CITY WATER BUT
NO WATER
By Kizito Makoye
The plight of water consumers in Dar es Salaam City has worsened
since City Water Services Limited, a joint venture private company, took over
the operations of the state-run Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA),
sixteen months ago, a random survey by The Express has revealed. Interviewing
around 100 people in different areas of the City, the biggest woe, it was found,
is that during the frequent pipeline bursts and water supply disruptions,
consumers end up paying for water they don’t get. People are also outraged by
the arrogant attitude of City Water officials, who threaten to disconnect water
lines for failure to pay bills, but have no explanation to offer to consumers
for frequent water cuts. Seventy-six percent interviewees said the performance
of City Water in the past one year was poor, six per cent found it satisfactory,
two per cent said it was good while the rest couldn’t comment. “The bottomline
is that it is the sellers market, where the consumers are not supposed to have
any expectations,” said Mary Salala, a resident of Mwenge Mlalakuwa. Due to lack
of organised and sustained information flow from City Water, no understanding
and goodwill exists between the company and its customers. For instance, during
times of pipeline bursts, most people do not even know the cause of the
disruption, how long it will last and what is City Water doing about it, said
Richard Mwita of Sinza. Recently, a major water pipe burst in Kinondoni area
along Kawawa Road caused problems to many residents living in nearby areas,
especially at Kigogo, Magomeni, parts of Upanga and the City centre. It took
almost a week for City Water engineers to replace the old pipe. When contacted
by this reporter, City Water Public Relations Manager, Shy-Rose Bhanji admitted,
“One area that we have difficulty advising the public is unplanned work. This
could either be a burst pipe or perhaps an electrical problem. We have effective
emergency repair teams for all eventualities, but it clearly can take some time
to carry out repairs, especially those involving large diameter pipes. Some of
these pipe bursts are due to the age of the pipes; others are damaged due to
heavy road traffic, or just plane ‘wear and tear’.” The company says it is
trying to replace an outdated billing system and install new metres that charge
consumers according to consumption. However, most customers complain the new
system system is faulty and confusing. Often the bills charged on the basis of
new metres are incorrect. The company initially boasted it will ‘bring water
back to our City’ by efficient bill management, tariff collection, operation and
routine maintenance, but apparently water situation in Dar es Salaam remains bad
- if not worse. The Express survey established that most City suburbs such as
Sinza ‘D’ Vingunguti, Kiwalani, Kimara, Ubungo and Tabata experience permanent
water problems. Frequent supply disruptions brought on by burst main pipes are
blamed on the weary infrastructure, which City Water vowed to rehabilitate. Dar
es Salaam residents are increasingly concerned as water has become a very
expensive commodity: while paying exhorbitant water bills, many are forced to
buy water from vendors, again at unreasonable rates. “It is a problem, a big
one, and I don’t think this company can resolve it. We residents of Tabata have
forgotten all about water for years…it will be a big miracle if at all water is
restored at our place. We deserve it though,” said Mahmood Issa, a resident of
Tabata. The company initially promised to replace a worn-out water
infrastructure, including rehabilitating existing water production, transmission
and distribution equipment as well as extending pipes to unreached areas.
Supplying and installing water metres and ‘eliminating’ unauthorised connections
were also issues of priority. Despite its determination, the company’s
initiatives look complex and unrealistic as it has often embarked on ad hoc
solutions when, for instance, dealing with burst main pipes by patching them up
instead of more permanent solutions. According to an engineering study conducted
by a consultant company, Davis in 1997, it is estimated that about US$ 620
million (Tsh. 682 billion) would be required to repair the existing
infrastructure and expand the network to reach unconnected communities.
Sentiments run high when people talk about paying for water that’s not coming.
