THE HUNGRY HALF
By The Express Team
The enforced optimism of apparent well-being seems to be over – the reality has
revealed an extremely disturbing truth for United Republic of Tanzania. Now, the
country has one of the highest number of hungry people in the world, to the tune
of almost half of its population. But experts and common people of the country
feel that the problem is not with production but with inefficient management and
improper distribution system, which in turn indicts the government of not
installing a proper delivery system. Why then despite having a healthy grain
reserves with the National Strategic Grain Reserve, the people of the country
are starving?
What is even more shameful is that the performance of the country has actually
been negative over the past decade, while most of the countries in the world
including the ones in the east African region have reduced the number of hungry
people, Tanzania has recorded almost a 20 per cent increase in the numbers.
Obviously all is not well in the eastern front and measures need to be taken
urgently forgoing petty political and personal interests. All the more reason to
be apprehensive as the year ahead will see election when such considerations are
hardly raised…
Despite the fact that the east Africa as a region reduced the number of hungry
people between 1990-92 and 2000-02, Tanzania has a blotch. It is one of the few
countries which have actually seen a reverse trend on increasing hunger in past
10 years, reveals a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of UN (FAO).
In fact, there are very few countries in the world which have shown such a
downturn and Tanzania is, quite shamefully, grouped as one of them. Despite all
the claims of a healthy economy and enforced optimism
FAO estimates that 852 million people worldwide were undernourished in
2000-2002. This figure includes 815 million in developing countries, 28 million
in the countries in transition and 9 million in the industrialized countries.
The number of undernourished people in developing countries decreased by only 9
million during the decade following the World Food Summit baseline period of
1990-1992. During the second half of the decade, the number of chronically
hungry in developing countries increased at a rate of almost 4 million per year,
wiping out two thirds of the reduction of 27 million achieved during the
previous five years.
Already, serious food shortages were recently reported in several regions,
including Dodoma, Shinyanga, Singida, Manyara, Lindi, Coast and Morogoro.
Also, there are pockets of food insecurity in Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha,
Mwanza, Mara and Tabora Regions, which completely lost their crops to drought.
Preliminary forecasts of the 2002/03 food crop production indicate a 10 percent
decline compared to last year, caused mainly by extended dry weather in eastern,
central, western and southern areas of the country between February and
mid-March, and by early termination of the main seasonal rains. Many areas
experienced a dry spell of more than three weeks at a critical stage in crop
development.
Cereal prices have more than doubled in most parts of the country, contrary to
last year and to normal trends. A Rapid Vulnerability Assessment (RVA), carried
out by the Food Security Information Team (FSIT) in June/July, indicated that
prolonged drought conditions in several parts of the country have particularly
reduced food and cash crop output, thus limiting wage-labour opportunities and
affecting a large number of households. A food deficit of about 77 489 tonnes is
anticipated for the market year 2003/04; it has been estimated that nearly 1.94
million people will require food assistance between October 2003 and March 2004.
In addition, a deficit of approximately 3 200 tonnes of various seed types is
anticipated, and emergency seed assistance will be needed during the month of
October 2003 for the short-, long- and main planting seasons during the next
cropping season.
But experts and common people Tanzanians feel that the problem is not with
production but with inefficient management and improper distribution system,
which in turn indicts the government of not installing a proper delivery system.
Prof. Samwel Wangwe, Principle Research Associate (Economic Social Research
Foundation)
This is not the problem of food shortage, it is the matter of proper
organisation, distribution and crating an infrastructure to reach various places
the country with proper marketing and education. You might have food but if you
do not know how to manage its distribution, then you might end up having
sections of population without food while others with adequate supply. Education
is also another important aspect, people in the society should be well informed
on what to eat, not just food.
Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba, Chairman of opposition Party civic United Front (CUF)
It is true that poverty has continues to ravage most people in the country,
in terms of food security the country is still insecure as most people in the
country are hungry. The year 2003 for instance, food situation was critical in
most parts of the country. As opposition leaders we tried to address the
situation but CCM government thought that we take the precarious situation for
Political gains.
The government has failed to address most important issue in the country and
instead embarked on purchasing Presidential jet for 49Billion, in essence the
money could have been used to relieve sections of populations which are
desperate.
