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TANZANIA NEWS ONLINE/TANZANIA NEWS ONLINE/TANZANIA NEWS ONLINE
Edition #6 23 September 1997
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A fortnightly update of news from Tanzania
TANZANIA NEWS ONLINE is written by Tanzanian journalists in Tanzania and brings you the news from their point of view. It is assembled and edited by Africa News Network, part of South Africa Contact, the former anti-apartheid movement in Denmark.
TANZANIA NEWS ONLINE joins our other individual newsletters from Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa, providing up to date news through our established network of journalists in southern Africa. These newsletters will be followed, in the very near future, by news updates from other countries in the region.
TANZANIA NEWS ONLINE is brought to you through a co-operation between South Africa Contact and Inform, Denmark's leading alternative information network.
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In this edition:
Feature:
AN ANT AGAINST AN ELEPHANT
Stories:
1. STRONG GOVERNMENT CAN ERADICATE POVERTY, SAYS NYERERE
2. FASTER PRIVATISATION AHEAD, MKAPA TELLS IMF
3. THOUSANDS FACE FOOD SHORTAGE IN MOROGORO
4. FISH FILLET EXPORTS RISE DESPITE EU CENSURE
5. IGP TO REACT ON ARMED GROUP CLAIMS
6. TANESCO AWAITS FISCAL REVAMPING PLAN
7. PAY INTERNAL DEBTS, GOVERNMENT TOLD BY OPPOSITION
8. CHOLERA CAMPS ALMOST EMPTY IN THE CAPITAL
9. 13 FIRMS BENEFIT FROM CDC INVESTMENT OF 58 MILLION
Feature:
AN ANT AGAINST AN ELEPHANT
A summit of the six central and east African countries' heads of state took place September 4 in Dar Es Salaam. The leaders wanted to see how far their efforts had reached in helping the small land locked country Burundi bring about peace and democracy. The summit was convened by the Tanzanian president, Benjamin Mkapa, after the negotiations scheduled to take place earlier in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha ended in failure.
These negotiations were the first talks open to all Burundian factions engaged in an old ethnic conflict. So far, more than 150 000 people are reported to have been killed in the war and troubles which rocked Burundi following the assassination of Melchior Ndadaye in 1993. He was the first president from the Hutu majority, and the first democratically elected president of Burundi. After his death, Ndadaye was replaced by the late Cyprien Ntaryamira, a Hutu, himself killed in a plane crash in April 1994. Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, a Hutu, then took over. He lost power when it was taken back by the Tutsi minority in July 1996, in a bloodless military coup led by Major Buyoya Pierre, a Tutsi, who still rules the country.
Spearheaded by Tanzania, the countries of the region solemnly condemned the 1996 coup. After the coup, the neighboring countries declared an economic embargo against Burundi, to try to compel the military junta led by Buyoya to hand over the power to the constitutional president, Sylvestre Ntibantunganya. Among these were Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (the former Zaire), and Zambia, as the immediate neighboring country. Others in the effort included Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe which is now chairing the Organisation of African Unity. Julius Nyerere, former Tanzanian president, supported by all the countries of the region and the International community, became the mediator in the effort to bring about peace and democracy in Burundi.
After just a few months of embargo, the humanitarian organisations stated the obvious. Not only were the sanctions harming the ordinary person and strengthening the junta, but also countries involved in the process were themselves violating the embargo they declared or disagreeing on how the sanctions should be applied. As Major Pierre Buyoya had promised the heads of the various governments to restore the parliament, and among other promises, to allow the activities of other political parties and to make significant move towards negotiations, the embargo was alleviated. Burundi was then allowed to import goods for humanitarian use, such as food, medicine and building materials. However, no commercial flights were allowed in or out of Burundi.
A ray of hope came when the public learnt that the military junta had initiated secret talks in Rome with the National Counsel for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD), the main Hutu party. Burundians and other concerned observers were seemingly relieved when they learnt that negotiations were to take place August 25 in Arusha. All the groups/political parties were invited by the mediator, Nyerere, to attend the first unconditional talks.
