DOCTORS STRIKE

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A number of doctors have been involved for several months in an on/off strike in Tanzania demanding improvements in the health service in the country and in their remuneration. The media, in what may have been an exaggeration, wrote that the strike had ‘paralysed health sector operations in all major public hospitals.’ From the beginning the government has taken a hard line. It is believed to have sacked some doctors, brought in doctors from outside the country and firmly rejected the strikers’ demands.

There was considerable shock when Dr Steven Ulimboka, chairman of the Interim Doctors Committee and spokesperson for the doctors, was abducted, tortured and left for dead at the Pande forest in the northern precincts of Dar es Salaam. His injuries were so serious that he had to be moved to South Africa for six weeks to recover and did not return to Tanzania until August 12. He was reported in the media to have ‘failed to hold back tears’ when relatives, friends, activists and hundreds of other people welcomed him back at Dar Airport.

There is some mystery as to who kidnapped and tortured Dr Ulimboka. The Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) Secretary General, Dr Rodrick Kabangila, said the Association was pleased with the recovery and return of one of their members. “His homecoming might also shed light on what actually happened and the persons who did what they did to him… we might know the truth eventually, regardless of the police reports on the arrest and charging of one man in connection with his tribulations.”

On July 7 religious leaders held prayers for Dr Ulimboka and asked President Kikwete to form an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the abduction and torture. They also called for the immediate resumption of negotiations between the government and striking doctors to end the standoff. The clerics urged the government to drop the case it had filed at the High Court against the doctors before talks could resume.

TROUBLE IN ZANZIBAR

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At the end of May, as discussions on the proposed new constitution continued around the country, a segment of Zanzibar’s young people turned to violence to press their views. In what the Citizen described as skirmishes, a number of churches were burnt by unruly youths demon­strating under the banner of a religious group that is pressing for a referendum on the Union between Zanzibar and the Tanzanian mainland.

President of Zanzibar, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein had a tough message for those behind the actions. “Nothing will be spared in the drive to ensure they do not create chaos again in the community. Government agencies have also been directed to closely monitor the activities of all religious groups in the Isles in order to ensure that they do not break the law and interfere with the right of worship of other people.”

In his speech, Dr Shein referred to religious groups that have “deviated from their main objectives” and warned that his government would not tolerate violence under the guise of freedom of expression. “Every free­dom has its limitations,” he added. “The destiny of our country is facing a political test right now… the root cause of all of this is, of course, the new constitution. But we all agreed to have a new constitution… in our meeting with religious leaders on April 25th we asked them to avoid violence and participate fully in the process when it starts.” He added: “We shall protect our peace at any cost, but the government will not interfere with genuine religious activities. Those who have issues with the constitution should follow the procedures. The Constitution Review Act has been passed by Parliament and it has nothing to do with what happened here… No demonstrations will be allowed unless they have the blessings of the government..

‘Peace has made a tremendous contribution to our economy – 80% of our foreign exchange comes from the tourism sector and there is no way we will allow some people to play with peace….. Christianity is not new here… the then chief of Zanzibar allowed the first church, which was built in 1844 on land offered by a Muslim chief… The first church in the Isles was the Anglican Church at Mkunazini. It was followed by the Roman Catholic twin towers…. There has been a high level of religious tolerance in Zanzibar”. The president assured all religious groups in the Isles that they could carry on their activities safely.

The president expressed surprise that the groups demanding a referendum on the Union decided to raid and burn churches, which have nothing to do with Union issues. “The Zanzibar and the Union gov­ernments have been dealing with Union matters in accordance with laid- down procedures and there was no need for anyone to take the law in their own hands and try to force the issue. The two governments have been discussing oil and gas with the aim of enabling each side of the Union to own the resources independently.” All people were free to debate anything of importance to them, but they should follow the right procedures.