If you go to the villages, it is quite evident that in every 100 children every
44 have malnutrition. So although the government is boasting that the economic
situation has improved but that is contrary to the reality.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Tanzania
Even the sources within FAO expressed similar reactions to The Express. The
source disclosed that food situation in the country has not been that bad in
recent years as the report claims provided that there is still enough food in
the National Strategic grain reserve whose capacity is 150 tonnes. He said until
now there are 100 tonnes of grains available in the SGR.
“If you remember well in 2002 Tanzania had to assist Zambia people who
experienced food shortage, this itself is evidence that hunger is not a problem”
the source disclosed.
Dr. Donatus Olomi, Head of entrepreneurship centre University of Dar es
Salaam
I think the issue of poverty in the country is directly related with
governance and generally with the infrastructure. It is quit evident that the
countries which have been hit hard with poverty do not experience inadequate
rainfall, the issue has to do with whether there is conducive agricultural
infrastructure put in place.
Let’s take example of Arabic countries for instance; there is improved
irrigation systems put in place. In our country the agricultural infrastructure
has not been improved. Another problem is there is no good management of
agriculture. In the past we used to have cooperatives in the regions, but they
are all collapsed.
I do not want to get into politics but I think the government in power continues
to improve the agricultural sector. I think with political will the goal is
attainable. With proper planning, including construction of roads and set up
irrigation systems it is possible to have sustainable agriculture.
Vox pop
Chatta Michael (27), Journalist
I do not think Tanzania is among those countries whose populations have been hit
hard by hunger. I think those statistics have been made by individuals who do
not wish our country any good, they are typical propaganda. I have never heard
of a person who died of hunger, so if you tell me the FAO report ranks Tanzania
as a hungrier country, it is inconceivable and unjustifiable.
Mohamed Mtengwa(65) Mason
I am not surprised that the United Nations FAO has included us in the hunger
group, people are having food problems especially the elderly and children . The
government has focused its development programmes in the rural areas and forget
starving people in Dar es salaam. Food prices are beyond the rich of many
ordinary citizens.
Jamal S. Seif (42) Businessman
I do not think if Tanzania is among those countries mostly affected by
hunger. Imagine those countries hit by natural calamities. The thing is food
prices are increasing randomly and the \government has failed to contain the
trend as a result consumers are the ones who are suffering. I think this trend
is caused mostly by the increase in the price of oil, transportation costs and
increased education costs.
Imagine I have to have 5000 every day to satisfy daily meals, what about those
with families of 7 children? It’s horrible.
Zunu Ally 40 House wife
I do not think Tanzania is in critical food shortage to the extent that
people are starving, in my opinion if people are busy working they will
definitely get food . But you can find that lots of young men are migrating from
upcountry and come to Dar es salaam as a result production of food crop decline
causing problems. In Dar es salaam people from all walks of life get food
depending on their ability to purchase.
Hasan Saidi Mang’enya (52), Businessman
I think we have the problem of hunger in this country. We are lucky we get
rainfalls but there are few people in the village who could produce crops. All
of them have fled to Dar es Salaam and other major towns. Hand hoe does not help
most farmers I think the government should intervene and provide farmers with
better and modern farming tools so that those who are unemployed can get
absorbed in farming.
Anastacia Kiondo (17) Student
It is true that we still have hungry people in this country, as we see on
Television often there are areas with persistent drought such as Dodoma and
Singida where people are having hard time. Another problem is most farmers use
hand hoe, that’s why people are dissatisfied and joblessness increase.
Fisherfolk not venturing
sea after Tsunami Tsunami destroys fish business in Dar
By Kizito Makoye
A deserted look wears the normally busy fish stalls at the fish
market in the city, there is hardly any activity in the market which once used
to be one of the busiest business and trading centres in the city. With Tsunami
waves wrecking havoc across the coasts of Southern Asia and Africa, fishermen
are mortally afraid of venturing into the deep seas and the roaring business in
the city has virtually come to a standstill.
And the consumers are the worst hit. The deserted market, which was opened two
years ago, has nothing to offer to the consumer. Well, virtually nothing as
those available are frightfully expensive.
Dar es Salaam fishermen are sceptical to get into deep sea fearing of
unpredictable storms and waves. A survey conducted by The Express revealed that
the prices of fish in particular have risen considerably due to the scarcity.
Unlike booming days,
There are only a few marine vessels still going into the sea, others have been
grounded indefinitely.
