Government has refused to register two community newspapers. A statement by the Information Department (Maelezo) said it is the government’s policy to allow only Kiswahili and English newspapers. It said there is no law but in the past such newspapers had been rejected in the interest of “national unity.” The two newspapers were to be in Kihangaza, which is spoken in Ngara, and in Gujarati that is spoken by Asians -Mwananchi
Scout headquarters has banned foreign trips for its members. The Chief Commissioner of Scouts said that it had been necessary to take this step after many scouts had used the organisation to seek asylum in foreign countries -Mwananchi.
The new American ambassador to Tanzania, Robert Royall, was described by Secretary of State Colin Powell as a banker, a businessman and a personal friend of President Bush. The new Ambassador said that Tanzania’s support in the war against terrorism was not only appreciated, but indicative of her desire to work for peace and stability throughout East Africa.
The Kilimanjaro National Park Authority has awarded an Italian tourist Bruno Brunod a special certificate following his record-breaking climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in eight hours 34 minutes and 52 seconds. His personal physician said that this had been possible because Brunod was an experienced climber and had done a lot of preparation.
The highly successful Nation Media Group which publishes newspapers and has radio and TV stations in Kenya and Uganda is looking into plans to expand into print and broadcasting in Tanzania before the end of this year -East African.
The Bagamoyo College of Arts was razed to the ground in a fire in February. The Swedish government has offered to rebuild the college Guardian
BA has introduced new direct flights from Heathrow to Dar es Salaam. The flight between Dar and Heathrow has been reduced from 12 to 10 hours. At the inaugural flight ceremony British High Commissioner to Tanzania, Richard Clarke, said links between Tanzania and the United Kingdom continued to grow in business and tourism and added that the Minister of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Privatisation), Dr Abdallah Kigoda, had named Britain as the leading investor in the country. BA Manager for Tanzania Saada Juma said BA fights would be leaving Dar at 9.15am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and arrive at Heathrow at 5.15pm and return flights would be leaving Heathrow at 7.20 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Government has announced its intention to ban the importation of used clothes and shoes. Trade minister Juma Ngasongwa said the aim was to boost local industry; it was degrading to depend on foreign used clothes when Tanzania had its own textile industries -Guardian.
The Temeke Municipal Council in Dar es Salaam has authorised Shillings
5.5 million to buy a gold chain for its mayor. Most of the councillors agreed except the one from CUF who said that municipal schools were in a pathetic condition and often 100 pupils were packed into one classroom without desks. The money should have been used for schools.
422 out of the 499 rare gold and yellow Kihansi toads which were sent to American zoos because they were facing extinction in the Kihansi Gorge because of the hydroelectric power project, have died due to lung worms. However, they have reproduced twice resulting in 348 offspring. Numbers at Kihansi had dropped from about 10,000 to only 100.
President Mkapa has decided to divide Arusha region, the largest in the country, into two separate administrative parts -one to be called ‘Arusha’ and the other ‘Rift Valley’. This will bring the total number of regions in Tanzania to 26 (including five in Zanzibar).