SWAHILI AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS

by Ben Taylor

As part of the recently launched new education policy, the Tanzanian government announced that the language of instruction in secondary schools would switch from English to Swahili. The change has drawn both criticism and support from commentators. The following are excerpts:

Dr Aikande Kwayu
The emphasis on Kiswahili as the language of instruction (in addition to properly teaching English) is a wise move highlighting the true spirit of Tanzania. Research and literature has it that the language of instruction should be what is spoken at home – in our case, Kiswahili. Teaching our kids in Kiswahili will improve learning for the masses.

Ali A. Mufuruki, Chair of CEO Roundtable, Dar es Salaam
The changes were not made in good faith, nor was enough preparation done to make sure all systems are in place. We are going to put current and future generations of Tanzanians at a disadvantage from which they will not be able to recover easily. The arguments made by the proponents of the new policy are devoid of logic and paint a picture of a people who have very little or no understanding that we live today in a globalised world, where Tanzanians do not have the luxury of being able to create their own reality that can be kept safe from the effects of competitive forces that are a dominant feature of today’s life.

The change may be nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction of policy makers to the steadily falling pass rates at both primary and secondary schools over the past twenty years and is therefore a wrong solution to the problem. Just as you cannot cure a gangrene wound by applying aspirin to it, you cannot turn around Tanzania’s failing education system by replacing English with Swahili as a medium of instruction. I am very curious to see if those responsible for this policy change are going to move their children from the private English Medium schools to the Kiswahili-only public schools where the rest of the country’s children go.

Prof. Kitila Mkumbo, University of Dar es Salaam
The decision to recognise and promote both Kiswahili and English languages in teaching and learning seems to have been reached as a compromise to please the two sides of the debate. As a consequence, I can bet that English will continue to be used as a medium of instruction because it still is largely associated with ‘being learned’ and because it is much more available in the literary world than Kiswahili. Furthermore, the case for Kiswahili as a medium of instruction has always been made on the basis of cultural activism and romanticism, rather than on solid evidence-based scholarly discourse.

Prof. Karim Hirji
The manner in which the issue language of instruction is being posed and discussed is a diversion from much more fundamental issues. The primary requirement for Tanzania is to have a genuinely sustainable, implementable and integrated economic policy (agriculture, industry, commerce, transportation, services and communication). The nature of the education system (at all levels) has to reflect and be embedded within the context of that policy.

In the present foundational condition, it is possible to utilize either a national, local or foreign language to achieve the goals of imparting effective, high quality education and raising the standard of living, health status and general level of well-being of the broad masses of the people. And in the absence of such a foundational condition, you will end up with a mass of unemployed, unemployable youth (including graduates), generalized poverty and social unrest.

Whether you know your physics well in Swahili or English is immaterial so long as you are out in the street having nothing to do. Even a bilingual system of instruction is feasible in that context. Just consider the history of education systems and nations throughout the world and you will see the validity of my assertions. Let us not discuss the issue of language of instruction in isolation from that of economic policy and the nature of the education system as a whole.

Personally I am in favour of utilization of Swahili as the medium of instruction throughout the East African Community. But given the chaotic, fragmented and externally dominated economic policies that prevail at present, I do not think that goal is easy to achieve. Whatever language we use in schools, our streets will be flooded with semi­literate, literate and well-qualified youth selling socks and what not.”

Chambi Chachage, PhD Student, Harvard University
We all want Tanzanians to be fluent in English and Kiswahili – and, if possible, other languages too, both local and foreign. How can we achieve that when we are “backward” as far as such bilingualism – let alone multilingualism – is concerned. I took Mathematics in both O-Level and A-level in English but some of our teachers used Kiswahili when they realized we did not understand them. We could communicate – and understand each other – easily in Kiswahili by saying, for example, ‘diferentieti’ and ‘intagreti’, which were our own ‘Swahilized’ versions of the English words. For us what mattered was communicat­ing and understanding.

I support the usage of Kiswahili as the language of instruction simply because it facilitates communication relatively more easily and con­nects with our environment. At the same time I support the effective teaching of English as a second language to make us really capable of using it. What we now have in the classroom is what language experts call ‘subtractive bilingualism’ in contrast to ‘additive bilingualism’. Put simply, the former makes one end up knowing little Kiswahili and very little English, but the latter makes one gain both ways – Knowing more Kiswahili as well as English. More significantly, the former subtracts knowledge and the latter adds knowledge through effective communication. So, why should we get ‘lost in translation’? Let us teach English and teach in Kiswahili. Both can be done.

