TABORA INVESTMENT FORUM IN DAR BES SALAAM IN PHOTOS

Tabora Investment Forum urges potential investors to come to Tabora and invest there

 Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal, the vice president of the United Republic of Tanzania addressing partcipants of a one day TaboraInvestment Forum at Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam

By Nasser Kigwangallah

THE vice president Dr. MohaMmed Gharib Bilal has urged potential investors to come forward and invest serious in Tabora so as to increase the rapid growth of the region and Tanzania as a whole.

Dr Bilal was said this at an official opening of Tabora Investment Forum in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

“On behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania , Tabora Region and Municipality of Tabora, I would like to extend our deepest thanks to the Government of Finland for the financial support provided to Tabora under the Regional Partnership to Promote Trade and Investment in Sub- Saharan Africa, and our appreciation to the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) for providing the expertise to implement this project in Tabora,” he said.

He said Tabora has a rich history as the railway hub and centre of commerce, with well-developed agriculture and light industry.

He added that Tabora, being the centre of education in Tanzania, it has a large number of schools providing  good-quality education in many areas, such as agriculture, commerce, administration, and so on.

He said the Beekeeping College is an example of one of the specialized institutions that is directly intended to support a sector with high potential for further development, i.e., honey production and processing as well as related products, such as beeswax, propolis and royal jelly.

He remarked: “Infrastructure deficits in Tabora have led to its full potential for manufacturing and trading not being fully achieved; however, steps have been taken to improve the situation. Roads are being built and improved.”

Speaking on the occasion, Fatma Mwasa, the Tabora regional commissioner said Tabora, in cooperation with the Earth Institute (under which the Millennium Cities Initiative also falls), also is proud to have access to the  Millennium Villages Program, which has been very successful, improving the livelihoods of many people in the Mbola Village and providing an example to others.

“Indeed, the farm to market linkages between the village and  Tabora Municipality is also a key element in developing the local value chain for the agricultural product and agribusiness,” she said.

According to her, under the Regional Partnership project, the following initiatives were undertaken; specific investment opportunities were identifie.

Mwasa said: “So I warmly welcome you and your business to Tabora.  There are unlimited investment and business opportunities which you are invited to explore.  I know some of you are interested to invest in agriculture and agro-processing.”

She added that Tabora has a conduncive weather for the growth of a variety crops such as sunflowers, groundnuts, maize and rice, fruit and vegetables, cotton and tobacco.

In Tabora we have huge potential for edible oil production, fruit and vegetable canning, cereal storing and processing, meat processing, leather production.

Most of the farmers already work in strict adherence to Good Agricultural Practices and with high human rights standards.

Kaisa Alapartanen Programme Officer, Embassy of Finland said she was pleased as her government was a key partner in development of Tabora and would continue to help the programme to its success.
She said Tabora Region and Tanzania Investment Centre in cooperation with the Millennium Cities Initiative, a programme of the Earth Institute of Columbia University in New York jointly organized an investment forum to promote awareness of investment opportunities in and around Tabora.
Tabora is a natural centre of western Tanzania as it is located on a major crossing of railway lines connecting the coast with the interior of Africa.
It is therefore a centre of business and commerce, not only for Tanzania but also for adjacent countries, with an estimated market exceeding 20 million consumers.
Tabora also offers a skilled and educated labor as it is home to several educational institutions.
The region is endowed with abundance of natural resources and farming land, and growing population in the city and attracts new companies from Tanzania and abroad to study investment and business opportunities it can offer.
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CORRUPT government officials to face the music, Prof. Muhongo