A fresh giant red fish is now selling at Tsh.20,000 to Tsh. 25, 000 contrary to
the previous price of Tsh. 15,000. Most traders associate the scarcity with the
prevailing storm in the ocean where by a bunch of fishermen risk their lives
getting in deep sea.
“The prices of fish have shot up as you can see, but this is undoubtedly caused
by tides in the ocean, the fishermen are scared to get into deep water. I can
tell you big fishes are unavailable” Said Mohamed S. Mohamed a fish vendor at
Ferry.
A bucket of small, fishes commonly Known as ‘dagaa mchele’ was sold between Ths.
6,000 and 8,000 where as its actual price is Tsh.2,500 to Tsh. 3,000.
Retailers and small vendors are queuing up at the market to get their supplies
but most of them lose hope as no vessels were approaching the ferry.
The fish vendors told The Express that they are forced to increase the price
because they also purchase the product exorbitantly from the fishermen.
“This increase in price is not deliberate, it is because we also need to get
some profit. We can not operate with loss” said vendor identified as Mhita
Mohamed.
The price hike has also affected the supply of ice blocks at the market
preservation unit. A supervisor who sought anonymity the sale of ice block fell
as a result of shortage of fish in the market.
“We normally sell 40 to 50 blocks a day but for the past one week the sale has
declined sharply… We can hardly sell 30 blocks” he complained.
Ripples of the powerful under sea tremor off Indonesia and Sumatra Ireland was
felt in Tanzania for three hours beginning a fortnight ago, drowning ten pupils
who were swimming, and forcing ships to pull out of the Dar es Salaam port.
The surging sea, whose waves travelled at a speed of 1,000 km an hour from the
epicentre of the tremor in Indonesia, resulted to the rupture of pipelines at a
moor jetty in the harbour. The strong waves also disrupted ferry transport
across the Magogoni creek.
Computer classes for Mpanda
Schools
By Express correspondent
Computer Training will be taught in the Milala Secondary School, situated in
Mpanda District, Rukwa Region from the end of January 2005 after a donation of
24 computers from various organizations based in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking to The Express in Dodoma recently, Member of Parliament for Mpanda West
Constituency, Abdallah Sumry said that the 24 computers will be used to impart
computer skills to interested students of Forms One to Four.
“However, the computer training will not be compulsory rather optional as those
opting for the training will have to pay an additional fee of Tsh.10,000 apart
from the general school fees,” Sumry said.
According to the MP, the move will be a significant achievement as the school
will be the only one to have computer training in the whole of Rukwa Region.
Sumry who came into position in the 2003 by-election added that the long term
plan was to secure more computers for the school if the situation allows.
In his comments regarding other secondary schools in the District, Sumry said,
efforts are underway to ensure that by the middle of this year, all secondary
schools in the district commence computer training.
“What we are doing right now is to educate the parents on the importance of
computer skills so that they are willing to pay the additional fees covering
computer studies,” he said.
According to the MP, students who acquire computer skills will be able to access
information which is an important tool in this era of globalization.
Increase vigil for intruders:
Minister
By Nestory Ngwega ,Tanga.
The government has urged the immigration officers to be extra careful to stop
any unwarranted infiltration in the country which might disturb the peace in the
forthcoming elections to be held later this year.
In a recent speech, the Minister of Home Affairs, Omari Ramadhani Mapuri
has challenged the immigration officers to be more careful guarding borders. He
has asked them to make sure that no intruders come to threaten the peace in the
country.
The statement comes immediately after nabbing illegal immigrants last week in
some parts of the country.
As this is the election year, the country could receive many people from
outside, but not all are good because others might have bad intentions to harm
the national interest.
He urged the security groups to make sure that the intruders do not get an
opportunity to create unrest. “The immigration department should play its role
effectively to identify every intruder and take immediate legal action against
them,” he said.
Mapuri was speaking at the occasion of Annual General Immigration Officers’
Meeting held at Mkonge Hotel on Tuesday.
He said the peace in the country mainly depended on a good system of guarding
the borders and identifying the outsiders trying to settle illegally, because
some of the visitors in the guise of terrorists could do harm to the nation.
He said the immigration department has a great role to play on the safety of
the nation and asked the officers not to involve themselves in corruption,
because such a move could make them blind and give chance for illegal foreigners
to harm the country and its people.