Biyi Bandele
Until every single mathematical theorem and every single theory in astrophysics and cosmology, [and] in medicine and chemistry, and in every single sphere of knowledge, is written or available in translation in Kiswahili and Igbo and every other African language, I personally will always reject and abhor that easy [and easily comforting, xenophobic language] that dresses itself in the ultimately empty and cheaply sentimental rhetoric of noble nationalism.

Richard Mabala
People who advocate the use of Kiswahili are not saying that Tanzanians have failed to master English. We are saying that if people do not have enough English to start with in secondary school, to use it as a medium of instruction is self-defeating as they do not have enough language to address other subjects. In fact we are saying that if they are taught English well, they will have better English than if it is used as a medium of instruction.

Why are those who argue for English prepared to continue putting the majority of our students today … not tomorrow, not in 25 years time … through four years of not understanding what they are taught. Everyone knows that language alone is not the issue – there are many, many more – but it is the point of entry to comprehension of whatever little teaching they may or may not get.”

POLITICS

by David Brewin

Cabinet Reshuffle
Tanzanian Affairs 110 reported that President Kikwete had removed from office (or accepted resignations from) Attorney General Frederick Werema, Energy and Minerals Minister Sospeter Muhongo and Lands and Housing Minister Anna Tibaijuka in connection with the Escrow scandal. The President named William Lukuvi as the new Lands and Housing Minister and George Simbachawene as Energy and Minerals Minister.

Muhongo had earlier described himself as “incorruptible” and denied any wrongdoing. But Zitto Kabwe, chairman of the Parliamentary Accounts Committee, said that Muhongo “had to be held to account” as he had misled parliament by saying that Escrow money did not belong to government.
Others who resigned from parliamentary committees were Victor Mwambalaswa (Energy and Minerals Committee), Andrew Chenge (Budget Committee) and William Ngeleja (Legal Affairs and Governance Committee).

The resignations and dismissals were praised by Secretary General Mosena Nyambabe of the opposition National Convention for Construction and Reform (NCCR – Mageuzi) who said “We are satisfied with the steps the government has taken against senior government officers involved in the scandal, but we want further steps to be taken so that we see how committed the government is to dealing with corrup­tion.” (See also the Section on Energy and Minerals in this issue).

Swiss bank accounts
Deputy Governor of the Bank of Tanzania Juma Reli has reported that at least 99 Tanzanians were holding over TSh 197 billion in Swiss bank accounts in March 2015. A report released in February listed foreign countries which had large deposits in Swiss bank accounts. It did not disclose whether the amounts cited were illegal deposits or involved money laundering, but said that the maximum amount of money associated with any single client in Tanzania was $20.8 million.

Data control
The Citizen reported on 27 March that Parliament had approved a new Bill which could make Tanzania one of the strictest countries for publishing firms, researchers and academicians including those reporting on the forthcoming elections. According to some critics, the Bill would ban the publication of data if the statistics were not provided by the National Bureau of Statistics, as well as making it illegal to publish statistics that are “false” or that “may result in distortion”. The Bill had been withdrawn after it was first presented to parliament in February 2015 and had been widely criticised.

Executive Secretary of the Media Council of Tanzania, Kajubi Mukajanga, supported the criticisms expressed earlier, particularly the section on publication of unauthorised statistics. “It is amazing that they would retain such a provision now”.

Executive Director of the Legal and Human Rights Centre Hellen-Kijo Bisimba, said she was shocked that the parliamentarians should be so lacking in wisdom and grace. This is a desperate and calculated move by a draconian government keen on stamping out dissent and alternative views. We will not stop making a noise until this bad law is removed. It defeats logic that, while we are struggling to remove numerous bad laws, this government is adding more.

At the time of printing TA, President Kikwete had not yet signed the Bill to make it law.

Terrorism
As terrorism escalates, Tanzania has not been exempt. In early 2015 two persons were charged with facilitating acts of terrorism and, offering support to terrorists.

A 26 year-old Kuwait-born British citizen, Mohammed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John”, was reported as having stopped off in Dar es Salaam some years ago, ostensibly on his way to Somalia. When he arrived at Dar airport, he was efficiently dealt with by the Tanzanian authorities and detained for about 24 hours before being returned to Europe.