While all invited parties responded positively, the Burundi government surprised everybody by announcing on the eve of the talks that no one would represent it as Tanzania 'did not seem secure and neutral as a country in which negotiations could be held'. Besides this, the mediator, Julius Nyerere, was accused of lacking impartiality. The Burundian government also blocked other parties willing to participate from Burundi, by refusing permission to land to the plane which was to pick up the delegations. At the roots of the bitterness in the relationship between Tanzania and Burundi were several disagreements and problems. Among these:
Thousands of Burundian Hutu refugees fled to Tanzania following the troubles in Burundi. Although international laws on refugees state that a camp has to be situated away from borders, the Burundian refugees camps were near enough to be considered to be within a stone's throw of the war zone by the Burundian authorities. Also, the Burundian military junta alleged that these camps, sheltering thousands of Hutus, are used as sanctuary for the CNDD 'rebels' to launch their attacks.
It is necessary to remember that Tanzania accommodated almost a million Rwandan Hutu refugees after the 1994 genocide. These were forcibly driven back at the end of last year in a operation that many human right organisations condemned. Following on these allegations, statements from the Burundian authorities made it known that little Burundi would not be scared to clean up the CNDD 'sanctuary,' if Tanzania was not willing to relocate the camps. This was 'hinted' at in the attack launched in Eastern Zaire a couple of months later by a Rwandan backed rebellion, at the height of which more than a million Hutu refugees were pushed towards their mother land. Now, as Tanzania was claiming that the Burundian army was getting close to Tanzania's border, the Tanzanian foreign minister didn't mince his words. He said Tanzania was not willing to engage in any war with its neighbours but that it would react strongly if provoked and ordered the army to be ready to protect Tanzania's borders.
Another issue placing the Burundian government against the Tanzanian is related to the Burundian Embassy in Dar-Es-Salaam. Since the coup of July 1996, Tanzania has refused new diplomats entry to the Burundian Embassy in Dar Es Salaam. The fact that the Embassy has remained under control of the former government authorities, specifically the main Hutu presidential party FRODEBU, has worsened the situation.
Refusing to take part in the first negotiations, said to be for security reasons and because of the difficulties in the relationship between the two countries, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was at first described as partial. As he didn't to Burundi, some political parties stated that the old statesman was closer to the Hutu rebellion's side and should be removed as mediator or assisted by another person as he was no longer neutral. For the first time also, a possibility of holding negotiations in a different country than Tanzania was evoked.
In a bid to save the endangered Burundi peace process, president Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania convened a meeting in Dar Es Salaam on September 5. At this meeting, support was given to Nyerere to seek a negotiated solution to the Burundian crisis. There were some contradictions in the meeting with some countries not willing to maintain the embargo on Burundi. Kenya boycotted the summit. In the end, Kaguta Museveni, Ugandan president, was charged with conveying the spirit and the letter of the summit to the Burundian president Major Buyoya, who was asked to come and to let others come to the negotiations to take place in Arusha, under Nyerere.
This fight between Tanzania and Burundi seems like that of an ant against an elephant. Tanzania, besides being a large country and far more powerful from all viewpoints, is regarded in the central, east and southern African regions as a country which contributed to peace and to the fight against dictatorial regimes.
The dispute could also be described as nonsensical. The old statesman Nyerere said that to doubt his impartiality and to place him close to the Hutu side was 'stupid' as in the past he had also been accused by the Hutus of being close to the former Tutsi regime. According to him, opening negotiations means losing power to the Tutsi military junta which is exploiting all pretexts in order to prevent the return to democracy.
One could still wonder if the ant might threaten the elephant. Little Rwanda managed to orchestrate and radically change the vast Democratic Republic of Congo - once Zaire.
Stories:
1. STRONG GOVERNMENT CAN ERADICATE POVERTY, SAYS NYERERE
Retired Tanzanian president Mwalimu Julius Nyerere recently warned that while the world was embracing capitalism's policies, only a strong government devoid of bureaucracy and corruption could rid the Tanzanian majority of poverty.