Professor Sospeter Muhongo, the Energy and Minerals minister By Nasser Kigwangallah THE government has reiterated its commitment to curb corruption and embezzlement of public funds saying that it will take stern and immediate steps to those found indulging in corrupt practices. This was said by Professor Sospeter Muhongo, the Energy and Minerals minister in Dar es Salaam yesterday at a one day stakeholders meeting. The meeting was called by his ministry to show case and commitment to the public on their performance and how they have committed themselves in implementing twenty nine projects aimed at electrifying Tanzania. “I want to tell you that I and my team of experts in the ministry declare to you that we are committed in implementing various electricity projects in the country and anyone of us who fails to perform will face the wrath and ultimately will be dismissed from job outright,” he said angrily. He said Tanesco, the power utility firm, has already sacked 49 officials for being unfaithful to their work. Tanzania has coal reserves of up to 5 billion tones, more than thrice its previously stated figure of about 1.5 billion tones and sees no reason at all why Tanzania could continue to face blackout day in and day out. The country produces coal from two mines mainly for domestic power generation. He said: “Developing coal production is part of broader energy strategy, which includes exploiting recent big gas finds.” He added that the government's power generation mix will focus on generating power from natural gas, coal, hydro-power and renewable energy sources. According to him, in 2011 China's Sichuan Hongda Co. Ltd. signed a USD3 billion deal with the country to mine coal and iron ore and build a 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant. Tancoal Energy, a joint venture between Australian-listed Intra Energy Corporation and Tanzania's government, runs the Ngaka coal project, while Tanzania's other mine at Kiwira is run by the state. The government, he said has plans in which Kiwira and Tancoal will produce power plants with 400 megawatts capacity. Recent oil and gas explored recently at Songo Songo in Kilwa and Mnazi Bay in Mtwara will make the country able to turn Tanzania into a hydrocarbons exporter. .......................................................................................................................

THE US President Barack Obama makes a historic tout to Tanzania

By Nasser Kigwangallah in Dar es Salaam THE much awaited US President Barack Obama finally arrived in Dar es Salaam, the largest and commercial capital of Tanzania on Monday noon. He was welcomed by his host, Jakaya Kikwete the Tanzanian president and other top government dignitaries. Obama was welcomed by troupes of traditional dancers, to say that he hoped Tanzania would benefit from a regional trade partnership that would improve lives in ways that foreign aid cannot. "We are looking at a new model that's based not just on aid and assistance, but on trade and partnership," he said. He added that ultimately, the goal here is for Africa to build Africa for Africans. Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete praised Obama and his predecessor, George W, Bush, who provided the country with millions of dollars in aid to prevent the spread of HIV, spending that Obama has cut in Africa. Obama praised Bush's funding for AIDS treatment and the two will have a brief meeting in the country where Bush is attending a conference on African women organized by his institute. Hundreds of young people lined the streets wearing T-shirts and sarongs bearing images of Obama in the biggest welcome of his three-country visit to Africa. He has already visited Senegal and South Africa. Obama's message has been that African countries must work hard to strengthen good governance practices and ensure human rights abusers are held to account. Obama pledged to foster further bilateral cooperation that existed between the two countries. "I am very happy to see President Obama. It has been my dream since he got into power because he's such a charismatic person," said many people who lined along the root in which Obama and his entourage passed. But others criticized his trip to Tanzania, saying they know Obama is coming for "American interests and that his trip to the country has brought hardship to local people than ever in their lives which has been disrupted. "One thing I would like to note is that there has been a scramble for Tanzania's resources, like gas and gold, and there's an obvious competition between the U.S. and China," said retired teacher Jesca Mbelwa, 65. "But I want to see Africans benefit from their resources first and second the Americans or the Chinese." …………………………………………

Male circumcision could prevent HIV/AIDS infection

Dr. Augustino Hellar of Jhpiego conducting male circumcision

By Nasser Kigwangallah, recently in Dodoma

MALE circumcision has been proven to prevent female-to-male infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The theory that male circumcision may be protective against HIV infection was invented and developed first in North America and practiced in Africa.

This was revealed by Dr. Augustino Hellar, of Jhpiego in his paper presented at a two day conference of Tanzania Parliamentarians Aids Coalition (TAPAC) in Dodoma on Sunday last week.

According to Dr. Augustino Hellar, removing the foreskin can prevent HIV infection by at least half.

He said those who advocate of male circumcision, have further promoted male circumcision as a way of fighting the pandemic.

“Countries that have been practicing male circumcision have low rate of HIV/AIDS infection as compared to those countries that do not practice the norm,” he said.

He said numerous observational studies were carried out in Africa.

Circumcision advocates conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Africa.

Three RCTs to study the value of male circumcision in reducing HIV infection have been conducted in Africa.

The studies were intended to find out if circumcision is an effective intervention to prevent female-to-male HIV infection.

A RCT was carried out in Orange Farm, South Africa; a RCT was carried out in Kenya and a RCT was carried out in Uganda.

All three studies found that non-circumcised males contract HIV infection more quickly than circumcised males.