“For the past two months, we do not have water here in Upanga West, but
surprisingly we are being issued with bills for the service we do not get. This
is very upsetting, we do not know what is happening,” complained an Upanga
resident Lily Abdallah. According to Bhanji, City Water had announced last
November that customers who have had no water from when the company took over on
August 1, 2003, would not be required to pay their bills pending the outcome of
a survey carried by its technicians and that the company would start billing
such customers when the flow of water resumes. “Suspension of bills is however
subject to verification by City Water and should not be used as an excuse not to
pay a justifiable bill. City Water is now restructuring and cleaning up its
customer database, which will help solve this problem,” she said. Customers also
complain of improper metre reading and billing procedures. A resident of Dar es
Salaam, who sought anonymity, said ever since a water metre was installed at his
residence, no inspection has been done by officials, rendering the entire
exercise futile. “The bills are unaffordable and inconsistent - how can they
charge us randomly? No one comes to read the metre, then why should we pay a big
amount if it is based on estimation?” wondered the source. On faulty billing
amounts, Bhanji said, “While we are aware of some anomalies in our customer
database, which we are addressing, we are also attempting to make our bills
appropriate to actual consumption. This could result in both increases, but also
decreases in our customer bills. We are currently undertaking a large metering
programme, which will eventually make every bill aligned with actual
consumption.” The government embarked on the privatisation of the water sector
in Dar es Salaam with a clear vision to bring in new money and ease government
burden; improve the management of the water system and service provision; and
enable greater access to clean water. Residents of Dar es Salaam, who experience
frequent water shortages and leaks, while welcoming the reforms, believe the
system is fraught with problems and that City Water and the authorities would be
so busy "fire fighting" that it would be some time before any real strategic
changes are implemented. However Bhanji noted: “The capital Investment programme
is over a five-year period. Dar es Salaam, Kibaha and Bagamoyo residents can
expect to start seeing significant activity in this regard during years 2-5,
which is now. City Water, a joint venture between Biwater of the United Kingdom,
Gauff Ingenieure of Germany and Supper Doll Trailer of Tanzania, has also been
criticised by UK Aid Agency, Action Aid, in its report released mid this year.
Action Aid questions the reputation of the British firm, Biwater which, it says,
is known for failed concessions and reneging on terms of its contracts. The
report said City Water’s record so far is poor and the company is repeating many
of Biwater's errors by charging households for water which does not come. "Water
tariffs have increased substantially but water quality has not improved," the
report observes. "Whole areas (of the City) are being cut off because a few
households fail to pay their bills," it says.
Aga Khan award for architecture winners announced
At the historical Humayun’s Tomb, His Highness the Aga Khan, hereditary spiritual leader (Imam) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and founder of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) together with India’s Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh announced over the weekend the seven recipients of the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The announcement marked the completion of the ninth cycle of the programme. The Award, which has a triennial prize fund of US$ 500,000, is the world’s largest architectural award. The seven projects selected by the 2004 Award Master Jury are: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt Primary School, Gando, Burkina Faso Sandbag Shelter Prototypes, various locations Restoration of Al-Abbas Mosque, Asnaf, Yemen Old City of Jerusalem Revitalisation Programme, Jerusalem B2 House, Ayvacık, Turkey Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia During his speech at the Award Ceremony, the Aga Khan remarked on the appropriateness of India as the venue for the event, given its rich cultural heritage and pluralistic traditions. “Here, many cultures have maintained their distinct identities while combining and co-operating to create something even greater, the dynamic and vibrant India of the modern world. This is also a country where the struggle for social justice and improved quality of life has made tremendous strides over many decades through the continuous efforts of governments and civil society” he said. The Aga Khan emphasised that the Award for Architecture was a recognition of the work of architects and their clients, builders –large and small, governments, planners, international organisations, granting agencies, village organisations and individuals, all of whom were collectively responsible for the creation of a humane, and socially-supportive built environment that was important to the quality of life of people. The Aga Khan noted that the Award had evolved through various phases; from engaging constituencies to develop consensus about the nature of the problem, to developing the means to support change and finally to exposing solutions to the many who were involved in the process of developing human habitat.
