In the summer of 2007 the remarkable student charity READ International distributed no less than 98,000 books (plus educational equipment) to 96 schools across four regions of Tanzania. Next year eleven projects will send 275,000 books to 200 Tanzanian schools and give over 100 UK school presentations. By 2009 the network aims to have 20 university affiliates and well over 1,000 student volunteers involved.

L-R Rob Wilson, Tom Levitt MP, Mwanadai Majaar, Douglas Alexander MP

The Director of READ International, Rob Wilson, describes how it began and the rapidity of its growth: Continue reading →

Thai experts are expected to start demonstrations to create rainfall in Mbeya and Iringa regions by March 2008 according to the Guardian. Director of Transport and Communications in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Dr Bartholomew Rufunjo, said the government and the delegation from Thailand, which was recently in Tanzania, had completed all the necessary preparations. Rufunjo said the costs would be shared by both governments. Tanzania would be responsible for handling the rainmakers and all the Tanzanian specialists and would provide an airplane to be used during cloud seeding. Thailand would provide the technology and equipment. Rufunjo said that Thais had been using such technology to create rainfall in their country for more than 30 years and nobody had been adversely affected

The Thai delegation included the Director of the ‘Royal Rainmaking Bureau.’ Some water experts however, said that it would have an adverse effect on the environment. A scientist at the Water Resources Institute in Dar es Salaam warned that the government must first study the viability, practicability and implications of artificial rain technology before importing it. She said that the chemicals used could affect climatic patterns, the ecosystem, water sources and the soil. Excessive use of the chemicals would affect biodiversity and make the soil unproductive, besides being a water pollutant.

Workers protested at the head offices of the state-owned Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) in Dar es Salaam on October 1 as the new strategic investor officially took over the management of its operations. They made a spirited but unsuccessful attempt to block the facility’s long-awaited official handover. The old corporation, whose condition was described in the Guardian as being generally regarded as pathetic, was finally handed over to the new ‘Tanzania Railway Ltd as (TRL)’ – a firm set up jointly by the Government of Tanzania (49%) and Rites Company Ltd of India (51%). The latter operates as a wing of the Government of India. Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, Infrastructure Development Minister Andrew Chenge said that the TRL would increase the newlook facility’s capacity to handle cargo and expand the country’s trade and business with neighbouring countries like Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Continue reading →

A dramatic encounter near Moshi on September 8 resulted in the killing of 14 Kenyans suspected to have been planning to raid the Exim Bank branch. The Police action is believed to have foiled the robbery attempt following a fierce exchange of fire. The Police recovered an AK47 rifle, five pistols and a sizeable number of rounds of ammunition plus passports and identity cards with the suspects’ bodies, Meanwhile, Police in Nairobi said they had been informed that the 14 were also planning to rescue six Kenyans facing robbery charges in Tanzania. The incident came a month after the arrest of two Kenyans in connection with a $180,000 bank robbery in Mwanga, Kilimanjaro Region. Following a tip-off, police arrested the two in a house in Arusha’s Njiro Estate and recovered seven guns, including two AK47 rifles with 85 rounds of ammunition, a light machine gun, five pistols with 35 rounds of ammunition, two hand grenades, two bullet proof jackets, bhang and US$ 845. Continue reading →

VISA application fees to the United Kingdom were reduced from November 5. British High Commission Press and Political Officer John Bradshaw said that this followed a rise in the value of the Tanzanian Shilling. A six months multiple entry visit visa is now TShs157,000 instead of 176,000/-, while a long term validity visit visa is TShs 500,000 instead of TShs 560,000. Under the new setup there will be no interview for those submitting all relevant documentation that is required. The High Commission has stepped up its control over issuance of entry clearance by taking biometric fingerprints to reduce the influx of illegal immigrants into Britain. The mission has also started on-line visa applications to cope with the long queues at Umoja House.

An MCC team defeated Zanzibar Cricket Stars by 133 runs to 88 in a friendly international. A big crowd saw how the islanders gave the British team a ‘good run for its money’. Deputy British High Commissioner, Tony Brennan, who played on the MCC side, lauded the island team for its high standard. He said the MCC expected to meet even stiffer competition when they meet again in 2008.

Parliament’s Speaker Samuel Sitta has explained how he was now wearing a new gown made in the UK. “It took long to finish as it was stitched with gold thread.” However, he said, he would continue wearing the old gown that had been in use for 12 years, “After all it is not exactly in tatters” he said – Habari Leo.

Writing in the GUARDIAN (August 16th) Xan Rice describes how the three British senior managers of City Water were forcibly escorted out of Tanzania on June 1st 2005 to mark the end of City Water’s involvement in water supply in Dar-es-Salaam but also the beginning of a long legal dispute between BiWater plc (which led the consortium) and the Tanzanian Government (See previous issues of TA – Editor related stories ) Continue reading →