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Compiled by Michael Wise and John Budge

ADULT education in Tanzania: Swedish contributions in perspective, edited by Gunnar Rydstrom. Lonkoping Centre for Adult Education 1996 171p (Centre for Adult Education serles, 10) ISBN 91-7871-839-2, SEK 160 Obtainable from Vuxenutbildarcentrum, Lonkopings universitet S-58 L 83 Linkoping, Sweden

This is an anthology, based on the involvement and interaction of four Swedes, five Tanzanians, and two other expatriates in the adult education movement. The fist of the three main sections provides the “background to Sweden’s commitment to international aid in general and to adult education in Tanzania in particular”. Rolfe Sunden, in his article “How it all began” traces the history of Swedish involvement in adult education and folk development colleges in Tanzania. The author discusses the emergence and significance of the Social Democratic Party in Sweden and its belief, in the 1960s, that it could have “something to contribute to the new states, those just declared independent or those struggling for independence”. It is also emphasised that Sweden was particularly sympathetic to President Nyerere’s philosophy of Uhuru, Maendeleo, Demokrasi.

The second part provides four lengthy essays narrating personal experiences of Swedish participants. Folke Albinson discusses, amongst other things, his involvement in training adult education personnel: differences between the Swedish environment and that of Tanzania in terms of awareness of colleagues, teaching methods, economic circumstances and so forth. The example of his typist, Hamis, made him aware of the fact that “living conditions for almost all of the Tanzanian staff’ were more or less the same”. Perhaps Gunnar Rydstrom had the most challenging task. He was presented with a “short list of urgent requests: to get some kind of adult education journal or magazine going, to produce a handbook for adult educators, specifically geared to Tanzanian needs, and study materials to be used in evening classes and other courses”.

The third section presents contributions from Tanzanians. namely Yusuf Kassam. Nicholas Kuhanga. Paul Mhaiki and Shaaban Msuya, narrating their experience of participating In the Swedish input to adult education Most of them write as administrators. and it would perhaps have been appropriate for the beneficiaries to have been given an opportunity to air their views a: this point. Apart from narration of the various authors’ personal experiences in Tanzania, the book also shows some common points of agreement that the success of adult education in the country is attributed to, inter alia, personal commitment of President Nyerere at the time, favourable policies, commitment and dedication of administrators, favourable economic conditions and a warm Sweden-Tanzania relationship. The book presents such a picture of positive Swedish contribution that it would have been equally interesting to know why Sweden had to withdraw its support

Ali A.S Mcharazo

CHELEWA, chelewa: the dilemma of teenage girls, edited by Zubeida Tumbo-Masabo and Rita Lijestrom Uppsala Scandanavian Institute of African Studies. 1994 218p. ISBN 91-7106-354-4, distributed by Almqvist & Wiksell International, Stocknolm $15.95p

This interesting volume comes out of work by a team at the University of Dar es Salaam funded by the Swedish Agency for Research Co-operation with Developing Countries. The authors focus on a series of problems faced by young women. There are the health hazards faced by girls as young as thirteen due to pregnancy following on early marriage and casual sex. There is their low representation relative to boys beyond primary education. There are state laws that target those who commit abortions or infanticide and stipulate expulsion from school for pregnancy, whilst doing little to support girls who bear children and thereby jeopardise their education, job and marriage prospects. Exploited by men; disregarded by fathers, even their mothers may withdraw, blamed by their husbands for the disgrace the girl may bring to the family. Older women mock them in the pain of labour: -‘You thought it was ice-cream. Taste the sweetness of it now!’. (p. 181)

One of the challenging questions raised by the studies in this book relates to changes in the way young women learn about sex. There has always been a powerful taboo on discussion of such matters within the family; in the past it was the responsibility of the whole community to socialise young people through initiation ceremonies In some areas these collective rituals survive, but in many ways they are fading. given the onslaught of urbanisation, labour migration Islam, Christianity and ‘modern’ education systems. So too is the wider influence of kinsfolk and community in nuclear family affairs, whilst parents, schools and clinics have been unable successfully to fill the gap.

Hence Ntukulu’s call here for the revival of collective initiation ceremonies. On the other side of the argument, Shuma points out that in Lindi, where such ceremonies are still prevalent, there is a high level of teenage pregnancies as well as of maternal and child mortality in childbirth.

Two issues are raised here. The first is the value of continuing community concern for young women and the expression of this through collective means, whilst the second concerns the substance as well as the style of the teaching in initiation ceremonies. Shuma notes that in Lindi the matrilineal system of kinship does not stigmatise girls for becoming pregnant before marriage as responsibility is taken by their mother’s brothers to whose lineage children are affiliated. High rates of mortality have more to do with levels of poverty than with ignorance. In other areas there is a contradiction between teaching about sex and then expecting young people to abstain for many years. Tumbo-Masabo also argues that the teaching in such settings was always didactic, with girls unable to ask questions for fear of seeming too forward. It is also evident that girls’ initiation rites entailed learning subservience to the power of men, rather than the gender equality which ‘Tumbo-Masabo sees as essential to improving the lives of young women. This is a book that puts young people on the research agenda and raises issues of sexuality age and gender in a way that is relevant not only to other parts of Africa but also more widely Janet Bujra

CUSTODIANS of the land: ecology und culture in the history of Tanzania edited by Gregory Maddox, James Giblin and Isaria N Kimambo. London James Currey. Dar es Salaam Mkuki na Nyota. l996 xiv, 271p , £12.95p ISBN 0-8214-1134-9

This interesting collection brings together nine papers written by historians which consider interactions between local agricultural systems, human development and the environment in various different regions of Tanzania during different historical periods. The great strength of the collection is the detailed evidence provided, from excellent scholarly research amongst archival material as well as more easily available publications, of the diverse nature of agriculture and population dynamics of this huge country – material which will be of great use to Africanist students and scholars from a range of disciplines.