Research reveals rural women’s situation
By Angela Mazula
About 80 per cent of the schoolgirls aged between 15 and 17 years
from 102 primary schools in Tandahimba District did not sit for this year’s
primary examination due to pregnancy, according to the Tanzania Media Women
Association (TAMWA). Their research, together with general investigations
regarding women’s situation in the countryside released on Monday, reveals that
abusive language by teachers and domestic workers have greatly contributed
towards the girls’ poor performance. Moreover, lack of parental care has reduced
the morale of primary schoolgirls, forcing some of them to abandon the studies
and get married. Based on a case study, the survey found that domestic violence
against adult women is increasing. Women who work in the cashew nut industry
work longer hours farming but benefit almost nothing since the husbands take
most of the money. The report said that there is a drastic increase of divorces
during the cashew nut season when husbands leave their old wives and remarry,
using the money generated from the cashew nuts for the marriage. “Marriages are
not stable; men can marry today and divorce tomorrow, especially during cashew
nut harvesting seasons,” said one woman from Naputa village in Tandahimba in her
interview with the researchers.
By Angela Mazula
The government should work together with Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) and the private sector to ensure changes geared towards reducing the
poverty rates in the country, Social Action Trust Fund (SATF) has revealed.
Speaking at a ceremony on Tuesday, Chief Executive Valentine Rweyemamu said
that SATF has given Tsh. 50 million as a donation for orphans in Dar es Salaam
Region. The money will go to education.
The donation was made possible after increased support from their sponsor. The
support has increased from Tsh. 402 million in 2003 to Tsh. 500 million this
year.
SATF has donated the money to different organizations such as the Youth and
Parents Crisis Counselling (YOPAC) who got Tsh. 10 million; Yatima Group (Tsh.
10
million); and SHDEPHA+ (Tsh. 30 million).
“We were able to support 28,166 orphans last year and the number increases
every day,” Rweyemamu said.
The Fund regards the great number of uneducated people in the country to be
one of the most difficult problems they handle.
The Minister for Education and Culture, Joseph Mungai said education is crucial
for the counyty’s development and added that every child who reaches school
age should attend classes.
He added that about 30 per cent of Tanzanians live below the poverty line.
However, a member from YOPAC observed that a big number of orphans don’t
perform well in their primary studies because some of them drop out of school.
Logo designing competition kicks off
By Express Reporter
The Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has invited individuals
and companies in the country to design and submit proposals for its official
logo
as part of the process of building its brand name.
The Authority states it would like a logo that reflects its duties, functions
and
responsibilities.
“While flexibility is allowed on the content of the logo, attempts should be
made
to include the words ‘Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority’,” reads
TCRA’s statement in part.
All entries should be submitted by 14th of December and a cash prize of Tsh.
500,000 will be awarded to the overall winner. The second and third runners up
will get Tsh. 100,000 and 50,000 respectively.
TCRA is an independent government agency established to regulate
communications and broadcasting sectors in Tanzania; the Authority is
responsible for the promotion of economic efficiency, protect the interests of
consumers, manage radio frequency spectrum and monitor the implementation of
ICT applications.
By Express Reporter
The recent summit on sustainable peace in the Great Lakes Region has been
commended by the government of Canada.
The Canadian High Commissioner in Tanzania, Andrew Macalister said his country
as a friend of the Grate Lakes countries was pleased the way Tanzania and its
leaders made the summit successful and pledged his country’s support to the
implementation of Dar es Salaam Declaration.
According to a statement from the Vice President’s Office availed to The Express
on Monday, Macalister made the remarks in Dar es Salaam when he paid a
courtesy call to the Vice President Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein at the State House.
Macalister said the cooperation between the two countries has been
strengthened in various sectors including health, education, finance and poverty
reduction strategies.
He added that the Canadian government is encouraged by the new trend of
business cooperation which has seen Canadian investors flocking to invest in
mining and energy.
Dr. Shein added that commercial cooperation between Tanzania and Canada is an
important link to economic growth
Meanwhile, the Vice President said although Tanzania has a favourable
environment for investment which attracts foreign investors, the government is
still putting in place ways to improve the situation.
He said this when speaking to the Russian Ambassador, Leonid Safonov and
added that the doors are open for foreign investors, including those from
Russia.
By Angela Mazula
In a ceremony marking the inauguration of the Land Court, the Vice President
said
that the humiliation regarding land disputes would now come to an end.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam, Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein said the number of land cases
will be reduced.
The Court’s aim is to examine land problems and resolve them as quickly as
possible.
Engera Kileo, Judge in charge of the Land Court said as the name tells, the
Court
was established to inquire into the whole issue of land administration in the
country and how disputes concerning land can be settled.
