Serengeti Boys face Amajimbos hurdle

THE national U-17 team, Serengeti Boys will today be looking at maintaining their success in the 2017 CAF African Youth championships (AYC) qualifiers, when they face South Africa’s Amajimbos.

Serengeti Boys, under the tutelage of Bakari Shime alias ‘Black Wizard’ and Danish tactician Kim Poulsen are eager to make it into the Madagascar finals after seeing off underdogs Seychelles counterpart by 9-0 goals in aggregate in the two legged.

However, the team faces a tough test from their South Africans counterpart, Amajimbos at the Dobsonville Stadium in South Africa as victory for both sides is vital in order to place them in the better position of qualifying for the next year’s final.

Serengeti Boys need to play their card well to earn away crucial victory as it will put them few meters from the third round and will make things easier for them in the return leg match due a fortnight later at Azam’s Chamazi Complex in Dar es Salaam.

Shime’s youngsters face a tricky double-legged encounter, hoping to break South Africa’s dominance over them and cruise into the third round. Serengeti Boys arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday after they wrapped up their groundwork in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo with a convincing 2-0 win over their hosts, Madagascar on Tuesday.

Cyprian Mtesigwa and Kelvin Nashon scored in the 77th and 86th minutes respectively to seal the win for the Tanzanian boys. It was the second game between the two sides after Sunday’s stalemate.

Shime, who has enjoyed considerable success since taking over the national youth side, will be delighted with his team’s preparations for the second round duel against South Africa, who over the year have proved to be a stumbling block for Tanzania in continental qualifiers. The coach, who works closely with the overall national youth team coach, Kim Poulsen, hopes the Madagascar camp will help them when they engage South Africa.

Shime believes that the squad will have enough mettle to overcome their South African counterparts and the workout which will spur the Boys forward. Serengeti Boys booked a date with the Amajimbos after seeing off Seychelles on a 9-0 goal aggregate last weekend.

South Africa dumped out Serengeti Boys during the qualifiers for the 2015 AYC on a 4-0 goal aggregate. The overall winner of the two-legged match will face the winner between Namibia and Congo-Brazzaville. South Africa had an easy ride into the second round following the withdrawal of their opponents, while Namibia eliminated Botswana on 3-2 aggregate.

To make it difficult for Serengeti Boys, South Africa Football Association (SAFA) has decided to make it an entry free match that means the home team will have a huge support in the match to be officiated by referee Osiase William Koto from Lesotho.

The winners of the third round will qualify for the 2017 AYC finals planned for Madagascar and should Serengeti Boys sail though and reach the semi-final stage, they will automatically have the ticket for the U-17 World Cup in India.

Commenting on the game, Amajimbos coach Molefi Ntseki says winning against Tanzania and qualifying for the CAF African Youth championships in Madagascar would give SAFA’s Vision 2022 a new impetus.

Ntseki said SAFA’s Vision 2022 had given the country some direction which was slowly making this country very competitive continentally and globally.

"The last time, the U-17 qualified for the World Cup in Chile and that was the very squad that has now qualified for the U-20 CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Zambia next year. That is the type of progression needed for any country to do well in continental and global tournaments," said Ntseki.

The imposing coach said qualifying for the championships in Madagascar next year was a must as this would create massive opportunities for the players to play in further and bigger competitions. Having done well in his maiden African Youth championships, Ntseki said he as a coach was now wiser and more prepared for such examinations.

"This is a new team with new ideas and I believe we can do well against Tanzania. We will approach this game as a cup final that is for sure. The recent COSAFA championships in Mauritius also helped us hone our tactics and preparedness.”

Envoy graces Tanzania medal hunt in Rio Olympic Games

AS TANZANIA officially starts a medal hunt campaign in Rio de Janeiro today, the athletes’ hopes for success received a huge boost from the Tanzanian envoy to Brazil.

The country’s Acting Ambassador, Nathaniel Kaaya, visited the camp in Rio de Janeiro to motivate the athletes ahead of their tough mission, with a judoka Andrew Thomas Mlugu, to open the country’s medal chase.

According to the team’s Physician Nassor Matuzya, the Acting Ambassador was forced to travel for 12 hours from capital Brasilia to Rio de Janeiro to see the athletes’ camp.

Mlugu, who, will be making a debut to the world’s biggest multi-sports event, faces an experienced Australian Bensted in Rio de Janeiro The Tanzanian faces Australian Jake Bensted today in 73kg judo bout to begin the country’s medal hunt in 31st Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The bout is one of the 16 bouts to be held today in the Judo’s round of 32 stage. Aged 20, Mlugu was born on November 12, 1995 with a height measuring 1.58 m /5’ 2’’ — 73 kg / 161 lbs.

His Australian opponent, Bensted is aged 23 decorated with multiple Australian, Oceania Championships and Commonwealth Games medals. Like Mlugu it is his maiden entry to the Olympic Games. Bensted was introduced to the sport by his uncle at the age of six and first represented his country when he was 15.