The book is presented in four sections. each considering a different aspect of environmental interrelationships. The first focuses on demographic issues and the first demographic paper, by Koponen provides some fascinating insights into Tanzanian population dynamics during the colonial period. The material on fertility rates and of truly terrifying levels of infant mortality I found particularly compelling. The other in this section provides a case study of environment and population growth during the colonial period in Ugogo. central Tanzania.

Part two focuses on the relationship between environmental change and human history in the northern highlands. Kimambo’s paper on precolonial development in Usambara, the Pare Mountains and on Kilimanjaro examines the significance of trade as a stimulant to economic innovation (presented here as a challenge to the idea that precolonial societies were inherently unable to respond to market opportunities). The discussion is enlivened by the author’s own background of being brought up on Kilimanjaro, and he brings personal experience to his examination of aspects of local agricultural systems. The second paper, by Conte, deals with the Usambara Mountains and the Impact of settlement by Wambugu pastoralists on the high forests

The third section on politics and environmental change contains two chapters examining environmental and agricultural issues in eastern Tanzania at different times: Handeni District in the nineteenth and early twentieth century and the Uluguru Mountains of Morogoro in the 1940s and 1950s. Both draw attention to the way in which political organisation can affect the environment – for example settled, organised and stable populations were able to create environments more suited to human occupation and development than the ‘natural’ vegetation and flora (e.g. ticks and tsetse flies) would allow.. Thus weakening the political structures easily leads to increased human vulnerability as the environment becomes ‘degraded’ – not in the usual sense utilised in the ecological literature, where human intervention is the cause of degradation, but in the more people-friendly sense that the environment is less productive for human needs because there is too little human intervention.

The fourth section, entitled Environmental and Morality, provides detailed case studies of agricultural and environmental issues in precolonial Buha, western Tanzania; early colonial times in the Kilombero Valley, and the 1950s in Mount Meru. In each case compelling evidence is presented of the existence of institutionalised concepts of ‘proper’ resource use amongst local communities, which was tied in not only to the exercise of indigenous political authority, but also to much more individual or very locally-based moral economies.

As a non-historian it is possible to feel that some of the authors might have found their positions easier to develop had they looked at more of the literature from outside their discipline – particularly geographical and contemporary demographic studies. Overall this is a valuable contribution to the literature on African environmental history. It should be of interest to any student of Tanzanian affairs in general, and provide valuable case study material for readers from a wide variety of disciplines, including geography, environmental studies and demography as well as history.
Deborah Potts

Jeffrey MEEKER, The Precarious socio-economic position of women in rural Africa the case of the Kaguru of Tanzania. Jeffrey Meeker and Dominique Meekers African studies review 40 (1) April 1997, p 35-58

There seems to be a common belief that while men in rural African societies ‘enjoy life’, often succumbing to the alleged ‘delights’ of drunkenness, laziness and debauchery, their women folk struggle valiantly against great odds to maintain a reasonable standard of living for their children and, incidentally, for their good-for-nothing- husbands. Although this is a dangerous general assumption, the authors found when interviewing a large number of representative women that they seemed to confirm that, sadly, it is not a complete misconception.

While then women are typically engaged in agricultural, household and income-earning work, they do not experience equal access to educational and economic resources because they are restrained by family relationships, land-holding customs, household power structures and other financial and social realities.

The Kaguru who occupy a hilly area in the Morogoro region, are cultivators mainly of millet, sorghum and maize, and keep chickens, goats and sheep. The land is relatively fertile but recurrent droughts, floods and rodent infestations often destroy the harvest, sometimes resulting in severe famine.

While attempting to secure universal primary school enrolment, various African countries find it impossible to achieve the same result in secondary education. particularly in rural areas where parents are too poor to afford fees. The writers suggest that the implementation of World Bark Structural Adjustment Programmes tends to decrease government spending, causing more difficulty for parents, especially of girls, who are in any case traditionally expected to remain at home, or be solely wives and mothers. One woman declared, “Yes. I went to school. In those days there was only up to Standard Four. If you pass, you proceed. I actually passed but my Father wanted me to get married so that he received bridewealth.”

Women suffered by the introduction of cash crops that altered the customary household division of labour, with men becoming increasingly involved their production, while women continued to grow food for the family, from decreased allocation of arable land. The revenue from cash crops generally goes to the men, and women have only limited access to credit services. They also suffer most in cases of divorce, separation or widowhood. They most usually generate income through non agricultural activities such as bee-keeping, pottery making, baskets and mats, charcoal and beer-brewing, most especially during times of general economic hardship; when their income generation is often needed for the household’s survival.

It is reported as being not uncommon for women and children to have no shoes or adequate clothing, although the husband and father may be relatively wealthy. “My husband doesn’t care for the children … I have to pay the school fees and buy the uniforms.” Some men seem to believe that extra-curricular activities by their wives might undermine their authority.

The authors observe that since the early 1980s economic growth has stagnated, making the future prospect ‘grim’. Women would receive substantial help by the provision of more wells and grain mills, and from switching to alternative fuel, such as propane, instead of having to search for wood. This study provided valuable evidence of the social deficiencies that hold back economic advance and human wellbeing in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
JB

Thomas P. OFCANSKY. Historical Dictionary of Tanzania,2nd ed by Thomas P. Ofcansky and Rodger Yeager Lanham Md. London Scarecrow Press, 1997 xxxi, 291p (African historical dictionaries no 72) ISBN 0-8108-3244-5, $US 69

How very difficult is the task of compiling a dictionary that will encapsulate, through short entries, the recorded history of a country. This one, which is the seventy second (and now revised, which shows the continuing demand for the record provided), follows the publisher’s established pattern of providing short entries, almost never more than two pages long, which give concise information about personalities, institutions and bodies, and outstanding movements and events significant in the history of Tanzania. It ends with a classified bibliography. around 100 pages long, of publications considered important in studying the history of the country

