by Donovan McGrath
Tanzania Commits to Guarantee Sea Access for Landlocked Neighbours
(Fana Media (FMC) online – Ethiopia) Tanzania has reaffirmed its commitment to providing uninterrupted sea access to landlocked neighbouring countries through the Port of Dar es Salaam, underscoring its role in advancing regional connectivity and trade facilitation. Extract continues: In his recent speech at the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Awaza, Turkmenistan, Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Prof. Godius Kahyarara, said the government is removing operational bottlenecks to ensure efficient cargo handling for partner states. He noted that the Standard Gauge Railway network and one-stop border posts are being expanded to speed up the movement of goods to and from the port, benefiting countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the Permanent Secretary, these measures are in line with Tanzania’s obligations under regional and international frameworks to facilitate transit trade for landlocked states… (10 August 2025)

X restricted in Tanzania after police targeted by hackers
(BBC News online – UK) Extract: Access to the social media platform X [formerly Twitter] has been restricted in Tanzania after some official accounts of government and private institutions were targeted by hackers… [The] official police account was compromised, with sexually explicit material and false information that the president had died being posted. The police dissociated itself from the information and said an investigation was under way to identify those responsible. Hours later data from the internet monitoring organisation Netblocks showed that X was “unreachable on major internet providers” across the country. Users in Dar es Salaam, the country’s biggest city, could still not access the site … unless they use virtual private networks (VPNs), which is illegal without a permit, although some people in other regions indicated they were able to log on. The authorities have not commented on whether they are blocking access to X. But information Minister Jerry Silaa has acknowledged the hacking and assured MPs in parliament that the affected government social media accounts had since been secured… (21 May 2025)

Tanzania lifts ban on agriculture imports from South Africa, Malawi
(Reuters online – UK) Extract: Tanzania has lifted a ban on imports of agricultural produce from Malawi and South Africa … days after imposing it in retaliation for similar measures imposed by the two southern African nations. Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA)’s director general, Joseph Ndunguru, said that Tanzania was lifting the ban effective immediately to allow for “a diplomatic ministerial discussion.” The two countries had reached out separately seeking to resolve the trade dispute through dialogue, he said… The three countries all belong to a regional economic bloc, the Southern African Development Community (SADC). South Africa’s Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola welcomed Tanzania’s move to lift the ban, saying it underscored the strong relations between both nations… Malawi recently banned imports of Tanzanian agricultural commodities like maize flour, rice, ginger, and bananas, among other products, while South Africa has also stopped imports of bananas shipped by Tanzania. (26 April 2025)

Unlikely country emerges as hidden Blue Zone as doctors say switch to Kilimanjaro diet NOW
(Daily Mail online – UK) Extract: The Mediterranean diet has long been hailed as the healthiest way to eat. Emphasizing lean fish, leafy green vegetables and healthy fats like avocado and olive oil, the diet has roots dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, which are now dubbed Blue Zones. Blue Zones are places lauded as longevity hotspots with low rates of chronic disease and significant amounts of people living well into their 90s and beyond. Though the Mediterranean diet has earned the title of healthiest fare year after year, the cuisine a nation in Africa could soon take its place. Dutch researchers … found people in Tanzania … are far healthier than western nations due to a focus on unprocessed, traditional foods. The Tanzanian Kilimanjaro diet, named after the volcano Mount Kilimanjaro, focuses on foods like okra, plantains and beans, and drinks like mbege, made with fermented banana and the grain millet. The researchers found men who followed the Kilimanjaro diet had significantly lower levels of inflammation and stronger immune systems. Experts behind the study believe it’s the diet’s lack of processed food that keeps inflammation at bay, lowering the risk of chronic diseases and possibly extending lifespan. ‘Our study highlights the benefits of these traditional food products for inflammation and metabolic processes in the body,’ said Dr. Quirijn de Mast, lead study author and infectious disease specialist at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. ‘At the same time, we show how harmful an unhealthy Western diet can be.’ The researchers recruited 77 healthy Tanzanian men with an average age of 25. Of those, 23 men who normally followed the Kilimanjaro diet were asked to switch to a typical western diet for two weeks, which included foods like processed sausages, white bread and fries. Meanwhile, 22 who typically ate western meals followed the Kilimanjaro plan for two weeks. This included eating corn, okra, plantains, kidney beans and avocados. Another 22 on the western diet also were asked to drink one serving of mbege every day of the week. Five men who maintained their normal diets were used as controls. The researchers found people who switched from the Kilimanjaro to the western diet had higher levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood. Their immune cells were also less effective in warding off pathogens… Those who switched to the Kilimanjaro eating plan, however, saw the opposite effect… However, while diet seems to have similar effects as the one that came out of the Mediterranean, Tanzania itself is not considered a Blue Zone. The average life expectancy is 67 – in the US, it is 77. Greece and Italy – two countries that adhere to the Mediterranean diet – have an average life expectancy of 82 and 84 years old, respectively… (25 April 2025)