He said that The Ministry of Home Affairs was closely making a follow up on
corruption claims raised against his departments including the immigration and
warned that he as a boss of the Ministry, would not show mercy to any officer
proved to take part in corruption.
Speaking before, the Director of Immigration Department in the country , Kinemo
Kihomano, said that his department was trying to work faithfully despite the
problems they have been facing.
He mentioned some of the problems as shortage of housing, office building as
well as working facilities. He however said that as civil servants they know
that the government was trying to reduce their problems wherever the budget
allows.
Lack of contraceptives cause
misery to rural women
By Danny Eliah Dodoma
Non-availability of oral contraceptive pills for women is affecting their family
planning and health in rural areas of the country.
Not only the women are forced to unwanted pregnancies, they are also contracting
sexually transmitted diseases due to lack of protection.
Despite the talks of empowering women and setting gender equality to reduce
violence against women, the rural women continue to suffer due to inefficient
planning by the government.
Under the circumstances, women from the affected areas have urged the government
to supply them with adequate number of pills to enable them to make decisions
and plan their families accordingly.
Particularly vocal have been women in Haneti Village, Itiso ward in Dodoma
rural. Speaking to the reporter last weak, they said that it was becoming
increasingly difficult for them to plan their family in the village due to the
shortage which the village is suffering from since past three years.
They expose themselves to even greater health hazards by trying to use local
potions and methods to avoid unwanted pregnancies, experts claimed.
They said some of them buy family planning from town (Dodoma) where by one
bottle is sold about Tsh. 1,200 to 1,500, which most women cannot afford.
“We are forced to be pregnant which makes our life harder and causes to drain
our resources, making us poorer,” one of the women said for the instruction of
not mention her name.
When contacted, the MP Dodoma rural Hezekiah Chiburunje promised to make a
fall-up to solve the problem.
They said even condoms in the village are not available and many men don’t like
to use them especially when they are inebriated. This not only causes
transmission of STDs but also unwanted pregnancies. The ward has only one
dispensary, which serves more than twenty villages around it and most villagers,
despite having the awareness remain helpless due to lack of proper medication.
Plan for Uganda goods
standardisation for EAC
Uganda’s list of enterprises and their imported industrial inputs/raw materials
as submitted will be subjected to a verification process, the 9th meeting of the
Council of Ministers of the East African Community concluded here.
Pursuant to a decision made by the Heads of State at their 5th Summit held on
March 2nd 2004 that Uganda’s critical industrial inputs/raw materials shall be
granted special protection and shall enjoy zero tariff upon the coming into
force of the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community Customs
Union for a period of 5 years, and in line with Article 19 (2) of the Protocol,
the Council of Ministers made the following decisions:
The decision comprise Uganda’s list of enterprises and their imported industrial
inputs/raw materials as submitted be subjected to a verification process with a
view to confirming the authenticity of the information submitted.
In the meantime, Uganda’s industrial inputs/raw materials contained in the
submitted list be imported at the existing zero tariff until the verification
exercise is concluded.
The verification exercise be conducted and concluded by 28th February 2005. In
this regard, Partner States should appoint the nine members of the East African
Community Committee on Trade Remedies (established under Article 24 of the
Protocol) by 7th January 2005. The function of the Committee in this exercise is
limited to verifying the list submitted by Uganda.
The Council will, following the verification process, take appropriate action on
those industries in respect of which information shall be found lacking.
In order to protect competitors in Tanzania and Kenya, the listed Ugandan
Companies benefiting from the special protection may export produce into Kenya
and Tanzania at the prevailing rates for the duration of the verification
exercise.
back to headlines
UDSM to examine time
management
By Kizito Makoye
Time management is among factors let down most Tanzanians, its estimated that
individuals and institutions and most government departments are losing lots of
revenues because of time wasting consequently hampering country’s economy.
The university of Dar es salaam(UDSM) through its statistics department is
intended to conduct a research to find out how most Tanzanians manage tin their
day to day activities.
According to a statement from the university availed to the Media recently, the
research will be conducted country wide between January and February this year.
T he statement said that the research seek to find out how men and women are
consume their time, adding that it will also seek to know between boys and girls
who are time wasters.
“This is the most import ant research whose outcome will give recommendations on
how the society is supposed to keep time hence speed up efforts of combating
poverty” the statement reads in part.