In April there was a devastating terrorist attack by Al Shabaab on Kenya’s Garissa University College in which 148, mainly Christian, people were killed. A Tanzanian from Mwanga District was later reported to have been arrested in connection with the attack.

Local election results
Local elections were held throughout Tanzania in November/ December 2014. They were expected to give some guidance as to the way national elections in October 2015 might go, but it has proved difficult to find a reliable summary of what happened as the Electoral Commission only provides the national election results.

In previous years local elections have attracted only limited interest but at the ones held at the end of 2014 many people showed considerable interest and it is believed that there was a higher than usual turnout. It is also believed that the election result revealed a considerable shift of support from the ruling CCM party to the opposition CHADEMA in several key seats.

Alleged assassination plot
Wilbroad Slaa, Secretary General of CHADEMA, has been the subject of alleged plot to assassinate him by poisoning. It was alleged that one of Dr Slaa’s personal security officers was in communication with officers from Tanzania’s intelligence service. The police later confirmed that a security officer was under arrest and that investigations were continuing.

A Tanzanian success story

Julius Shirima

Julius Shirima

Julius Shirima, aged 25, has been awarded the Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work for 2015. This is in recognition of his efforts in setting up DARECHA, a micro-venture capital fund and entrepreneur net­work that is helping young business people to turn enterprising ideas into profitable ventures. The award includes a prize of £5,000. Julius also won the African Regional Award. (Commonwealth Journalists Association)

FOREIGN RELATIONS

by David Brewin

Aid resumed following action on Escrow scandal
TA 110 explained the ‘Escrow scandal’ which had shocked the whole country. The reaction of many major foreign aid donors, represented by the Budget Support Development Partners, was to suspend their aid programmes.

Then they changed their stance. Reacting to the actions of President Kikwete in dismissing or accepting the resignations of the Attorney General and other senior ministers and officials involved in the scandal, on 11 March Finance Minister Saada Mkuya was able to announce that the BSDP were now satisfied with the government’s handling of the scandal. Finnish Ambassador Sinikka Antila, Chairman of the Development Partners, said: “We are fully impressed with how the government has been handling the saga”.

One agency immediately disbursed $44 million of its aid. The African Development Bank, the World Bank and other donors also agreed to continue their disbursements at a later date.

Tanzania – Kenya relations deteriorate
For several months relations between Tanzania and Kenya have not been as warm as they used to be. Kenya took a first hostile step by introducing a ban on Tanzanian tourist vehicles from accessing Kenyan airports and tourist sites.

Tanzania retaliated by cutting Kenya Airways lucrative flights from Kenya to Tanzania from 42 per week to just 14. This must have been a shock to Kenya, as its airline already faces other serious problems.
Tanzania has been concerned about Kenya’s hard line stance on issues surrounding the Bilateral Air Services Agreement. Discussions have been under way for eight years without result and Kenya refuses to let the Dar-based airline Fastjet from using Nairobi airport. Its cheap fares policy has proved very popular in Tanzania.

Japan advises Tanzania to reduce red tape
The chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Onishi Yasunori, has said that in order to attract an increased number of Japanese investors, Tanzania must reduce the number of institutions dealing with business registration. Apparently it requires three institutions in Burundi, eight in Rwanda, ten in Kenya and fifteen in Uganda, whereas Tanzania has far more. He added that Tanzania must also deal with the issue of corruption among employees of the institutions handling business registration.

The “East African” banned
At the end of January the East African newspaper, which has its HQ in Kenya, was banned from circulation in Tanzania, 20 years after it was launched. The reason given was that the paper had been circulating in the country without being properly registered, contrary to Section 6 of the Newspaper Act No.3 of 1976.

Government spokesman Assah Mwambene was quoted in the media as accusing the paper of having a negative agenda towards Tanzania. He singled out a cartoon which he said demonstrated bad taste and disrespect to the person and office of the President. It is understood that the East African will not be allowed to circulate in Tanzania until the legal issues are settled.

Needless to say, this action resulted in widespread protests from various parts of the media and others, as it appeared to be against freedom of the press. The East African Law Society was among many to express dismay over the action.

Financial irregularities at the EAC
The East African Legislative Assembly has demanded immediate action by East African ministers on an audit report that has referred to financial irregularities at the Community Secretariat. The Speaker of the Assembly said that the East African Community Council of Ministers must punish those found guilty before its next sitting.

