be used at polling stations to help people access their details and registration number.
It was never going to be easy holding an election in a country after so many years of war with damaged infrastructure and millions of displaced people.
But as polling day approaches, it seems as if the authorities may be about to pull it off.
More than eight million people have been registered using an anti-fraud system of cards with holograms, pictures and fingerprints, and there is no shortage of publicity material encouraging citizens to vote - some of it being sent out via mobile phone text messages.
The electoral commission is setting up polling stations on oil rigs and helicopters will collect ballot papers from some remote voting stations while satellite and solar-powered fax machines will send lists from others.
And for those who have lost their voting cards, more than 6,000 hand-held computers will be used at polling stations to help people access their details and registration number.
Rice meets Gaddafi on Libya visit
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi -- once reviled as a "mad dog" by a U.S. president -- on Friday on a historic visit which she said proved that Washington had no permanent enemies.
Rice's trip, the first by a U.S. secretary of state to the North African country in 55 years, is intended to end decades of enmity, five years after Libya gave up its weapons of mass destruction program.
"I think we are off to a good start. It is only a start but after many, many years, I think it is a very good thing that the United States and Libya are establishing a way forward," Rice told a news conference after talks and dinner with Gaddafi at a compound bombed by U.S. warplanes in 1986.
She said she hoped there would be a new U.S. ambassador in Libya "soon."
"Rice's visit is proof that Libya has changed, America has changed and the world has changed. There is dialogue, understanding and entente between the two countries now," said Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Shalgam.
For years, Washington considered Gaddafi a major supporter of terrorism and one of its most prominent enemies.
Incidents such as the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, for which a Libyan agent was convicted, and the U.S. air raids on Tripoli and Benghazi in 1986 sent tensions soaring.
But in recent years Gaddafi has cooled his anti-Western rhetoric and sought to bring Libya back into the international mainstream.
Rice's trip, the first by a U.S. secretary of state to the North African country in 55 years, is intended to end decades of enmity, five years after Libya gave up its weapons of mass destruction program.
"I think we are off to a good start. It is only a start but after many, many years, I think it is a very good thing that the United States and Libya are establishing a way forward," Rice told a news conference after talks and dinner with Gaddafi at a compound bombed by U.S. warplanes in 1986.
She said she hoped there would be a new U.S. ambassador in Libya "soon."
"Rice's visit is proof that Libya has changed, America has changed and the world has changed. There is dialogue, understanding and entente between the two countries now," said Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Shalgam.
For years, Washington considered Gaddafi a major supporter of terrorism and one of its most prominent enemies.
Incidents such as the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, for which a Libyan agent was convicted, and the U.S. air raids on Tripoli and Benghazi in 1986 sent tensions soaring.
But in recent years Gaddafi has cooled his anti-Western rhetoric and sought to bring Libya back into the international mainstream.
US man bribed Nigerians
The former chief executive of US construction firm KBR, Albert Stanley, has pleaded guilty to charges of corruption relating to Nigerian deals.
Mr Stanley faces a seven-year prison sentence and must pay $10.8m (£6.07m), said the US Justice Department.
He and others were accused of gaining construction deals worth more than $6bn by bribing Nigerian officials.
KBR, which has caused controversy for its role in Iraq's reconstruction, had been part of Halliburton.
'Expect prosecution'
Mr Stanley was accused of breaching anti-bribery rules under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act over a decade-long period.
"Today's plea demonstrates that corporate executives who bribe foreign government officials in return for lucrative business deals can expect to face prosecution," said Matthew Friedrich, acting assistant attorney general.
As well as criminal charges, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made civil charges against Mr Stanley.
Along with others involved in the scam, Mr Stanley "determined it was necessary to pay bribes to individuals within the Nigerian government in order to obtain contracts to build liquefied natural gas facilities in Bonny Island, Nigeria," said the watchdog.
Mr Stanley faces a seven-year prison sentence and must pay $10.8m (£6.07m), said the US Justice Department.
He and others were accused of gaining construction deals worth more than $6bn by bribing Nigerian officials.
KBR, which has caused controversy for its role in Iraq's reconstruction, had been part of Halliburton.
'Expect prosecution'
Mr Stanley was accused of breaching anti-bribery rules under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act over a decade-long period.
"Today's plea demonstrates that corporate executives who bribe foreign government officials in return for lucrative business deals can expect to face prosecution," said Matthew Friedrich, acting assistant attorney general.
As well as criminal charges, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made civil charges against Mr Stanley.
Along with others involved in the scam, Mr Stanley "determined it was necessary to pay bribes to individuals within the Nigerian government in order to obtain contracts to build liquefied natural gas facilities in Bonny Island, Nigeria," said the watchdog.
BHUTTO'S WIDOWER WINS PRESIDENCY
Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has won a sweeping victory in Pakistan's presidential election.
The election was called after Pervez Musharraf resigned rather than risk being impeached.
Mr Zardari faces severe economic problems and a rampant Islamist insurgency that are threatening Pakistan's stability.
During the voting a bomb killed at least 15 people near Peshawar city.
The president is elected by secret ballots in the national and four provincial assemblies.
Mr Zardari won 481 votes out of 702, far more than the 352 votes that would have guaranteed him victory, leaving his two rivals trailing far behind.
The election was called after Pervez Musharraf resigned rather than risk being impeached.
Mr Zardari faces severe economic problems and a rampant Islamist insurgency that are threatening Pakistan's stability.
During the voting a bomb killed at least 15 people near Peshawar city.
The president is elected by secret ballots in the national and four provincial assemblies.
Mr Zardari won 481 votes out of 702, far more than the 352 votes that would have guaranteed him victory, leaving his two rivals trailing far behind.