All three studies were terminated early, before the incidence of infection in circumcised males caught up with the incidence of infection in the non-circumcised males.

He said: “National strategy for scaling up male circumcisionfor HIV prevention started in Tanzania since 2009 by starting with Iringa, Mbeya and Kagera regions,” he added.

According to him, the strategy intended to be conducted in eight regions, now there are 12 regions conducting male circumcision namely;

Mara,Rukwa,Iringa,Tabora,Mbeya,Mwanza,Kagera and Shinyanga regions.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that male circumcision, if done properly could reduce HIV/AIDS infection by 60 per cent.

Circumcision by male is one strategy of fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS to a greater extent.

It is my hope that this initiative, if spread all over the country, could be way effective ways of reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Circumcision practices are largely culturally determined and as a result there are strong beliefs and opinions surrounding its practice.

It is important to acknowledge that researchers' personal biases and the dominant circumcision practices of their respective countries may influence their interpretation of findings.

Circumcision does not prevent HIV infection, all together if the particular person does not adhere to norms and practices of abstinence and of being faithful to his wife or partner.

There are many methods of HIV transmission, including: mother-to-child infection, transfusion of tainted blood, infection with non sterile needles used in health care, infection by homosexual and heterosexual anal intercourse, infection by needle sharing to inject illegal drugs, traditional African scarring practices, tribal (ritual) circumcision, female circumcision, male-to-female heterosexual transmission, and female-to-male heterosexual transmission.

Male circumcision might only reduce infection by the last method, so the overall influence on the HIV epidemic in Africa, at best, would be likely to be slight, however, the risk of male-to-female transmission is much higher than that of female-to-male transmission, so a means of partial prevention that targets only the second means at the expense of the first would be counterproductive.

There is no indication that male circumcision would protect women.

Viral load is the chief predictor of the risk of HIV transmission.

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USHOGA WAINYEMELEA TANZANIA

 Ali Kessy, Mbunge wa Nkasi

MBUNGE wa Nkasi Kaskazini, Ali Keissy (CCM), amesema kuwa bila Watanzania kuwa makini na sheria mpya ya ndoa ijayo, huenda nchi ikapata rais, wabunge na madiwani wanaojihusisha na mapenzi ya jinsia moja (mashoga).
Keissy alitoa kauli hiyo wakati akichangia mada katika mkutano wa siku tatu wa Chama cha Wabunge cha Kupambana na Ukimwi (TAPAC) uliomalizika jana mjini Dodoma.
Mbunge huyo aliwaomba viongozi wa dini kukemea kwa nguvu vitendo hivyo, pia alipinga hatua ya wazazi kuwapeleka watoto wao wadogo shule za bweni akidai kuwa huko ndiko wanakojifunza vitendo hivyo.
“Mnashindwa kulea watoto wenu, mnawapeleka shule za bweni wakiwa na miaka mitatu ili walelewe kizungu. Huko watapakwa mafuta ya KY na wataingiliwa,” alisema.
Keissy alitolea mfano mkutano mmoja uliofanyika jijini Dar es Salaam kuwa uliwashirikisha mashoga 400, jambo alilodai ni ishara kwamba wanaojihusisha na vitendo hivyo wanaongezeka, na hivyo kuitaka serikali kuwapiga marufuku.
Hata hivyo, baada ya mbunge huyo kuhitimisha mchango wake, mmoja wa vijana wanaojihusisha na mapenzi hayo ya jinsia moja, Abdilah Ally ambaye alikuwa amealikwa na TAPAC, alitetea kuwa jamii inapaswa kukubali kwamba matendo hayo yanafanyika.
“Tunatambua kuwa sheria haziruhusu vitendo hivi, lakini vipo na vinafanyika na tunapata maambukizi kwa kiwango kikubwa. Tunachokitaka tusinyanyapaliwe na jamii, bali tupewe huduma ya afya ya kujikinga na maambukizi.
“Mathalani mimi hapa nina wapenzi wanaume watatu ambao nashiriki nao mapenzi, sasa kama nimeathirika ina maana wote wale nao wamethirika,” alisema.
Akifunga mkutano huo, Naibu Waziri wa Jamii, Jinsia na Watoto, Ummy Mwalimu, aliwasihi wanasiasa wasiwabague makundi ya watu wanaojihusisha na vitendo vya ushoga, usagaji na matumizi ya dawa za kulevya.
Alisema kuwa makundi hayo yanakabiliwa na janga la maambukizi makubwa ya virusi vya ukimwi, hivyo wanahitaji kusaidiwa kuondoka katika makundi hayo badala ya kuwahukumu.
Mwalimu alifafanua kuwa miongoni mwa washiriki wa mkutano huo kutoka katika makundi hayo, alikuwa mtumiaji wa dawa za kulevya, lakini baada ya kupata msaada wa kiafya ameachana na vitendo hivyo na sasa anaendelea vizuri chini ya uangalizi.
Mkutano huo uliratibiwa na Tume ya Kudhibiti Ukimwi Tanzania (TACAIDS), kama wadau wakuu waliotoa mada mbalimbali kuhusu jinsi wanavyopambana kupunguza maambukizi mapya ya virusi vya ukimwi.
Katika hilo, Mwalimu alisema kuwa serikali dhamira yake ni kufikia maambukizi asilimia sifuri, hasa kwa kutoa msukumo mkubwa kwa makundi ya wanawake, vijana na watoto ambayo yana maambukizi zaidi.
Mbunge wa Chambani visiwani Zanzibar, Yusuf Salam Hussein (CUF), alisema kuwa Serikali ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar imefanikiwa kupunguza maambukizi hayo kwa wanandoa kutokana na sheria ya kuwataka wapime ukimwi kabla ya kufunga ndoa.
“Zanzibar mtu hawezi kufunga ndoa kanisani kwa padri wala msikitini kwa sheikh ikiwa hana kibali cha sheha,” alisema.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ACCUSES POLICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES ON GAYS IN TANZANIA