The East African Secretariat pointed out that the audit report did not portray misuse or loss of any funds, nor did it mention governance weaknesses or executive negligence. It simply tabled findings that certain areas needed to be strengthened.

South Sudan and Somalia
As the new Chairman of the EAC, President Kikwete announced on 20 February in Bujumbura, that South Sudan and Somalia will not be allowed to join the East African Community unless they return to stability and adopt democracy. He said that good governance, human rights and the rule of law were critical elements of the EAC.

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

by Enos Bukuku

Will Tanzania get a new constitution? Referendum postponed
In January I wrote about the opposition challenge to the proposed constitution. By “opposition” I was referring to the informal alliance of opposition party members who call themselves Umoja wa Katiba ya Wananchi (usually translated as the Coalition of Defenders of the People’s Constitution), better known by the acronym “UKAWA”. It looks likely that UKAWA will play a pivotal role in the upcoming elec­tions, using its dissatisfaction with the constitution making process as a springboard to challenging the government on much broader issues.

The referendum on whether to adopt the draft constitution had been scheduled to take place on 30 April 2015. Cynics suggested that the reason for the referendum to be pushed through quickly was so that the government could take the credit for a new constitution before the general elections and to avoid the embarrassment of its opponents convincing the public to vote against it.

In the event, the National Election Committee (NEC) eventually bowed to the inevitable and announced that the biometric voter registration process would not be complete in time and that the referendum would be postponed. This was confirmed by the government, with a future date “to be announced later”. It now looks a strong possibility that the referendum will not take place before the General Election.

Pressure had been mounting on the government for several months, with calls not only from UKAWA and the NEC, but also from religious leaders. This is not the first time that religious organisations have entered the debate, which recently prompted President Kikwete to criticise some of those leaders who called for voters to vote against the adoption of the proposed constitution. It must be worrying for CCM to see the opposition parties join together against it, apparently with the support of influential religious figures, in an attempt to undermine both the constitution and the ruling party.

One undeniable truth is that this process has created a considerable atmosphere of mistrust of the government. This mistrust has manifested itself as serious doubts about this government-endorsed document, which was supposed to herald a new era for Tanzania. For Tanzania to receive a new constitution, that trust must be restored very quickly.

ECONOMICS & BUSINESS

by Valerie Leach

Economic Outlook
The IMF review in March was generally positive but with cautions about government spending. GDP growth has been close to 7% again in 2014 and rates of inflation continue at close to 4%, helped by falls in international oil prices and falls in the prices of food.

Chart: National Consumer Price Index and Inflation  Source: NBS, Press Release, 9 March 2015 (www.nbs.go.tz)

Chart: National Consumer Price Index and Inflation
Source: NBS, Press Release, 9 March 2015 (www.nbs.go.tz)

Tanzanians surveyed in Afro-Barometer were not so positive about the economy. In a survey of about 2,500 people conducted in August/ September 2014 two-thirds considered current economic conditions to be fairly bad or very bad. The chairman of the CEO Roundtable of Tanzania, Ali Mufuruki, told an international forum in London that Africa is still facing problems such as low education levels, lack of access to reliable energy, inefficient transport and logistics infrastructure, inadequate technology for maximising agricultural production and depletion of Africa’s biodiversity as a result of corruption. (The Citizen, 12 February and 12 March 2015)

The IMF team raised concerns about government budget implementation because of “substantial tax and nontax revenue shortfall and some delays in budget financing. To avoid further accumulation of expenditure arrears, it will be important to strengthen the expenditure commitment controls.

“The [IMF] mission welcomes the steps taken to address the governance concerns raised by the IPTL case. Continued progress will be critical both to sustain the resumption of donor financing and to limit any repercussions on the business environment. The accumulation of payment arrears in the public sector needs to be tackled forcefully. This problem has become pervasive with large and growing government arrears to domestic suppliers and pension funds, and persistent arrears of TANESCO, the national electricity company, to its suppliers. It is important that the government now implements measures to set­tle existing arrears and prevent the recurrence of new ones by tackling their root causes.