Thus, dipping almost at random there are consecutive entries for Chuma, James (one of Livingstone’s companions), Church Missionary Society, City States (Kilwa, Pemba, and so on), Clarke. Edward A. (Consul General in Zanzibar early in this century), Closer Union (a proposal in the 1920s); Clove Growers’ Association: Cloves; Coal; Coconuts; Coffee; Colonial Development and Welfare Act, Common Market of East and South African States; Consolata Fathers: Constitutions, Cooperative Societies And so it proceeds. This is far more than a mere collection of names of individuals who have helped to shape Tanzania, but they are there too; all kept in proportion by the publisher’s evident insistence on keeping the resultant dictionary within manageable and economic proportions. So even Nyerere, Julius K. gets only a page and a half, as does his successor. This treatment of the subjects does, however, risk becoming pedestrian, because of the constraint on recounting much detail of controversial matters, or outlining telling aspects of personal character. Such is the nature of dictionary compilation.

As with most of the other dictionaries in this series, it is a most welcome and useful addition to general/ specialist information on Tanzania. Yes, every attentive user will discover omissions, but would they have achieved such formidable coverage as Ofcansky and Yeager have done? They deserve whole-hearted commendation for this excellent revised dictionary. The bibliography is unusually fine, even for this series, and must surely leave the Clio Press, publishers of the World Bibliographical series on most countries in the world concerned about their own impact. The bibliography at the end of this work, with some 2.000 references, admittedly presented without any annotations, is considerably longer than the content of the average Clio bibliographical guide.
MW

Francis G. Smith, Three cells of honeycomb. Privately printed, 1994 by Dr F G Smith 36 Vincent Street/ Nedlands WA 6009 Australia xii, 248p, ISBN 0 9587538 5 7 $AUS 25 inc p&p in Australia, £15 p&p to UK by air

This is the autobiography of Francis Smith, who has used the metaphor of honeycomb cells to represent three periods of his life, in Britain, Tanzania and Australia. He worked in Tanzania from 1949 until independence in 1962. and was responsible for introducing many improvements in honey and beeswax production. If you are not interested in beekeeping don’t however give this book a miss. It gives an interesting insight as to what it was like being a government officer at that time, and is written most entertainingly.

For example, after describing problems encountered when locating nests of stingless bees: “There was a story that a team of British army surveyors, working under these difficult conditions, received complaints about the condition of their field notebooks, which they sent periodically to the mapping branch in England. In reply, between the pages of the next set of field notebooks, they included hairs of the buffalo beans (which cause considerable irritation). Complaints ceased.”

On arrival in Tanzania Dr Smith was confronted with a problem of ‘sticky wax’ which was useless and polluted true beeswax, but whose origin was unknown. In a few months he started on the trail of the culprit and the whodunit nature of the text would go well in a TV soap, but probably be rather more original and entertaining. Obviously Francis Smith’s time in Tanganyika was great fun and this comes through. It makes a good read.
David Gooday

Laura SYKES. Dar es Salaam: a dozen drives around the city, by Laura Sykes and Uma Waide. Dar es Salaam: Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, 1997 154p., ISBN 9976 973 357. Distributed by African Books Collective Ltd. 27 Park End Street. Oxford OXJ LW, U.K.

As the authors state in their introduction, this is not merely a straightforward tourist guide to the main sights of Dar es Salaam. In its detail it makes up for the casual attention paid to the city by the majority of guidebooks to Tanzania, which assume that the capital will be merely a staging post for the greater excitements of parks, coasts and mountains. This delightful accumulation of information about Dar arises from the enthusiastic recognition, by two expatriates. that they had the good luck to have come to live in a city with a long and interesting history, of which a remarkable amount survives in buildings that are still extant.

The outcome of their investigations is arranged as twelve systematic routes by car; for the obvious reason that the climate is likely to make much consecutive walking an endurance test. It is, however, easy to use the book as a sampler for information by anyone who looks about them as they go around the entire metropolitan area. The excellent index facilitates this, and the photographs whet the appetite to get out and about. The text is one to dip into, and almost any casual flip of the pages brings up facts. quotations, historical references, which illuminate so much better than the average encapsulated hard facts of where to stay and eat and catch a bus, which are the mainstay of many comprehensive’ guidebooks for travellers with limited time. Not that this overlooks those essentials of daily life for the traveller and resident alike.

To take one example of the care taken by the authors to draw an interested stranger into a feeling of place. Their description of the important commercial sector, Kariakoo, occupies, together with the itinerary for going there and coming array again, nine pages of concisely presented description and background information. Compare such treatment of the main market area of a large city with that given in an average guide book.

I had the good luck along with my wife to be infected by Mrs Sykes enthusiasm for Calcutta a few years ago. This latest jointly authored outcome of her interest in another city of great character is highly recommended. For the curious traveller who wishes to know more than an average guidebook has space to tell.
MW

The UNSUNG heroines: women’s life histories from Tanzania; edited by Magdelene Ngaiza and Bertha Koda Uar es Salaam WRDP Publications 1991 232p ISBN 9987 8820 l l, no price stated

This book takes seven ordinary Tanzanian women who are used as a basis for interpretation of issues confronting women in contempora9 Tanzania. It’s review here, some six years after publication, indicates our opinion that it still has validity as a useful documentary record. Their life histories are told by themselves, and theoretical analyses and interpretations are provided by women scholars. The articles have the same structure, starting with narration of the subject’s life history, and proceeding to interpretations and conclusions about the impact of social and political factors on each of the women. Among them are ‘Life history of Bibi a woman in urban Tanga”, by Bibi with P Mbughuni. “My life is a life of struggles: the life history of a young barmaid’ by Anna X with Alice Nkoma- Wamunza; “A migrant peasant woman in the city” by Eve with A. Nkebukwa; and “The life history of a housewife”, by Mama Koku with M. Ygaiza;

The interpretations are, for instance, that Bibi’s history, like that of many Tanzanian women of her generation, is dominated by the struggle against colonialism and also male domination, while the story of Anna X shows how it “takes a woman of extreme courage to work as a barmaid”. Anna, the narrator states however that she does not believe that all barmaids are necessarily prostitutes, nor that all customers are looking for sex. Her life history is taken by the commentator to show how factors such as Employment Ordinance; job security; lack of credit facilities; are some of the instruments that have been used to perpetuate the subordination of women in society.