KENYA RETURNS FOSSILS

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In July Kenya returned nearly all hominid fossils and other archaeological materials which were taken from various sites in Tanzania in the 1930s. At least 80 per cent of the rock tools and fossil bones had been returned to the country by May this year. Acting Director of the National Museum of Tanzania Jackson Kihiyo said: “I can’t tell you how many pieces they were but numbered in the thousands. Many of the hominid fossils were collected from the Olduvai Gorge in Arusha Region and were taken to Kenya for preservation and scientific analysis by experts from across the world. With the recent expansion of the National Museum and the adjacent House of Culture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania now has enough space for storage of the material”.

SECOND FERRY DISASTER

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Newspaper headline following the sinking

At least 144 people lost their lives on July 17 when ferry MV Skagit sank at Chumbe islet, a few kilometres from Zanzibar’s Malindi Port, travelling from Dar es Salaam. This was only nine months after another ship, MV Spice Islander, sank off the coast of Zanzibar on its way to Pemba.

A total of 145 people were rescued in this latest tragedy. A survivor told the Citizen that the there was no advance warning. “Just before the accident, the captain seemed to have lost control of the vessel, which tilted to one side before it was pushed by a strong wave to the other side and shortly afterwards it capsized.” Apparently the ocean was very rough, “Even people with experience in the sea testified that the situation was horrifying,” he said.

A few days later the Minister responsible for shipping in the Zanzibar government resigned.

PIRACY DOWN

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According to the Guardian, military action taken on the Somalia coast aimed at curbing piracy has done just that, reducing the incidents tremendously this year as compared to 2010. The Minister of Defence and National Service said there was only one incident this year where a ship was hijacked and three incidents where pirates tried to seize ships but failed. In the previous year, four ships were seized and ten hijacking attempts were made. He said that Tanzania’s border with Kenya to the North was reported to be peaceful apart from the rare but none the less serious incidents where beacons had been brought down to make room for agriculture. The borders with Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo were cited as being in a constant state of alert. The Minister explained that the shores of the lake region had been terrorized by armed robbers suspected to be from the said countries. The bandits attacked fishermen and robbed them of their fishing gear.

THE GREAT WAR IN EAST AFRICA

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Possibly for the first time since 1929, a gathering took place in London recently to commemorate and remember the Great War in East Africa. Just over thirty specialists on the campaign came together at The National Archives in Kew, London to share their knowledge of the little side-show which involved over twenty-eight countries, lasted longer than any fighting in Europe (5 August 1914 – 25 November 1918) and saw action on water, air and on land. In addition to the 250,000 odd troops, around one million carriers are estimated to have been involved as well as untold draught animals.

Talks covered most aspects of the campaign – Indian, Belgian and Danish involvement as well as Nyasaland, the Rhodesias, German mobilisation and prisoners of war/internees. Aspects of researching the campaign were also addressed – what The National Archives holds, Belgian archival sources at the Royal Military Museum and how to use medal citations. The map and document exhibition by The National Archives, enhanced with memorabilia from the Northern Rhodesia Police Association, and salvaged Pegasus and Konigsberg items stimulated much discussion over lunch and tea. Information on the talks and campaign can be found at http://gweaa.com. Thank you Dr Anne Samson (Co-ordinator, Great War in East Africa Association) for sending this – Editor.

AWARD FOR SISTER CORRIGAN

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Sister Corrigan receives her MBE from Prince Charles

Sister Brigid Corrigan, a member of the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM), was awarded the MBE in the UK New Year’s Honours List for ser­vices to international health. After qualifying as a doctor in Dublin, Sister Brigid’s first appointment was as medical officer in charge of Makiungu Hospital, Singida from 1964 to 1971. She returned to Tanzania as medical officer in charge of Kabanga Hospital, Kigoma (1973-75) and then worked as specialist physician at Bugando Hospital, Mwanza for 11 years (1974-85). She made a particular study of diabetes while at Mwanza, and in association with colleagues published four papers on the prevalence and treatment of diabetes in NW Tanzania.