Play dead! Footballers suddenly hit the deck as match is suspended for bizarre reason
(Daily Mail online – USA) Extract: A football match was suspended due to an emergency in the middle of play that saw players forced to lie on the ground and take cover due to a swarm of bees. Players, referees, and a cameraman were forced to take evasive action in Babati, Tanzania during an encounter between City FC Abuja and JKU FC. The two teams were level at 1-1 in the 78th minute at Kwaraa Stadium when the match was stopped to ensure the safety of the players… It is not the first time such an incident has disrupted a major sporting event, with Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev forced to run for cover during their Indian Wells quarter-final in 2024 after a swarm of bees invaded the court… (19 May 2025)

Tanzanian lawmaker’s church shut down after he accuses government of human rights abuses
(AP News online – USA) Extract: Tanzanian authorities deregistered a church owned by a ruling party lawmaker after he accused the government of human rights violations ahead of October elections. Parliament member Josephat Gwajima’s Glory of Christ church in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, was cordoned off by police … after hundreds of congregants turned up to protest the closure announcement. Tanzania’s registrar of societies wrote a letter deregistering Gwajima’s church, saying his sermons contravened acceptable conduct of religious organizations. Gwajima … called out the government for what he called detentions and enforced disappearances, warning his congregants to be wary. His message came days after a Kenyan activist and his Ugandan counterpart accused the Tanzanian police of torturing them after arresting them ahead of opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason case court proceedings… (4 June 2025)

Perilous journey: A gay Tanzanian man’s quest for freedom across the English Channel
(AP News online – USA) Isaac stared down at his sandals and wondered out loud how suitable they’d be for the ordeal ahead: A perilous crossing of the English Channel, where scores of desperate people before him have drowned trying to reach the U.K. Extract continues: The 35-year-old from Tanzania never expected, or wanted, to be here, surviving hand-to-mouth in a makeshift woodland camp in northern France, with dozens of other migrants… “I wouldn’t be sitting here if I had a choice,” Isaac said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even bring a jacket or sweater.” All Isaac wants is to live freely as himself, a gay man. That aspiration is denied in Tanzania, where homosexuality is taboo and criminalized. A ferocious beating by a group of men that left his shoulder with permanent pain convinced him that his East African homeland, where he’d worked to put himself through school, would never accept him. So he left. Three years later, Isaac now finds himself sitting on dirt and pine needles, hungrily chewing a boiled-egg baguette sandwich provided by men that he paid for a place on a flimsy inflatable boat. When it will leave, whether French police will stop it from setting off from a nearby beach, whether Isaac and other men, women and children waiting with 42 Tanzania in the International Media him will reach the U.K. or die trying – all these are unknowns. (9 July 2025)

