EAC committee calls for
proposals
By Kizito Makoye
The Committee on Fast Tracking East African Federation has called
for the submission of proposals and relevant views from the public of the three
member states.
According to a statement from the East African Community unveiled to the press,
written memoranda, incorporating views, and proposals on issues such as customs
union, common market, monetary union, foreign policy, defence and security, have
been invited from the people of East Africa.
The statement said, the EAC Heads of State reviewed broadly the status of the
EAC integration process and “resolved to expedite the process of integration so
that the ultimate goal of a Political Federation is achieved through a fast
track mechanism,” at a Special Summit held in Nairobi in August.
The statement said the summit instructed the committee of three persons from the
three states to set up and examine ways and means of expediting, accelerating
and compressing the process of integration of EAC to achieve a political
federation in the shortest time.
It further said that the exercise of fast tracking the East African Federation
is intended to benefit the present and future generations of East Africa and
encourage the fullest awareness and participation of the people, including those
outside the region.
The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Abulrahman Kinana said the
East African regional integration process has so far emphasized economic
integration; however time has come to embrace the political federation process
as well as the economic integration
He said free movement of people; the customs union; common currency, foreign
policy, East African identity and defence were among the basic requirements
which should be safeguarded in the proposed political federation.
The Committee on Fast Tracking East African Federation resumed its hearings in
Arusha in October holding consultations with judges of the East African Court of
Justice; the Speaker and Chairpersons of the Standing Committees of the East
African Legislative Assembly; and Executive Members of the East Africa Law
Society.
The Committee on Fast Tracking East African Federation started its work in
Arusha in September when it picked Kenyan Attorney General, Amos Wako as
Chairman
Women to benefit in fight
against malaria
By Jacqueline Mujuni
Pregnant women and women with children under five years are to be
given vouchers for purchasing vaccinated mosquito nets as part of the toughened
fight against malaria.
The vouchers worth Tsh. 2,750 will be given out as part of reducing the burden
to people who cannot afford buying mosquito nets which cost between Tsh. 3,000
and Tsh. 4,000.
According to the Chairman of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS), General
(rtd.) Herman Lupogo the first phase of the project will be in Dar es Salaam,
Morogoro and Dodoma, with the objective of reaching to all regions in the
Mainland by December 2005.
Apart from emphasising on fighting malaria, which has been recorded as the
number one killer in the country, focus is still on the fight against HIV/AIDS.
In 12 municipal councils the government is campaigning about HIV/AIDS especially
in primary schools.
Since its inception in 2001 the Global Fund has approved of three projects
whereby the country received US$ 17.3 million (Tsh. 17.3 billion) in 2002 which
was directed to malaria and HIV/AIDS. The Global Fund also released US$ 87.8
million (Tsh. 88 billion) in 2003 and US$ 293 million (Tsh. 293 billion) in
2004.
General Lupogo said, “In the first phase, US$ 11.9 million was used for malaria
while US$ 5.4 million was directed to HIV/AIDS.”
Tanzania will be hosting the Global Fund’s ninth meeting this month where the
United Nation Secretary General, Koffi Annan will be present together with
representatives of 250 Non-Governmental Organisation and international
organisations and some African presidents.
Complaints service in pipeline
By Kizito Makoye
The government has invited consultancy firms to design a mechanism
for handling grievances and complaints regarding government ministries,
department and agencies.
The announcement was made public on Tuesday by the Ministerial Tender Board
whose strategy is part of a public service reform programme.
According to the information obtained, the government has received funds from
development partners and intends to use the funds to fulfil the job.
The statement from Ministerial Tender Board said the objective of the
consultancy service is to develop, document, test and implement a complaint
handling system.
“The interested consultants must provide information indicating qualifications
to provide the services,” the statement said.
The main tasks for the firm will be to undertake a baseline study to identify
how complaints and grievances are currently handled and recommend strategic
models of handling complaints.
The firm will also be required to design a complaints handling mechanism on an
operational level, demonstrate the design as well as train and then pilot the
draft complaints.
10% of children are orphans
By Salome Mtunguja
About 10 per cent of all children below the age of 18 in Tanzania
are orphans and vulnerable children, according to the 2002 National Census
Report.
The Assistant Commissioner for Social Welfare in the Ministry of Labour, Youth
Development and Sports, Donald Charwe said this when presenting a topic of care,
support and protection of orphans’ and vulnerable children.
Charwe said their vulnerability is the consequence of lack of basic rights
including access to education, health care, clean and safe water, security and
inadequate community support.