She returned to Tanzania in 1994 as health coordinator for the Catholic archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam and Medical Director of PASADA (Pastoral Activities and Services for people with HIV/AIDS.) She quickly became an expert on the treatment of HIV/AIDS, particularly home-based, hospice and palliative care, counselling and the role of dispensaries. From 2000 to 2006 she delivered papers on these subjects to international conferences in Canada, Thailand, Ethiopia and Nigeria. At the Tanzanian National AIDS Conference at Arusha in December 2004 she co-authored a paper on AIDS entitled AKINA MAMA KWANZA! (Ladies First!). She was Vice-President of the Association of Physicians in Tanzania (2000-6). In 2008 she moved to Uganda.

Sister Brigid said she considered the award was not so much for her personally as for all the people she had been privileged to work with, and to care for, in many parts of Tanzania through all those years.

BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY

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by Valerie Leach

The economy continues to grow at an encouraging rate, recovering quite well from the downturns in 2007 and 2009. Gold and diamond production rose sharply in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011; and because of much better rainfall, the rate of growth in agriculture has improved.


GDP, First Quarter, 2012. Source: National Bureau of Statistics, Press Release, Summary Report of Quarterly Gross Domestic Product, First Quarter (January–March) 2012, www.nbs.go.tz

Consumer price inflation, while still high, continues to fall from its peak of 19.8% in December 2011 to 17.4% in June 2012. The increase in prices of food and energy remains at over 20% annually, though the rate of increase has slowed in recent months. The IMF has commended the government’s tightened monetary policy for 2012/13, aimed at supporting disinflation towards a single-digit inflation target. (www.nbs.go.tz and www.imf.org)

Trade
The balance of trade has worsened in the year to June 2012 compared with the previous year. The increase in the value of exports, led by increases in the volume and value of minerals exports, was offset by an increase in the value of imports, largely driven by a rise in oil prices, coupled with an increased demand for oil for thermal power generation. There was also a substantial increase in imports of machinery and equipment for gas and oil exploration. (Bank of Tanzania, Monthly Economic Bulletin, July 2012, www.bot-tz.org)

Government Budget 2012/13 and Long-Term Perspective Plan

The new Minister for Finance & Economic Affairs, Hon. Dr. William Mgimwa

This time of year is budget time in East Africa, and the Tanzanian government budget was presented to the Bunge in mid-June. It proposed a budget of TShs. 15.1trillion, TShs. 3.2 billion of which is expected to be received as grants and concessional loans for development (TShs. 842 million in general support loans and grants, and TShs. 2.3 trillion in project grants and loans).

Among the tax measures to support local industries and create jobs were the abolition of VAT for textile mills, increased tax on imported edible oil and a review of the skills development levy. The budget also included the usual increases in excise duty on drinks and tobacco, as well as an increase in excise duty on mobile phone calls.

Some tax exemptions are to be removed, with a 10% VAT introduced for those previously exempt. Included in the abolition of tax exemptions was tax relief for non-governmental organisations, except that equipment donated to orphanages and schools remain exempt. (Daily News 14 June and Minister of Finance, June 2012).

In the course of the budget debate, Kondoa MP Juma Nkamia reported that 27,000 tonnes of edible sunflower oil was stalled in godowns in the district because of lack of reliable market. (Daily News 28 June).The budget includes an allocation of TShs. 1 trillion in 2012/13 to decongest roads in Dar es Salaam. (Daily News 6 July).

Thirty per cent of the total budget is intended for development projects (TShs. 4.5 trillion). The development plan puts priority on infrastructural improvements, including the Kurasini logistical and trade hub, rehabilitation of the central railway line and construction of a natural gas pipeline between Mtwara and Dar es Salaam, which will be funded through a loan from Exim Bank of China. Funds have also been allocated for power generation plants at Kinyerezi and for upgrading the north-west grid from Iringa to Shinyanga and from Makambako to Songea. (budget speech of the Minister of Finance www.mof. go.tz)

Minister Wasira, Minister of State in the President’s Office, said that large investment in gas exploration in Mtwara and other coastal areas meant that foreign direct investment increased substantially in 2011 to $854 million, from $434 million in 2010. (Daily News 15 June).