He won his first of five straight junior national titles in 2010 and claimed his first senior national title in 2012. At Commonwealth Games debut later that year, Bensted made the semi-finals before going down in a close fight with eventual gold medallist Danny Williams of England.

He started the Olympic year with a fifth place finish in Tunisia and a seventh in Peru before going on to all but seal his debut Olympic appearance with a win over Gaston Lafon from French Polynesia in the final of the 2016 Oceania Championships.

The country’s second medal hunt will begin on Thursday when swimmer Hilal Hilal will be vying for 50m freestyle race title also in Rio de Janeiro. A day later on August 12, a young Tanzanian lady, Magdalena Moshi, will open her medal chase also in 50m freestyle at the same venue.

Sarah Ramadhan, the only lady marathoner is scheduled to run on August 15, according to the event’s time table. With seven athletes, Tanzania was the first nation to confirm Olympic team for Rio 2016. Four marathon runners, two swimmers and one judoka are representing the nation in Brazil.

Other athletes who will represent Tanzania are: Fabiano Joseph, Saidi Juma Makula and Alphonce Felix Simbu (all men’s marathon). More than 200 nations will compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, with the largest teams expected to come from the USA, Brazil and China.

It is estimated that there will be about 550 Americans, about 450 Brazilians and more than 380 Chinese athletes competing for medals in Rio this August. Tanzania won its only medals in 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Both Filbert Bayi finished second behind Paul Malinowski of Finland in 3,000m steeplechase and Suleiman Nyambui who finished behind Ethiopian Mirutz Yifter in 5000m, clinched silver medals.

TFF reacts to giants’ reforms mania

AS the debate on change of club ownership continues to rumble at giants Simba and Young Africans, Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), has warned that any move should observe the country’s laws as well as FIFA, CAF and TFF statutes and regulations.

Transformation fever has apparently engulfed the country’s most fancied sides, Simba and Young Africans after their members nodded to proposed changes to different model of ownership from current member-owned clubs. The wind of change started at Msimbazi Street with Simba members endorsing, during a general meeting held on July 31, the managerial restructure of the club.

The move paved way for businessman tycoon Mohamed Dewji (MO) to table a 20bn/- bid seeking to buy 51 per cent of shares of the club. A few days later their traditional rivals, Young Africans followed a suit on Saturday when its members unanimously approved a move to lease their club to their Chairman Yusuf Manji, giving him the mandate to own the club for ten years.

The clubs’ abrupt decisions, particularly Yanga’s lease, which looks alien to most football fans, have attracted mixed reactions among them football stakeholders in the country. And TFF President Jamal Malinzi apparently warned members and leaders of the two clubs to comply with laws and regulations governing the transfer of club ownership as stipulated in the statutes of international and national football governing bodies and the laws of the land.

“There is a hot debate over the ownership and running of our clubs, but when we discuss this matter, we should remember that any changes on the way our clubs are being run we must adhere to the country’s laws and statutes and regulations of FIFA, CAF, TFF and the respective clubs,” he said.

“We’re talking about National Sports Act of 1967, Capital Markets Securities Authority (CMSA) Act, which stipulates about collective investments and Bureau of Registration and Licensing Authority (BRELA) Act on shares of many investors,” he added.

He said it was also important that the clubs revisited FIFA statutes particularly the sections that stipulate about the running of a national league, the transfer of club ownership and clubs licensing.

“They should also go through TFF constitution especially the section which talks about the rights and responsibilities of TFF members,” Malinzi further said, recalling that all Premier League clubs are members of TFF.

“If all football stakeholders observe laws, regulations and procedures, things will move in the right direction and our football will make a step up,” the TFF President urged while insisting that it was important for club leaders to respect their respective statutes and ensure that they make constitutional-based decisions.

Malinzi, however, failed short of stating openly whether Simba and Yanga were right or wrong on their decisions. Dewji wants to own 51 per cent of Simba shares, which will make him majority shareholder, while the remaining 49 per cent of the stakes will be owned by the club members.

On the other hand, Yanga’s deal with Manji will see the club’s logo entitled to Dar es Salaam-based businessman, who will possess 75 per cent of the club’s revenues and the remaining 25 per cent will go to the club. In the agreement, the club’s premises, Kaunda ground and other physical assets will remain in the hands of the members.

Demotion looms at Yanga as Manji signs 10-year lease deal

PREMIER League champions Young Africans face demotion from the top flight league after failing to conduct online registration of players through the mandatory FIFA Transfer Matching System.

The club had not sent it by Sunday night, which was the deadline for domestic transfer window.

According to the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), Yanga was among clubs that failed to comply with the new system of player registration, which requires clubs to use online platform to record player transfers.

The country’s football governing body revealed in a statement yesterday that all clubs that did not comply with the regulation, that was first made mandatory in 2010, were facing demotion to third division.

