Author Archives: editor

MPEMBA EFFECT-20,000 SOLUTIONS!

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The London Times has reported on the results of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s offer of £1,000 to anyone who can explain the counterintuitive Mpemba effect on freezing hot water (described in TA 103). But the paper said that there was still no real solution. The Society had been swamped by the number of responses it received and had had to take on extra staff to cope with the rush. They received more than 200 responses from Croatia alone; 7,000 from the US; 800 from Britain; 880 from China and four from Afghanistan!

One reply said poetically:
‘To consider Mpemba, you’ve got to remember,
no matter our clever, well seasoned capers,
we’re still plum outmatched about liquids and vapours.’

The Society has decided to ask people to vote on which of the solutions offered they consider to have been the best. Times readers were recommended to visit the Society’s website for details.

A TALE OF TWO MUSEUMS

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On the 13th anniversary of Mwalimu Nyerere’s death on October 13, the Citizen published an article by Saumo Mwalimu commemorating the first President’s time living in Magomeni Usalama in Dar es Salaam and later in Butiama, Mara region.

Extracts from the article:
‘In a not-so-secluded alcove right in the middle of the city is a building whose walls could speak volumes about the founding of this nation. Located a mere four kilometres from the heartland of Dar es Salaam, an ancient structure stands tall, its national flag pulsating to the beat of a gentle city breeze. When visitors descend on this whitewashed building they are left without any doubt that it is an important landmark. The national livery, in splendid yellows and greens and blues and blacks stands ready to welcome guests. There is also the giant placard outside the property which reads in Kiswahili: “Makumbusho ya Kumbukizi ya Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere”… This rather verbose description lets visitors know the site is a tribute to the life of the founding father of Tanzania.

As monuments go, it is a rather humble abode. It is however perhaps a fitting memorial to the legendary statesman, who is remembered for championing egalitarian causes that saw the promotion of Ujamaa, a mode of African socialism that sought to put economic and social power in the hands of the masses…. However, the building has never been good at attracting guests despite its ties to a man whose life is intrinsically linked to the history of the nation. Passersby often cast sidelong glances over the gate as they go on their way; as if to try and sneak a peek inside without having to actually go in.

Mwalimu Nyerere lived in this house after he quit his teaching post at St Francis College (what is now known as Pugu Secondary) to take up full time the cause of Tanganyika’s independence, according to curator Ms Victoria Bache. “In this house Mwl Nyerere hosted meetings of the Tanganyika African Association and (its successor) the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU),” she said, pointing out that the build­ing is testament to the history of the struggle for independence in Tanganyika.

After he had left his job at St Francis, Mwl Nyerere moved in with other political activists but these new dwellings were deemed perilous for a man of his stature. He subsequently moved to Maduka Sita in Magomeni, where he resided in “Shop Number Four” according to Ms Bache. He was given the Usalama plot by one Sheikh Abeid Karuta, where he built from scratch and moved into his new home in January 1959, two years before independence in 1961. Mwalimu stayed at the complex for only eight months. He was moved to Sea View after he became the chairman of TANU.
Despite its rich history, the Usalama museum has had a tough time drawing in foot traffic since it officially began operations early in 2012. according to its curator. “It’s hard to blame anyone for this,” she said, adding that very little had been done to promote the site. From March to November 2012 the monument and museum brought in a total of TShs 93,700 from just 163 visitors. Entry costs TShs500 per person. The curator admits that there is not much to see in the museum. The few items on display include several family beds that Mwl Nyerere owned at some point, cookers, a radio, some medals, sofa sets and bathroom fixtures.
Very few of the original fixtures have survived the years of neglect. Most have been sold off and some are in the hands of Mwalimu Nyerere’s family. “I’m doing my bit to keep this place going but I can not do it alone” she said.