Business community needs to change to exploit opportunities -PM
The business community needs to change mindsets and become more aggressive and outward looking to benefit from emerging opportunities. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda made the call yesterday when speaking to representatives of various business interests in Dar es Salaam. He said that the business community has learnt diverse business environments and explored new opportunities. The community can also advise the government on the best policies that the country can adopt to compete at the regional level. “There was a time after independence we were left behind because of the policies we adopted…but that has to change now and we have to rid ourselves of policies and attitudes that do not benefit us in a competitive environment,” he said. Delegates of the Trade, Business and Investment Mission from Tanzania will from tomorrow to September 16 visit four countries of East Africa to familiarize themselves with counterpart business communities and to secure business opportunities. “We are badly lagging behind while our neighbours in the region are running faster because of their policies since independence. We also changed about twenty years ago but we have to wake up and chase those opportunities that we missed,” said the Prime Minister. He observed that while the government previously regarded business as capitalism ideologically, times have changed and forced it to move with time, a development that made it ready to support the business community in the country at any cost. "It was encouraging to see the biggest contributions of the private sector that has helped authorities to collect revenues from 25bn/- when the country adopted trade liberalization policies in 1990s to nearly 400bn/- per month now," said the PM. He pledged that the government in collaboration with Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) would strive to support the private sector. Mr Pinda at the same time urged business men who would participate in the East African business tour to challenge it on how best the country can trade in the region. “Sometimes when we travel around developing countries and it pains to learn that their development was the result of full involvement of the private sector. I just ask myself what our problems with the trade is and what we should do to overcome them,” he added. The Prime Minister said, the business community has also to learn the crucial mission of investing in agriculture especially irrigation farming. He mentioned an example of Kenya that has huge farms because of modern technology it uses. He pointed out that Tanzania has nearly 30 million hectares of land potential for irrigation farming, but only 0.3 million hectares were cultivated. That obviously was not healthy to the country, he cautioned. He called for the local governments to change and encourage interested agricultural investors to invest and stop giving excuses of environmental destructions. He maintained that outdated environmental regulations in the local governments were obstacles to real developments. The PM said the business delegates were to curiously study which East African country was benefiting from Lake Victoria and how it managed to do so. He said there were reports that neighbouring countries were harvesting a lot from the lake and challenged them to study that situation and report back. However, he called on the business community to remain loyal to the country and pay all statutory revenues. He said the government’s doors were open to them. That, Pinda added, was why the Government was doing some amendments in various revenue policies and soon it would look into the mining sector. Available statistics, according to the Prime Minister, show that Tanzania was importing more from the region compared to exports. In 2001, for instance, Tanzania exported goods with the value of 51bn/- while in 2007 it imported goods worth 127bn/-. “Let us open up supermarkets in those countries, open branches of our companies and even build schools and effectively compete as we approach the open market. TPSF can always achieve that through set programmes and the government is always there to support you,” he said. The delegation of about 45 businessmen will leave for Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi on a tour that will be sponsored by TPSF who will pay 50 per cent of the costs under the special three-year World Bank programme. Another 50 per cent will met by the business communities.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Development with Commonsense
Don’t let unearned praises lead us down a slippery path
A LAW maker recently chided donors for having heaped praises on the Third Phase Government while so much stealing was going on from right under their nose. Praises were indeed lavished on us as a good hostess lavishes delicacies on her guests. But … should the hostess be blamed for her guests’ indigestion from overindulgence? Should donors be blamed for our gulping down praises and feeling giddy? Most praises are just pleasantries and nothing more, not worth a second thought. “Geneva of East Africa,” so was Arusha called though heaps of garbage lines its side streets and stagnant water collects where open drains are clogged with overgrown weeds or garbage. "Country with most favourable investment climate in the Third World,” so we were told despite the legendary delays at our ports, tangles of red tape, unpredictable water and electricity supplies, labour force that is poorly educated and trained compared to our neighbours. Those all add up to make Tanzania anything but the “most favourable” environment to do business in. “Impressive achievements in fighting corruption,” though not a single mega wrong-doer has been prosecuted and put behind bars. So go the praises. Visiting dignitaries are full of such pleasantries. Shouldn’t take those praises to heart, and yet we do. We plaster newspaper headlines, quoting them verbatim. There are many reasons why a country might be showered with unearned praises. If we scratch below the surface and unearth those reasons, perhaps we could be more cool-headed in handling them. Praises of a country’s achievement may come from the aid worker’s wish to believe that what he is doing is making a difference. It’s a form of self-affirmation, you might say. Praises may be heaped on the country to show off his own effectiveness on the ground. If a convincing case is made to his boss and the headquarters, can sweet promotion be far behind? Praises too readily offered may have been triggered by an unspoken competition among donors to be on the good side of the officialdom, to be the darling of the pack. At times much ado is made of small achievements. That might help donor agencies to make a convincing case to their taxpayers that the money is being put to good use. But praises freely given are wrought with problems. “Mgema akisifiwa, tembo hulitia maji.” If a palm wine tapper is praised, the palm wine gets watered down, so goes a Kiswahili proverb. Praises were once heaped on Liberia in the 1950s and 1960s for being an island of stability in a continent in turmoil. Praises were heaped on Somalia for the quality of leadership, enlightened policies and stability that seemed rock solid. It was unique in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa, being molded of one race, one language and one culture. Praises were heaped on Sudan too. It was seen to be the potential breadbasket for Africa if not the world. But before long these and other countries that were highly praised for the promise they once held unraveled. How did that happen? Did too much praise inflate those leaders’ ego and intoxicate them with self-importance that they lost touch with reality and forgot about development? A donor agency official confesses that they are in constant search of success stories they could showcase. But exemplary cases are hard to come by. Kenya and Uganda once fit the bill. But political strife in the aftermath of recent elections in Kenya and the prospect of a fourth term presidency in Uganda make them less acceptable models for their taxpayers. Is the spotlight shifting to Tanzania, kwa bahati mbaya sana (most unfortunately)? These externally driven praises could, if we let it, take us down the same slippery path of disintegration where others have gone. Perhaps we could learn from our Mauritian friends and, like them, respond to those who praise us too readily with the likes of: You can’t mean that we are doing that great? We are barely achieving average growth for Africa. You surely don’t mean to imply that $380 is good enough for Tanzanians? Aren’t Europeans and Americans earning $40,000 a year? Like Mauritians we could politely “decline” to be praised, refuse to get giddy, and get on with serious business of development, undistracted and without illusion.
South Africa’s xenophobic attacks:We are very sorry, says Zuma
SOUTH Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) President Jacob Zuma yesterday apologised on behalf of his country for violent attacks on foreign nationals earlier this year. Mr Zuma, who was in the country for a three-day tour, gave the apologies during a meeting with the Chama cha Mapinduzi’s (CCM) Elders Council in Dar es Salaam. In May a series of riots occurred in South Africa leaving about 70 people dead, hundreds injured and some 25,000 displaced. The attacks targeted foreign nationals and were apparently motivated by xenophobia, although 21 of those killed were South African citizens. About 100 Tanzanians, who were in South Africa in May, were helped to return home in the wake of the xenophobic attacks. Mr Zuma said: “We are sorry that such ugly incident occurred. We have taken all measures to ensure that kind of incidents will never happen again.” He said ANC and the South African government embarked on mass education to make people understand the need for Africans to co-operate. “We want our people to understand that before liberation from apartheid South Africans were living in foreign countries peacefully,” he said. Mr Zuma said ANC was deeply concerned and regrets on the events in May. He said the party tried to find out what drove South Africans into such grisly, despicable and nefarious actions. He said that in some areas they found out that foreigners, especially rich ones were attacked by gangs with motives of stealing property. “It was crime and something that go beyond xenophobia,” he said. Earlier, Mr Zuma commended CCM for establishing the elder’s council. He said that was a good lesson to ANC. He said a few years ago ANC had a similar plan but failed to implement it. “I wish we could have a council of elders in Africa who could help in resolving conflicts on the continent. I believe we could all listen to them,” he said. Meanwhile, Mr Zuma yesterday paid a visit to Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy (MNMA) in Kigamboni, saying the institution had posed a big challenge to ANC. He said that South Africa had great leaders who deserved to be immortalised through institutions like MNMA. He described Mwalimu Julius Nyerere as the great leader who championed the cause of total liberation of the African continent. He said Mwalimu Nyerere played a big role in shaping the South African constitution. “Our country owes him (Nyerere) a lot,” he said. The MNMA Principal, Dr John Magoti, appealed to Mr Zuma to help the institution to get experts from South Africa. Mr Zuma and his delegation were scheduled to leave for home yesterday, but his host, the CCM Vice-Chairman (Mainland), Mr Pius Msekwa, said the tour had been extended on the request by President Jakaya Kikwete. Mr Zuma was expected to call on the president last night.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sudan plane hijackers surrender
Two hijackers of a Sudanese plane flown to Libya have given themselves up in the desert town of Kufra.
The surrender comes almost 24 hours after they seized the plane, shortly after it left Nyala in Darfur.
The crew have also been freed - earlier all 95 passengers on board the Sun Air Boeing 737 had been released.
There are some reports that the hijackers were members of a Darfur rebel group but this was strongly denied by the group's leader.
"The hijackers surrendered without any violence and the crew are safe and sound," a Libyan official said, according to the AFP news agency.
The surrender comes almost 24 hours after they seized the plane, shortly after it left Nyala in Darfur.
The crew have also been freed - earlier all 95 passengers on board the Sun Air Boeing 737 had been released.
There are some reports that the hijackers were members of a Darfur rebel group but this was strongly denied by the group's leader.
