Tanzania
Friday, March 2nd, 2012
Page One: Key stories of the day
Sioi Sumari wins the Arumeru East primary run-off
CCM has finally settled on a candidate for the Arumeru East by-election after Mr. Sioi Sumari defeated Mr. William Sarakikya in a run-off to apparently secure his party’s nomination.
Africans petition President Kikwete on small-scale agriculture
Agricultural activists sent the President a petition signed by over 16,000 small-scale farmers asking for more investment in the sector, the largest employer of Africans in the continent.
President Kikwete: I signed off on the constitutional review to avoid a revolt by CCM backbenchers
In his monthly address to the nation, President Kikwete said that one of the key reasons as to why he signed off on the constitutional review was so that he could avoid an uprising by his own party’s MPs.
Power rationing returns after two major producers reduce supply to the national grid
IPTL and Aggresko, two key energy companies responsible for the supply of electricity in the country, have scaled back production precipitating regular blackouts nationwide.
Notable editorials/opinion pieces:
- ‘What gas discovery means to Tanzania’ | The Citizen
- ‘The challenges of blending politics and development at grassroots’ | The Guardian
- ‘The parliamentarian and the ideological pendulum’ | The African
- ‘Wabunge kutaka kujiuzulu kisa posho ni aibu’ [MPs wanting to resign over expenses is shameful] | Habari Leo
- ‘Dar es salaam bila uchafu haiwezekani?’ [Is a clean Dar es Salaam impossible?] | Nipashe
- ‘Kudos for compensating pastoralists, but…’ | Business Times
Other stories of note:
- ‘CUF yaendelea kupasuka Bara’ [ CUF continues to disintegrate in the Mainland ] | Nipashe
- ‘Tanzanians survive on one meal a day’ | Business Times
- ‘Over 16bn/- change hands daily at Kariakoo’| Daily News
- ‘Current downpour not long rain season – TMA’ | The Guardian
- ‘Meli yanusurika kuzama Z’bar’ [A ship almost sinks in Z'bar] | Mtanzania
- ‘Madaktari wagomea mazungumzo’ [Doctors refuse to negotiate] | Uhuru
- ‘Madiwani: Serikali itueleze Mwakyembe anaumwa nini’ [Local Councillors: Government should tell us what ails Mwakyembe] | Nipashe
- ‘Kauli ya JK urais 2015 yazua mtafaruku’ [JK's comment on the presidential race in 2015 causes problems ] | Majira
- ‘The Kingdom in a condition of bewliderment’ | The African
- ‘JK awalilia wanafunzi waliokufa mtoni Arusha’ [JK weeps over the deaths of drowned pupils in Arusha] | Habari Leo
- ‘Waandishi acheni kuchochea vurugu, asema Dk Nchimbi’ [Journalists stop inciting chaos, says [Information Minister] Dr. Nchimbi] | Mwananchi
Business Headlines:
- ‘Bank of Africa likes Dar’s business climate’ | Daily News
- ‘Ensuring ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ in Africa by 2035′ | Business Times
- ‘BoT advised to mop up excessive money in economy’ | The Guardian
- ‘NBC: Dollarization deteriorates country’s economy’ | The African
- ‘BoT measures to curb inflation fail’ | The Citizen
- ‘Mobile banking’s shs1.5tr boost to formal economy’ | The Citizen
Regional Headlines:
- ‘Uganda pursues easing policy with rate cut’ | Daily News
- ‘Zambia rallies support for South Africa’s AU chairmanship’ | The Guardian
- ‘Garbage demonstrations violence injure six in south Uganda’ | The Citizen
- ‘EAC told: focus on natural resources management, not on monetary union’ | Business Times
- ‘Malema atimuliwa rasmi, vurugu kila kona’ [Malema officially kicked out of ANC, chaos everywhere] | Mwananchi
- ‘Uganda kujenga kambi zaidi za wakimbizi’ [Uganda to build extra camps for refugees] | Nipashe
Page One: A summary
Sioi Sumari wins the Arumeru East primary run-off
After a week in which he had to endure questions from his own party over his citizenship, electability and the ability to fire up the base, Sioi Sumari comfortably defeated William Sarakikya for CCM’s nomination to compete in the Arumeru East by-election. In the end it was not even close. Mr. Sumari won by an almost 2-1 margin securing 761 votes to Mr. Sarakikya’s 361, according to The Citizen. Mr. Sumari is now the presumptive candidate to face Joshua Nasari of Chadema in the by-election to be held on April 1st.