In Butiama
As the Dar museum struggles, business is brisk at its twin in Butiama, Mara region. The number of visitors there is picking up according to Curator Emmanuel Kyondo. Established in 1999, the centre receives around 9,000 visitors every year, all this despite the fact that it is located 48 kms from Musoma and a full 180 kms from the city of Mwanza. Visitor numbers might be on the rise but many more potential tourists are put off by the lack of suitable lodging facilities in Butiama, Kyondo said. “That’s a big hassle; the lack of proper hotels and lodges. Many visitors would have to drive in, then drive back out to Musoma where there are nicer and more reliable hotels and guesthouses” Kyondo added.

MEANING IN MISCELLANEA

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This edited version of an article serves as an introduction to an MSc in African Studies (University of Oxford) dissertation entitled “Meaning in Miscellanea: The Social Value of Books in Stone Town, Zanzibar” that was submitted in June 2012. For further discussion and enquiry please contact Jono Jackson via the editor

Nearly half a century since the English Club closed its doors, remnants of its library can be found in the same room of the same building that once housed this bastion of English society abroad.

During the era in which Zanzibar was a British Protectorate, its library was central to its members’ leisure and learning; but within the building’s current incarnation as the Africa House Hotel, the remaining books stand in cabinets inaccessible behind a locked door. The numerous cardboard boxes within reveal that the once-active library has become a storeroom, and it is through glass panes the books’ spines relate their titles and authors. Once bright, thorough, and visited daily, its current state is that of a neglected and mildewed miscellany.

Evelyn Waugh stayed at the English Club in the 1930s, and mentioned in Remote People how he went up to the library daily to read and make notes on local history. He wrote that ‘the ink runs in little puddles of sweat that fall on to the page; I leave hot thumb-prints on the history-book. The plates have all come loose and the fan scatters them about the library.’

This study is rooted in the notion that the same object can be admired or rejected, and the objects in question are English-language books that exist in various forms and locations throughout Stone Town, Zanzibar. The ways in which people respond to and use meanings have material, social, and cultural consequences for themselves and those meanings. It is proposed that books can inhabit numerous nuances of meaning and value depending upon the web of wider social relations that surround their location in time and space.

Three categories of English-language books are identified for the purpose of this study: Artifactual; Second-hand; and New.

The Artifactual are those of the English Club library that still exist within the Africa House Hotel. Remnants of this library are also found in curio shops in Stone Town and offer a fascinating insight into the reading habits and interests of those who are long-gone yet evidence of their presence remains.

Second-hand books are worthy of consideration as significant objects within the landscape and social fabric of Stone Town. Their origin and destination are largely the Western consumer, whilst their circulation is facilitated by Zanzibari booksellers. Notions of value and meaning can be extrapolated as a result of the encounter between local practices and ideas with Western forms.

New books sold in Stone Town are predominantly priced above the financial capabilities of most Zanzibaris. Whilst reading is not as essential to the human system as eating or sleeping, the interplay between the concept of reading as nourishment for the mind and yet not essential to survival suggests that perceptions of books as valuable commodities are blurred.

If books are pre-eminent as vehicles for information and education, and a source of culture and recreation, then a discussion of the presence of such a large number of books that serve transient tourists contributes to the stereotypical and outdated, yet created and maintained, societal differences between the Western, literate and wealthy world, and the Third, illiterate and poor world.

Perhaps the Swahili proverb ‘Elimu ni maisha, si vitabu’ (‘Education is life, not books’) informs a difference in social mores, as Zanzibaris might not consider books a means to an end and are not imbedded in the notion of lifelong learning or reading for pleasure. The impact of books donated from Western agencies is also questioned insofar as their effects contrast with their intended purpose.

Books are shown to be potent objects of analysis, especially as Zanzibar possesses a complex history of cultural exchange. Exploring the book as an object that possesses a cultural biography enables the reconstruction of human interactions and variants of meaning and value that can inhabit the same object as perceived by different people, all the while entangled within the history and society of Stone Town.

Jono Jackson recently graduated with an MSc in African Studies from St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. He also studied Swahili & History at SOAS which included a term on Zanzibar. He has travelled extensively throughout Tanzania, and was a contributor to the 2nd Edition (2009) of the Footprint Travel Guide to Tanzania.