The main opposition CHADEMA Party proposed an alternative budget which put more emphasis on development funding and a reduction in recurrent spending, particularly on allowances, seminars, foreign travel and procurement of large luxury vehicles for government officials. (Daily News).

The Minister of Finance reported improvements in financial management, cit­ing the latest report of the Controller and Auditor General for the year 2010/11, in which unqualified audit reports for ministries, independent departments and regional secretariats improved from 71% to 85% in 2009/10. Unqualified reports in local authorities increased from 49% to 54%.

One important element of the budget of the Prime Minister’s Office was an allocation of TShs. 73.2 billion for the purchase of books for all primary schools, reducing the ratio of books to pupils from 1:10 to 1:2/3. This is 75% of the money returned from the radar deal. The remainder will be used to pur­chase 400,000 desks. The World Bank will fund access to telecommunications in areas not now served.

Long-Term Development Plan
A “Roadmap to a Middle Income Country” has been published by the Planning Commission. This long-term perspective plan (to 2025/26) is intended to set specific direction to meet the objectives of Tanzania’s Vision 2025 (published in 1999). The long-term plan provides the link between the Vision and the country’s medium- and short-term development plans. A series of three five-year plans aim to unleash growth potential, nurture an industrial economy and promote competitive export growth.

The plan’s targets for 2015 are to raise GDP growth to 8% and agricultural growth to 6%, reduce inflation to 4-5% and reduce the poverty rate to 19.3%, a particularly ambitious target since the latest data indicated that the population living under the poverty line was 33.6% in 2007.

By 2025, the plan projects that the percentage of people employed in agricul­ture will have fallen to 41%, compared to the current 75%. Similarly ambitious targets are set for export growth, from 28% of GDP in 2010 to 40% in 2025. Sharp reductions in pupil:teacher ratios are planned both at primary and secondary levels. (Tanzania Long-Term Perspective Plan, Roadmap to a Middle Income Country, President’s Office, Planning Commission, June 2012 www.tanzania.go.tz/pdf/mpango%20Elekezi.pdf)

EDUCATION

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by Anne Samson

Not achieving
The past few months have seen concerns raised about education in Tanzania and announcements by government and others on what is being done to improve the situation.

Anthony Tambwe (Daily News 8 July) was concerned about the state of education and the impact this will have on Tanzania’s involvement in the East African Federation. His concern reiterated those raised by Haki-Elimu during May, in particular about the number of young people not achieving. The underlying issue is felt to be the curriculum, which is ‘not effective enough to producing competent graduates in various capacities’.

Two days later, the UK Guardian reported the finding of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact that DfID’s aid programme in Tanzania was too focused on enrolment numbers and not enough on quality of learning. Other comments by Haki-Elimu on Youtube http://goo.gl/X4S9t. Taweza too, has put out a short video on the importance of teachers http://goo.gl/D3mvE.

Banned
The World Bank has banned deals with two wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Oxford University Press (OUP) – OUP East Africa Limited and OUP Tanzania. The three years’ ban follows OUP’s acknowledgement of ‘misconduct’ by its two subsidiaries in relation to two World Bank-financed education projects in East Africa. Various groups, including the Tanzania Teachers Union, have called for an investigation to identify who was involved.