"The hijackers surrendered without any violence and the crew are safe and sound," a Libyan official said, according to the AFP news agency.
Mugabe 'to form government alone'
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says he will form a new government despite stalled power-sharing negotiations with the opposition, state media reports.
"The MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) does not want to come in apparently," he is quoted as saying.
The BBC's Karen Allen says such a move would be the death-knell for the South African-brokered talks to end the post-election crisis.
Meanwhile, three MDC MPs were arrested on Tuesday when parliament was opened
"The MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) does not want to come in apparently," he is quoted as saying.
The BBC's Karen Allen says such a move would be the death-knell for the South African-brokered talks to end the post-election crisis.
Meanwhile, three MDC MPs were arrested on Tuesday when parliament was opened
BIO-FUEL :Policy considerations with regard to access to land
ON balance, many advocates of land rights especially for poor people are wary of the ongoing drive by investors to take up as much land as possible for growing biofuel feedstock. There are many arguments but many revolve around the observations that the promised goodies (employment, higher incomes, improved rural infrastructure) may not materialize. On the contrary societies stand to lose their land and therefore their identity. Land grabbing is likely to be the norm and environmental damage is likely to increase. Governments are therefore enjoined to be very careful before accepting the sweet arguments from the biofuel lobby. A recent publication (“Fueling Exclusion? The Biofuels Boom and Poor People’s Access to Land”, available on the internet) lists eight areas which all those with a stake in the ongoing growing of biofuels debate should take into consideration. One, Governments need to develop robust safeguards in procedures to allocate land to large-scale biofuel feedstock production where they are lacking (which is the case in most instances) and – even more importantly – to implement these effectively. Safeguards include clear procedures and standards for local consultation and attainment of prior informed consent, mechanisms for appeal and arbitration, and periodic review. Unfortunately, many times land is granted to investors either without consultation with communities, or on the argument that this is idle or unowned land, or on the argument that the land belongs to the state, or that it has been identified for investment. The case of the Tanzania Investment Centre is now being cited by international researchers on land rights. Under the Tanzanian Investment Act 1997, the TIC is mandated, among other things, with identifying and providing land to investors, as well as with helping investors obtain all necessary permits (article 6). This entails identifying land not currently under productive use and directly allocating it to investors. Under this arrangement, the land is vested with the TIC and transferred to the investor on the basis of a derivative title (under article 19(2) of the Land Act 1999). After the end of the investment project, the land reverts back to the TIC (article 20(5) of the Land Act).These conditions were put in the Act to prevent the transfer of land to non-Tanzanians on the one hand, but to make it available to investors on the other. In order to perform this function, the TIC has set up a “land bank” of 2.6 million ha identified as suitable for investment projects out of which some 1.1 million hectares (or 42% of the total land available for investment) is considered available for investors interested in agriculture. The TIC has been active in identifying and negotiating access to land for foreign biofuel investors. One example is a 9,000 ha area for jatropha cultivation for a British firm in Kisarawe District. The TIC has been working with the Kisarawe District Council and the 11 villages that currently occupy the land, so that they move and let the investor take up the land. There has been haggling over compensation but the fact that villagers are to be displaced cannot be good news. While the role of investment promotion agencies in identifying “idle” lands may help bring under-utilised land into production, it may also create risks of dispossession. Where forms of local resource use are perceived as low productivity, land may risk being classified as idle or under-utilised, and therefore available to prospective investors, despite the economic, social or cultural functions it performs for local people (see Section 2.2). Transparency in how this land is identified and allocated is important. Villagers be they agriculturalists or pastoralists must be educated thoroughly before they are considered to be in position to let go of their land or of land to which they have common access. Two, it has been argued that large-scale privately owned plantations are not the only economically viable model for biofuels feedstock production. Producers’ associations, governments and investors may want to explore alternative business models such as joint equity in production and processing. Policy instruments based on financial incentives can help provide for inclusion of small-scale producers in the biofuels industry. Specific biofuels feedstocks may be more or less suited to extensive or intensive production. Biodiesel feedstocks that require harvesting by hand, specifically jatropha and palm oil, are the most suited to small-scale cultivation. Smallholders in West Africa and South-east Asia have a long history of cultivating palm oil while jatropha has traditionally been grown for its oil or as a hedge in India and throughout dryland Africa; both crops continue to be harvested by hand even in large-scale commercial plantations. Bioethanol feedstocks such as sugarcane and maize, on the other hand, can accrue sizeable cost savings through large-scale mechanized harvesting. Even though both of these crops are grown commercially by small-scale farmers (e.g. outgrower schemes for sugarcane exist in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa), economic incentives to concentrate production will be much stronger than for oilseed crops (jatropha and oil palm) where labour remains an important input. Three, as already hinted to in an earlier article, governments need to be extra-careful before they apply the concepts of idle, under-utilised, barren, unproductive, degraded, abandoned or marginal lands (depending on the country context) and are required to avoid allocation of lands on which local user groups depend for livelihoods. Indeed, it is difficult to see whether if the interests of all land users, including agriculturalists, pastoralists and hunters and gatherers are taken into consideration, there is such a think as idle or marginal land. Similarly, productive use requirements in countries in which security of land tenure depends on active use (mise en valeur in French speaking countries; or development in English speaking countries) need to be clarified so as to minimise abuse. The Tanzanian definition of land development under the Land Acquisition Act 1967 is possibly the worst in the world, where clearing, or fencing is not regarded as development. Land which is left fallow, under local systems of land management such as the ngitiri of Shinyanga could easily fall into the category of idle land. In fourth place, land access for rural people requires policy attention not only to land tenure but also to the broader circumstances that determine land use and agricultural economics. Relevant policy areas include taxation and subsidies, regional and international trade, and standards for environment and labour. Five, international policy arenas are also influential on the impacts of biofuels expansion on land access. Certification criteria, such as those under development by the European Union, should incorporate free prior and informed consent, based on secure land tenure of local residents, as a fundamental requirement, disallowing production on contested land. In such respects, governments in poor countries should be seen to come out in support of their peoples, instead of being quick in meeting the requirements of the investors in the hope that there are quick-fix gains to be realized. Attention may need to be given to eligibility rules regarding land use change under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol and its successor negotiated in Bali, Indonesia. International governance of trade and investment should continue to be a major determinant of the economic potential of different forms of land use in producer countries. Six, relevant policies, laws and institutions are important -- but in contexts characterised by strong power asymmetries they are likely to achieve little if they are not accompanied by sustained investment in building people’s capacities to claim and secure their rights. The picture one gets from scanning the situation in eastern Africa is that people know little of their rights and even if the do know, they have little powers of defending them. That is why we can see natural resources such as forests, wetlands and so on being given away without a murmur from the adversely affected peoples. Seven local, national and international NGOs and civil society organizations need to intensify their efforts in defending the rights of the poor and in holding governments and industry to account regarding their promises on protection of land access and food security generally and to specific communities. Finally, “biofuels” is a catch-all term for a set of very different crops and cropping systems, end-products, policy goals (e.g. commercial production versus energy self-sufficiency), business models (different combinations of ownership and benefit-sharing among large-scale and small-scale operations) and local contexts -- all of which significantly affect land access outcomes. A better understanding of this diversity will promote a more balanced and evidence-based debate. Fortunately, there is no shortage of reading materials and for a to exchange opinion. If we have to into putting land for biofuel feedstock growing we should go in from a positin of one who is fully informed.
Africa by Africans for Africans
When will we ever be independent?
The end of the colonial era marked a new beggining, a fresh start. A country lead by its own people instead of that foreigners. How independed are we, really?