How tech-savvy Tanzanians are shaping elections
(Deutsche Weller News online – Germany) Growing frustration, rising political awareness, and ever-present social media are influencing the run-up to Tanzania’s October election. And young people are stepping into the spotlight – online and on stage. Extract continues: Tanzania’s electoral process faces unprecedented scrutiny, particularly after the arrest of Tundu Lissu, the outspoken leader of the main opposition party CHADEMA (Party of Democracy and Development). His detention on treason charges has ignited a powerful, youth-led national debate centered around the party’s provocative slogan: “No Reform, No Election.” This heated atmosphere saw DW’s Kiswahili-language program “Maoni Mtaani” hold an open debate at St. Augustine University in Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria… The theme for this debate – “Click. Like. Vote: Can social media influence your choice during elections?” – was especially topical considering the current political climate, even though the timing was coincidental. “There is a misconception that politics is a dirty game,” said Edwin Odemba, one of the four panellists and host of the Star TV program “Medani za Siasa” (“The World of Politics”). He urged young Tanzanians to reject this notion and instead “participate in the political process through their vote, so that they can be involved in shaping reforms that prioritize their interests.” Tanzania’s October general election is shaping up to be a one-horse race. The ruling CCM party – in power since Tanzania gained independence over 60 years ago – is expected to face no serious challengers. The Tanzanian Electoral Commission disqualified Tundu Lissu’s CHADEMA party from the 2025 presidential and parliamentary elections, citing the party’s failure to sign a mandatory electoral code of conduct agreement by the required deadline. This episode of the “Maoni Mtaani” discussion also gauged the progress young people have made since previous elections – demonstrating greater discernment by voting based on issues rather than the persuasive tactics of politicians. “It’s not the same as it was during the last elections,” remarked a user of DW Kiswahili’s Facebook channel, saying social media now serves both as a key source of information and a space where he can freely share his opinions. “The rise of social media platforms has shifted control of the narrative away from politicians, opening the door for young people to shape and share their own stories online,” said panellist Charles Maganga from Jamii Africa, a Dar es Salaam-based digital platform that promotes transparency, digital rights, and civic engagement across Africa. In Tanzania, young people have been criticized for not participating fully in the electoral process … (11 June 2025)

The Egyptians finding a ‘second home’ after migrating south to Tanzania
(Aljazeera online – Qatar) As Europe fortifies its borders, growing numbers of North Africans are moving southwards into other African countries. Extract continues: When Ahmed Ginah first left his village in Egypt’s northern delta for the Tanzanian capital in 2017, it was with little more than a dream. Four years later, he named his company after that dream. “When I first came to Tanzania at 28, no one imagined why I would head south,” Ginah, who is lightheartedly called the “Mayor of Egyptians in Dar-es-Salaam”, told Al Jazeera, saying that in the minds of many of his friends and family back home, countries in sub-Saharan Africa are tainted by stereotypes of famine, poverty and disease. But when Ginah arrived, what he found were opportunities – and a chance to build something new. “In 2021, I established my company, Dream [Trading],” he said, in recognition of his “dream” to be a success. He set it up with savings of $3,000, tapping into a growing market importing and exporting aluminium household goods. As the years progressed, he expanded into the steel business. But beyond work, the 36-year-old is also somewhat of a benevolent godfather figure for other North African migrants making the journey southward… Typically, Egyptians who move to Tanzania already have a relative or friend living there. For those who don’t, Ginah helps them find a place to stay, sometimes offering them a job at Dream and helping cover their rent if they’re an employee. He also introduces them to the work system in Tanzania, and gives them a lay of the land about cities where they can potentially work. “However, the most important thing I provide,” said Ginah, “is a trusted, guaranteed translator.” In urban centres in Tanzania, people speak English. But many village residents only speak Swahili. This could lead to misunderstandings and expose newcomers to “fraud or scams”, Ginah said, so he lends a helping hand… (23 July 2025)

At least 38 people killed in Tanzania bus collision, subsequent fire
(Aljazeera online – Qatar) Extract: Nearly 40 people have been killed after a bus and a minibus collided in Tanzania, sparking a fire that engulfed both vehicles. The crash occurred … in Sabasaba in the Kilimanjaro region after one of the bus’s tyres was punctured, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. “A total of 38 people died in the crash, including two women,” a statement by the presidency said… “Due to the extent of the burns, 36 bodies remain unidentified.” The nationalities of the victims were not immediately known. Twenty-eight people were injured, six of whom were still in hospital for treatment, the presidency added. President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed “heartfelt condolences” to the bereaved families and wished a “quick recovery” to those injured. She also called for stricter adherence to road safety as deadly vehicle crashes are frequent on Tanzania’s roads… (29 June 2025)