The European Union and education
The EU signed agreements with Tanzania in July covering six areas of development work. Significantly, education does not feature. The one statement concerning education was that ‘Notable results in 2011 included the delivery of annual capitation grants of Tshs 25,000 per student to all government secondary schools’. (http://world.einnews.com/article/106205564, 20/7)

The importance of education continues to be recognised through various initiatives. National Microfinance Bank has announced a Financial Fitness Programme to encourage savings for education as part of their corporate social responsibility agenda (Daily News 21/5)

Briefly mentioned in the previous TA was somatanzania.org, an online portal to support education in Tanzania. This site has continued as a central contact for information on schools for Tanzanians and for people wanting to volunteer, including links to English support.

Foreign Assistance
A South Korean NGO, Good Neighbours Tanzania, has spent $60,000 on constructing a state-of-the-art community centre at Kijitonyama Kisiwani Primary School, in Dar es Salaam. It will be open to the general public as well as pupils of the school with the aim of re-invigorating a reading culture to improve learning – The Citizen.

The Koreans are also involved in opening a new university, the United African University of Tanzania. Its first 120 students start in January 2013 and will study Computer Engineering and Business Administration. The university has been founded by a church in Korea and expects the curriculum to broaden in 2015 – Daily News.

Germany is also involved in developing two existing universities with a focus on health care – The Citizen.

Taweza has proposed three ‘experiments’to improve learning outcomes, deliver capitation grants better and ‘testing local cash on delivery.’ The basic idea is to pay a set amount for every child achieving proficiency in early grade literacy and numeracy, in contrast with an input- based incentive such as the capitation grant. The idea has been developed in consultation with the Center for Global Development, the Jameel Poverty Action Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Tanzania government, local MPs and the Teachers’ Trade Union – Daily News.

Vice President Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal launched the ‘Tanzania 21st Century Basic Education Structure in Mtwara’. The purpose of the USAID project is to develop primary education in Mtwara Region, using information and technology. Dr Bilal noted that statistics collated by the Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) indicate that ‘Tanzania’s education structure was the best compared to other countries’ structures’ and is among the top 15 countries performing well in mathematics. Tanzania was also the best in terms of education research. Dr Bilal asked edu­cation stakeholders to consider improving primary education tests ‘as most of the tests still posed setbacks towards better development of primary education.’ Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa said the project would help in the implementation of phase III (2012-2016) MMEM based on the development of primary education.’

In July, Mtwara was again the focus of a new initiative, this one launched by Mrs Diane Corner, British High Commissioner to Tanzania. The project aims at providing employment opportunities for young people. Assisted by seven VSO professional volunteers, it will focus on raising standards in eight areas: English, food preparation, plumbing, welding, carpentry, motor vehicle main­tenance and electrical installation and maintenance. – The Citizen

People with money
The Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Education, Khassim Majaliwa, announced that President Kikwete, in allowing ‘people with money’ to invest in education, will ensure that ‘education graduates are assured of employment’. About 13,000 teachers have been deployed in various secondary schools across the country and it is anticipated that about 85 per cent of the over 37,000 shortfall of teachers would be solved. The Government plans to ensure 1:1 ratio text book availability by 2013, science teaching is to be emphasised and accommodation for girls will be given priority – Daily News.

TOURISM & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

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by Mark Gillies

Just as in the natural world, when the months of April bring rain, growth and much activity in Tanzania, the three months since the last edition of TA have been full of incident in the fields of tourism and environmental conservation.

New Minister
On 4 May, the BBC reported that following the highly critical report by the Controller & Auditor General’s Office which described extensive misuse of funds, President Kikwete sacked the Minister of Natural Resources & Tourism. He was replaced by Ambassador Kagasheki, a man of whom much is expected, and who has reportedly taken to his new post with vigour. In his opening address to the civil servants of the Ministry, Ambassador Kagasheki was quoted as saying, “This is a sensitive ministry, which deals with foreigners, and there­fore there is an urgent need to cleanse its tarnished corporate image.” This was taken by many as a clear condemnation of his predecessor. Tourism generates more income than mining, agriculture, or any other sector of the economy. (Dr Wolfgang Thome, ETN Uganda).