Ever heard of Neo-colonialism?
Would we ever be independent? With this so called democracy being preached everywhere, when you have to almost do everything according to the West, or else your government is considered to be a dictatorship. Do elections solve the main issues in Africa? We have had change of leaders from term to term, but the story in most of Africa remain the same.
Is it that we are too selfish to think of others? Maybe we'll just blame it on poverty, since we are all very poor whoever gets the post has to enrich themselves. And may be they(leaders) feel the need to do so, as the lack of security for thier family and the generation to come lead them to do just that. Thus making us all victims of the same manipulation Steem used by the West.Whoever is in power gets a few millions for himself and his family ofcourse to sell the country riches.
Who is to blame, for the failure to come up?
We need to move forward and look for the ways to progress, but again until we figure out why we've been failing, we won't be able to advance and be able to compete in this global economy.
The end of the colonial era marked a new beggining, a fresh start. A country lead by its own people instead of that foreigners. How independed are we, really?
Ever heard of Neo-colonialism?
Would we ever be independent? With this so called democracy being preached everywhere, when you have to almost do everything according to the West, or else your government is considered to be a dictatorship. Do elections solve the main issues in Africa? We have had change of leaders from term to term, but the story in most of Africa remain the same.
Is it that we are too selfish to think of others? Maybe we'll just blame it on poverty, since we are all very poor whoever gets the post has to enrich themselves. And may be they(leaders) feel the need to do so, as the lack of security for thier family and the generation to come lead them to do just that. Thus making us all victims of the same manipulation Steem used by the West.Whoever is in power gets a few millions for himself and his family ofcourse to sell the country riches.
Who is to blame, for the failure to come up?
We need to move forward and look for the ways to progress, but again until we figure out why we've been failing, we won't be able to advance and be able to compete in this global economy.
Lessons learned
One must say that in the aftermath of the Richmond power generation scandal, few lessons were learned. No more of the same mistakes should be repeated.
While the Richmond saga had most of us wondering what these leaders had on their mind. Is it that they just don't care about their country and fellow countrymen, or the fact that no action has ever been taken on any corrupt leaders before, thus take Tanzanians for fools. That is they can pretty much do anything and there won't be any consequence.
How stupid can one deal like that?
I think its time for us to wake up, sereve action must be taken on all the culprits!
What do you think. What should be done?
While the Richmond saga had most of us wondering what these leaders had on their mind. Is it that they just don't care about their country and fellow countrymen, or the fact that no action has ever been taken on any corrupt leaders before, thus take Tanzanians for fools. That is they can pretty much do anything and there won't be any consequence.
How stupid can one deal like that?
I think its time for us to wake up, sereve action must be taken on all the culprits!
What do you think. What should be done?
Pinda to outline action on Richmond culprits
Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda is set to unveil on Thursday a report on execution of 23 House recommendations on the Richmond power generation scandal. Speaker of the National Assembly Samwel Sitta told Parliament yesterday that Pinda would give the report a day before the budget session comes to an end. The wananchi are eager to know what the government has done to implement the proposals. The House Select Committee, chaired by the Kyela MP Harrison Mwakyembe, presented its findings early this year. It implicated former prime minister Edward Lowassa, who together with two ministers former Minister for Energy and Minerals, Nazir Karamagi and East African Co-operation minister Dr Ibrahim Msabaha had to resign. Mizengo Pinda replaced Lowassa in a subsequent cabinet reshuffle. The report also suggested disciplinary measures to be taken against a number of government officers who were implicated in the scandal. The government thereafter formed a task force to work on suggestions of the select committee early this year. Earlier, Speaker of the National Assembly Samwel Sitta had formed the probe committee after Members of Parliament demanded to know reasons that drove the government to enter into a flawed power generation deal. Richmond Development Corporation secured the contract in 2006 when the country experienced power shortage due to acute drought that dried up power generating dams.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Gold mining companies ‘pollute drinking water
Opposition Members of Parliament have warned that hundreds of villagers near gold mines may suffer from life threatening diseases because they are exposed to toxic effluents. Presenting the views of the Opposition in Parliament late on Tuesday, Mr Ali Khamis Seif (Mkoani – CUF), said the Geita Gold Mine (GGM) was discharging wastes into Mtakuja Dam. He said the North Mara Gold Mine in Tarime District, Mara Region was also discharging wastes into a river close to the mine. Mr Khamis said processing of gold was done using highly poisonous substances, including cyanide and mercury. “People use the water for cooking, drinking and washing,” the MP told the House and urged swift action to solve the problem including compensation to victims. The legislator further told the House that many industries in urban centres discharged effluents into rivers, lakes and other water bodies posing health risks to millions of people. He said the effluents included residues of mercury, chromium, lead, cadmium, cyanide, nitrates and other substances. He said some of the substances like mercury were heavy metals and their consumption posed lethal consequences. The opposition urged the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC), to enhance control of industries and mines to ensure they strictly adhere to the law and environmental regulations. The MP also said that apart from water and land, there were industries including cement manufacturers which pollute the air. He said the Kiwira Coal Mine in Mbeya Region was among the culprits in polluting the air
Behind President Kikwete`s smiling face...
As President Jakaya Kikwete continues to count the remaining days before the 2010 general elections, one question that still lingers among Tanzanians, especially his closest allies is; did they know him well when they overwhelmingly supported him in 2005? Some of his close allies who strongly supported him in 2005, believed that� ``the soft spoken politician`` was going to be a conduit for their planned dubious deals, but the unfolding events are proving them wrong. After delivering his much-awaited speech this week, President Kikwete managed again to prove that ``he is a master of the game`` who plays his cards carefully to maintain his popularity and leadership as well. However, to his critics especially the opposition camp, nothing has really impressed them, citing the move to negotiate with EPA suspects as unjustifiable. Professor Ibrahim Lipumba, Dr Wilbrod Slaa and Zitto Kabwe, have strongly questioned the grace period extended to EPA looters who pocketed a total of Shs.133billion in 2005/6. Although to his critics he might not fare well, Mr Kikwete this week proved that, ``he is a man who knows how to play his cards especially when confronted with a tough situation``. He was facing a series of threats for a countrywide workers ``strike that could have paralysed the economy as well as his government. In the political arena, the debate on Zanzibar`s statehood was posing a real threat to one of the oldest unions in Africa. Not only that but there was also the EPA scandal that has rocked his government during the past few months, plus other key economic issues facing the country. Knowing what he was facing, Mr Kikwete this week tried to play his political cards carefully to maintain his popularity and leadership ahead of 2010. ``Take the mining issue, Richmond deal plus EPA scam and you realise that Mr Kikwete chooses his words and actions to deal with critical situations,`` a senior official from the ruling party, CCM, told The Guardian on Sunday. Beyond his smiling face lies another image of somebody who is ready to take tough actions even if in so doing, he is sacrificing some of his closest buddies who played an instrumental role in facilitating his victory in the presidential race in 2005, or angering the party on whose ticket he sought the highest office in the land. By speaking openly about the External Payments Arrears scandal that cost the country a staggering Shs. 133billion, Mr Kikwete played another crucial card in his life as a politician and the head of state. Knowing that Thursday was another crucial day to his political life since he became president, Mr Kikwete assured the nation that all culprits who swindled the EPA billions would face the court of law after October 31st deadline. Will they be allowed to walk freely simply because they have managed to return the looted billions or is this another trap set by Mr Kikwete to gather credible evidence that