“The National Steering Committee (NSC) shall be the overall authority in matters
related to policy, guidelines for quality control of the care, support and
protection of orphans and vulnerable children,” he said.
He said the HIV/AIDS pandemic has increased the problem for orphans at the same
time as the extended family network is collapsing stretching capacities and
resources to their limits.
According to Charwe, children run away from home to seek for alternative care
due to a number of reasons such as sexual abuse, mistreatment, or domestic
violence, child exploitation and inadequate parental care.
TFDA warns on fake drugs
By Express Reporter
Despite the government’s effort to curb and frequently intercept
consignments of fake drugs in the country, the problem is increasing.
The Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) of the Ministry of Health have
cautioned the general public on the availability of fake cloxacillin capsules
under the business name of Cloxashel.
According to a TFDA statement released recently by its Director General Margaret
Ndomondo, the authority ruled that there are unscrupulous people who manufacture
the drugs and pack them in containers of 1,000 tablets each.
“TFDA cautions all hospitals, health centres, clinics, dispensaries and
pharmacies with drugs labelled cloxashel Batch no 124 expiring in 2006 to
immediately stop using or sell them” the statement reads in part.
The genuine drugs being manufactured by Shelys pharmaceuticals is due to expire
in November this year.
The statement also underscored that the genuine cloxacillin batch No 124 has a
MSD (Medical Store Department) symbol unlike the fake one.
DC begs govt administrators to
stop buying sex
By Sebastian Gabunga, Sengerema
The Sengerema District Commissioner (DC) in Mwanza Region, Esther
Marieta has requested government administrators in the district to avoid
soliciting sex from prostitutes; instead they should be in the forefront in
helping reducing HIV/AIDS infections in the community.
Marieta made the statement when closing an AIDS patients’ service providers’
course, held at the Folk Development College (FDC) in Sengerema District.
It is astonishing to see some leaders being among the people who contribute to
the quick spread of the infection by requesting sex from street prostitutes.
She directed women who are trading in prostitution to stop the habit; instead
they should find other ways of earning incomes.
Prostitution business is not good for various reasons, she said, the great
danger being AIDS.
She asked all those who know that they are infected with HIV/AIDS, to stop
spreading the disease to others purposely.
“It is really shocking to see a Tanzanian deciding to kill a fellow Tanzanian
purposely,” Marieta said.
Tumaini University introduces
new courses
By Heckton Chuwa, Moshi
The Tumaini University has announced it will increase the number of
courses at its various colleges.
This was stated by the Vice Chancellor of the Tumaini University, Professor John
Shao at the 5th graduation ceremony of the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre
(KCMC ), on Saturday last week.
The Tumaini University’s Academic Council has decided to increase its courses as
follows: The KCMC Centre will offer Master of Science in Medical Entomology and
Clinical Parasitology, Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy, Master of Science
in Physiology, Master of Science degree in Bio Chemistry and Master of Science
in Anatomy and Embryology.
The Iringa University has introduced a First Degree in Cultural Anthropology and
Tourism and a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
“It is our hope that the introduction of the new courses by the University will
help the government to get enough experts who will help in bringing development
in the country,” Shao said.
The Director of the Red Cross University College of Nursing in Sweden (RCUCN),
Dr. Christina Anderson, said she was impressed with the relationship between the
KCMC Centre and her institution.
She said the current collaboration projects between RCUCN and the KCMC Centre
includes support and teaching at the Faculty of Nursing and mutual visits of
students and nurses.
A total of 51 students graduated this year. Since 1997, when the centre was
established, 181 students have graduated.
Cholera kills 15
By Merline Mhamaka, Morogoro
Fifteen people have died since
cholera erupted in Kilombero and Ulanga districts of Morogoro Region; 518 people
initially contracted the disease.
Morogoro Regional Medical Officer, Nicholaus Masave said, in Kilombero District
483 people suffered from cholera and ten out of them have lost their lives since
its eruption in April this year.
In Ulanga District, Masaoe said, 35 people contracted cholera and five of them
have lost their lives since August this year when the disease first erupted in
the district.
Areas which are often attacked by cholera in Ulanga District is Mtimbira
Division. In Kilombero District, the areas of Ifakara Urban, Lumemo, Kibaoni and
Viwanja Sitini are often affected.
Efforts frequently undertaken by the health officers in the two districts
include conducting inspections to make sure each household has toilets.
Health officers have also established centres to provide services for people who
contract cholera, together with enacting by-laws to control the emergence of the
disease.