“Clubs that did not submit their player registrations must prepare and submit their defense to TFF, that will be forwarded to FIFA, which has the mandate to reopen the window, should the defense be turned down the concerned club will be relegated to the division that does not use the TMS system,” TFF said in a statement.

TFF lambasted Yanga as regular defaults of the system, revealing that the club twice ignored to send a representative to a special TMS training organized for club officials, with the aim to impart them with the knowledge of online registration of players.

“For the second consecutive season, Young Africans have been among clubs that failed to send a representative for a three-day course, which brought together envoys from premier league, first division and second division leagues,” TFF said in the statement.

“The TMS manager at Young Africans is the club’s secretary general and he never had TMS training, while other clubs made efforts and sought TFF assistance to perform the exercise, Yanga never consulted TFF for assistance and did not respond whey they were reminded to about the player registration exercise,” the statement added. The FIFA Transfer Matching System is an online platform for FIFA’s Member’s Associations to record player transfers between clubs.

The introduction of the system was approved by the FIFA Congress in 2009 and was made mandatory from October 1, 2010. There are two variants; Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS) for player transfers between clubs affiliated to the same association and International Transfer Matching System (ITMS) for player transfers between two different football associations.

FIFA developed the Domestic Transfer Matching System following feedback from member associations and clubs expressing their desire to have a domestic version of the International Transfer Matching System (ITMS).

DTMS and ITMS are fully integrated, granting member associations and their affiliated clubs access to both international and domestic transfers in one place, providing a complete picture of all professional player transfers.

DTMS enables users to manage and monitor their domestic transfers, receive detailed transfer reports on a regular basis, communicate more efficiently with each other to speed up the approval process and store official documents safely for easy referral.

Through system based processes, member associations are able to increase club adherence to domestic regulations and improve monitoring levels that allow for greater involvement in transfer review and approval processes.

Meanwhile, Grace Mkojera reports that Chairman of Young Africans, Yusuf Manji and the club’s trustees will today sign a deal that gives the chairman a 10-year ownership lease. The signing will also give Manji rights to use Quality Group label in the team’s jerseys effective from the coming season.

Manji requested an approval from the club’s members in a meeting held in Dar es Salaam two days ago. In his meeting with members, Manji requested a 10- year lease altogether with the use of his Quality Group label, promising to return to the club 25 per cent of the income generated. He said he will pocket the remaining 75 per cent of the club’s revenues garnered from the deal.

Manji’s take over, as he told reporters in a meeting with them over the weekend, aims at fast-tracking development at the club so that it becomes one of the biggest clubs at the continental level.

Ajib, Mavugo lit up Simba Day

IBRAHIM Ajib and Laudit Mavugo’s brilliance played a vital role in brightening the Simba Day gala at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Their superb goals in both halves gave Simba a comfortable 4-0 win over Kenyan giants, AFC Leopards who were invited to help colour the day.

The victory was witnessed by the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner (RC), Paul Makonda and the Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and Children, Dr Hamis Kigwangala, who were among the top dignitaries.

From a narrow 1-0 lead in the first half, Simba took the second half strongly and managed to add three more goals through Ajib, Shiza Kichuya and Mavugo who netted the third and fourth goals in the 64th and 81st minutes respectively.

Alongside Ajib’s bright performance, Burundian import Mavugo had also a good show that evidenced why Simba fought tooth and nail to ensure he serves the club this season. Fielding Mavugo in the second half added power to the club’s attack and over 40,000 fans were satisfied he was the right man for the job. Ajib, one of the Simba’s golden boys delighted over 40,000 Simba fans when he scored a superb opener in the 38th minute.

The skilful player released a 30m blockbuster that went untouched behind the gapping net, past AFC Leopards goalkeeper Ian Otieno. Simba were capable of leading by a bigger margin if they utilised three golden chances created by Ivorian striker Frederick Blagnon and Shiza Kichuya.

The goal remained until the end of the first half.

The second half was dominated by the entry of Burundian Mavugo whose transfer to Msimbazi Street captured all the club’s signing this season. Mavugo replaced the Ivorian Blagnon in the second half.

Barely 10 minutes after resumption, Ajib added the second goal for Simba from a close range. Kichuya rounded the AFC Leopards defender on the right flank and placed the ball to the scorer who coolly taped it in past Otieno. Mavugo’s brilliance was clearly observed in the 64th minute when his accurate pass found Kichuya who easily netted the third goal. After the third goal in the 64th minute, Simba benched Ajib for Mohamed Ibrahim.

It took Mavugo until the 81st minute to score his first goal for Simba. Mavugo completed a one-two pass between him and Kichuya. Simba Day kicked off with a week long activities, in which club officials and players partook in various social programmes aimed at endearing it to the fans and their immediate stakeholders.