FAITH NEWS

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Trouble on the mainland and in Zanzibar
At least 1,202 people were arrested in connection with violent clashes in Dar es Salaam’s Mbagala suburb on October 12 between anti-riot police and Muslim youths protesting an alleged act by a 14-year-old boy of desecrating the Quran. The riots erupted when the youths stormed a police station and demanded that the boy be handed over to them so that he could be punished.

Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Suleiman Kova said that 32 of those arrested allegedly vandalised and torched church buildings while 86 were arrested for demonstrating. He named the churches that were attacked as including Shimo la Mchanga (Tanzania Assenblies of God TAG), Kizuiani Seventh Day Adventist (SDA),the Church of Christ at Rangitatu, Kizuiani Anglican church, Agape at Kibondemaji and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT) at Mbagala Zakhiem. A car was burnt and eight others had their windows smashed.

ELCT Head Bishop Alex Malasusa appealed to Christians to remain calm as their leaders worked on the matter. “We need to meet with leaders of other Christian denominations so that we’ll come up with a joint position. We ask Christians to take part in Sunday services and pray for peace and the future of our country.” Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) Secretary General, Fr Anthony Makundi, said the gruesome incident should remind Tanzanians of the need to embrace the culture of respecting each other’s faith. Africa Inland Church Bishop Peter Kitula said he was saddened by the incident and the country should learn techniques of solving its problems in a peaceful manner.

For his part, Council of Islamic Organisations Secretary General Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda blamed the police for causing the turmoil. “I think the police mishandled the matter. They failed to give it its due weight when the boy was initially sent to them. Muslims were enraged by this police laxity, making them feel sidelined.”

Human rights activist Helen Kijo-Bisimba said the government delayed in taking appropriate action. “Had the authorities acted speedily, the matter would not have gotten out of hand,” she argued. But opposition party NCCR-Mageuzi Secretary General Samuel Ruhuza attributed the incident to the high level of unemployment.

People had a lot to say on social networks, as revealed in the Citizen. One wrote: ‘A prank between two school kids escalating into such a disproportionate reaction is totally inappropriate and unjustified. Religious leaders should inculcate restraint and discipline and should not justify mob justice. There should be a civilised response. The real issue here was not the Koran – the Word of Allah. It was a matter of childish argument and action by children, causing chaos by breaking the property of churches. It is mere hooliganism by children.

The view of the London Economist
On November 3, a comprehensive article headed: ‘Contagion of discontent. Muslim extremism spreads down East Africa’s coastline’ analysed some of the background. Extracts:

It is a century since cartographers drew East Africa’s coastal strip as a single territory. A map from 1876 shows “Zanziebar” stretching from what is now southern Somalia to northern Mozambique. In the colonial carve-up that followed, lines were drawn between the port cities of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam and the island of Zanzibar. The Swahili coast, named after a language created by the cohabitation of inland Bantu tribes and Arab traders and slavers, was at various times divided between four colonial countries: Britain, Germany, Italy and Portugal. Their vast possessions in the hinterland eventually became Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Mozambique. Yet in terms of culture, religion and geography the coastal strip, especially its swathe in the middle, has retained a distinct identity.

Rising discontent. Inequality, land grabs and corruption have soured many coastal communities in recent years. In radical Islam some now find an outlet for their anger. A spate of apparently unrelated church burnings, riots, disappearances and assassinations has swept the coast. Secessionist sentiment is rising. In Stone Town, Zanzibar, angry slogans decorate mouldy concrete walls denouncing “Muungano”, Swahili for the Union with the mainland. Since October 16 rioters have repeatedly clashed with police, following the brief disappearance of a popular local cleric. Farid Hadi Ahmed, the leader of Uamsho, or “Awakening”, which has recently evolved from a religious charity into an Islamist political movement demanding independence for Zanzibar, restrictions on alcohol consumption and a dress code for the tens of thousands of foreign tourists visiting the island every year.