could be used to nail all suspects before the court of law. Mr Kikwete followed the path of the former Zambian President, the Late Levy Mwanawasa, when he declared that `his government has confiscated about Shs.90 billion looted by 13 companies that used fake or fabricated documents to justify the dubious deal. And, the looted billions will then be used to fund economic activities, including agriculture, which is the source of livelihood for about 80 per cent of the total 38 million plus population. Just a few years ago, Zambia used the money recovered from corrupt deals to fund the crucial health and education sectors, raising the popularity of the late Mwanawasa a notch higher amongst his compatriots. During his three years in office, Mr Kikwete has taken some critical decisions that have even shocked his own political allies as well as the ruling party. A few months ago, some culprits tried to block the EPA`s investigation by claiming that the looted billions were used to finance the political activities during the 2005 general election. But little did they know that the actual budget for the ruling party during the 2005 campaign didn`t exceed Shs. 25billion. Therefore by claiming that the looted billions were used to fund the political activities, the suspects were fighting a lost battle. Following this situation, Mr Kikwete took tough decisions that angered even some of his close allies, after authorising the investigation on the EPA accounts. After three months, Ernst and Young, an international auditing firm, submitted a report that revealed how the culprits looted EPA billions during the third phase regime. Mr Kikwete fired the former BOT governor Daudi Ballali, sending an alarming message to those who swindled the EPA billions. The game didn`t end there. Mr Kikwete, knowing that the public was eagerly waiting to see how he will handle the EPA scandal, ordered criminal investigations to be conducted, under Attorney General Johnson Mwanyika. Finally he briefed the nation on what the committee has unearthed so far, promising to recover all looted billions. Early this year , Mr Kikwete took another critical decision in what he described as `a political storm`, when he okayed the resignation of former premier and his close ally, Edward Lowassa, after the latter was named in a report submitted to Parliament by a select committee that probed the Richmond scandal. It wasn`t easy for Mr Kikwete to `sacrifice` a man who has been his closest ally during the past two decades, but to defend the nation`s interests, the former premier was given the greenlight to quit. In October last year, the same man took another decision that shocked his party and close allies, when he decided to form a presidential mining review committee in order to thoroughly investigate the all contracts sealed by the government as well as the sector in general. ``This was a shocking move to most of us within the party as well as the government�it happened at the moment when we thought that by suspending the Mr Zitto and defending mining sector, we were right�but he proved us wrong,`` one cabinet minister told The Guardian on Sunday this week. In that committee, he also picked the opposition MPs, including Mr Zitto Zuberi Kabwe, who was suspended mid last year by parliament simply because he had tried to question the legality of the Buzwagi mining deal. Whether measures by his success or any other means, it is quite clear that behind the smiling face of Mr Kikwete, lies hidden colour. It is for this reason that Mr Kikwete, a soldier- turned-politician, has managed to nail some of his political allies to defend his leadership.
SOURCE: Guardian
SOURCE: Guardian
Idadi ya samaki aina ya sangara katika Ziwa Victoria inazidi kupungua-Magufuli
Waziri wa Maendeleo ya Mifugo na Uvuvi Mheshimiwa John Magufuli amesema idadi ya samaki aina ya sangara katika Ziwa Victoria inazidi kupungua kutokana na uvuvi haramu. Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jijini Mwanza amesema idadi ya sangara katika ziwa hilo imepungua kutoka tani 750,000 mwaka jana hadi kufikia tani 350,000 Februari mwaka huu. Kwa mujibu wa Mheshimiwa Magufuli kutokana kutokana na hali hiyo serikali imeanza kusimamia kikamilifu utekelezaji wa sheria ya uvuvi ya mwaka 2003 na kanuni nyingine ili kudhibiti uvuvi haramu wa kutumia makokoro, sumu na nyavu zisizoruhusiwa. Aidha amewataka amewataka maafisa uvuvi nchini kusimamia kikamilifu waraka uliotolewa na wizara yake kudhibiti uvuvi haramu ili kuongeza mchango wa sekta ya uvuvi katika pato la taifa. Amebainisha kuwa mchango wa sekta ya uvuvi katika pato ni asilimia 1.3 tu wakati nchi nyingine kama Namibia mchango wa sekta hiyo ni asilimia 23.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Obama introduces Biden as running mate
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama introduced Sen. Joe Biden to the nation as his running mate Saturday, telling supporters that he is "a leader who is ready to step in and be president."
"For months, I've searched for a leader to finish this journey alongside me and join me in making Washington work for the American people. I searched for a leader who understood the rising costs confronting working people and will always put their dreams first," Obama said.
"Today, I've come back to Springfield to tell you I've found that leader," he said.
The rally is the pair's first joint appearance since Obama announced that Biden, the senior U.S. senator from Delaware, would be his running mate on his Web site and in a text message to supporters early Saturday morning.
Democrats hope that Biden's working-class roots and foreign policy experience will help Obama, who informed Biden of his decision Thursday.
Thousands of cheering supporters gathered Saturday for the rally in Springfield, Illinois, where Obama announced his candidacy last year. It will be their only public appearance together before next week's Democratic convention in Denver.
As he took to the podium at Saturday's rally, Biden invoked the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, who was from Illinois.
"President Lincoln once instructed us to be sure to put your feet in the right place and then stand firm," said Biden, a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Today in Springfield, I know my feet are in the right place, and I'm proud to stand firm with the next president of the United States of America, Barack Obama."
Obama stressed those roots, introducing 65-year-old Biden as "still that scrappy kid from Scranton who beat the odds."
He noted hardships in Biden's life, including the deaths of Biden's first wife and infant daughter in a 1972 car wreck and his struggle to overcome a brain aneurysm in 1988
"That's the kind of fighter I want by my side in the months and years to come," Obama said.
Known for his plain-spoken approach and penchant for speaking from the cuff, Biden wasted little time taking to the traditional vice presidential candidate's role of political attack dog.
"John McCain ... served our country with extreme courage, and I know he wants to do right by America," he said of his Senate colleague and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "But the harsh truth is loud and clear: You can't change America when you supported George Bush's policies 95 percent of the time."
He also seized on a McCain comment from this week when he could not remember how many houses he owns and said McCain was out of touch with the "kitchen-table" issues that working families face.
"It's a pretty hard experience. He'll have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at," Biden said
"For months, I've searched for a leader to finish this journey alongside me and join me in making Washington work for the American people. I searched for a leader who understood the rising costs confronting working people and will always put their dreams first," Obama said.
"Today, I've come back to Springfield to tell you I've found that leader," he said.
The rally is the pair's first joint appearance since Obama announced that Biden, the senior U.S. senator from Delaware, would be his running mate on his Web site and in a text message to supporters early Saturday morning.
Democrats hope that Biden's working-class roots and foreign policy experience will help Obama, who informed Biden of his decision Thursday.
Thousands of cheering supporters gathered Saturday for the rally in Springfield, Illinois, where Obama announced his candidacy last year. It will be their only public appearance together before next week's Democratic convention in Denver.
As he took to the podium at Saturday's rally, Biden invoked the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, who was from Illinois.
"President Lincoln once instructed us to be sure to put your feet in the right place and then stand firm," said Biden, a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Today in Springfield, I know my feet are in the right place, and I'm proud to stand firm with the next president of the United States of America, Barack Obama."
Obama stressed those roots, introducing 65-year-old Biden as "still that scrappy kid from Scranton who beat the odds."
He noted hardships in Biden's life, including the deaths of Biden's first wife and infant daughter in a 1972 car wreck and his struggle to overcome a brain aneurysm in 1988
"That's the kind of fighter I want by my side in the months and years to come," Obama said.
Known for his plain-spoken approach and penchant for speaking from the cuff, Biden wasted little time taking to the traditional vice presidential candidate's role of political attack dog.