And the seventh edition of Simba Day came to grand end as Joseph Omog’s charges entertained Kenyan giants AFC Leopards in a friendly match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Simba, which was founded in 1936, used the occasion to officially introduce their new signings and unveils the club’s kits for the 2016/17 Premier League season, which gets underway on August 20. Looking to bounce back from a four-year stuttering run, the Reds have bolstered their squad significantly ahead of the new league campaign.

Meanwhile, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) yesterday sent congratulation message to Simba SC as the club celebrated its 80th anniversary.

“For almost seven years now, Simba SC leadership has been celebrating on August 8, every year, they have a special week to commemorate the history of the club’s establishment whereby members learn about their team’s history,” TFF said.

“This is a good thing that should be honoured ... our call to Simba management and members is to preserve this tradition,” TFF added, noting that the Msimbazi Street-based club has a rich history and had massively contributed to regional and African football in general.

Yanga fate now in FIFA’s hands

TAZANIA Football Federation (TFF) has officially confirmed receiving Young Africans letter defending the club’s failure to submit their players’ registration through the Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS) for 2016/17 season.

The Tanzania premier league champions were supposed to have submitted their registration to the World Football governing body (FIFA) by August 6 this year.

The team’s Acting Secretary General Deusdedit Baraka, who earlier claimed they had already submitted it, later admitted he was confused with the registration the club had sent to the Confederations of African Football (CAF) thinking it would also serve in FIFA regulations.

The Domestic Transfer Matching System which was officially opened on June 15 required the clubs to send two officials to attend a seminar aimed at giving them knowledge on how to conduct registrations through the system.

However, Young Africans ignored the invitation to attend a three-day seminar without any explanation, a situation that risks disciplinary actions from FIFA for failure to submit their registration on time.

However, TFF disclosed that despite receiving the defence letter from them they cannot decide on the matter as the decision was in the hands of the World Football governing body (FIFA).

TFF’s Information and Communication Officer, Alfred Lucas told the Daily News yesterday that Yanga Deputy Secretary General Baraka Deusdedit submitted the defence letter to the federation office as required by the federation to all the teams which have failed to complete or submit their players’ registration through DTMS.

According to Lucas, Yanga and the newly promoted African Lyon are the only two topflight clubs that have failed to meet the deadline while seven others are from the First and Second divisions. Lucas told the Daily News that Yanga had been reminded several times about the matter and they failed to complete it by August 6, the day set as a deadline.

Following the failure, the club faces demotion to the lower division which is among the penalties slapped for the offence. According to FIFA guidance there are several penalties if a transfer is not completed in the correct manner or if Clubs and associations fail to apply the system after the deadline.

The penalties include an official warning, a fine, exclusion from a competition, the withholding of a trophy or award, the annulment of match results, match forfeiture, points deduction, demotion to a lower division and a transfer ban.

These, however, may be subject to a wide range of penalties imposed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee in accordance with the seriousness of the violation.

Therefore, Yanga, African Lyon, Coastal Union, Friends Rangers, Kiluvya United to name but a few, which are among nine clubs threatened by FIFA wrath if it is not satisfied with their defence for the alleged charges.

TFF has given the nine clubs two days from yesterday to submit their defence and thereafter the federation will write to FIFA asking them to re-open the system so the clubs can complete and submit their registrations.

If satisfied with the clubs’ defence, FIFA may re-open the system for two to three days.

Inflation drops to 5.1 pc in July, says NBS

INFLATION in Tanzania decreased to 5.1 per cent in July from 5.5 per cent recorded in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said yesterday.

NBS Director of Population, Census and Social Statistics, Mr Ephraim Kwesigabo, told reporters in Dar es Salaam the decrease is attributed to the decrease in prices of various commodities during July.

“The decrease of Annual Headline Inflation Rate for the year ending July 2016 explains that the speed of price increase for commodities in the year ending July has decreased as compared to the speed of price increase recorded for the year ended June 2016,” he said.

He said the annual inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages in July decreased to 7.6 per cent from 8.1 per cent recorded in the month of June.

“Annual inflation rate for the food consumed at home and away from home has decreased to 7.8 per cent recorded in June 2016,” he explained, adding: “In addition, the 12-month index change for non-food items has decreased to 3.2 per cent in July from 3.6 per cent recorded in June 2016.”

On the other hand, Mr Kwesigabo said, the overall index went up to 103.50 in July from 89.48 recorded in June. The increase of the overall index is attributed to the price increase of both food and nonfood items.

Some of the food items that contributed to such increase include cooking oils by 1.1 per cent, fresh fish by 6.0 per cent, fruits by 4.9 per cent and dry beans by 2.7 per cent, cooking banana 1.9 per cent and white maize grains by 1.5 per cent.

“On the other hand, nonfood items that contributed to such increase include diesel -- by 5.6 per cent, kerosene by 3.7 per cent and petrol by 1.3 per cent,” said Mr Kwesigabo. In another development, the senior NBS official said that the purchasing power of 100 Tanzanian shillings has reached 96/- and 62 cents in July 2016 from December.