Rural-urban migration, bride price, the institution of marriage and household economy are also discussed in the context of the fundamentals of democracy. The book addresses an extremely important area which has not been sufficiently investigated. Since the experience of Tanzanian women is more or less similar to that of women elsewhere in the developing world it can also be useful in other countries.
Alli A. S. Mcharazo


Three from New Holland (Publishers) Ltd.
Lisa ASCH, Traveller’s guide to Tanzania, by Lisa Asch and Peter Blackwell 1997. 192p. £14-99
GLOBETROTTER travel map – Tanzania 1996 £4-99
Graham MERCER, (Globetrotter travel guide – Tanzania 1996 128p , E6-99

New Holland Publishers is a truly International company, using Far Eastern printing sources and East African authors and photographers to produce their exciting new trilogy of Tanzanian travel.

The folding travel map in particular is excellent and good value. More than just a map of the county, it includes detailed street plans of Dar es Salaam and other major cities, as well as large scale projections of popular tourist destinations such as national parks. Mount Kilimanjiro and the Great Lakes.

The larger of the two guidebooks contains a wealth of superb photographs and detailed, often scholarly and erudite information on many aspects of Tanzania – from archaeology, geology and pre-history to anthropology, agriculture, forestry, history and politics, in addition to the expectable tourist data on wildlife, parks, beaches, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.

The smaller of the two books is a true gu1debook also well illustrated and ideal for a short-stay visitor

Both books are ideal for young (in heart) adventurous travellers and arc spiced with an earthy sense of humour. The smaller volume starts “Tanzania is among the World’s poorest countries and at times among its most exasperating. For visitors it can often be expensive, hot, unsophisticated and exhausting. But there can be few, if any countries in the World which are more exciting.” The longer book has an awesome photo of what might well be a dry river bed, with the laconic caption “The road between Dodoma and Arusha will challenge the skills of all drivers ”
I enjoyed the whole set and learnt a lot, not least that Mount Kilimanjaro is apparently popularly known nowadays as ‘Kily’!
Randal Sadlier

Publications Noted

Jacob L. KIMARYO, Urban design and space use: a study of Dar es Salaam City Centre. Lund: University of Lund, 1996. (School of Architecture, Department of Building Function Analysis; report 1 : 1996). No price stated. (Dissertation)

Vesa-Matti LOISKEb, The Village that vanished: the roots of erosion in a Tanzanian village Stockholm University of Stockholm, 1995 (Meddelanden kin Kulturgeograiiska institutionen , no B9.1) No price stated (Dissertation)

Roger PFISTER, Internet for Africanists and others interested in Africa: an introduction to the Internet and a comprehensive complilation of relevant addresses. Bern: Swiss Society of African Studies (SAG-SSE.1): Basel- Basler rZfrika Bibliographien (B.-). 1996 140p.. ISBN 3-905 141-67-1. 20CHF.

This is possibly the most comprehensive and helpful directory of Africanist Internet locations that has appeared to date. It provides an introduction to Internet connection and search techniques that appears to be designed for those (in Africa?) who require such assistance and encouragement, which is followed by the substance of the guide. This consists of country codes and lists of African and Africana Internet sites arranged broadly by topics and by types, mailing lists and news groups.

There are, of course many more websites of Afrcanist content outside than in the continent, and they grow apace. It is worth noting here the recent arrival of Electronic Journal of Africana Bibliography, whose web site address is http:///www.lib.uiowa.edu/proj/ejab/index.html and of Peter Limb’s A-Z of African Studies on the Internet, with web site address www.library.uwa.edu.au/sublibs/sch/sc_ml_afr.html must hope that Roger Pfister’s very useful guide will be updated to take account of the increasing number of sites becoming available, and it deserves wide publicity.

Joan I. SMITH. Heart of Africa. Privately printed, 1992 by Dr. F.G Smith 36
Vincent Street Nedlands WA 6009 Austra1ia.u. 202p.., ISBNO 9587538 4 9, $AUS 20 inc p.&p in Australia. f15 p&p to UK by air
. A Patch of Africa. Privately printed, 1996 by Dr F.G. Smith; 36 Vincent Street, Nedlands WA 6009 Australia vii. 232p.., ISBK 0 9587538 1 4, $&US 20 inc p.&p.in Australia; £15 p.&p. to UK by air.
Two collections of stories and reminiscences about an absorbing and affectionately remembered expatriate family life in Tanganyika during the 1950s

75 Years, Baldegg Sisters, Capuchin Brothers in Tanzania; editor: Marita Haller- Dirr. Lucerne: Swiss Capuchin Province; Dar es Salaam: Tanzanian Capuchin Province, 1997., 1 SSp., no price stated. (Obtainable from Capuchii Friary Office, P.O. Box 9174, Dar es Salaam).

An unusually impressive commemorative volume. Well illustrated and with articles in German, Swahili or English it conveys the sense of purpose that has been followed by the order during its period of work in Tanzania.