In his keynote address at the opening of a three days workshop in Dar es salaam for Catholic bishops as part of the silver jubilee of the activities of Caritas Tanzania, a department of the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference(TEC), the old statesman said capitalism was more an evil now than before when it used to have a human face for fear of communism. He said Tanzania had been a socialist country from its independence in 1961, but with the move to a multi-party system in 1992, the government's liberalising of the economy had sent down a destructive 'wave' on the economy, the effects now being felt by the poor citizen. He said that with many public firms closing or being sold, the new rules had left many redundant.
"I am not preaching socialism, it's to late for me now," said the retired president. He added that while capitalism was very efficient in creating wealth because it unleashes energies in people who want to get rich, it was not efficient when it came to distributing wealth. He discouraged government from buying the idea of depending on non-governmental institutions for the provision of fundamental social services like education and health, saying that government should tax the rich to generate sufficient income which could then be distributed to the majority poor though provision of social services. "This is the easiest way of reaching the poor".
2. FASTER PRIVATISATION AHEAD, MKAPA TELLS IMF
More rapid privatisation will be pursued in the coming months, President Benjamin Mkapa has declared at a meeting with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The president made the remarks in discussion at State House recently with Mr Gerry Johnson, leader of a visiting mission from the IMF.
The Tanzanian president expressed his commitment to ensuring a rapid pace in the privatisation process, while admitting that the disposal of state companies to the private sector has been somewhat slow. Mr Johnson, for his part, agreed with the president that Programme schedules designed by IMF to pursue economic reforms in the country had to take into account the real situation facing Tanzania.
Tanzania is already in the second year of implementing reforms tied to an Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility. Members of the IMF mission arrived in the country towards the end of August on a routine annual assessment of the economy and held consultations with relevant officials in the Union and Zanzibar governments.
3. THOUSANDS FACE FOOD SHORTAGE IN MOROGORO
Over 240,000 people will experience food shortages in various parts of Morogoro region this season because of drought. Morogoro is the region to the immediate south-west of Dar es Salaam. The District Commissioners for Kilombero, Kilosa, Morogoro Rural and Urban and Ulanga revealed this recently while briefing the Vice-president, Dr Omar Ali Juma. In the report, the DCs said all the five districts will have to bear a deficit of over 108 340 tones of food by the end of this year. "Despite the districts' enormous agricultural potential in terms of land and water resources, the region experiences a great deal of food insecurity and low level of nutrition," they lamented, telling the VP that most parts of the region are vulnerable to drought resulting in food shortages.
Earlier, at public rallies in various regions, Dr Omari urged farmers to engage fully in programmes supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the one run by the Japanese government though the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA), to make the food shortage more bearable.
4. FISH FILLET EXPORTS RISE DESPITE EU CENSURE
Despite a recent caution from the European Union on Tanzania's fish fillet exports to EU member countries, owing to questionable standards of the Lake Victoria processing factories, Nile perch fillet exports have risen in the past few months.
Ms Rose Lugembe, principal secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, said in an interview that exports recorded an increase in the May-July period. Before the caution on likely sanctions were issued, over 1,9m metric tonnes of Nile perch fillet were being exported. The amount fell just to over 1.3m metric tonnes following the declaration in May with exports recovering in June and July with over 2m tones and 2.2m tonnes.
An EU fish inspection veterinary team had observed a number of shortfalls on fillet processing quality standards. Seven factories conformed to EU standards and were allowed to continue operating while Tanzania was granted a period of grace to February 1998 to make extensive remedies to the others, before long term decisions on the matter are reached by the group under the Lome IV protocols.
5. IGP TO REACT ON ARMED GROUP CLAIMS
Police Inspector General Omar Mahita will soon issue a statement on what police discovered when investigating claims that there were armed groups organised by two main opposition parties in the country, a spokesman for the police, Assistant Commissioner of Aden Mwamunyange, said in an interview recently.