In Kilombero District each household proved to lack a toilet is fined Tsh.
3,000.
Complains over conditions at
bus terminal
By Kim Aidan, Morogoro
Passengers who travel to Kilosa District villages have been
complaining over the condition at Morogoro Bus Terminal at Msamvu area, where
travellers have their properties stolen by people who masquerade themselves as
touts.
Complaining at Msamvu Police Post, one of the passengers who identified herself
as Amina Ndunguru, a resident of Mamboya Village in Kilosa District spoke of her
ordeals.
On November 2 at about 8.00 am, she arrived at Msamvu Bus Terminal on her way to
Kilosa and bought a ticket from El-Said bus.
When boarding the bus she handed her bag to people who said they were touts
belonging to the bus, and indeed they were wearing T-shirts of the bus.
When she came to her seat and asked for her bag, it was nowhere to be found. The
bag had all her clothes and Tsh. 30,000 in cash.
Despite the presence of the police force at Msamvu Bus Terminal, the robbing of
passengers’ luggages is accelerating.
Amina Ndunguru has requested the police force administration in Morogoro Region
to step up the security at the bus terminal.
Youths urged to attend
militia training
By Heri Said Kilongo, Kongwa
The Kongwa District Commissioner in Dodoma Region, Florence Horombe,
has challenged youths to show up in large numbers to attend militia training to
ensure the defence and security in the area.
She made the statement last week in Kongwa town, when closing a militia training
course which ran for four months at Sagala Village in Kongwa District.
Horombe said the public depend on security organs for their safety, including
the police force. But they want to participate fully in their defence through
the militia. So the youths, the pillar of the nation, are the people with
courage and enough energy to defend its people.
She urged the militia to be in the forefront to confront people who fell trees
and set wildfires in various areas, especially during this period of preparation
for the coming agricultural season.
The militia training started at the end of June this year and closed in early
November. 154 militia completed their training in Kongwa District.
Network for orphans formed
By Merline Mhamaka, Morogoro
Helpless children in Morogoro Municipality have formed a “Network of
Orphans Group” (NOG) which will help the children solve their problems and make
their lives better.
NOG was formed by 45 children, residing in the municipality and is being
operated under the “Help Orphans From Grassroots (HOFG) Project”; and run by the
Electrical and Communication Technicians Association (TETA) in Morogoro Region.
The Project Coordinator who also is TETA Chairman in Morogoro Region, Ashery
Makengo said the network aims at educating the children on life skills,
reproductive health and AIDS, to maintain records of orphan children in every
zone, and help orphan children attend schools.
The project, Makengo said, is being conducted in the southern zone which
includes the wards of Mbuyuni, Mjimkuu and Sultani; northern zone in Mjimpya
Ward; and eastern and western wards.
‘Boycotters to pay double
fees’
By Damas Ayuke, Kigoma
Citizens, who refuse to contribute towards building secondary
schools in their wards, will have to pay double fees when they enrol their
children in those schools.
Kigoma District Commissioner (DC) Henry Clemence announced the statement last
week at Kimara Village in Kigoma District, after receiving a report from
Mungonya and Simbo wards, read by Shaaban Kilimba. The DC was on a tour
motivating people in the construction of Luiche Secondary School.
The District Commissioner told his audience that two residents of Msimba Village
whose names he did not reveal had been going around persuading people to boycott
participating in building the secondary schools.
The DC said he could not accept such behaviour. The construction of Luiche
Secondary School is expected to cost Tsh. 50 million and the school is expected
to start enrolling Form One students soon after its completion.
For the construction, inhabitants of the two wards have contributed Tsh.
3,257,000 in cash and their workforce is estimated to be equivalent to Tsh.
5,718,000.
Kigoma Region has a total of 39 secondary schools, compared to Kilimanjaro
Region with 171 secondary schools.
Tanzanians ON EDGE
By Timothy Kitundu & Jacqueline
Mujuni
The fear that Tanzanian workers will not be able to compete with
their counterparts in Ugandan and Kenyan labour markets, once the East African
borders open for free movement of persons, labour and services, has been
received with mixed feelings by experts.
Some experts argue that with decades of socialism, Tanzanians do not know as
much about the free market economy as their neighbours, hence investors may
prefer employing the latter as they have additional attributes such as
communication skills.
President Benjamin Mkapa recently warned Tanzanians to work hard and develop an
entrepreneurial attitude if they are to be competitive enough in the global
economy - resulting from the impending implementation of the East African
Community (EAC) protocol on free movement of persons, labour and services.