Political violence is not new to Zanzibar, nor is unease among religious conservatives over the behaviour of holidaymakers. But Uamsho has succeeded in funnelling cultural and political tensions into support for radical Islamism. The group denies involvement in church burning but openly feeds resentment of Wabara, or mainland Tanzanians. Supporters are implicated in attacks on bars said to be owned by immigrants. Almas Ali, a history teacher, calls the 1964 union with the mainland a “bad marriage”. A divorce, he says, is long overdue. Grievances include the loss of tax privileges in the 1990s that hit transit trading, and Tanzania’s failure to join the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, a club of Muslim countries that locals hoped would channel aid to Zanzibar.

Islamist hotheads used to support Tanzania’s main opposition party, the Civic United Front (CUF). But in 2010 it formed a unity government with the ruling Revolutionary Party (CCM) following unrest amid accusations of voter fraud. This disappointed many Zanzibari supporters and created a political vacuum on the island. Ismail Jussa, the deputy CUF leader, says, “By the time we woke up, we found ourselves engulfed by this religious group.”

Officially, unemployment on the islands is 34% but officials at the Zanzibar Chamber of Commerce say the real rate is much higher, with youth joblessness and underemployment estimated at 85%.

Across the border, Tanzania’s business capital, Dar es Salaam, has been rocked by the worst religious riots in years. Churches were looted and burned on October 12th. Sheikh Issa Ponda, a radical cleric, has been arrested and accused of inciting violence. If the secessionist groups up and down the coast link up, they could become a powerful dissident force.

The recent discovery of gas along the coast could make things still worse. Mohamed Hafidh Khalfan, an economist at the State University of Zanzibar, fears a Nigerian-style insurgency, “Poverty is like a fuel that just needs a spark to blow it up.”

(Some observers thought that this article exaggerated the situation in Tanzania and was unnecessarily alarmist – Editor).

RUCTIONS IN ZANZIBAR COALITION

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Just as in Britain’s coalition government, tensions between the two rival camps within Zanzibar’s government of national unity (GNU) can boil over from time to time. In Zanzibar it happened when First Vice President Seif Shariff Hamad publicly accused Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein of not curbing alleged excesses of the security apparatus.

Addressing a public rally at Kibanda Mait, Mr Hamad, who doubles as Secretary General of the main opposition Civic United Front (CUF), charged that, under cover of cracking down on perpetrators of chaos linked to Uamsho, the Police Force, intelligence service and what he characterized as ‘rogue elements’, were harassing innocent civilians. While declaring that the GNU would not be wrecked, he nonetheless accused the rival camp within the government of clandestinely carrying out moves aimed at sabotaging the partnership.

SWISS MILLIONS – ZITTO SHOT DOWN

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Parliament on November 10 rejected a proposal by CHADEMA’s Kigoma MP Zitto Kabwe to form a select committee to probe some $196 million allegedly lodged in Swiss banks by 13 public officials. Instead it resolved that the matter be handled by government organs in collaboration with international investigators. Speaker Anne Makinda said the report on the outcome of the investigations should be tabled in Parliament in April 2013. Dismissing Zitto’s proposal, she said it should have been tabled separately as a private motion. This provoked a heated two-day debate in the House in November on what should be done to recover the money, with most MPs supporting Kabwe. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said the matter was sensitive and needed handling with care, but he assured the public that no stone would be left unturned in attempting to expose the culprits. This was a matter of national interest and nobody would be spared or protected.

Kabwe said he had no qualms with the decision, since the motion was after all adopted by the House and he would raise the matter again at the next sitting in April if no progress had been made.

NEW MISS TANZANIA

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Miss Tanzania 2012

Miss Tanzania 2012

Glitz and glamour were reported to have filled the Blue Pearl Hotel recently as Brigitte Alfred from Sinza was crowned the new Miss Tanzania for 2012 in a hotly contested final.

Brigitte (centre) beat 28 other contestants to win a Toyota Noah and TShs 8 million. Eugene Fabian (left) from the Lake Zone emerged as the first runner up, and received TShs 6 million while the third place went to Edda Sylvester (right) from Temeke, who got TShs 4 million.

