Following complaints in parliament and elsewhere about the agreements being signed with foreign mining companies for the extraction of gold, President Kikwete appointed in November a 12-member special commission to review existing mining contracts under the Chairmanship of former Attorney General Mark Bomani. The big surprise was the inclusion in the list of members of the celebrated Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe. Some CHADEMA party leaders doubted if their MP could be effective in the Commission, given its composition – Majira.

Terms of references include the reviewing of mining contracts and other documents related to commercial mining, evaluation of the taxation system in the minerals sector, and the rights and responsibilities of the investors and the government. The Committee was instructed to meet with the Chamber of Mines and other key stakeholders before giving its recommendations – Guardian.

The Presidential Commission on the mining industry has started touring the country to collect evidence at the beginning of January. People living near the Bulyanhulu gold mines in Kahama district told the Commission members that they had lost confidence in local leaders and officials, as they sided with the investors and were on their payroll.
One villager, said that the people near the mine were being ‘gagged with sweeteners’ they received from the investors. He said that before the committee arrived the mining firm entertained the villagers to a meal so that they would remain silent. “We are glad the presidential committee is here, especially with Hon Zitto Kabwe as a member, because we hope you will take our message said the villager – Majira.

During their visit to Kishapu district on January 4th villagers were reported to have jeered their CCM MP accusing him of siding with the mining firm in evicting them from their farms without following legal channels and without compensating them. The villagers told the Commission that the investor was also supported by the police and the mining officer. The meeting became unruly and so Chairperson, Mark Bomani, took the microphone and told the people that they were there to collect opinions on the mining sector and not to talk about their MP. When MP Zitto Kabwe spoke he received a warm welcome from the people – Tanzania Daima.)

As this issue of TA goes to press the Tanzanian Government announced its stand on the crisis in Kenya following the alleged fixing of the presidential election there.

It said that Tanzania was very concerned about the situation in Kenya and was happy that no Tanzanians had been injured. It advised Tanzanians not to visit the country while the disturbances continued. It said that it would not be good for Tanzania to take sides but it would be ready to listen to what they had to say.

As an indication of Tanzania’s importance to Kenya in its tribulations, President Kikwete received messages from both sides in the dispute. One was presented to President Kikwete by Kibaki supporter Uhuru Kenyatta and the other by the Secretary General of Raila Odingo’s Party (ODM), Prof. Peter Onyong’o. In his responses, President Kikwete said he was happy to hear the willingness by leaders to hold a dialogue and added: “ am saddened by what is happening in Kenya.”

Four Tanzanian opposition parties (Civic United Front (CUF), Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) and NCCR- Mageuzi) tried to organise a demonstration in Dar es Salaam supporting the opposition in Kenya over the disputed poll results but police in full combat gear stopped it.

The ‘Southern African Network of Human Rights NGOs’ (SAHRINGON) applauded President Kikwete for not rushing to congratulate Mwai Kibaki who was sworn in as Kenya President immediately after the election results were announced – Majira.

On the mainland things have been relatively quiet politically in recent months. But, as this issue of Tanzanian Affairs went to press, there were heated debates in parliament as the opposition parties tried to exercise their limited muscle.
National Assembly Speaker Samuel Sitta prevented the tabling of a private member’s motion by Dr Wilbroad Slaa, opposition CHADEMA MP over an alleged scam at the Bank of Tanzania – Mtanzania.

Then the outspoken CHADEMA MP Zitto Kabwe was suspended under House Standing Orders until January 2008 after the House voted against him, midst acclamation from ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) MP’s. He was accused of humiliating Energy and Minerals Minister Nazir Karamagi. He had claimed that the Minister had lied about a controversial gold mining contract which he had signed in London. Kabwe had tried to table a private members motion requiring the formation of a committee to investigate the contract. Continue reading →

As happens from time to time in the European Union, enthusiasts for a ‘fast tracking’ process to expedite progress towards the establishment of an East African Federation, are coming up against more and more opposition. Many Tanzanian MP’s have publicly declared their opposition to the establishment of such a federation by 2013 but, according to East African Cooperation Affairs Minister Ibrahim Msabaha in an interview with The Guardian, they had done so as individuals and not on behalf of the people they represented. Most of the delegates who contributed to a recent debate of legislators in Dodoma rejected the fast-tracking idea as a non-starter, saying the citizenry needed more time to evaluate the process before making a definitive stand that would take the nation’s interests into account. Dr Msabaha explained that the Government was not against legislator’s opinions so long as it was understood that they aired their views in their personal capacities and not by virtue of their being the official legislative representative of the people in their respective constituencies.

The fact that only a fraction of the legislators who gave their views were staunchly against the fast-tracking idea raised many questions. The dominant view among the MPs, just as is the case with the larger public, relates to fear of the possibility of Tanzania becoming a loser after the formation of the proposed federation.
Most people interviewed on the issue have said they do not see the need of having the federation at the moment because Tanzania is still lagging behind Kenya and Uganda in economic development and might end up being little more than a market for the goods they produce. Many recommended that the formation of the federation should get peoples’ consent, preferably through a referendum.

EAC Secretary General, Juma Mwapachu, was quoted as saying: “People are completely confused. What we are currently doing is not fast-tracking the East African Federation but fast-tracking the building blocs i.e. the customs union, common market, monetary union, and ultimately, the Federation itself. The time for a full-scale federation may be years ahead. It is something that cannot be decided now.”

A new ‘Prevention and Combating of Corruption Act, 2007’ has been passed by parliament and signed by President Kikwete.
The Law Reform Commission had earlier stated that the Prevention of Corruption Bureau (PCB) was not able to combat corruption effectively because of structural weaknesses, lack of government support and inadequacies in the previous Act of 1971. International donor agencies had also been pressing government to take action.

The new Act contains preventive and enforcement measures.
It establishes a new ‘Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau’ (PCCB) whose work will be overseen administratively by a Board comprising members drawn from the private sector, civil society and the general public.
The number of corruption offences which can result in prosecution has been substantially increased and now includes: corrupt contracts, procurement, auctions, employment, and bribery of foreign public officials, sexual favours, embezzlement, and conspiracy. It allows for the freezing of assets, protection of whistle-blowers and protection of witnesses and victims.
But many Tanzanians have been highly critical. Continue reading →