“It is essential for preserving fiscal policy credibility that the budget for 2015/16 be based on realistic revenue and financing assumptions. A realistic budget with a moderate deficit is a key prerequisite to avoid the accumulation of new arrears and large mid-year expenditure adjustments, and also to preserve debt sustainability.” (www.imf.org/tanzania Press Release No. 15/125, March 19, 2015)

As reported elsewhere in this TA, constraints on government finances may be relieved to some extent by the release of some of the budget support from external development agencies. The Budget Support Development Partners (BSDPs) have agreed to start disbursing USD 44 million out of over USD 400 million which they had withheld pending the outcome of the inquiry into the Escrow affair. (The Guardian, 12 March 2015)

Insufficient government funds have affected farmers who had produced a much larger harvest of maize than expected. Payments were delayed to farmers for purchases by the National Grain Reserve. The Prime Minister promised to repay them. The government has bor­rowed about TSh15 billion from CRDB to settle extended debts that the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) owes farmers. (The Citizen, 24 February 2015)

As a result of the large harvest, food stocks in the National Food Reserve were 459,561 in January 2015 – almost twice their level in January 2014. Stock levels had risen steadily from July 2014. Maize will be exported, including to China, and some of the stock will be sold to the World Food Programme so that the proceeds may be used to pay debts to farmers still waiting for payments owed them. (Daily News, 24 March 2015)

External Trade

Chart: Export Performance of Selected Goods and Services 2013 - 2015  (Millions of USD)  Source: Bank of Tanzania, Monthly Economic Review, February 2015

Chart: Export Performance of Selected Goods and Services 2013 – 2015
(Millions of USD)
Source: Bank of Tanzania, Monthly Economic Review, February 2015

The Bank of Tanzania’s Monthly Economic Review in February 2015 reports that revenue from tourism, $2.05 billion, in the period January 2014 to January 2015 exceeded that from gold exports, which raised $1.31 billion. Both the volume and price of gold exports fell in this period. Plans to expand tourism include a project to upgrade the Southern Circuit of Ruaha and Katavi National Parks and Selous Game Reserve. (The Guardian, 27 January 2015)

An increase in exports of cashew nuts of 28 per cent was reported by the Cashew Nut Board of Tanzania, which said 149,742 tonnes of raw cashew nuts worth $226 million have been exported so far during the 2014/15 agricultural season. Horticulture exports are also increasing, reaching $450 million in 2014. (The Guardian, 9 February 2015 and he Citizen, 2 February 2015)

Investment
A consortium of international companies, led by Ferrostaal Industrial Projects of Germany and Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), plans to establish a $1 billion fertiliser complex in Mtwara. This is expected to start operations in 2019/20 and will produce more than a million tonnes of fertiliser annually. (The Citizen, 3 February 2015)

Also in Mtwara, Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote is reported to be setting up a factory that will produce 3 million tonnes of cement annually. (The Citizen, 3 February 2015)

Construction of a large new port in Bagamoyo is expected to begin in July. Oman’s General State Reserve Fund (GSRF), the Tanzanian government and China Merchants Holding International (CMHI) will jointly develop the USD11bn port and a special economic zone. The first phase of the project is planned to be ready in three years’ time and will handle 20 million containers annually. The project also includes building a 34km road joining Bagamoyo and Mlandizi and a 65km of railway connecting the port to Tanzania’s Central Line and Tanzania-Zambia Railway. (The Guardian, 12 March 2015)

EDUCATION

by Ben Taylor

New education policy
The government has officially launched a new Education Policy. National examinations for primary school leavers will be abolished, and “compulsory basic education” will be extended to include four years at secondary level. This means that students will sit their final examination after 11 years in primary and secondary school, School fees for public secondary schools will be abolished. The use of different text books will also be abolished, with a single textbook for each subject.

President Kikwete said the new policy was in line with Vision 2025 and takes into account global economic, social and technological changes. “In the next seven years, we will have built capacity whereby every child who starts Standard One will reach Form Four.”

It has been widely reported that the policy makes Kiswahili the medium of instruction from primary school to university level, thereby ditching English —which has dominated Tanzania’s education system from secondary to tertiary level. However, the policy also states that the use of English as medium of instruction will continue. [For more on the apparent change in the language of instruction in secondary schooling, see separate article in this issue.]

O-level results announced
The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) released the 2014 Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (O-level) results showing that performance has improved by 10% since 2013. Private schools dominate the list of best performers and no public school appears in the top ten.

297,365 students registered for the examinations and 196,805 (68%) passed. In 2013, 235,227 students (58% of those who sat the exams) passed. Performance varied greatly between subjects. 69.7% of those who took Swahili passed, more than in any other subject. Only 19.6% of those who took Mathematics passed.