Prior to the establishment of the Court, a commission was established to give
recommendations on how the system should work.
The findings of the commission revealed that in the past personnel of the
concerned institutions had been personally involved in the land disputes.
Govt to assess informal sector’s constraints
By Express Reporter
President Benjamin Mkapa has repeated the government commitment to create a
conducive environment for the informal sector, in its latest bid to revive
‘dead’
resources and thus boost economic activities and self reliance.
Addressing the nation on Tuesday in his monthly address, the President said the
bigger portion of the Tanzanian economy is still in the hands of the informal
sector, and that it is extremely important to formalise the sector since it
employs
a majority of the population
The President said the informal sector is yet to be recognised by the prevailing
laws of the country and therefore most people find it difficult to expand their
businesses.
“The work we are about to start is expensive and will take long but has no bad
intention, it is not even a tax collection strategy…but rather to get the
political
will of our leaders to accept assisting efforts to formalise the informal
sector, an
important step in nation’s poverty reduction strategy,” he said.
“This plan is part of other poverty reduction strategies … it is not an
alternative
strategy, it is just a continuation of existing efforts,” he added.
The President further said that research is underway to determine the real
situation of the informal sector as it would be impossible to revive dead
resources
which are not known.
Mkapa pointed out that the government’s knowledge about peoples’ activities and
possession in the informal sector is not enough and that it is crucial for the
government to acquire this knowledge.
Five regions will be involved in the research: Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya,
Mwanza and Zanzibar.
“I call upon wananchi to cooperate and openly explain the real situation,” he
stressed.
Road accidents increase by 103%
By Sebastian Gabunga, Mwanza
Fatal car accidents in Tanzania Mainland, have gone up by 103 per cent from
1,059 deaths in 1990 to 2,155 deaths in 2003.
The figures were revealed in Mwanza City, by the Minister for Defence and
National Service, Prof. Philemon Sarungi, when he opened the 23rd Congress of
Tanzania Public Health Association (TPHA).
During the same period, the number of people who were injured in road accidents
rose from 9,910 to 16,825.
Road accidents have contributed to the increase of orphans and widows, creating
a great burden to the government and the concerned families.
Prof. Sarungi said the figures should be seen as a challenge to TPHA, to come up
with necessary steps in order to reduce road accidents.
There is a need, he said, for every member in the community to reduce the
number of road accidents, by being cautious and avoid driving while drunk.
By Beldina Nyakeke, Bunda
A resident of Bunda town Mwita Magere (52) has been arraigned in Bunda District
Magistrate Court, charged with raping a Standard I pupil of Bahili Primary
School
(name withheld) in Bunda town.
It was earlier claimed by the Public Prosecutor (PP) Assistant Inspector of
Police,
Omari Attman that the accused committed the offence on November 13th this
year, when the pupil met the accused while she was going to school.
The pupil asked for Tsh. 30 from the accused. It is when the offender led the
girl
to a ruined building, promising to give her money. When they entered the
building,
he raped the girl.
The PP went on to tell the court that, after the accused had raped the girl, he
ran away, leaving the small girl weeping from the acute injuries she sustained
and
without any means of help.
When she reached home her mother learnt what had happened and took her to a
Police Post where she was given PF3 for treatment.
The accused denied the charge and was sent to remand prison waiting for his
case to be heard again. This is the second time a pupil is being raped.
Teacher accused of mistreating child
By Sebastian Gabunga, Musoma
One teacher from Kabainja Primary School in Bunda District, Mara Region, Bryton
Mashauri, has run into problems after he was accused of mistreating his in-law’s
son, by depriving him of food and caning him.
The Department of Social Welfare and the Mother and Child Survival, Protection
and Development Unit in Bunda District, intends to open charges against the
teacher.
Bunda District Social Welfare Officer, Ferdinand Manase together with the
Coordinator of Child Survival and Development in the district, Aduda Odindo said
the teacher is believed to have abused the child several times.
In their common statement the two officers said, the child’s father died in 1993
and that his mother, who is the teacher’s sister-in-law, left the child and
vanished.
The mistreating included for example, locking the child in a room for several
days
and caning the child after smearing the child’s buttocks with liquid salt.