TA ISSUE 57

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CORRUPTION REPORT SHAKES THE COUNTRY
MINISTER RESIGNS
TANZANIA’S RAPIDLY IMPROVING ECONOMY
SURPRISE BY-ELECTION RESULTS
‘BARRED FROM ANIMAL KINGDOM’
PHYSICS – THE MPEMBA EFFECT

PLAUDITS FOR TANZANIA’S ECONOMY

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‘One African country that seems unable to put a foot wrong at the moment is Tanzania’ according to the March issue of ‘African Business’. IMF Director for Africa Goodall Gondwe spoke of Tanzania’s improving economy as a ‘tremendous achievement’. ‘Africa Confidential’ headed its most recent article on Tanzania: ‘Baby Tiger – At Last Some Good Economic News to Bolster President Mkapa’s Multi-party Democracy’ as some people even began to say that Tanzania could develop, in the new millennium, into one of the first ‘tiger economies’ in Africa.

ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT RELIEF
It was announced on January 23 that Tanzania had received a seal of approval from the Paris Club of donors. It had been given the most generous terms of debt reduction currently available for the world’s poorest nations – a debt relief programme of $1 billion (Shs 600 billion). The total debt is $7.8 billion. This relief should bring the government’s debt repayment to the 12 Club members in the financial year 1996/97 to Shs 44 billion instead of the Shs 100 billion anticipated. The remaining Shs 56 billion ($700 million) will be either rescheduled or refinanced over a period of 23 years including a six-year grace period on debt payment. In addition each creditor country can – separately – convert some Tanzanian debt into development projects. The creditor nations said that Tanzania’s very low per capita income and its very severe debt burden justified an exceptional treatment of the debt.

The debt relief followed President Mkapa’s agreement to split the National Bank of Commerce into three parts. World Bank Resident Representative Ron Brigish said the debt relief was a major pat on the back for the government of President Mwinyi and its tough economic policies. “Tanzania is now back in the fold” he said.

VERY ENCOURAGING SIGNS IN THE LATEST ECONOMIC DATA
Tanzania’s GDP growth rate reached 4.5% in the first half of 1996/97 and Tanzania’s foreign reserves have reached a record $450 million, the highest in the country’s history, following strong export growth and new donor support. Inflation has dropped at a record rate from 27% a year ago to 13.8% in February this year, the lowest figure for 11 years. Export earnings are up from $500 million on average for the last five years to $762 million last year. Revenue collection has improved substantially from Shs 29 million per month last year to Shs 45 million this year. The over-manned and underpaid civil service has been cut back from 335,000 to 275,000 since 1992 and those made redundant have received donor- financed compensation packages.

Foreign investors are coming back slowly but many are waiting for the passage of the new ‘Investment Bill’ which came before parliament in April. New investors in mining have recently claimed to have found up to 410 metric tonnes of gold which could eventually put Tanzania in the same league as South Africa and Ghana as an African gold producer. The huge new project in Kilwa, now well under way, will provide Dar es Salaam (and even parts of Kenya) with electricity from natural gas within two years. Tourism is beginning a boom – receipts are up from $250 million in 1995 to $322 million in 1996 and new hotels are springing up all over the country. And between 1992 and 1996, 125 of the country’s 400 mostly dilapidated parastatal industries have been wholly or partially privatised and many are now coming back into production. For the first time in its recent history, as a result of its tight monetary and credit stance, the government is expected to be in a position to meet 60% of its expenses during the next financial year instead of relying on borrowing or from the donor community for the major part of its expenditure.

The Dar es Salaam ‘Business Times’ is full of praise for what it believes to be the recommendations of the ‘Presidential Task Force on Tax Rationalisation’ which was due to present its report as this issue of TA went to press. The proposals could, if implemented, increase revenue collection from this years’ estimated Shs 564 billion to Shs 790 billion next year. ‘This would be a phenomenal improvement over a single year’ the paper wrote.

Meanwhile, the second tranche ($40million) of the IMF’s Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) has been released; the money is to help increase allocations in the 1996/97 budget for the very hard pressed education, health and water supply sectors of the economy.

Finance Minister Daniel Yona attributed these positive trends in the economy to the radical reforms adopted in the mid-1980’s at the behest of the World Bank and the IMF.

FOREIGN AID RESUMES
Following the agreements with the IMF, the freeze on foreign aid, which was introduced at the time of the tax exemption scandal two years ago, has now ended. Tanzania has been picked as one of the six developing countries in Africa selected for Japanese aid; a representative of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Japan was impressed by Tanzania’s political and economic changes. The EC’s latest package of grant aid for Tanzania is the second largest to be given amongst all 70 member countries of the ACP. Norway has agreed to provide $50 million in development aid this year, Denmark has promised Shs 150 billion and the African Development Bank is releasing $21.5 million for the first phase of a $281 million project to ease Dar es Salaam’s chronic water shortage.

But, to put matters into perspective, it has also been announced recently that about 60% of rural people and 39% of urban inhabitants have incomes below the poverty line.

AND IN ZANZIBAR
Here too, in spite of the continued reluctance of foreign donors to give further assistance pending a solution to the political deadlock, the economic news has been encouraging. The ‘Business Times’ reports that GDP growth was 3.9% in 1996/97 compared with 3.7% the previous year. Clove production increased to 10,105 tons last season, the best for three years but copra went down by 51%. Inflation has dropped to 12.6% compared with 30.8% the previous year. Revenue collection remained poor. Tourism has become Zanzibar’s second most important foreign exchange earner (after cloves). Tourist numbers increased from less than 30,000 in 1985 to 56,415 in 1995 and the number of hotels and guest houses had increased from 10 to 100.

AND THE NOT SO GOOO NEWS
Tanzania has shown once again how harsh its climate can be. Following the failure of the short rains, severe drought – in some areas the worst for forty years according to the ‘East African’ – has been afflicting almost four million people in nine regions of the country and foreign donors have been asked for assistance. Dar es Salaam’s three million population has been suffering from severe water shortage because of the very low level of the Ruvu river and breakdowns in equipment.