The grading system has changed from the previous division system, where pupils were assigned to Division I, II, III, IV or fail, based on their performance across seven subjects. The new grade point average (GPA) system follows other changes introduced in 2013, which reduced the exam scores required to achieve a grade A from 81% to 75%. A meaningful comparison of exam results from 2013 and 2014 with results from earlier years is impossible. (The Citizen)

Early years learning
The Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, launched a national programme to raise the level of reading, writing and numeracy skills among Standard One and Two pupils. Commissioner for Education Eustella Bhalalusesa said the programme will attract TSh 150bn – to be injected directly to education funding. All preparations for the programme, including the syllabus for Standard One and Two and the teacher’s guide, are com­plete.

The programme is being financed by the Global Partnership for Education, the UK Department for International Development, UNICEF and USAID. (Daily News)

TRANSPORT

by Ben Taylor

Road safety hits the headlines
The number of deaths on Tanzania’s roads has risen up the national agenda, following a series of horrific bus crashes. The worst took place in early March, when a bus travelling through Iringa region was involved in a collision with a lorry. The lorry’s container fell on top of the fully-loaded bus, claiming 50 lives.

Meanwhile, a strike by bus drivers on both national and commuter routes in early April left passengers stranded and brought many parts of the country to a standstill. The strikers were pressing the government to change an allegedly oppressive by-law that required them to undertake two-week driving training and pay a TSh 560,000 fee to renew their driving licence every three years. They were also protesting against the allegedly unfounded penalties. At one point the police had to use tear gas to disburse the crowds gathered at hotspots, including Ubungu bus terminal.

The measures opposed by the strikers were part of the government’s efforts to reduce road traffic deaths. Nevertheless, the government was forced to back down, shelving the new measures that had angered the drivers. In the days after bus transport was resumed, another series of crashes occurred, including two in Mbeya region that claimed 18 and 20 lives.

HEALTH

by Ben Taylor

President Kikwete to chair global health panel
United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, has appointed President Jakaya Kikwete to be chairman of a new global panel to recommend ways to prevent and manage future health crises, taking into account lessons learned from the outbreak of Ebola virus.

The panel will hold its first meeting in early May and is expected to submit its final report by the end of the year to the UN Secretary General for further action as appropriate.

HIV/AIDS
WHO and UNAIDS recommendations emphasise that male circumci­sion should be considered an efficacious intervention for HIV/Aids prevention in countries and regions with heterosexual epidemics, high HIV/Aids and low male circumcision prevalence.

HPIEGO, a non-profit health organisation affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, recently completed a five-year voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) project in three regions of Tanzania – Iringa, Njombe and Tabora, targeting those aged between 10 and 49 years.

Conducted in collaboration with National Aids Control Program (NACP), the programme managed to reach out to more than 210,000 adolescent and adult males in Iringa and Njombe Regions, and 220,000 people in Tabora Region.

Dr Wanga noted that the project was a success story of change, innovation and evolution on how the three regions went from being traditionally non-circumcising regions to the majority circumcised in just a few years.

Commenting on the achievements, the Iringa regional medical officer, Dr Robert Mahimbo, said he was grateful to JHPIEGO and to the US for their support. “We hope the US will continue supporting efforts of bringing down HIV/Aids transmission in our region,” he said.

Experts say male circumcision provides only partial protection and, therefore, should be only one element of a comprehensive HIV/Aids prevention package, which includes: the provision of HIV/Aids testing and counselling, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, promotion of safer sex practices, provision of male and female condoms and promotion of their correct and consistent use.

ENERGY & MINERALS

by Roger Nellist

Simbachawene replaces Muhongo as Minister
The Escrow account scandal finally claimed the head of Energy and Minerals Minister Sospeter Muhongo, who resigned on 24 January saying he was tired of the “false” allegations levelled against him. His Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Eliakim Maswi, has been suspended since December 2014 pending investigations into his role in the matter.

Muhongo, who is a respected geologist, denies any wrong-doing but was blamed for failing to exercise due diligence in the saga. He had also upset the Public Accounts Committee, which had been calling for his removal over other issues (see TA110). Muhongo remains politically ambitious and his supporters maintain that he was not personally involved in the Escrow scandal, even though it happened on his watch.