While President Mkapa urged Tanzanians to remain alert, some experts say
Tanzanian skills and capabilities can match those of Kenya and Uganda, except
that Tanzanians lack initiative, creativity, innovation and self-confidence.
In order to reduce the problems associated with labour movement within the
region, the East Africa Community (EAC) introduced the Free Labour Movement
Protocol which states, in Article 104, “the partner states agree to adopt
measures to achieve the free movement of persons, labour and services and to
ensure the enjoyment of the right of establishment and residence of their
citizens within the community”.
Professor Francis Matambalya of the Faculty of Commerce and Management,
University of Dar es Salaam, is upbeat on the protocol.
“Tanzanians won’t feel the impact in the short term, the immediate term and
medium term of the implementation of the protocol. The impact will be felt in
the long run,” opined Professor Matambalya.
Tanzania is protected by the Tanzania Investment Act (1997), which Prof.
Matambalya considers to be most generous to investors.
A few months ago, the ILO Director for Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia, Ali
Ibrahim, warned Tanzanian universities needed a critical assessment of the needs
of labour market to guide training if they are to produce employable people.
He cited the growing banking and hospitality industries, which he claimed were
dominated by foreigners due to dearth of local skills.
According to him, the longevity of the impact to be felt by Tanzanians is
because East African countries have not expanded their economic base, and most
of them are still engaged in primary agricultural activities.
The Director of Investment Promotion in the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC),
Emmanuel ole Naiko, refuted the myth that Tanzanians will not be able to compete
with neighbouring countries, saying shortage of local skills had already cost
the country dearly.
He was quoted by the media as saying, “Investors are hesitant to invest here
because labour is a problem while importing skills is expensive.”
However, the government has given priority to the local labour force by allowing
investors to employ a maximum of five foreigners.
Prof Matambalya is sceptical of Tanzanians’ capability to compete within EAC in
the long term.
“Tanzania is the only country in the region, which has the Integrated Strategy
for Post Secondary School Education, which only helps in making someone literate
but does not prepare him or her for a specific discipline,” he emphasised.
Moreover, he said, Tanzania was the only country in the region where university
education was confined to commercial centres, mainly in Dar es Salaam, citing
the example of Mzumbe University which has less than 2,000 students and that
Tanzania has the lowest university enrolment rate in the Great Lakes region.
Prof. Matambalya further told The Express that lack of Foundation Education
Training has created a gap in the labour force, hence the neighbours might take
all the jobs and multinational companies might prefer labour from Kenya and
Uganda.
The problem, according to him, is that Tanzania has focused mostly on primary
education since the era of the late Mwalimu Nyerere; the Universal Primary
Education (UPE) is now Primary Education Reform Programme while the then Adult
Education is now Complementary Basic education in Tanzania, but the concepts
have remained unchanged.
According to Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Sokoine University of Agriculture,
Professor Peter Msolla, the institution has embarked on transformation
programmes that envisage among others, market demand-driven training. He added
the new curriculum places emphasis on entrepreneurship and skills.
However, Labour Exchange Centre Manager Kellen Makobwe-Mponguliana once said
investors nowadays are looking for additional attributes like communication
skills and looking at Tanzanians, English has been a stumbling block.
She said: “However good one is academically, competence in English language
remains a competitive advantage to get employed.”
Apart from lack of education that most experts fear, EAC Public Relations
Officer Owora Richard Othieno raised concern over free labour movement in the
region.
Othieno said: “Currently, there is no mechanism in the three countries’
regulatory framework aimed at facilitating labour migration, persons and
services.”
Despite the fact that about 91 million people within the region will create a
labour force for investors for the regional market, burdensome procedures
required to comply with to obtain a work/resident permit or business licence
still exist.
According to Othieno, while free movement of persons in East Africa is
recognised as one of the most important aspects of regional integration, it is
also one area, which raises a lot of problems and challenges especially on the
issue of nationalistic xenophobia of losing what is “ours” to the “outsiders”
and the right of establishment and residence.
Others, according to him, include the unequal past development of human
resources, non-recognition of different education or professional certificates,
right to work and that labour law regimes are not yet harmonised. Nevertheless,
the challenges are being addressed by partner states.
In his comments, the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania Secretary General Nestory
Ngulla warned that unless Tanzanians were prepared and their self-confidence
raised, they will never be able to compete in the labour force from the other
partner states.
He also warned that if more foreign investors come in, they will definitely
prefer labour force from Kenya and Uganda, probably because workers in the two
countries know much about free market economy compared to Tanzanians, who are
more conversant with socialism.
