Workers protested at the head offices of the state-owned Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) in Dar es Salaam on October 1 as the new strategic investor officially took over the management of its operations. They made a spirited but unsuccessful attempt to block the facility’s long-awaited official handover. The old corporation, whose condition was described in the Guardian as being generally regarded as pathetic, was finally handed over to the new ‘Tanzania Railway Ltd as (TRL)’ – a firm set up jointly by the Government of Tanzania (49%) and Rites Company Ltd of India (51%). The latter operates as a wing of the Government of India. Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, Infrastructure Development Minister Andrew Chenge said that the TRL would increase the newlook facility’s capacity to handle cargo and expand the country’s trade and business with neighbouring countries like Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Continue reading →

A dramatic encounter near Moshi on September 8 resulted in the killing of 14 Kenyans suspected to have been planning to raid the Exim Bank branch. The Police action is believed to have foiled the robbery attempt following a fierce exchange of fire. The Police recovered an AK47 rifle, five pistols and a sizeable number of rounds of ammunition plus passports and identity cards with the suspects’ bodies, Meanwhile, Police in Nairobi said they had been informed that the 14 were also planning to rescue six Kenyans facing robbery charges in Tanzania. The incident came a month after the arrest of two Kenyans in connection with a $180,000 bank robbery in Mwanga, Kilimanjaro Region. Following a tip-off, police arrested the two in a house in Arusha’s Njiro Estate and recovered seven guns, including two AK47 rifles with 85 rounds of ammunition, a light machine gun, five pistols with 35 rounds of ammunition, two hand grenades, two bullet proof jackets, bhang and US$ 845. Continue reading →

VISA application fees to the United Kingdom were reduced from November 5. British High Commission Press and Political Officer John Bradshaw said that this followed a rise in the value of the Tanzanian Shilling. A six months multiple entry visit visa is now TShs157,000 instead of 176,000/-, while a long term validity visit visa is TShs 500,000 instead of TShs 560,000. Under the new setup there will be no interview for those submitting all relevant documentation that is required. The High Commission has stepped up its control over issuance of entry clearance by taking biometric fingerprints to reduce the influx of illegal immigrants into Britain. The mission has also started on-line visa applications to cope with the long queues at Umoja House.

An MCC team defeated Zanzibar Cricket Stars by 133 runs to 88 in a friendly international. A big crowd saw how the islanders gave the British team a ‘good run for its money’. Deputy British High Commissioner, Tony Brennan, who played on the MCC side, lauded the island team for its high standard. He said the MCC expected to meet even stiffer competition when they meet again in 2008.

Parliament’s Speaker Samuel Sitta has explained how he was now wearing a new gown made in the UK. “It took long to finish as it was stitched with gold thread.” However, he said, he would continue wearing the old gown that had been in use for 12 years, “After all it is not exactly in tatters” he said – Habari Leo.

Writing in the GUARDIAN (August 16th) Xan Rice describes how the three British senior managers of City Water were forcibly escorted out of Tanzania on June 1st 2005 to mark the end of City Water’s involvement in water supply in Dar-es-Salaam but also the beginning of a long legal dispute between BiWater plc (which led the consortium) and the Tanzanian Government (See previous issues of TA – Editor related stories ) Continue reading →

On September 24 the Africa-America Institute Annual Awards Gala in New York raised nearly $900,000 for educational and training programs in Africa. Tribute was paid to the people of Tanzania for the country’s significant progress in education, environmental conservation, and in creating a business-friendly environment for entrepreneurs and investment. Tanzanian President Kikwete accepted the ‘African National Achievement Award’ on behalf of the people of Tanzania. Nearly 500 distinguished U.S. and African leaders and top diplomats attended the function.

The founder of ‘The Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund in Tanzania,’ announced the creation of 20 Kikwete Scholarships to support tertiary level training for Tanzanian students to pursue studies in the field of environmental conservation at U.S. universities. In his remarks, President Kikwete personally thanked Tudor Jones for the scholarships, saying it would help further study on environmental conservation in Tanzania. Continue reading →

As imports of goods from China increase from year to year business people and customers are increasingly complaining about the quality of the goods and the number of imported counterfeits. The Chinese Embassy in Dar es Salaam laid the blame on unscrupulous traders and manufacturers who were using China as a transit route for their exports to Tanzania. The reaction came a few days after the ‘Free Competition Commission (FCC)’ stated that 50 per cent of Chinese consignments sold in Tanzanian markets were counterfeits including, in particular, Hitacho TV sets and Kiwi Shoe Polish. The government is planning to review the law governing the FCC with a view to giving it legal teeth, so that it can conduct random inspections of godowns and retail outlets – Guardian.

The Tabora Pound

In March 2007 a gold coin minted in German East Africa in 1916 was sold for £1,400 by the London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb. Sometimes known as the ‘Tabora pound’, this coin has an interesting history.

At the beginning of 1916 the Governor of German East Africa, Dr Heinrich Schnee, was confident that the colony’s small army would continue to hold the Allied forces at bay. His immediate problem was the shortage of metallic currency caused by hoarding and the impossibility of getting fresh supplies of coins from Germany because of the Royal Navy’s blockade. That same blockade prevented the export of gold to Germany and the Governor decided to use Tanganyikan gold to mint coins locally. Continue reading →

This is the story of Tanzanian man called Hitler and a place called Upendo.

Hitler at the Upendo Centre in Arusha

Hitler is a gentle man, whose name is just another burden he bares in life. Hitler’s home was on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. When he first contacted leprosy nobody in his village had any knowledge of what it was. When he started losing fingers and toes the villagers were afraid. Superstitious stories abounded until it all became too much for them. The whispering suddenly stopped as he drew near. His fellow villagers turned their backs. Nobody wanted to drink with him. Few patronised his shop. People who he had known all his life now treated him as a stranger. Continue reading →