The consumer purchasing power of the Tanzanian shilling measures the change in the value of consumer goods and services that a Tanzanian shilling could buy at different periods. If the overall level of consumer price index (CPI) goes up, the purchasing power of a Tanzania shilling goes down”, he explained.

High Court to determine DPP's appeal in 12bn/- case tomorrow

THE outcome of an appeal lodged by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), challenging deletion of money laundering count in the 12bn/- trial of former Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General, Harry Kitilya, and two others, will be known tomorrow.

Judge Edson Mkasimongwa, who is hearing the appeal before the High Court in Dar es Salaam was yesterday scheduled to deliver the judgment on the matter, but could not make it because he had not completed writing the same, saying he was indisposed.

In the appeal, the DPP has advanced five grounds to fault the decision given by the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court early this year, alleging that the presiding magistrate erred in law in striking the money laundering count.

He states that the presiding magistrate erred in law in holding that the count was defective and confusing to the extent the accused person may not be in a position of understanding clearly that offence they are specifically being charged with so as to be able tpo prepare themselves for defence.

The DPP states that the magistrate erred in holding that the charge could not be amended, substituted or altered under the law and that the subordinate court has inherent powers to control proceedings before it when the need arises.

In the case, other accused persons are Shose Sinare, former Miss Tanzania and Head of Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank and Sioi Solomon, former Chief Legal Counsel to the bank. The prosecution charges them of the offence, allegedly committed between March 13 and September last year.

They allegedly engaged themselves in a transaction involving six million US dollars by transferring, withdrawing and depositing money relating to that transaction in different bank accounts maintained by Enterprise Growth Market Advisors Limited at Stanbic Bank Tanzania Limited and KCB Bank Limited.

The prosecution claims before the court further that the accused persons ought to have known that the said money was the proceeds of a predicate offence, which is forgery. Apart from money laundering count, the accused persons are also charged with conspiracy to commit and offence, forgery, uttering false documents and obtaining six million US dollars (about 12bn/-) by false pretences.

On different dates between August 2012 and March 2013, within the city of Dar es Salaam, the three accused persons allegedly conspired together and other people who are not in court to commit offence of obtaining money by false pretences from the government.

It is claimed that on November 5, 2012, at Stanbic Bank in the city, all the three accused persons , with intent to deceit, made a false collaboration agreement purporting to show that the bank has established a consortium to collaborate with Enterprise Growth Market advisors (EGMA) Limited.

The purpose, according to the prosecution, was to arrange for financing in the amount of 550 million US dollars to the government of Tanzania under which EGMA would arrange for negotiation and meeting involving the financing facilitate understanding on the technicalities of the financing to the government.

It is claimed further that the EGMA was also to arrange for review finance documents and facilitate the provision of relevant documents or approval that would be required by relevant Tanzania authorities, the fact which the accused persons knew to be false.

According to the prosecution, in March 2013 in the city, Kitilya, Sinare and Solomon, with intent to defraud, jointly and together obtained from the government six million US dollars (about 12bn/-) by falsely pretending that the money was a facilitation fee payable to EGMA Limited.

Such amount, it is alleged, was to facilitate together with Stanbic Bank Tanzania a loan to the government of the United Republic of Tanzania in the amount of 600 million US dollars.

‘Dr’ Mwaka, four other herbalists challenge state decision

FIVE herbalists, including Mwaka Juma Mwaka alias ‘Dr Mwaka,’ Abdullah Mandai, Simon Risigwa, Fadhir Kabujanja and John Lupimo, have challenged in the High Court, the government’s decision to deregister them as alternative medical practitioners and their herbal clinics.

They have filed an application against three respondents, the Traditional and Alternative Health Practices Council, Permanent Secretary, Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children and Attorney General, seeking for leave to sue the government on the matter.

Judge Ama Munisi was yesterday set to hear the application in question. However, the session was pushed forward to tomorrow following a move by the Attorney General (AG) to present two grounds of objections for the dismissal of the herbalists’ case.

In the grounds of objections, the AG alleges that the herbalists, who are the applicants, have not exhausted all other channels available before resorting to High Court action and that the affidavit lodged to support the application in question was “incurably defective’’.

Through Dr Lucas Charles Kamanija, the applicants have advanced several grounds to fault the government’s decision, notably acting under utra vires or illegality, being biased or discriminational, irrational or unreasonableness and violation of the right to a fair hearing.

According to the statement filed to support the application, the applicants are seeking for ‘orders of certiorari’ to remove into the court and quash the purported decision of the council’s allegations against them contained in summons dated June 14 and 20.

They are applying for orders of certiorari to remove into the court and quash the allegations and purported decisions by the ministry against them, which cancelled their registrations, their aids and herbal clinics.

The applicants are further seeking for ‘orders of mandamus’ to compel and direct the respondents to act in accordance with the law, challenging an order for prohibition and to restrain them from illegally harassing the applicants and interfering with their alternative medicineherbology practices.