Crime
In June, the circumstantial stories of an increase in the reported incidents of violent crime in Tanzania gained a human face when a Dutch tourist and a local camp manager were killed during a robbery on the borders of the Serengeti National Park. Conscious of the potential impact of such events, police searched the area in force and made a number of arrests. Three men have subsequently been charged and await trial for murder.

On the rebound
However, despite these negative news stories, and the western economic malaise that has hit the long-haul travel industry hard, the new Minister has asserted that Tanzania’s tourism industry is ‘on the rebound’, using the increase in international airlines flying into Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) as his example of vibrancy in the tourism market. (Marc Nkwame, Daily News) Speaking at the reception for the inaugural Qatar Airways service, the Minister said the increase in traffic would benefit both the Tanzanian tourism industry and the airlines.

Kenya Airways recently started a six times a week service into KIA, while Emirates and Turkish Airways have expressed an interest in using the airport. To handle the increase in traffic, KIA has embarked on major terminal renovation and expansion that will cost over 25 million Euros. The airport handles nearly 700,000 travellers per year, and with the introduction of more interna­tional flights the number may reach the one million figure this year.

Sculptures recently installed in down-town Dar es Salaam by Karakana ya Wonder (Wonder Workshop) wonderwelders.org – photo Michuzi

Controversial projects
Several large projects championed by the Tanzanian government continue to generate headlines and vociferous argument – both for and against.

The development of Lake Natron Soda Ash Extraction Plant remains dependent upon meeting environmental impact criteria. Although the validity of these crite­ria is doubted by crit­ics, recently released budget estimates of the Ministry of Industry & Trade for 2012/13 reveal that funding has been allocated for chemical, hydrological, ecological and hydrodynamic testing (Alvar Mwakyusa ­Daily News), so expect more on this story soon.

The Serengeti Road saga also continues. At the World Heritage Committee meeting in June 2011 the Tanzanian government confirmed that the 53km stretch of road through the Serengeti National Park would not be paved and would continue to be managed by the Tanzanian National Park Authority (TANAPA). It would be used mainly for tourism and administrative purposes, which should result in a low level of traffic. The Tanzanian government was also said to be seriously considering construction of an alternative road running south of the Serengeti. (Birdlife International, 22 June).

Down in the Selous a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 5 July for the Stiegler’s Gorge Power Project between the Rufiji Basin Development Authority and Odebrecht International. At an anticipated cost of $2 billion, depending on the design chosen, the project is projected to generate a 2100 MW capacity and to provide Dar es Salaam with a stable, long-term water source. The project will be funded through a combination of the Tanzanian Government and Brazilian credit lines. (Daily News Online Edition).

While it is accepted that Tanzania needs a greatly improved electricity network and that the burgeoning metropolis of Dar es Salaam has outgrown its current clean water provision, opponents of the scheme are concerned by the environmental impact of the project, which will see a large area of the most photogenic section of the Selous Game Reserve flooded, the unlikelihood of completing the project to budget and the ongoing cost of maintenance.

Perhaps what all these large-scale projects boil down to when balancing need with impact is trust. Trust in knowledge, trust in capability, trust in capacity and trust in intention. But trust is what seems to be lacking. And now for the uranium processing project in the Selous….

And finally….
On 24 May Apolinari Tairo reported on ETN Tanzania that despite recent predictions that Kilimanjaro’s glaciers may disappear between 2018 and 2020, recent aerial surveys had in fact revealed an increase in snow accumulation on the mountain. Predictably this provoked an online storm, with global warming advocates lining up to shake their keyboards at the nay sayers. Kilimanjaro Area Governor Gama seemed to get it right when he warned that whatever the case with the white and cold stuff, it was still of the utmost importance to check environmental degradation, such as the illegal timber felling and extraction being inflicted on the lower slopes of the mountain.

Anyway, I’ll be balancing on the top of Uhuru come October, so I’ll let you know.