“Tanzanians are well educated but there is an element of inferiority complex and
lack of self-confidence, which can bring trouble once there is a free movement
of labour and services within the EA region,” Ngulla observed.
He urged the government and other relevant authorities to launch an initiative
to prepare Tanzanians before they enter the EAC, particularly in regard to the
free movement of people, labour and services protocol and “the most important
thing here is to know our capacity and which parts need be built.”
“There is a good example of these so-called International Schools or English
medium schools; they employ a lot of Kenyans and Ugandans, is it because of
communication skills? Or is it because in their countries there is stiff
competition?” he wondered.
Ngulla feared that Tanzanians might be overtaken by Kenyans and Ugandans as
there is no harmonisation of labour laws in the region; Tanzania has the best
labour laws in the region.
He said Tanzania was the first to effect reforms in the new labour law and is
the first in the region to ratify the eight ILO Core Conventions, whereas Kenya
and Uganda are yet to ratify the Conventions. The Tanzanian environment will in
due course attract more Kenyans and Ugandans, he added.
He said the goal of the EAC on its establishment was to be privately driven but
the fact that EAC is taking off in 2005 and still Tanzanians do not even
understand it, might cause its collapse. “There are a lot of issues to be taken
care of such as the structure of Social Security Funds; if a Kenyan is employed
in Tanzania, what is the status of the employer in terms of social security?” he
asked.
He said that if Tanzania is joining the EAC as a crash programme, to enter the
free market economy, let it be put into black and white. It should also be taken
into consideration how many Tanzanians know about the Customs Union and also why
is the media reluctant to educate Tanzanians on the advantages and disadvantages
of the Customs Union, he added.
Sex runs to Dodoma
By Express Reporter
Sex workers from Dar es Salaam
are flocking to Dodoma, looking for prospective clients in the form of
government officials, lower-level functionaries and even Members of Parliament
attending the 17th parliamentary session in the city, The Express has learnt.
The sex workers, mostly in their mid twenties, were seen in large numbers
socialising with government officials, and legislators on the streets of Dodoma,
last week, apparently in their endeavours to make hay while the sun shines.
Most of the ladies often rent cheap accommodation at guesthouses for between
Tsh. 3,000 and Tsh. 4,000 per night when they arrive in Dodoma.
The Express’s investigations conducted over the weekend disclosed the notorious
spots frequented by sex workers. This reporter witnessed some government
officials flirting with sex workers at a club, renowned for its delicious ‘roast
meat’. Most of them were under the influence of alcohol, making sex without
protection a dangerous possibility.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a sex worker who resides in Kinondoni, Dar
es Salaam, admitted she had travelled all the way to Dodoma hoping to make some
quick cash. According to her, the environment in the town is “conducive”.
“It is true as you can see, we are here because it is easy to get something...we
are not harassed here. These people coming to Bunge are well off and we are
taking advantage of that. For us, this is like any other job that brings
additional income,” she explained.
“Besides many of them are divorced and some still single, they need to relax
after a session in Parliament,” the Dar-based sex worker said.
According to her, she is able to make between Tsh. 10,000 and Tsh. 40,000 a
night depending on the status of the client.
In an interview with The Express, the taxi drivers admitted that prostitution is
a booming trade whenever the Parliament sits.
“A lot of high-profile people are involved in sexual activities,” said Idrisa
Ibrahim.
When asked how come no one comes to know about this, Idrisa said: “You see these
sex workers know their clients very well, most likely they have known the client
for a long time and the secret is well kept. Most of these women are introduced
by taxi drivers, some of whom also come from Dar to service the Dodoma market.”
It is not clear whether care and protection are being exercised in regard to
sexually transmitted diseases.
A Member of Parliament, who did not want his name mentioned, said the perception
that MPs are promiscuous is wrong, adding that they are being made scapegoats
over immoral practices going on during parliamentary sessions.
“Let me make it clear, prostitution is a common phenomenon. The sex workers are
everywhere, not just here and, after all, they are looking for money regardless
where it comes from. I think the accusations against MPs are unfounded and
false,” he protested. “They probably service other officials but fingers are
pointed at MPs.”
The government has apparently failed to prevent immoral practices. For example,
there is no section in the law that stipulates ‘prostitution’ as an offence,
which could help to stop the practice.
The sex workers caught by the police are often charged under the Destitute and
Vagabond Act of 1984, which requires the offender to pay a fine not exceeding
Tsh. 3,000 or six-month imprisonment.