And then, with the beginning of the main rains in late March, the skies opened all over the country and there have very been very severe floods. Some 40 people are believed to have been killed and 2,100 people have been rendered homeless in Kilwa District.

WARIOBA REPORT SHAKES TANZANIA

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There has never been anything quite like it in Tanzania or even in many other countries. Few administrations in the world seem to be as willing as the Mkapa government to wash their dirty linen in so public a way. There were screaming headlines and juicy stories in the press. Some tabloid newspapers began serialising it. And some big people were mentioned including a former prime minister, a cabinet minister, six former cabinet ministers, a former chief secretary, a chief engineer and a former mayor of Dar es Salaam.

The 521-page report published by former Prime Minister and Attorney General Joseph Warioba and his nine-person Presidential Commission has revealed corruption everywhere:

• in 20 lodges and hotels in game parks and in hotels in Dar es Salaam and Kigoma;
• in the offices of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Attorney General, the ministries of education, health and lands;
• in the Treasury and the ‘Investment Promotion Centre’ where tax exemptions had been given to rich businessmen;
• in the use of the VIP lounge at the Dar es Salaam airport;
• in the National Bank of Commerce (uncovered loans);
• in 15 private companies (not repaying loans);
• in the social services (for example, demanding money for hospital beds);
• and especially in the police force where it was said to be deep-rooted throughout the hierarchy; and in the courts (‘judgements are written in the streets without even a hearing’);
• amongst journalists for ‘cheque book’ journalism – accepting bribes to write or not to write revealing stories; and so on.

The Warioba Report said that Tanzania inherited the ‘Colonial Anti-Corruption Law’ of 1958. The report went on: “Because at that time public servants observed ethical standards for civil servants and because corruption was limited to the lower and middle grade officers who had direct connections with the delivery of services to the public, this law was adequate. After independence, the public service expanded very rapidly, public servants started to behave contrary to the civil service code of conduct and began to use their offices for private economic gain …….it has become evident that the greatest source of corruption in the country is (now) not the poor economy and low salaries, although these too have played some part. The greatest source is laxity of leadership in overseeing the implementation of established norms …. most leaders do not understand the seriousness of the problem …. most believe that corruption is more widespread in the lower and middle grades of the public service. In the Police Force 123 policemen had been dismissed for corruption in the last six years but of these 120 had been constables and only one was of the rank of Assistant Superintendent … if we want to rid ourselves of corruption we must begin by cleaning the top leadership ranks:

The report makes a large number of recommendations covering all departments of government. Among recommendations are the following:

• the setting up of a ‘Truth Commission’ to prepare a code of ethics, to administer oaths, to take legal action against those making false declarations ….
• declaration by leaders of all presents received ….
• forfeiture of property for breaches of established rules …
• changes in the Anti-Corruption Bureau … the benefits for its employees should be improved;
• policemen should be transferred more frequently;
• the size of the government should be reduced …… and many more.

President Mkapa has announced that a team of experts is working on the feasibility of taking criminal action against those implicated in the report. If there was enough basis for action the culprits would be prosecuted. If not, disciplinary action like retirement would be instituted.

The Warioba Report had its critics. Munir Daya in the ‘Sunday News’ wrote that the persons mentioned in the report had been tried, convicted and punished by the press without them being given a chance to defend themselves. Ludovic Ngatara in the Dar es Salaam ‘Guardian’ used the simile ‘Unchained dogs after long captivity’ to describe the opportunity which had been offered, when, in the late eighties, the CCM’s unpopular ‘Leadership Code’ had been abandoned and replaced by the ‘Zanzibar Declaration’. ‘The unchained party and government leaders ‘ he wrote, ‘rushed for all sorts of whatever seemed to be of some value for enriching themselves’. The article then listed examples of these things, including funds levied for the construction of the CCM headquarters, foreign exchange obtained for export crops, donor funds, bank borrowings, land reserved for wildlife. . . . .. and went on to say that, since nearly all government and party leaders had been involved in corruption, the Warioba Commission should have named those who were not corrupt. “Everyone has been doing it, Why only us?” (Thank you Simon Hardwick for bringing this latter news to my attention – Editor).

MINISTER RESIGNS
A few days after the report was published, and in which he had been mentioned in connection with allegations about the issue of a hunting licence to the Deputy Minister of Defence in the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Juma Ngasongwa, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism resigned from the government. This, he said, in his letter of resignation, was ‘to enable state organs to investigate the allegations that featured in the report’. President Mkapa replied by commending the Minister saying that by the action he had taken he had demonstrated his sense of accountability and loyalty to the CCM. At the hearing of a separate election petition in court in March however, which alleged infringement of election rules by Dr. Ngasongwa, the judge found that all the charges against the MP’s conduct of his election campaign had been ‘baseless’.

NEW ANTI-CORRUPTION MEASURES
On February 21 Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye directed the new Tanzania Revenue Authority to sack all its corrupt officials (“who are known to fellow workers” he said) before the end of their one-year probationary period. Instructions were also issued that by June 30, Ministers, Regional Commissioners, District Commissioners, and departmental and parastatal heads had to submit to the Prime Minister reports on the actions they intended to take to stop corruption in their respective jurisdictions in accordance with the Warioba Report.