"John McCain ... served our country with extreme courage, and I know he wants to do right by America," he said of his Senate colleague and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "But the harsh truth is loud and clear: You can't change America when you supported George Bush's policies 95 percent of the time."
He also seized on a McCain comment from this week when he could not remember how many houses he owns and said McCain was out of touch with the "kitchen-table" issues that working families face.
"It's a pretty hard experience. He'll have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at," Biden said
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Mugabe rival fears talks collapse
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has warned that power-sharing talks may collapse if parliament is convened.
It was announced earlier this week that MPs would be sworn in next Monday, with President Robert Mugabe to open the first session the following day.
Mr Tsvangirai said this would repudiate the agreement governing the talks.
He made the comments on a visit to Kenya to find out about the country's experience of power-sharing.
A grand coalition was formed in the East African country earlier this year after violent post-poll clashes.
So far, Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change and Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party have failed to reach a deal to resolve Zimbabwe's post-election crisis.
Leaders from the Southern African Development Community failed to help them end a deadlock at their summit in Johannesburg over the weekend.
It was announced earlier this week that MPs would be sworn in next Monday, with President Robert Mugabe to open the first session the following day.
Mr Tsvangirai said this would repudiate the agreement governing the talks.
He made the comments on a visit to Kenya to find out about the country's experience of power-sharing.
A grand coalition was formed in the East African country earlier this year after violent post-poll clashes.
So far, Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change and Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party have failed to reach a deal to resolve Zimbabwe's post-election crisis.
Leaders from the Southern African Development Community failed to help them end a deadlock at their summit in Johannesburg over the weekend.
Mkapa, Kikwete are worlds apart
There are many ways to deal with problems. One can pretend that there is nothing unusual, play the ostrich game of hiding one`s head in the sand and wrongly believing that the storm would soon finally be safely over, take things in stride, or choose rough means of changing the status quo. Those in positions of leadership can choose to allow people under their command to discuss the problems or challenges openly, treat any attempts to elaborate on the problems as criminal, or pretend that the people are so naive and ignorant of the situation on the ground as to be easily fooled. These facts ought to be considered whenever attempts are made to compare and contrast the performance of different institutions or agencies like governments or individual players. The same should thus apply in the particular respect of the findings of a study by the Research and Education for Democracy in Tanzania (Redet) project covering the last 16 years as released in Dar es Salaam yesterday. According to the study, public discontent over accountability in the government peaked during the second-phase (Ali Hassan Mwinyi) presidency, things improving appreciably during the next (Benjamin Mkapa) tenure from 1995 to 2005 and deteriorating again during the current (Jakaya Kikwete) leadership. Granted, the Redet experts behind the study have their own time-tested scientific ways of conducting research and it would be rash for anyone to dismiss their findings as roundly untenable. However, it would help to know the extent to which the experts went in establishing the comparative nature of the social, political, economic and other conditions characterising the three eras evaluated as well as that of Founding President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and their impact on the lives of our people. Merely comparing the number of public complaints levelled against particular government agencies or in relation to particular acts of commission or omission in or by those agencies does not paint a complete enough picture of the level or nature of their performance. There would obviously be much fewer overt media and public complaints against a dictatorship overly allergic to or intolerant of criticism than against a truly democratic government. Similarly, even the most repressive and corrupt of regimes could register impressive economic wealth without that necessarily translating into a higher standard of living for the populace. Some of the things Tanzanians have witnessed during the last 16 years tell stories that belie the Redet study findings. The most notable examples include the flawed belief by some leaders that few locals outside the government have enough brains to contribute to the development of their nation as outstandingly as some of their compatriots in ``the system`` or as expatriates. The Redet study has doubtless come up with interesting findings. However, it involved a tiny percentage of the Tanzanian population � perhaps acceptable for research purposes but obviously far from representative enough, and hence the need for caution in digesting and internalising the findings so as to give credit where credit is due. Mkapa assumed the presidency promising, in his words, to lead by example by working hard, being as open as possible consistent with government regulations, meeting the people � not just lecturing them � and meeting the press regularly. He not only never kept the promise for long nor showed any respect to his own country`s media institutions and practitioners. In fact, the twilight years of his presidency saw him enjoy being interviewed by foreign media agencies as greatly as he abhorred speaking to Tanzanian journalists, whom he brushed off as irredeemably incompetent. The Mkapa government will also be remembered for brooking no nonsense at the slightest indication of looming dissent such as opposition, however justified, to official policies. He once publicly declared that he just had no time for the opposition. A ready example is how it used heavily armed contingents of paramilitary police to install South Africans as the new managers of the strategic state-owned Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) in implementation of a hugely controversial contract that was later to prove a disastrous embarrassment. Mkapa took over Tanzania's leadership promising corrupt elements zero tolerance. But by the end of the show the monster was threatening the country's very survival and he was himself acknowledged as one of the causes of the tornado. The rest is a history we are still learning bitter lessons from. And how does the Kikwete government rank on these scores? It is common knowledge that the President took off as a darling of the Tanzanian media who held local journalists in very high esteem and they, in turn, knew him as a ready partner and friend whom they now fondly refer to only as JK. He said as much in his maiden address in the National Assembly in Dodoma only days after his election. Like Mkapa before him, Kikwete promised to give corrupt elements a very hard time. Has he delivered on the promise? Very much so, despite hiccups one can explain, as anyone with eyes that see and ears that hear will admit. With respect to transparency, there isn't the slightest doubt that the Mkapa government died a sudden mid-stream death but the JK one is soldiering on despite having inherited a mountain of problems from the one it succeeded. The State House has become a lot more approachable. It is talking more appealingly and credibly on issues like the war on AIDS, serious crime and grand corruption - and listening more attentively. Indications are that it will keep its doors open. Finally, the nation is awaiting with immense eagerness, enthusiasm and hope President Kikwete`s address in the National Assembly in Dodoma today because they know that he has a message of national importance. And what more would a national leader wish for than that his or her people should rally behind him or her through thick and thin? Mkapa said he would be appeased if history remembered him as a president who had led an Administration that demonstrably fought corruption and strengthened leadership that promoted good governance and discipline in the sense of law, order and regulations but consistent with fundamental freedoms. In the main, the wind blew in the wrong direction. JK�s vision and dream should be much similar. So far, he has lived up to popular expectations without bragging so much about it. He has quite some time to go. We should evaluate his mid-term performance as seriously and fairly as we have done all along while wishing him all the best and helping him to steer the ship of our state safely even through rough seas.