“I’m so happy and excited for the award, I promise not to let Tanzanians down in the Miss World event,” said the happy new queen as she stood in front of her grand prize. Brigitte is the eighteenth contestant to take the Miss Tanzania crown since its re-inception in 1994.

BOYS TO BOYCOTT CIRCUMCISION?

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Elders in Mara Region have embarked on a campaign to convince boys to boycott circumcision as a protest against global condemnation of female genital mutilation (FGM). The season was due to start in December. The elders hope that their move to prevent boys from getting the cut will evoke anger among practitioners who will then enforce a revival of both female and male circumcision on the pretence that it is an order from the ancestors to cleanse the community, failure of which would lead to punitive measures.

A survey by The Citizen in Serengeti, Tarime and Rorya districts found that campaigns for the revival of FGM appealed to clan elders and most of them would gladly support the practice. “Some of the boys have threatened to boycott the initiation rite unless girls are also involved. They claim that during initiation boys and girls walk together as couples, a situation they believe makes the process colourful”, said an anti-FGM parent.

BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY

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by Valerie Leach:

For those interested in the development of Tanzania, the encouraging article which follows (and other articles in this issue) outline, in detail, the beginning of a veritable industrial revolution in the country. Tanzania is changing – and very rapidly – Editor.

Inflation
The rate of inflation, while still high at 12.9% in October 2012, is falling – down from 19.8% in December and 17.9% in October last year. The rate of increase in food prices has also fallen steadily from 26.2% in January to 15.0% in October. Energy prices in the same period have fallen, though erratically, from 30.1% in January to 18.4% in October 2012. (www.nbs.go.tz)

Economy performing strongly
According to a statement issued by Mr Paolo Mauro, who led a team from the International Monetary Fund to Dar es Salaam in September–October, the Tanzanian economy has continued to perform strongly. “Economic activity has remained robust, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth projected at 6.5-7% in 2012. The current account deficit is large at 16% of GDP, reflecting strong aggregate demand, foreign direct investment related to natural gas exploration and development, and large oil imports for power generation to substitute for hydroelectric sources, owing to the severe drought. External vulnerabilities are made more manageable by the adequate level of foreign reserves. The budget deficit for 2011/12 at 5% of GDP was lower than programmed. Revenue collection was strong and government spending was well-contained, though not all domestic expenditure arrears were cleared by the end of the fiscal year.

The 2012/13 budget appropriately balances the need for sustained fiscal consolidation, preserving social spending, and creating room for critical infrastructure investment. External non-concessional borrowing has been in line with maintaining a sustainable debt outlook.

According to a Press Release from the IMF: “Economic growth is projected to remain buoyant in 2013, though risks remain. In particular, near-term challenges relate to the need to preserve ample and reliable electricity supply while ensuring the financial viability of the national power utility TANESCO, where sizable outstanding payment arrears have built up vis-a-vis suppliers following the emergency power plan introduced in late 2011.

“The outlook for the medium-to-long term is promising, with recent large off­shore natural gas discoveries. The current priority is to design and implement a regulatory and fiscal framework, integrated with the government budget, for the natural resource sector, ensuring that Tanzania’s population benefits fully from its natural resources.

“The Bank of Tanzania aims its tight monetary policy at bringing inflation down to single-digits in the next few months, complementing other efforts in this area by fiscal and structural policies. The government budget aims at containing the deficit to 5.5% of GDP in 2012/13. The IMF Mission welcomes the measures that the authorities are taking to improve public financial man­agement and urges the government to prepare rapidly an action plan to address challenges in the electricity sector.” (IMF press release, www.imf.org).