President Kikwete named George Simbachawene as the new Minister of Energy and Minerals, and appointed Charles Mwijage as the new Deputy Minister. Simbachawene was formerly the Deputy Minister of Lands and Housing. After being sworn in at State House, he acknowledged the crucial role that energy plays in the country’s development and said that boosting rural electrification is among his top priorities. He added: “While I am aware that the Ministry faces many challenges, I personally feel that these can be overcome by effectively partnering with the private sector”.

Slow progress with LNG…
Concerns are being expressed that the government’s pre-occupation with the constitution and the 2015 elections is damaging the prospects for Tanzania’s long-term gas commercialisation. It is believed that some key gas legislation, that the companies need to give them regulatory certainty before committing billions of dollars of investment, will not be enacted by the current Parliament. Moreover, the escrow account scandal has now resulted in a change of leadership in the Energy Ministry and the government has not settled on a site for the LNG project – whether in Mtwara or in Lindi – despite the project partners submitting a location proposal a year ago. The Ministry says there are some land acquisition policy issues that need settling first. There are worries that these delays and uncertainties may unsettle the investors, especially at a time of low oil prices, and that the potential overseas markets for Tanzanian LNG may get filled by other big gas producers.

The current Mtwara versus Lindi rivalry for servicing the gas industry mirrors the decision that had to be made by the British Government in 1947 as to which town would be the port for the ill-fated groundnuts scheme. Mtwara was chosen and, over subsequent years, Lindi’s facilities gradually declined. The Citizen on 1 February 2015 gave a potted history, citing Kathleen Stahl’s ‘Sail in the Wilderness’ (published in 1961 with a foreword by Mwalimu Nyerere). The article begins: “Mtwara is booming and buzzing. It was not like this seven years ago… Even the richest person in Africa, hailing from an oil producing country, is also frequently visiting Mtwara. He is constructing a cement plant named after him – Dangote Industries (Tanzania) Limited. No wonder roads are being paved and hotels upgraded”.

Singida wind farm project
In March, it was announced that the government is in talks with the China’s Export-Import Bank (EximBank) for a low-interest $132 million loan to fund Tanzania’s first wind power project. The wind farm will be built in Singida and is expected to start next year with a capacity for generating 50 megawatts (MW) of electricity, with plans to raise that to 300 MW in future. The project is a joint venture between the National Development Corporation (NDC), TANESCO and a privately owned company, Power Pool East Africa Limited. The initial aim had been to commission the wind farm in 2013 but construction was delayed because EximBank raised its interest rate from 1% to 2% and accelerated the loan repayment period from 25 to 20 years.

Tanzania presently relies heavily on hydro-electric power, natural gas and fuel oil for electricity generation, and the government wants to add wind and geothermal power to its energy mix.

TOURISM & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

by Mark Gillies

In January, the Sixth Tanzania Economic Update was published by the World Bank. The tourism industry in Tanzania generated $1.9 billion by the end of November 2014, 22% of the value of all exports in that period. Although this is impressive, the number of tourists who visited Tanzania is just 11% of those that visited South Africa in 2013.

Considering the abundant natural resources in Tanzania, the World Bank believes that expansion of the tourism sector beyond northern Tanzania and Zanzibar to include southern destinations like Pangani, Ruaha and Katavi; plus stimulation of a domestic tourism market, could increase revenue to $16 billion a year in the next decade.

Echoing this need for expansion and investment, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Lazaro Nyalandu, met representatives from the World Bank, the United States and Germany to explore ways to generate the $300 million that the Ministry have identified as being required to improve the infrastructure and tourism facilities in the Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha and Katavi National Parks. (The Guardian 27 January)

The US and German Ambassadors, plus Minister Nyalandu, had previously visited the Selous Game Reserve. This visit heralded the transfer of a significant amount of field equipment to the Reserve, improvement of infrastructure and the provision of training for rangers, all designed to assist in the fight against the poaching that currently affects the Selous. It can only be hoped that this continued international focus on combatting poaching of all kinds also affects the criminal figures con­trolling the trade in Tanzania who have so far avoided prosecution. (The Citizen 24 January)

Sustainable conservation of Tanzania’s natural resource is dependent upon the tourism industry. But Tanzania is not South Africa and so it is to be hoped that policy makers will develop a Tanzanian strategy for growth that draws upon international examples, but does not seek to copy them in their entirety.