Mt. Kili snow will not disappear - researcher
A local researcher has said snow on Africa`s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, will not disappear around 2017, as suggestively pronounced by foreign scientists. The pollster, Prof Ernest Njau from the University of Dar es Salaam`s Physics Department, sounded yet another theory on Mt. Kilimanjaro during an interview yesterday at the Hill in Dar es Salaam. The don said most scientists still held reports provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which he faulted, saying that they contained prediction errors due to imperfections in the climate models used. According to the don, recent scientific reports had taken sunspot-climate relationship into account and came up with a prediction that a 430-year-long global cooling trend was due to start at about year 2060, and the Ice on the Kilimanjaro would resume to its original state. ``This is contradictory to the predictions by the IPCC that had been holding that temperature will always be increasing over and over, because the IPCC does not use sunspot-climate relationship in its predictions,`` he said. He said the averaging processes used to make the models were unable to simulate any sunspot-related climate variations. As a result, he said, all the climate predictions issued by the IPCC so far did not take into account the recently proved relationship between terrestrial climate variations and solar cycles. The don said climate predictions made in the past using similar methodology had proved true, as predicted in 1998 using similar methodology that globally averaged temperature would halt its post-1970`s increase trend for about 30 years from 1998. He said it was true that average global temperature had not increased since 1998, despite the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide by 4 per cent over the same period. Prof Njau insisted: ``It is on the basis of the prediction above that the snow on Mount Kilimanjaro will not disappear in 2017.`` The don, an active pollster over the last 23 years, said climatic variations that had taken place so far had natural and not man-made frequencies, and had taken place at frequencies related to those of solar cycles or sunspots. He further explained that sunspot-related global climate variations had not been detected or simulated by computer models upon which IPCC rely on. Just last week, another scientific theory linked the loss of snow on the Kilimanjaro to deforestation and dismissed suggestions that the dwindling of the glaciers was due to global warming. The ``deforestation theory`` is highlighted in a recent study report compiled by two researchers from Britain`s Portsmouth University, Nicholas Pepin and Martin Schaefer, who surveyed the mountain`s glaciers for 11 days. Last year, another study on the dwindling ice on the mountain`s cap suggested that global warming had nothing to do with the alarming loss of its beautiful snows. The scientists who conducted the study, US-based Philip Mote and Georg Kaser, assertively linked the problem to a process known as sublimation-that occurs at below-freezing temperatures and converts ice directly to water vapour with the liquid phase skipped. Kibo volcano is widely acknowledged as located at the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro at about 5,895 metres (19,340 feet) above sea level. According to a rough 1889 survey Kibo`s icecap occupied about 12.5 square miles but this had dwindled to about 7.5 square miles by 1912, to about 4.3 square miles by 1953, and just over 1.5 square miles by 2003.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Zimbabwe hope despite stalemate
Zimbabwe's ruling party and opposition have failed to reach a power-sharing agreement at a summit of Southern African leaders in Johannesburg.
But the secretary-general of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change said he believed a deal with the Zanu-PF would be reached "very soon".
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating in the crisis, earlier said talks would continue.
The MDC is insisting President Robert Mugabe surrender his executive powers.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is said to have agreed in principle to take on a powerful prime ministerial role in a new national unity government, although the exact balance of power is undecided.
But the secretary-general of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change said he believed a deal with the Zanu-PF would be reached "very soon".
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating in the crisis, earlier said talks would continue.
The MDC is insisting President Robert Mugabe surrender his executive powers.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is said to have agreed in principle to take on a powerful prime ministerial role in a new national unity government, although the exact balance of power is undecided.
BREAKING NEWS
Pakistan's Musharraf steps down
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, facing impeachment on charges drawn up by the governing coalition, has announced that he is resigning.
for more please follow the following link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7567451.stm
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, facing impeachment on charges drawn up by the governing coalition, has announced that he is resigning.
for more please follow the following link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7567451.stm
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Let’s talk unity, Mkapa counsels
Retired President Benjamin Mkapa has cautioned against wasting time in idle talk and picking issues from the ‘grapevine’ as if they were gospel truth. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Singida Roman Catholic Diocese, Mr Mkapa said Tanzanians should instead spend their time defending the country’s hard-won peace and unity – and shun divisive politics. Mr Mkapa who supervised over landmark economic reforms during his third-phase government tenure, was the guest of honour at the centenary celebrations held at the Jesus Holy Spirit Church in Singida municipality. The retired head of state observed that some people were out to divide the country - despite prevailing harmony and peace the country was enjoying now. Mr Mkapa’s call comes at a time when there is heated public debate on whether Zanzibar is a sovereign state, most of them rejecting the defining principle that the Isles are but one side of the United Republic of Tanzania, as originally penned by the founding statesmen, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere and the late Abeid Aman Karume. The retired leader further observed that Tanzanians professed to various spiritual beliefs and religions and that the country itself was home to over 120 tribes and more than 160 dialects. He added that used wisely, the country’s diversity could consolidate unity, peace and harmony. However, he cautioned that the same diversity could turn things awry if abused or polluted with divisive politics. He strongly condemned a section of people whom he said had developed a habit of collecting issues from the grapevine - and spreading them as though they were the most pressing issues of the day. He urged them to show love and tolerance instead, in order to sustain the prevailing unity among Tanzanians. Earlier, the head of Tanzania Roman Catholic Church, Polycarp Cardinal Pengo urged Tanzanians to convey a message of peace to those who use weapons to destabilize the country and bring disharmony. He stressed that such task - of conveying message of peace - would continue forever and that the anniversary was just the beginning of such noble task for the Catholic Church and other churches across the world. The on-going war of words between politicians over the status of Zanzibar has since ignited hot debate throughout the country. Last week, Kyela Member of Parliament, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe took issue with Zanzibar ministers over what he described as open disrespect for their public utterances on the official stand on the status of the Isles within the United Republic – most of them scoffing at that stand with near-hostile dissenting views. Last Saturday, the Minister of State in the Chief Minister’s Office, Mr Hamza Hassan Juma, retorted that Dr Mwakyembe should apologize for what he said in Parliament – also accusing him of disrespect to Zanzibar leaders – insisting that the Isles constituted a sovereign state. The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) had earlier closed the debate – only to re-emerge within the past fortnight.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Olympic Games team bubbles with confidence
Athletes who will represent the country in the Olympic Games set to open in Beijing, China on Friday, have pledged to bring to an end the country's 28 years medal drought in the games. Speaking on behalf of others, marathoner Samsom Ramadhani, who is the 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, said yesterday that the team is in great shape and ready to shock the world. He said although, Tanzania is not given much respect same as Kenya and Ethiopia especially in marathon, Ramadhan believes that the current team has all it takes to compete at same level with runners from the two countries. Ramadhan said; "We will approach this event differently with the major objective being to snatch medals and bring to an end 28 years without medals. We have been undergoing rigorous training everyday as we strive to reach the summit in the world class athletics. In the history of Olympic Games, Tanzania only managed to win medals during the 1980 event in Moscow, where Filbert Bayi and Suleiman Nyambui won silver and bronze in 3,000metres steeplechase and 5,000metres respectively. Ramadhan said; "Personally, it has been a tough road to prepare for the event. Injury setbacks made it hard for me but now I've fully recovered. I got back to business in Singida during the national athletics championships and was unlucky to finish third in half marathon," he said. Ramadhan, along with other marathoners Getuli Bayo and Msenduki Mohammed will face stiff challenge from top runners from Kenya and Ethiopia. However, this time around the world marathon record holder Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie has pulled out of the event. Gebrselassie, who won two Olympic gold medals in 10,000 meters in Atlanta and Athens, told western media on March 10 that he will not compete in the Beijing Olympic marathon because the city's air pollution may damage his health. But the Ethiopian runner said he would still take part in the 10,000 meters of the global sports fiesta. National athletics coach Juma Ikangaa, said the team is in great shape and he does not fear big names. He insisted that the team just need to be encouraged and supported."The aim is to win medals and we believe that this time around we have the best team. They have qualified with category 'A'. This is a plus to us and we should expect a lot from them," the former world class marathoner said. Swimmer Magdalena Moshi said Tanzania should expect the very best from her. "People should be the best from us. We have been training hard for so long and we think we are now ready to compete with the world best," she said. Tanzania will be represented in athletics and swimming. The games squad consists of ten athletes (eight athletics and two swimmers). Boxer, Emillian Patrick, who had also qualified for the games, was dropped recently after he was implicated with drug trafficking in Mauritius. The athletics team also consists of track event runners. They are Dickson Marwa who will compete in 10,000 and 5,000 metres. The list also has Samson Kwang'w (10,000m), Zakia Mrisho (5,000) and Samwel Mwera (800m) The swimming team has Khalid Rushaka and Magdalena Moshi.