 Neela Ghoshal, the Human Rights Watch Researcher (LGBT Rights) for East Africa

By Nasser Kigwangallah, recently in Dodoma

HUMAN Rights Watch has urged Members of the Parliament (MPs) to speed the process of enacting laws that would deter law enforcing agencies, such as the police, from discriminating vulnerable groups so as to escalate the war against HIV/AIDS in the society.

The call to that effect was made by Neela Ghoshal, the Human Rights Watch Researcher (LGBT Rights) for East Africa in her key note address to MPs at the 6^th Annual Conference of Tanzania Parliamentarians Aids Coalition (TAPAC) which ended in Dodoma on Sunday.

She said discrimination against sex workers, people who use drugs or LGBTI, gays and lesbians has reached an alarming state of concern in Tanzania and remedial steps are urgently needed if the war against HIV/AIDS is to be won.

“A research conducted by Human Rights Watch group between May 2012 and April, 2013 has shown massive human rights violations experienced by sex workers, drug users, lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and intersex people including MSM exposed very troubling situation of sexual exploitation,” she said.

According to her there were reports from people interviewed of unlawful torture and other forms of ill-treatment by the police and other law enforcement officials during security operations in some parts of the country.

She added that the research also documents grave human rights violations by police, including torture, rape, assault and arbitrary arrest of people found to be involved in sexual orientation.

She said other forms of abuses by law enforcers are extortion, as well as refusal to accept complaints from members of the most vulnerable groups in the society.

Neela Ghoshal said many cases rested on confessions obtained during beatings and torture or on suspects’ appearance and other behavior.
“No one should be sentenced to prison time because they blurt out a confession to stop torture, or because a judge doesn’t like what they drink, how they dress, or what kind of text messages they send,” she said.

On his part, Abdillah Ally, (famously known as Zungu) a renowned homosexual operating in Dar es Salaam testified by saying that they have been tortured and raped in prison by police and other law enforcers.

He said we have documents from our members who reported abuses by authorities prosecuting suspected gays and lesbians.
He said there are cases of men who have been beaten so badly by police and vigilante groups because of their sexual practices.
Condemning the practice as illegal and inhumane, the Nkasi legislator Ali Keissy urged his fellow MPs to abhor the practice as being a condemned sin in front of god almighty.
“Being gay or lesbian is a practice which stands for condemnation and we as MPs should be careful, otherwise the country will in future, be ruled by a gay president or we shall have gay MPs and gay councilors ,” he said.
The two day conferebce was officially closed by Ummy Mwalimu, deputy minister in the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children.
She said it was not a good omen to discriminate gay, lesbians and such groups if we all want to eradicate HIV/AIDS in the country.
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