However, according to the Daily News, the final decision of who will be the nominee is still up to the party leadership. CCM’s Deputy Secretary General John Chiligati told the paper that, ‘today’s winner’s name will not exactly determine the official flag bearer until the names have undergone trials by fire at District, Regional and National levels.’ According to published reports, Mr. Chiligati is reportedly one of the voices who aggressively pushed for a run-off after Mr. Sumari emerged victorious in the primary earlier this week, a stand that is believed to stem from an anti-pathy towards his candidacy. Nevertheless, Mr. Sarakikya was gracious in defeat and wished his opponent luck in the coming by-election.
In Tanzania Daima‘s eyes, yesterday’s results, voted in by local party members in Arumeru East, was a rebuke to CCM’s national leadership. ‘Attempts by senior figures within CCM to stop Sioi Sumari from running for the Arumeru East parliamentary seat [have] hit a brick wall,’ the paper said.
In Mwananchi‘s interpretation, Mr. Sumari’s win was a tactical victory for former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa. Mr. Lowassa, who resigned in 2008 after being implicated in an energy scandal, is still perceived by many to be a hugely influential figure within CCM, to the chagrin of some figures inside the ruling party.
According to Mwananchi, ‘this result is a win for one camp within CCM associated with former Prime Minister Lowassa against party members affiliated with the [anti-Lowassa] camp, who opposed the nomination of Siyoi.’ The paper goes on to report that even after yesterday’s results were declared, one senior official sent word through a member to Mr. Sumari, urging him to remove himself from contention. Mr. Sumari reportedly declined.
This result still needs to be verified and given a stamp of approval by CCM’s Central Committee, which will pronounce its final decision tomorrow, the 3rd of March. Whatever the decision, one hopes that CCM takes heed from the bard and is careful to beware the ides of March.
Africans petition President Kikwete on small-scale agriculture
The Guardian is reporting that, ‘activists and farmers representatives from across Africa yesterday handed President Jakaya Kikwete a petition signed by over 16,000 of them the continent’s leaders to increase budgetary allocations to the sector.’ The petitions were presented to the President by ONE, a South African based NGO.
According to the Daily News, Mr. Kikwete was welcoming of the petitioners and expressed broad agreement with their sentiments. ‘Agriculture is no longer an option but a priority,’ the paper paraphrased the President as saying. He then added, ‘Unfortunately, agricultural potential in Africa is under utilised coupled with low productivity and poor services in the rural areas. This state of affairs is intolerable and transformation is a must.’
Speaking to a group of small holder farmers and their attendant supporters from local and continental NGOs, the President re-affirmed his commitment to the so-called Maputo declaration, which demands that African governments allocate 10% of their budgets to agriculture, reports The African. ‘Tanzania has shown its willingness to achieving this. We have tried to increase our budget allocation to agriculture. We know that the allocation is only seven percent of the total national budget, but we are moving very fast towards meeting the target,’ he said.
Agriculture contributes 95 percent of national food, 34 percent of foreign earnings and 24 percent of Tanzania’s Gross Domestic Product. It also employs almost 80 percent of the country’s population.
President Kikwete: I signed off on the constitutional review to avoid a revolt by CCM backbenchers
For the first time since the Constitutional Review Amendment Bill passed parliament, President Jakaya Kikwete revealed his thinking on his decision to sign the bill into law. Speaking in his monthly address to the country, the President said that he was partly compelled into the decision by the belief that any other move would have caused a revolt by his backbenchers in parliament, The Citizen reports.
There have been criticism leveled against Mr. Kikwete that he failed to incorporate the opposition’s views in the final bill. But according to him, he ‘decided to sign it knowing that there are other avenues through which we can accommodate views from the other side.’ He then added, ‘we can handle this matter by using both legal and constitutional procedures and we can use such methods to reach our goals.’
President Kikwete also touched on other current issues of national concern in his address, commenting on the recent killings of protestors in Songea and the doctors’ strike. He said that security organs were tasked with dealing with the matter quickly and swiftly. The President also urged doctors to exercise patience. ‘The Prime Minister has declared that the committee that was formed to look into doctors’ concerns has already submitted a report…the government will start working on the recommendations,’ he said, before quickly adding, ‘I am grateful it was resolved, but the scars will remain.’
Power rationing returns after two major producers reduce supply to the national grid
After enjoying months of regular power supply, the country has been warned to expect a return of black outs and rationing following the decision by two suppliers to scale back distribution, reports The Citizen.
Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) which at full capacity contributes up to 100MW to the national power grid, has slowed down its operations ‘due to a shortage of furnace oil used to run its generators.’ Meanwhile, the other power producer involved, Aggreko which generated 10MW has turned off its machines for ‘routine maintenance.’
In the last year, the issue of power in Tanzania, or lack of it, has reached a stage that some have described as ‘catastrophic.’ Last year the country was forced to endure intense blackouts and rationing that at times went on daily for 12 hours at a stretch.