The development comes following an order for Mwaka’s arrest given by the ministry’s Deputy Minister, Dr Khamis Kigwangalla, after an impromptu visit at the herbalist’s clinic located at Ilala in the city.

Mwaka is accused of providing services to people even after his clinic, Foreplan Clinic, was deregistered on July 11, this year, by the Traditional and Alternative Health Practices Council (TAHPC) for violating its regulations and guidelines.

Following the ban on the clinic, Mwaka is reported to have remained defiant by changing the name of the treatment centre from Foreplan Clinic to Foreplan Tanzania Limited and continued to offer services and promote the same through television and radio programmes.

CAG to probe Mbeya Market

THE Controller and Auditor General (CAG) has been directed to conduct a special audit in Mbeya City Council in regard to questionable costs for the construction of Mwanjelwa Market, which reportedly shot up from 16bn/- to 26bn/-.

“Construction costs for the market was initially pegged at 16bn/- but the amount soared by 10bn/- to 26bn/- due to some dishonest officials, the government will take actions against all those behind the embezzlement,” the Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, said here yesterday as he continues with his working tour of Mbeya Region.

In the same vein, the Premier has issued a three-day ultimatum to Mbeya Regional Commissioner Amos Makala to probe and identify officials who swindled funds amounting to 489m/- provided by CRDB Bank for development of the market.

Mr Majaliwa issued the directives here during an impromptu visit at the marketplace where he uncovered the suspected misappropriation of public funds. “All those who will be found to have swindled the funds after the audit by the CAG will be held responsible to serve as a lesson to other dishonest officials”, he remarked.

The inflated costs caused delays in implementation of the project, resulting in the Mbeya City Council to dish out 200m/- each month to service the debt issued for construction of the market, according to the PM.

Mr Majaliwa also directed the RC to ensure that the city council recompenses rental fees paid by a businessperson who has been leased a compartment meant to collect garbage so that the cubicle is used for its intended purpose.

During the visit at the market, the PM was equally irked that some cubicles were not occupied in which he directed Mr Makala to ensure that traders who were leased the compartments start operating or risk losing the stalls to other traders.

Some of the traders informed the PM that some crooked individuals had acquired spaces at the market with an aim of sub-letting them to traders at rental fees higher than those charged by the city council, denying access to bonafide beneficiaries.

One of the traders, who identified himself as Mohammed Said, told the Premier that individuals hoarding the cubicles were sub-letting them at between 20m/- and 40m/- depending on the position of the respective compartment.

Mr Makala had earlier informed the prime minister that the market was facing a number of challenges, explaining that even traders who had spaces before the market was destroyed by fire in the 2000s were not given priority in the new market.

Abbas picked new Information Director

INFORMATION, Culture, Arts and Sports Minister Nape Nnauye has appointed Mr Hassan Abbas the Director of Tanzania Information Services, MAELEZO, and Chief Government Spokesperson.

Mr Nnauye told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the appointment follows the transfer of the former Director, Mr Assah Mwambene, who was shifted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation on March 7.

“The appointment of Mr Abbas was carried out as per the Public Service Act No 8 Section 6(1) (b) and became effective on August 5, this year,” said Mr Nnauye. Before his appointment, Mr Abbas was the Manager of Information and Communications at the President’s Delivery Bureau, which is responsible for the implementation of the Big Results Now (Project) BRN.

Mr Nnauye took the opportunity to extend recognition to Ms Zamaradi Kawawa, who was acting on the position “for the well-done job, which she carried out with the highest degree of commitment and integrity’’.

He called on media stakeholders and members of the public to work together with the newly-appointed director in his role as the Chief Government Spokesperson “We have great hopes with him and we believe the media will make major reforms to take us where we want to go,” he said.

On his part, Mr Abbas thanked the minister for the appointment, pledging major reforms in the department in accordance with changed times. “I will need time to plan and come up with a strategic plan along with creating mechanisms that would allow for feedback by the people. Expect changes in the department and the release of timely information,” pledged the new TIS director.

Mr Abbas called for cooperation, saying he has been in the media for about ten years beginning as a correspondent and rising to the top as a managing editor in addition to serving the government for about seven years in different positions.

“After identifying my priorities, I will call you to come and hear my strategies,” Mr Abbas pledged. Responding to a question on some of the infringing media laws in the country, the minister said much as efforts are being done in pioneering media bills, media outlets ought to respect and adhere to the existing laws.

“If the media carries inciting news, the government will act for the sake of maintaining law and order because there is no law without boundaries,” Mr Nnauye pointed out.

Don’t hold protest demos, cleric advises Chadema

RENOWNED evangelist Reverend Anthony Lusekelo has warned leaders and members of opposition CHADEMA against their intended countrywide demonstrations on September 1, urging them to engage the government on dialogue to address their alleged grievances.