After receiving the information the two officers decided to charge the teacher
in
a court of law, and took the child to hospital where he is being treated at
present.
Man kills grandmother in Bunda
By Beldina Nyakeke, Bunda
One man, resident of Bukama Village in Bunda District, Mara Region, Shabani
Mgendi (25), has been arraigned in Bunda District Magistrate Court, charged with
the offence of murdering his grandmother Magori Kiteba (80).
Public Prosecutor, Assistant Inspector of Police Omary Athmani, told the court
that the accused murdered his grandmother on November 19, at Bukama Village
while she was asleep in her house.
He said the accused was living with his late grandmother together with his
sister
Webiro Mgendi, who on the fateful day, was not in the house.
The accused was not required to answer any charges as legally that court had no
powers of hearing murder cases. He has been returned to remand prison up to
December 17, 2004 when his case will be heard.
RAAWU asks for parliamentary seat
By Sebastian Gabunga, Mwanza
Research conducted by the Academic Allied Workers Union (RAAWU) Lake Zone,
says time has come for RAAWU workers to have a representative in the Union
Parliament.
Lake Zone RAAWU Secretary, Ramadhan Mwendwa said in Mwanza City last
Sunday that the Union has organised a symposium which will delve on the
importance of workers to be represented in Parliament.
Mwendwa said, the symposium will be held this week at Nyakahoja hall and will
incorporate all RAAWU members, including prominent invited guests.
The symposium is part of RAAWU’s Ten Years Anniversary since its inception,
where members also will use the opportunity to discuss problems and
achievements obtained during the 10 year period.
Explaining the importance of having a representative in Parliament, Mwendwa said
they, as workers, have nobody to speak for them in Parliament, a thing that
makes most of their problems remain unsolved.
According to Mwendwa, other topics which will be presented and discussed in the
symposium include democratic issues, workers’ legislations and HIV/AIDS.
More schools yet fewer students
By Beldina Nyakeke, Tarime
The residents of Tarime District in Mara Region have accepted the call of
constructing secondary schools in their district; but do not urge their children
to
acquire secondary education.
Tarime District Council Chairman, Peter Wangwe reported that the number of
students who completed secondary education in the district this year was very
small compared to the number of secondary schools found in the district.
Talking to reporters in Tarime town last week, Wangwe said, presently, the
district has 21 secondary schools, while 19 of them have reached Form Four
already. 19 of them have expected to produce over 1,500 graduates, but only
733 students sat for the Form Four examinations.
Besides parents accepting the call of building more secondary schools, he said,
there is a need for the government and ward councillors to teach the parents and
students the importance of acquiring secondary education; otherwise the schools
will fall into ruins.
As an example, Wangwe named Charya Secondary School where only four
students completed their Form Four studies and out of them two were girls; 16
students completed their Form Four studies at Manga Secondary School and two
out of them were girls.
He named some of the reasons that contribute to the shortage of finalists as
truancy, pregnancies, failing Form Two national examinations and parents
marrying off their daughters for desire of dowries.
The only way of enhancing and consolidating education in Tarime District,
Wangwe said is to construct dormitories for girls; and for primary and secondary
teachers to make efforts and provide better education.
Wakira and Wanchari battle leaves three dead
By Beldina Nyakeke, Musoma
Three persons have been killed and two injured after a fight broke out between
two families of the Wakira and Wanchari in Tarime District, Mara Region.
The information was presented by Mara Regional Commissioner, Ambassador
Nimrod Lugoye when he spoke to reporters in his office last week.
The fight took place between November 12-15 this year, at the villages of
Korotambe, Remagwe and Ng’eng’ere in Tarime District. The persons who died or
were wounded were hit by arrows on several parts of their bodies.
Lugoye named the deceased, whose ages could not be obtained, as Mohoyo
Mwikwabe, Nyakorema Mwema. The name if the third victim is not known.
In 2001, in the same district, similar fights occurred between two families of
the
Walemchoka and Wanchari in the villages of Kubiterere and Korotambe villagers of
Mwema Ward. Several people then lost their lives and their houses were burnt.
The fighting is believed to be a result of quarrels over 1,000 hectares of land
used for bhang cultivation.