Tanzania to field 10 in Beijing Olympics
Tanzania will send eight runners and two swimmers to Beijing to attend the 29th Olympic Games which are scheduled to open on Friday next week. The eight runners include Samson Ramadhani (marathon), Getuli Bayo (marathon), Msenduki Mohamed (marathon); Dickson Marwa (10,000meters), Samson Kwang'w (10,000 meters), Fabian Joseph (10,000 and 5,000 meters), Zakia Mrisho (5,000 meters), and Samwel Mwera (800 meters). The Beijing-bound swimmers are Magdalena Moshi and Khalid Rushaka. Tanzania's sport minister and the country's national Olympic committee officials will accompany the athletes and their coaches to Beijing. Tanzania first attended the 1964 summer Olympiad and has been attending each and every summer games except for the 1976 games which it joined other African countries to boycott due to apartheid in South Africa.
Mramba amlipua Mkapa!
Katiaka kile ambacho pengine hakikutazamiwa kutokea, Waziri wa zamani katika Serikali ya Awamu ya Tatu ya Rais Benjamin Mkapa na ambaye pia ni Mbunge wa Jimbo la Rombo, Mheshimiwa Basil Mramba, amemlipua kiaina Rais Mstaafu Mkapa kwa kuiponda Serikali yake kuhusu sera ya viwanda. Mheshimiwa Mramba amesema Serikali hiyo ya awamu ya tatu ( iliyokuwa ikiongozwa na Rais Mkapa), kamwe haikuwahi kutekeleza sera ya viwanda. Akizungumza bungeni jana wakati akichangia bajeti ya Wizara ya Viwanda, Biashara na Masoko, Mheshimiwa Mramba akazidi kueleza kuwa kwa kasi iliyokuwepo katika serikali ya awamu ya tatu, nchi ingechukua muda mrefu sana kuwa na viwanda. ``...Nina tatizo. Najua watu watauliza, si (nawe) ulikuwepo. Lakini wacha niseme,`` ndivyo alivyoanza kueleza Mheshimiwa Mramba kabla ya kuchangia zaidi. Aidha, Mheshimiwa Mramba aliwageukia wajumbe wa Halmashauri ya CCM ,NEC na kuwahoji kuhusu sera ya viwanda vidogovidogo. ``Simuoni Bw. Yusuf Makamba, Katibu Mkuu wetu wa CCM... lakini nawaona wajumbe wengi wa Halmashaurii Kuu ya Taifa. Nauliza, hivi CCM ina Sera ya viwanda vidogo vidogo?`` Akahoji Mheshimiwa Mramba ambaye aliwahi kuwa Waziri wa Viwanda na Biashara. Akasema viwanda vilivyopo sasa ni matokeo ya sera za Serikali ya Awamu ya Kwanza iliyokuwa ikiongozwa na Rais wa wakati huo, Marehemu Mwalimu Nyerere. Akasisitiza kuwa viwanda vingi vilivyopo leo ni vya Nyerere na kwamba sera yake ilikuwa ni viwanda vya awali, ambayo amesema kamwe haijatekelezwa katika serikali ya awamu ya tatu (ya Rais Mkapa). Hata hivyo, Mheshimiwa Mramba akasema anafurahia kuona Waziri wa Viwanda, Biashara na Masoko ameipeleka bungeni, huku akishauri kuwa Serikali ya sasa ya awamu ya nne, ijielekeze katika jitihada za kuchochea uanzishaji wa viwanda. Pia akaishauri serikali kusamehe kodi kwa viwanda vidogo vidogo kama inavyofanya kwa viwanda vikubwa ambavyo vimekuwa vikipata msamaha. Aidha, ametaka kuanzishwa kwa benki maalum kwa ajili ya viwanda vidogo ama kuziagiza benki kutenga fungu maalum kwa ajili ya kuwakopesha wanaoanzisha viwanda hivyo.
SOURCE: Alasiri
SOURCE: Alasiri
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Wasomi wamtaka JK kukaza buti kwa mafisadi
WASOMI wamemtaka Rais Jakaya Kikwete kusimamia kwa ukali na umakini mkubwa ili kuhakikisha watu walioshiriki katika ufisadi uliokithiri katika Benki Kuu ya Tanzania (BoT), wanarudisha fedha zote zilizoibwa na wahusika kuchukuliwa hatua.
Hayo yalisemwa jana na Rais wa Serikali ya Wanafunzi ya Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam (DARUSO), Deo Daudi, alipokuwa akizungumza na waandishi wa habari.
Alisema kuwa utekelezaji wa suala hilo utaliletea heshima taifa katika mapambano dhidi ya rushwa.
Rais huyo wa Daruso alisema kuwa, aliyekuwa Gavana wa BoT, Dk. Daudi Balali na wenzake kutokomeza zaidi ya sh bilioni 133 ni dhambi.
Alisema kuwa wizi wa kiasi hicho cha fedha ni sawa na kubomoa vituo vyote vya afya Tanzania, au kuiba fedha za kuwasomesha wanafunzi wote wa elimu ya juu ndani na nje ya nchi kwa miaka kadhaa.
“Tunampongeza Rais Kikwete tukiamini sasa ameamua kushughulikia suala hili la rushwa bila kusimama, kwa maana hii ndiyo njia pekee ya kuwanasua Watanzania kutoka katika lindi la umaskini ambao wengi tunaona ni wa kuaminishwa zaidi ili kuwapisha akina Balali kutuibia,” alisema Daudi.
Alisema ufisadi haupo BoT pekee na kumtaka Rais Kikwete kugeukia kwenye taasisi nyingine pia.
“Tunamtaka rais aongeze kasi ya kupambana na watu hawa ambao wana dhambi kubwa isiyosameheka ya kuwafanya Watanzania kuwa maskini wa kutupwa katikati ya utajiri uliopindukia,” alisema rais huyo wa Daruso.
Pia alimkumbusha Rais Kikwete na kumtaka kuutambua mchango wa vyombo vya habari katika vita dhidi ya ufisadi na rushwa.
Hayo yalisemwa jana na Rais wa Serikali ya Wanafunzi ya Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam (DARUSO), Deo Daudi, alipokuwa akizungumza na waandishi wa habari.
Alisema kuwa utekelezaji wa suala hilo utaliletea heshima taifa katika mapambano dhidi ya rushwa.
Rais huyo wa Daruso alisema kuwa, aliyekuwa Gavana wa BoT, Dk. Daudi Balali na wenzake kutokomeza zaidi ya sh bilioni 133 ni dhambi.
Alisema kuwa wizi wa kiasi hicho cha fedha ni sawa na kubomoa vituo vyote vya afya Tanzania, au kuiba fedha za kuwasomesha wanafunzi wote wa elimu ya juu ndani na nje ya nchi kwa miaka kadhaa.
“Tunampongeza Rais Kikwete tukiamini sasa ameamua kushughulikia suala hili la rushwa bila kusimama, kwa maana hii ndiyo njia pekee ya kuwanasua Watanzania kutoka katika lindi la umaskini ambao wengi tunaona ni wa kuaminishwa zaidi ili kuwapisha akina Balali kutuibia,” alisema Daudi.
Alisema ufisadi haupo BoT pekee na kumtaka Rais Kikwete kugeukia kwenye taasisi nyingine pia.
“Tunamtaka rais aongeze kasi ya kupambana na watu hawa ambao wana dhambi kubwa isiyosameheka ya kuwafanya Watanzania kuwa maskini wa kutupwa katikati ya utajiri uliopindukia,” alisema rais huyo wa Daruso.
Pia alimkumbusha Rais Kikwete na kumtaka kuutambua mchango wa vyombo vya habari katika vita dhidi ya ufisadi na rushwa.
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