CABINET RESHUFFLE

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President Mkapa announced a minor Cabinet reshuffle on February 3:

Ministers: Finance – Daniel Yona
Industries and Trade – Dr.William Shija
Health – Dr. Aaron Chiduo
Natural Resources and Tourism – Ms Zakhia Meghji
Minerals – Dr. Abdallah Kigoda
Minister of State: Vice-President’s Office: Bakari Mbonde
Prime Minister’s Office: M. S. Khatib
Planning: Nassor Malocho
Deputy Ministers: Health: Gladness Mziray
Agriculture: Prof. P Mbawala
Education: Bujiku Sakila
Finance: Monica Mbega
Water: Ismail Ivwata
Minerals: Manju Msambya

MORE SURPRISE BY-ELECTION RESULTS

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Once again Tanzania’s unpredictable electorate has surprised the nation. This was in the second and third by-elections under the multi-party system. The results of the Magu, (Mwanza Region) by-election, following the death of the late MP Mr Malaki Lupondije and the Morogoro North by-election, following the murder of Professor Nicas Mahinda MP, are given below. Some mystery surrounds the death of Professor Mahinda. The police have been quoted as saying that the MP was probably killed by a bullet from his own shotgun fired by his mason, Mr Franco William, while some 30 armed bandits were raiding the professor’s beach house in Dar es Salaam. Mr William was arrested.

MAGU, MWANZA (March 3, 1997):
John Cheyo – United Democratic Party (UDP) 30,737 (54.7%)
Dr. Festus Limbu – Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) 17,916 (31.9%)
Cosmas Chenyenge – National Convention for Constitution and Reform (NCCR- Mageuzi) 4,833 (8.6%)
Chasten Naswanyiwa – CHADEMA 596 (1.06%)
John Makoye – Civic United Front (CUF) 434 (0.84%)
Spoilt votes 1,671

MOROGORO NORTH (March 23, 1997):
Su1eiman Saddiq – CCM 24,076 (64.2%)
Theodori Mkwidu – NCCR-Mageuzi 9,780 (26.01%)
Constansio Mbena – CHADEMA 1,429 (3.8%)
Pastor Lungalame – CUF 709 (1.89%)
Bogor Ponera – UDP 551 (1.47%)

At first sight the Magu result looks like a purely tribal vote – Sukuma people voting for one of their own. But rural Tanzanians are accustomed to doing this. In the days of the one-party state, MP’s tended to look after their own areas and if they did this conscientiously they would be re-elected. In this case, Magu voters had the additional satisfaction of being able to vote for a local man who also held the prestigious position of National Chairman of his UDP party and had been a presidential candidate in the 1995 general election. The voters must have been bemused by the behaviour of Tanzania’s two main parties. CCM recruited as their candidate a well-known local businessman who had been the NCCR candidate for the seat during the general elections – which indicates how much more important personalities are than policies in Tanzania’s fledgling democracy. For the previously triumphant leading opposition party the NCCR-Mageuzi, still on a wave following its great victory in the Temeke by-election, the result was a disaster and a salutary lesson. The party had been strongly advised not to contest this by-election because Mr Cheyo had supported NCCR in the Temeke by-election and because of the need for the opposition parties to cooperate if they are ever to beat the CCM in the next general election. The NCCR announced that it had investigated the situation on the ground and had found that John Cheyo could not win. It then put in a massive effort in which virtually all its top leadership took part. But to no avail.

The Morogoro result is better understood when it is recalled that this seat has been won by Asian candidates in the past and also by the fact that former Secretary General of the CCM party Lawrence Gama is Regional Commissioner in Morogoro and must have been able to add his weight to the CCM campaign.

PARTY PROBLEMS
All Tanzania’s political parties have had headaches recently. For the CCM the loss of Magu was a severe blow but regaining Morogoro North must have raised morale.

The dramatic news about the death of its former Secretary General Mr Horace Kolimba (see Obituaries) at the precise time at which he had been summoned by the party’s Central Committee to explain his public criticisms of the party’s ‘lack of vision’, created a great shock. Comments on his views had varied from an accusation that he was a traitor to the party to more moderate expressions of opinion to the effect that he was right and that the party should be more open in discussing its aims and policies.

The CCM has also been embarrassed over an apparent recurrence of the kind of authoritarian action which was common in the days of the one-party state. The ‘Sunday News’ reported that on February 28, that, in spite of protests from some seven local and international journalists’ associations, Mr Adam Mwaibabile, a journalist in Songea, had been sentenced to one year in prison for ‘possessing confidential government documents’. The ‘document’ was apparently a letter from the former Regional Commissioner directing the Songea Municipal Director not to issue a business licence to the journalist, to enable him to run a stationery shop. According to the East African, the National Security Act of 1970 under which he was jailed had been criticised as long ago as 1992 by Chief Justice Nyalali as unconstitutional, oppressive and not fit to remain on the statute book. On March 14 the ‘Business Times’ reported that a squad of Dar es Salaam University dons had flown to Songea to take up the case. An appeal was subsequently launched in the High Court which decided that this was a civil case and Mr Mwaibabile was released, after one month in prison, pending further court consideration.

The split in the NCCR-Mageuzi party between the intellectuals like Mr Mabere Marando (who was briefly arrested at the Morogoro by-election for holding an illegal meeting) and the leader of the party, Mr Augustine Mrema, because the former do not believe that Mrema has the educational calibre to be the party’s presidential candidate in the next general election, is coming more into the open. When they appear together in public, the very popular Mr Mrema is usually loudly applauded but Mr Marando is not. The loss of two key by-elections must have added strains to party unity.

Meanwhile, the mainland and island branches of the Civic United Front (CUF) have apparently split. The mainland branch announced on January 22 that it was prepared to recognise Dr. Salmin Amour as President of Zanzibar, something which is totally unacceptable to the island branch of the Party. The previous day, fierce fighting involving knives, stones and bare hands had broken out at the Dar es Salaam meeting. The intruders were accused of being spies from the party’s top leadership in Zanzibar. The meeting was stopped by police.