Opponents to the main leadership in NCCR-Mageuzi and the Civic United Front (CUF), have in recent months alleged that the two parties run bodies of paramilitary groups. NCCR-Mageuzi and CUF are the two main opposition parties to the ruling CCM (Chama Cya Mapinduzi). The NCCR dissidents claim "Black Mamba," the group loyal to party Chairman Augustine Mrema exists, while CUF dissidents claim that the "Blue Guards" militia had been set up by the Isles-based dominant section of the party leadership under vice-chairman Seif Sharif Hamad. Officials of both have dismissed the allegations. .
6. TANESCO AWAITS FISCAL REVAMPING PLAN
A number of strategies to improve the liquidity position of the Tanzania Electric Supply Co. (TANESCO), have been outlined by the government, ministerial sources said recently. The government will pay TSh2.5m/-(+/-USD 30,000) for electricity in advance each month starting this month, and it would also pay Tsh 8.0 bn/- of the outstanding amount owed to the company.
With the advice of the International Development Association (IDA), a soft loan window of the World Bank will provide a list of what it would not want to be disconnected in case of failure to settle electricity bills. In addition to a proposal to raise tariffs by 15 percent, the government has been advised to waive or reschedule TANESCO debt servicing obligations during the current financial year, or convert them into equity. Non payment of electricity bills to TANESCO by government departments, parastatals and the Zanzibar government had contributed to a difficult financial position for the company. Bills from Zanzibar are supposed to be paid to the State Fuel and Power Corporation, but this is rarely done.
7. PAY INTERNAL DEBTS, GOVERNMENT TOLD BY OPPOSITION
Internal debts that the government owes to various institutions and individuals have reached the TSh 600bn/- mark (about US$1 billion). This was stated recently Mr Bob Makani, the secretary general of CHADEMA, one of the main opposition parties. Addressing a public rally, Mr Kimara called on the government to pay the huge debts it owes citizens and local companies, instead of merely paying the foreign debt.
He said that by ignoring internal debts, the government had forced many businessmen in the country into bankruptcy and and made lives of ordinary citizens more difficult. "In the spirit of paying debts, why hasn't the president addressed himself to the government internal debts," he queried. He challenged president Benjamin Mkapa to give details on the appalling foreign debts amounting to some US$8.7 billion. The CHADEMA leader insisted that it was incomprehensible that Tanzanians had to carry such a burden when they did not even know how it all came about.
8. CHOLERA CAMPS ALMOST EMPTY IN THE CAPITAL
Cholera cases in Dar es Salaam have dropped drastically from more than 100 patients per day in April to 16 recently, due to public awareness on the disease. According to Dar es Salaam City Commission Health Officer, Mr Charles Kuhenga, the disease was disappearing in the city as most of the recent cases were from outside.
Some camps for patients have been closed but others have been left open to serve patients arriving from up country. "This is a big city. We do not want to be caught unawares." He said that every day people, some of whom had already contracted the disease, enter the city, adding that some patients at two of the camps were reported to have come from Morogoro, in the West of the capital. More than 160 people have died and about 4,740 contracted the disease since its eruption early January this year.
9. 13 FIRMS BENEFIT FROM CDC INVESTMENT OF 58 MILLION
Investment by the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) in Tanzania had by the end of 1996 reached about 58 million pounds sterling, it has been learnt. A recent report by the CDC shows that the investment profile cuts across section of economic sectors, taking place in the form of equity holding and loan disbursement or both.
Thirteen enterprises have benefited from CDC investments, with equity holding being taken up in 11 of them. Enterprises being managed by CDC include the East Usambura Tea Co., Kilombero Valley Teak Co., and Tanganyika Wattle Company Ltd. CDC manages investment funds through the Equity Investment Management Ltd (EIM). According to the report, CDC is to invest in a new company to build, own and operate a US$294 million gas-to-electricity project on Songo Island, off the southern Tanzania coast. The firm, Songas Limited, will be the second independent power project in Tanzania and become the country's cheapest source of non hydropower.
************************** From: AfricaNN@inform-bbs.dk (Africa_news Network) Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 10:13:55 +0200 Subject: TANZANIA NEWS ONLINE Message-ID: <3017342974.40184318@inform-bbs.dk>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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