Strategic Oil Reserve
In an effort to stabilise oil supplies and cushion shortages, the Government is to set up a strategic oil reserve. The Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, George Simbachawene has said that the Government is in talks with the Government of Oman for supplies for the oil reserve, preferring this government-to-government arrangement over reliance on private traders. Joint efforts between this Ministry and the Ministry for Transport are also underway to speed up the functioning of single point mooring for improved oil discharging capacity at the port of Dar es Salaam which will be sited further out in the ocean to help decongest the port (East African).

Large deposits of gas
In late October, there was a meeting in Dar es Salaam of high-level gas industry professionals. There, the Chief Secretary, Mr Ombeni Sefue warned that the recent discoveries of large gas deposits in southern Tanzania will not lead to an overnight transformation of the national economy. Although these discoveries should help jump start economic growth, Mr Sefue emphasised the importance of ensuring that the gas resources are managed sustainably. Initially, the gas will be used nationally to shore up electricity generation. A World Bank specialist at the same meeting, Mr Albert Zeufack, advised that Tanzania needs to have the right infrastructure in place before the country is opened up to oil and gas investors. “For Tanzania to take full advantage of its resources, the country needs to invest in investing. This involves building the capacity to invest efficiently and profitably by developing human capital.” (Citizen).

Transport
Improvements to infrastructure, needed for Tanzania to be able to take full economic advantage of its favourable geographic location, were highlighted by Minister Mwakyembe in his speech to the Britain-Tanzania Society in London on 10 November 2012 (and see lead article above).

The Minister highlighted the governance of the ports and the actions he has taken to dissolve the Board of the Ports Authority and install a new Board with younger members.

While improvements have been made to the roads system in the past few years, too much heavy traffic is loaded on the roads and more cargo needs to be moved onto rail. The Government intends now to maintain the rail infrastructure, permitting companies to have their own rolling stock.

Mining
A ban on the export of raw tanzanite was introduced in 2010 as part of the Mining Act. The main buyers have been in the US and more recently in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, with exports valued at between $100 and $300 million. In November 2012, Diamond International, the world’s largest tanzanite buyer and one of the largest jewellery retailers, announced that it will create a gemstone processing plant on the outskirts of Arusha. The plant will employ about 200 local workers who will be trained to cut and polish tanzanite for the export market (www.TanzaniaInvest.com).

After several false starts, uranium mining in the Mkuju River area is expected to be started by the Russian company JSC Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ) who are in the final stages of negotiating a licence with the Government to construct a plant there starting in early 2013. The firm will be required to furnish plans for relocation, resettlement and compensation of people within the mining areas, as well as for the proposed treatment and disposal of ore and minerals recovered. An earlier dispute over income tax and stamp duty resulting from the firm’s acquisition of the uranium mining site from Uranium One is reported to have been settled. In October, the Government issued an environmental impact cer­tificate which allows the project to go ahead (East African).

Energy
A research note from Ecobank is quoted in The East African in November with an estimate of $994 million to go into offshore natural gas exploration in East Africa in the next twelve months – most of it in Tanzania and Mozambique. There will be investment in drilling 33 exploration wells, infrastructure, development of pipelines, liquefied natural gas plants, power plants and storage tanks. An export market can be opened up for industrial use in Japan, China, India and South Korea.

In Tanzania, plans shave been announced to increase expenditure from $9 million in 2012 to $15 million in 2013 in recognition of the value of a dedicated operations infrastructure for oil and gas exploration in Tanzania. The company responsible has set out to develop the only world class facilities in the region with field maintenance facilities built in Mtwara which are said to exceed North Sea standard. Estimates of recoverable natural gas reserves have recently been revised from 28.74 trillion to 33 trillion cubic feet. (www.TanzaniaInvest.com)

In Mtwara, President Kikwete recently launched the construction of a Mnazi Bay and Songosongo Natural Gas processing plant and transportation pipeline. Tanesco has been directed to start building the plants under a project which is expected to be completed within 18 months. President Kikwete clarified that “Construction of the power plants should go parallel with laying of the gas pipelines because waiting until the project is completed will delay production of electricity”.