The word of caution from Rev Lusekelo follows statements by Chadema leaders on the so- called “Countrywide Defiance Day” next month, which has been banned by the government, with President John Magufuli warning of stern action against those who will take part.

The top-flight preacher as well urged Tanzanians to give more time to President Magufuli to carry out his duties, observing that it would be unfair to gauge his performance after just nine months since he assumed office.

Appearing on a television programme on Monday, Rev Lusekelo noted with concerns how he had tried to contact CHADEMA leaders to shelve the planned demos which have been outlawed by the government in vain.

“There is no alternative to peace that we currently enjoy as a country and we should not allow members of political parties to throw the country into turmoil,” Rev Lusekelo of the GRC Church at Ubungo Kibangu in Dar es Salaam stated.

He added: “Registered political parties have less than six million people and yet the country’s population is roughly 50 million people. We should not allow the small fraction of the populace to disturb peace and tranquility.”

He expressed fears that the country will be thrown into violence if the opposition party sticks to the banned protests, recalling the ugly scenes from Zanzibar in 2001 when supporters of Civic United Front (CUF) took to the streets despite the government’s ban on protests.

“There is nothing as dangerous as internal conflicts pitting members of political parties and armed forces,” he noted. If political parties are aggrieved by the government’s decision, they should use available avenues for dialogue such as the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) rather than going to the streets, which could lead to bloodshed, he pointed out.

Rev Lusekelo revealed during the ‘Mada Moto’ programme on Channel Ten that he had tried to contact some CHADEMA leaders to advise them against the demos but none of them would return his calls, describing them as ‘big-headed.’

The preacher urged Tanzanians to rally behind President Magufuli who is currently working to unite the country after the hotly-contested general election last year.

“Dr Magufuli has been in office for just nine months and we will be unfair to draw conclusion on his performance at this moment, Dr Magufuli should be given more time before we can point out failings in his administration,” the preacher remarked.

He commended President Magufuli for remarkable achievements during the first few months in office, particularly on his anti-corruption crusade and curbing misuse of public funds. “The God has given us a kind of a leader we wanted; one who has shown that he values the welfare of all people.

We should give him at least three years before we start pointing weaknesses of his presidency,” Rev Lusekelo explained. On the other hand, the cleric proposed that former presidents in Tanzania should pull out of their respective political parties upon retirement to remain ‘’fountains of wisdom’’ for the country. “The Late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was the guiding light for the nation; but since his death, we lack such a personality.

It is high time former presidents pulled out of their political parties. This will give them unprejudiced authority to take over from Nyerere’s footpath”, Rev Lusekelo suggested.

The evangelist reasoned that since presidents serve all Tanzanians regardless of their political affiliations, they would be in a better position to advise and guide the nation on maintenance of peace and security upon their retirement.

Credits to private sector decline

THE growth of credit to the private sector has slowed down to 16.2 percent in May from 19.3 percent in the previous month, the situation that analysts attribute to the tightening liquidity stance in the circulation.

According to the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) monthly economic review for June, a large slowdown in growth was particularly marked in transport and communication, building and construction, hotels and restaurants and personal activities.

For example, the annual growth of bank’s credit to major economic activities to transport and communication declined to 8.7 per cent in May from 19.1 per cent in April and 31.9 per cent in the corresponding period last year.

Similarly, the growth of credit to the private sector was lower at 19.3 percent in the year ending April 2016 compared with 23.6 percent in March. A senior lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Prof Haji Semboja said government crackdown on corruption and shifting its funds from commercial banks to the BoT has impacted greatly on the liquidity level in the circulation and lenders’ capacity to issue loans.

“This is a necessary move taken by the government to instill discipline in the use of public funds to the planned expenditure. What is currently observed is the lack of cheap money in the circulation as it was before,” he said.

He however cautioned that cutting down expenditures on various services from the private sector which is the engine of the economy may in the long run cause some economic activities to stumble, thus affecting banks and their capacity to lend. He said banks deposits mobilisation depends on some economic activities particularly from the private sector, thus when they seize, also affect the other part.

“It is high time that research were done regularly on such areas that have huge impact on the economy in order to apply flexible measures which are necessary to make some economic activities vibrant.

The BoT report shows further that credit extended to trade activities and personal loans continued to account for the largest share of total outstanding credit by about 38.4 percent in the tune of 19.8 percent and 18.6 percent respectively, followed by manufacturing 10.6 percent and agriculture 7.9 percent.

Noteworthy that the share of credit to trade and manufacturing related activities increased relative to the preceding month, while that of other activities went up.

The year ended May witnessed the extended broad money supply grew by 11.9 percent, down from 12.9 percent in the year ending April 2016. The outturn was mainly caused by a slowdown in the growth of credit to the private sector and net foreign assets (NFA) of the banking system. The NFA of the banking system recorded year on year growth of 7.1 percent, significantly lower compared with 11.0 per cent in April.

