HAIRDRESSING FREEDOM AND BALD HEADS
Member of Parliament Stephen Nandonde raised the issue of Tanzania’s culture and youth in a question at the February sitting of the National Assembly. He complained that many young people were now shaving in a funny and indecent manner and using a lot of things including honey in hair dressing.
The Member for Musoma Urban countered that he welcomed the use of honey and raw eggs in hairdressing as that meant a growth in the market for these products. The Minister of Education and Culture, Mr Charles Kabeho, said that hairdressing was a matter of fashion and people were at liberty to fashion their hair according to their own wishes.
On the equally important matter of baldness the government dismissed as a hoax reports that bald heads were in great demand in Kigoma ‘where heads are claimed to fetch a lot of money’. In May 1991 Raphael Mvukuye and Emmanuel Ngarama had been convicted of murder after they were found in possession of a man’s head. The Member for Bariadi said he had been worried about the fate of bald headed ministers, who might have been afraid to visit Kigoma unless assured of tight security. Amidst much laughter the Minister of Communications and Transport, Professor Phillemon Sarungi and the Minister of State (Defence), both extensively bald, told the house that they had been to Kigoma, had not worn hats and had returned safely to Dar es Salaam – Daily News.
AIR TANZANIA CORPORATION RESTRUCTURED
Air Tanzania has reduced management posts at its head office by 30%.Departments have been reduced from five to four. The airline has three aircraft – two Boeings and a Fokker; progress is being made towards privatising the airline.
UGANDA USES DAR AGAIN
Uganda has resumed using Dar es Salaam Port for its imports and exports after a six-month lapse. Uganda is now routing about 80% of its oil imports through the port – Daily News.
COOPERATIVE UNION CLOSED DOWN
The Government revoked the registration of the Union of cooperatives (Washirika) on March 26 1993 effectively making its continued existence illegal. The Secretary General had been resisting handing over the office to a task force of 27 mainland cooperative unions for a month and there had been a tug of war between the Registrar of Cooperatives and mainland unions on the one hand and Washirika management and the five Zanzibar unions on the other. The Registrar has agreed to the formation of an interim apex organisation for the mainland cooperatives to be known as the Tanzania Cooperative Alliance, pending the constitution of a federation – Daily News.
NEW BRITISH COUNCIL BUILDING
The Duke of Kent opened the newly expanded and renovated British Council building on Samora Avenue in Dar es Salaam on March 30 1993. The half million pound renovation, designed to restore the architectural elegance of the original colonial building, had proved necessary because the Council had outgrown its existing office premises.
The Duke also inspected Commonwealth war graves in Tanzania during his visit.
NEW CHANCELORS
President Mwinyi has appointed Mr Paul Bomani as Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam (he was himself the previous Chancellor) and Mr AI-Noor Kassum as Chancellor of the Sokoine University of Agriculture in place of Mwalimu Nyerere whose term had expired – Daily News.