The processing plant will be owned by the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and should generate more than 3,000MW of electricity, above the country’s target of 2,780 megawatts by 2015 for national use and should allow for surplus selling to neighbouring countries. The project should allow Tanzania to meet more than half of its power generation from natural gas, with 30 per cent from heavy oil and 15 per cent from hydro plants. The project is to be jointly implemented by China Petroleum and Technology Development Company (CPTDC), a unit of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and the TPDC.

Foreign Direct Investment
According to the report titled Where to Invest in Africa – 2012 Edition recently released by the Rand Merchant Bank, Tanzania is the 10th most attractive destination for investment among 53 African countries. The ranking is based on three factors: market size, as measured by GDP at purchasing power parity for 2012; market growth rate, as reflected by estimated annual real GDP growth rates between 2011 and 2017; and an operating environment index, which captures the business environment. This index comprises four indicators: economic freedom, corruption, efficiency and business friendliness.

Tanzania’s prospects are bolstered by the discovery of oil and gas, especially the deep-water gas prospects off Tanzania’s coast.

When it comes to the security of investments, Tanzania, together with Botswana and Namibia have the most transparent, fair and efficient legal systems.

In relation to infrastructure, Tanzania still lags behind for the quality of overall infrastructure; not surprisingly the reports highlight that Tanzania stands out among the countries that should provide most of the opportunities for infrastructure construction businesses.

Access to financing also remains Tanzania’s most problematic factor for doing business in the country. The report is available at http://www.rmb. co.za/GlobalMarkets/pdf/whereToInvestInAfrica/RMB_wtia.pdf -(www. TanzaniaInvest.com)

Chinese investment reaches $1 billion
Mr. Lu Youqing, the Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania stated at the recent Huawei ICT Star programme for Tanzania education in Dar es Salaam that total investment of Chinese companies in Tanzania last year reached $1 billion. This makes China now the second largest provider of Foreign Direct Investments to Tanzania. Mr Youqing underlined that such investments from China are directed to local value addition of the products, which has resulted in the creation of more than 80,000 jobs and the reinforcement of the ties between Tanzania and China. The Huawei ICT Star programme for Tanzania education is aimed at fostering ICT training and development in Tanzania. Mr Bruce Zhang, Managing Director of Huawei Tanzania, said “This programme will be in partnership with the government of Tanzania and it will work with students starting from primary to university level.” (www.TanzaniaInvest.com)

Manufacturing performance
The recently released report, The Tanzania Industrial Climate Report, a product of a partnership between UNIDO and the Government of Tanzania, says that despite the past and current efforts to boost industrialisation in Tanzania, manufacturing still accounts for less than 10% of national GDP, making Tanzania one of the least industrialised countries in the world.

The report presents a quantitative assessment of the performances of the manufacturing sector in Tanzania, highlights the challenges and opportunities for Tanzanian industries and offers a number of high priority and practical industrial policy recommendations.

The areas of policy focus highlighted in the report include: the effect of regional integration on Tanzanian industry and the challenges ahead, the domestic and international opportunities that emerged in the new global market for manufacturers, the key role of modern skills for industrial development and the likely “quick-win” scenario of a resource-based industrialisation process. The report is available at: http://www.tanzaniainvest.com/downloads/Tanzania-Industrial­Competitiveness-Report2012-UNIDO.pdf

EDUCATION

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by Anne Samson

The government is continuing with plans to improve the quality of education. Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Mr Philipo Mulugo, said at the launch of the Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow (TBT) Programme that ‘The government is committed to improving education and life skills in our community through technology so that people are better equipped to compete in the global labour market. ’The five-year TBT programme, in partnership with Camara International Organisation, is set to start in 2013 with Camara initially providing 30,000 computers at ‘affordable prices’. The aim is to equip teachers with capacity and knowledge in the use of computers. Fifty five schools in Dar es Salaam should see computers next year (Daily News).

The Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority is to sponsor 17 students at university this year as part of the government’s investment in information technology education (Citizen). Science education also dominates. The new Josiah Kibira University, Bukoba, ‘aims at supporting the government in mitigating the shortage of secondary school science teachers’ by training 400 teachers (Daily News). United African University of Tanzania is developing Electrical Engineering programmes and asks parents to encourage their children to ‘venture into science subjects’ (Daily News) Deputy Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Mr January Makamba, noted that Tanzania needs a policy ‘that allows and recognises student’s talents and creativities to promote innovation’ (Guardian).

300 Mtwara and Lindi youths are to benefit from a project sponsored by VSO and the British oil and gas exploration company BG. The two-year project, involving VETA, will see 24 persons trained to build human resource capacity and create jobs in the area (Citizen). Uranium mining company Mantra Tanzania, waiting to receive its operating licence, has pledged to support education by sponsoring initiatives for students. It funded the recent Tanzania Schools Exhibition in Dar es Salaam (Daily News).

The Zanzibar government is to buy more desks for pupils while development partners help to build schools. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Ms Mwanaidi Saleh, said ‘each district will have at least one modern school with a computer room, a library, and a laboratory’ (Daily News).

French – the Tanzania Institute of Adult Education will co-ordinate a project establishing French language resource centres throughout Tanzania as part of a project with the French Embassy. The aim is to improve the level of French and address the shortage of French teachers in the country. Fifteen French language inspectors received training in Reunion (Citizen).

At an award ceremony of honorary doctorates to Mr Godfrey Sabas Ngaleya and Bishop Mathias Rueben Ng’andu, Morogoro Regional Director, Mr Joel Bendera, acknowledged how far education has developed in Tanzania since Uhuru. He stated: ‘People may have their different views, including the demand for quality education, but the fact remains that this country has made tremendous strides. If we didn’t have the ward secondary schools, where would all those children who passed their primary examination be today?’ Mr Ngaleya’s 2005 book on entrepreneurship is to become a standard textbook in schools. (Daily News)

However, on 11 October Salma Maoulidi contributed a piece to the Daily News on how education today compared with the aim of the 1977 constitution to remove the class divide amongst Tanzanians. She concluded: ‘that there is no Minister, Principal Secretary, MP, RC or DC who sends their child to a ward school. If national leaders, who make and implement policy, don’t want to subscribe in deed to policies they pass, or swear to uphold, why should the common person be expected to stomach the same?’

In launching the new Annual Teachers Awards Ceremony,the chairman of the Education and Expedition Agency Association, Emmanuel Mjema, challenged the government ‘to provide direct financial incentives to teachers in public and private schools countrywide so as to help improve the country’s education standard.’ The first ceremony was on 25 November (Guardian).

A study by Haki Elimu and the University of Dar es Salaam entitled ‘Are students failing national examinations or are national examinations failing students?’ reported that ‘There is evidence that the curriculum is poorly implemented because the majority of teachers do not fully understand the requirements of the curriculum. The teaching and learning environments are also generally poor…..While the content of the curriculum seems to be competent based, the assessment procedures are not wholly based on this philosophy.’ Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Mr Celestine Gesimba, rejected the findings, stating that the Institute of Education was better qualified to conduct the research as ‘they are the experts in this area [of curriculum]’ (Citizen).

At a conference to publicise the findings of the four year Pedagogy and Leadership Project, Education Commissioner in the Ministry of Education and Training, Ms Eustella Bhalalusse, encouraged those attending to use the findings to improve the quality of teaching English. The study,which involved the University of Dar es Salaam and which ran from 2009 to 2012, took place in four urban Primary schools in Manzese ward, Kinondoni District (Daily News).

Korogwe Council is to implement a programme of inspections to ensure that education is being delivered as it should be and to achieve a pass rate above 95%. The focus of the inspections will be discipline, ensuring teachers are at school teaching on time and that they are adhering to the curriculum (Citizen).

The government rejected a proposal by budget partners that they directly fund social-related projects. ‘Donors could not set priorities for Tanzania’ and monitoring such funding would prove difficult. However ‘government and donor parties agreed to enhance the dialogue on results.’ Budget support for 2012/3 is just under $500 million (Citizen).