This was mainly caused by net foreign assets of banks which contracted by 45 per cent following an increase in foreign borrowing and decrease in short term placements and deposits abroad.

Mbeya plant to make sleepers for standard gauge railway

MBEYA based Kongolo Concrete Sleeper Plant (KCSP) will produce reinforced concrete sleepers to be used in the construction of the standardgauge railway expected to begin soon so as to cut costs, the government has said.

The Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Prof Makame Mbarawa. said in Mbeya over the weekend that it was the intention of the government for the Mbeya plant owned by Tanzania- Zambia Railways Authority (TAZARA) produce the sleepers for the railway line so as to save cost and boost revenue of the jointly owned railway authority.

“I will make sure the contractor who will construct the railway will use sleepers produced by this plant instead of importing them from abroad,” said Prof Mbarawa in his tour of the plant over the weekend and noted he would direct a special committee on the construction of the railway to visit the plant to assess its production capacity.

Kongolo Concrete Sleeper Plant (KCSP) manufactures concrete sleeper for the 1,860km Tazara railway track. It also produces high quality ballast as the main product for railway maintenance whilst aggregates, chippings, boulders, quarry dust and crusher dust are produced as by-products for sale to the public, according to information from Tazara website.

The government is committed to revive industries in the country so as to increase job opportunities for Tanzanians and to propel the country to the middle income status by 2025 through industrial development.

The minister said the government would save significant amount of foreign currency by using rail sleepers manufactured within the country and would also be boosting revenue for Tazara as well as expand business scope for sleepers for local and foreign customers.

Prof Mbarawa has also inspected laboratory for measuring quarry quality at the plant and issued one month for TAZARA to obtain Tanzania Bureau of Standard (TBS) certificate of standard so that it could be formalized.

The Head of Kongolo Plant, Boniface Phiri, said the opportunity to manufacture sleepers for the envisaged standard gauge railway would boost production at the plant and increase revenue to the authority. He said they would increase machinery so that we can raise our production and improve quality to meet what is required in the mega railway project, he said.

Kongolo Concrete Sleeper Plant (KCSP) is unique in East and Central Africa which manufacture rail sleepers and has capacity of producing 24,000 sleepers annually. Prof. Mbarawa was in Mbeya to inspect railway, road and communication infrastructure

Tanzania leather product market attracts Turkish exporters

TURKISH leather product exporters are optimistic about boosting exports to Tanzania after finding the market better than what they expected.

The exporters who conducted a two-day exhibition of Turkish leather products in Dar es Salaam on Thursday and Friday, said they had received positive feedback and they would plan another comeback to conquer the leather product market dominated by China footwear.

“We found the market better than we expected. It is more developed and vibrant,” a Member of Board of Directors of Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters’ Association, Islam Seker told the ‘Daily News’ on the sidelines of the exhibition at a Dar es Salaam hotel on Friday.

He said by Friday afternoon they had clinched 40 business deals and judging by the overwhelming response they had received since Thursday, they expected more deals before the end of the day. “Already forty Tanzanian companies have come and we signed deals so far and we are expecting more,” he said.

He said they planned to capitalize on existing good bilateral relations between Tanzania and Turkey to boost exports of leather footwear and products to Tanzania noting that they see the East African country as a vital market due to its rapid growing urban population and middle income earners.

He said the Tanzania market was vital also because it is a gateway to the East and Central Africa due to its location. Tanzania, a gateway to six landlocked countries in Eastern and Central Africa, provides natural access to DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi and Uganda.

Tanzania is an access to a market of more than 300 million people in Eastern and Southern Africa in which the East African country enjoys preferential trading arrangements by virtue of being a member of SADC and East African Community (EAC).

“Tanzania is an emerging economy in Africa with very strong growth. Economic issues here are better compared to many places in Africa... and we know each other better,” he said. Mr Seker said they were undaunted by the fact that Tanzania is second leading country with the highest number livestock in Africa and had a growing leather industry full of potential because they believe that would enhance competition which would lead to improvement in quality.

Tanzania is second in Africa after Ethiopia with highest livestock population of more 22 million cattle, 16 million goats and seven million sheep as per 2015 statistics.

While Ethiopia is the leading producer and exporter of leather products in Africa, Tanzania uses only a fraction of its great potential in leather industry for production to feed the domestic industry. The East African country spends substantial amount of its scarce foreign exchange to import around 50 million shoes annually.

Other imports on leather products include bags and handbags, wallets and belts that can be made locally using the available raw hides and skins. “Competition shouldn’t scare you because it is a good thing in business. It makes you strive to improve quality... competitive market is good to consumers,” he said.

According to him, Turkish leather industry was capable of producing 400 million pairs of shoes every year and yet they import footwear worth 1.0bn US dollars every year. “If you don’t allow imports, your industry will not develop”, he said.

Their biggest market is Russia, Iran, Germany and Netherlands but they also export to South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania, he said. “We will be going back home full of aspiration of the Tanzania market,” he said.