MTIKILA RETURNS
The sudden re-emergence of the fiery Rev. Christopher Mtikila on to the political scene has created something of a sensation. Mtikila became very popular in the past with his extreme views on many issues, his attacks on non-indigenous Tanzanians and his vigorous denunciation of the Union between the mainland and Zanzibar, but he has been keeping a low profile for a long time. He was the first prominent opponent of the government when multi-partyism was introduced in 1992. He has tried since then to have his ‘Democratic Party’ registered but, as he refuses to accept the Union, this has always been refused. On March 31 he announced that he had joined the CHADEMA party and he was then selected to fight the Ludewa by-election scheduled for May 25 as the CHADEMA candidate. As this issue of TA goes to press, he has been arrested for allegedly inciting people to act violently and making false allegations against government leaders. Mtikila’s acceptance as a member of CHADEMA may be partly explained by the absence in hospital in Nairobi of Edwin Mtei, the party’s leader, and the growing influence of more radical members.

MORE BY-ELECTIONS
Election petitions which could lead to further by-elections are underway in Rungwe West where the advocate for the NCCR petitioner complained that the defending CCM MP had appointed two advocates; he requested the judge not to demand two lots of costs if he lost the case (laughter); in Ukonga, Dar es Salaam, where the CCM MP is alleged to have bribed voters by offering home brewed gin (gongo) to a football team; in Ilala, Dar es Salaam where the case has been making very slow progress during recent weeks; in Muleba, Bukoba where it was claimed that 13,330 registered voters did not vote because of poor control at polling stations; and at Kibaha where there was a long debate in court as to whether former CCM Secretary General Lawrence Gama could be admitted as a witness – eventually he was.

As this issue goes to press a by-election is underway in Kishapu (Shinyanga)which is close to Mr Cheyo’s home district of Bariadi. The death of Mr Horace Kolimba will mean a by-election in the Ludewa constituency on the northern shores of Lake Malawi and the resignation of Jospeh Warioba to take up an international post will mean a by-election in Musoma district

ZANZIBAR – THE LATEST

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Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Secretary General Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, who said that his father was from Pemba and his mother from Unguja, appealed for political tolerance in the isles during a visit to Tanzania in January. party politics should not be allowed to divide the people, he said. If the simmering political crisis was left unchecked it would jeopardise the unity of Zanzibaris and ultimately of Tanzania too. But as this issue of TA goes to press there is no sign of any resolution of the problem.

The Aga Khan and President Amour have inaugurated the Stone Town Cultural Centre housed in the ‘Old Dispensary’. President Mkapa has opened a new 51- room luxury Serena Hotel which has been converted from the colonial style Old Extelcoms Building and the Chinese Doctors Residence which once housed David Livingstone and later the British Consul – East African. President Amour announced on March I that the Isles’ government will in future have a fourth element in its security system. Vigilantes are to be given training, uniforms and special allowances to motivate them. The other security units are the Jeshi la Kujenga Uchumi (JKU), prison staff and coastal security guards (KMKM) – Sunday News.

Licenses have been issued to 43 journalists to allow them to work in Zanzibar. Those who have not yet applied for licenses, which cost Shs 6,000, risk being fined Shs500,000 or put in prison for up to five years – Daily News. A seaweed company in Pemba is offering free trips to Mecca for people able to sell more than 13.5 tons of seaweed to the company within six months. Zanzibar seaweed sales in 1994 totaled Shs 492 million – 27% of the Zanzibar GDP – Business Times.

An Italian and three South Africans have been fined $300 each and deported for working illegally in a Zanzibar hotel. People wanting work permits must apply for them while still abroad – Daily News

SPEED GOVERNORS

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Although it created temporary chaos all round the country the government stuck to its guns and insisted that from March 1 every bus authorised to carry passengers must have a speed governor fitted to limit speed to 60km/hour. Garages worked overtime as bus owners left the fitting of the governors to beyond the final date.

Wilson Kaigarula the satirical ‘Sunday Mail’ columnist wrote about his fellow journalist’s experiences:

• Since daladala buses were not operating Star reporter Mike Lukumbo decided to cycle to the city. He could have hired a cab but, since his pockets and money are on hostile Mobutu-Kabila-like terms, he couldn’t afford it. This would have the double advantage of impressing his editor that he is a dedicated reporter and would also enable him to trim his size to the Tanzania average …. He is the extreme opposite of a slim man. And that’s what caused the problem. After one kilometre, the old bicycle broke into two equal pieces. Lukurnbo suffered a king-size hip damage and was ferried … to Muhimbili by good Samaritans in a wheelbarrow which a cement dealer by the road had volunteered … to pick up a cab in the wake of the transport crisis would have cost 100,000/-.

• A distant voice – like the distant drums of Jim Reeves – told Sukhdev Msabaha that it was not for nothing that he had scored an A in his fourth form mathematics exam. He calculated that he could use his father’s seven-tonne tipper to make quick money …. half a minute after parking the tipper at the bus stand … it was filled with seven tonnes of illegal passengers, each of whom paid 500/- in advance. But half way through the journey the truck developed mechanical problems. He tried to revive it but to no avail. The passengers noisily demanded a refund of their fares. But the money was too sweet to surrender, so the mathematician-journalist calculated that he could solve the problem dramatically. He engaged the special gear that facilitates the contents of a tipper to spill backwards … .in the chaos he fled the scene ….

V.I.P. VISITORS

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Recent visitors to Tanzania have included Prince Charles and his two sons Prince William and Prince Harry who went to the Selous and other game parks and Mrs Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea who visited a USAID community-based development project in Arumeru district before going on a private visit to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti National Park.

TANZANIA DEFENDS ITSELF

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Midst severe criticism from the UN Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Amnesty International, Tanzania has defended its action in deporting 126 Burundi refugees who were later massacred by Burundian soldiers. Minister of Home Affairs Ali Ameir said that Tanzanian forces rounded up 157 Burundians who were engaged in factional fighting and had defied an order to turn themselves into Tanzanian police. Instead, they opted to return home after being identified as trouble makers by their fellow refugees. They were members of two radical Hutu groups fighting against the Tutsi-dominated Burundi government. The return to Rwanda of 500,000 Hutu refugees from Ngara and Karagwe was completed between December 14 and 29, 1996.