If TIRDO is right, someone must surely bear the blame

15/07/2010 by hindu.

IN September 2007, I read two articles published one after another in a weekly (Friday) English Language newspaper that I thought were hard-hitting at the time. One was a front page news story which amounted to a lamentation regarding exports from Tanzania. These, the story stated, were routinely rejected at the world’s markets as lacking in international quality standards.

That story was just as soon followed by an editorial piece. This virtually joined the earlier story in lamenting the situation in which the country’s exports found themselves. But the editorial went further, also lamenting why nothing was being done by the relevant authorities to remedy the situation!
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Report reveals widespread land graft

15/07/2010 by hindu.

The land audit team comprising experts from Ardhi University has found that 90 per cent of plots in Kinondoni Municipality have been allocated irregularly. The 19-member taskforce scrutinised all files that give the right for land occupancy in Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke municipalities. 

The report, which was submitted to Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner William Lukuvi yesterday, shows that 30 per cent of land in Ilala Municipality was illegally possessed. 

In contrast, only one per cent of plots in Temeke Municipality were allocated irregularly. On Tuesday, Mr Lukuvi received a report showing that almost 80 per cent of land set aside for public use in Dar es Salaam has been grabbed. Read the rest of this entry »

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We no longer care about our health

15/07/2010 by hindu.

 Your recent editorial about the rise in heart disease prevalence was informative.  This is not surprising given that many Tanzanians have adopted a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise.  

Tanzania’s burgeoning middle class means that more and more people are buying cars and eating junk food.  Driving cars and eating junk food are mistakenly thought to reflect success and prosperity in life. People sit in their cars for a couple of hours driving to work and proceed to sit for anything up to ten hours in the office.  They again sit in their cars for a number of hours while returning home from work.  At home, they sit for several hours in front of the television, probably with a plateful of some greasy junk food by their side, before retiring to bed.   Read the rest of this entry »

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Mpendazoe now joins Chadema

15/07/2010 by hindu.

Former Kishapu MP Frederick Mpendazoe yesterday joined Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema). The new development comes hardly four months after the radical Mpendazoe stunned the nation in March when he unexpectedly announced to leave his powerful ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) for the yet to be registered Chama Cha Jamii (CCJ).  

Mr Mpendazoe, who upon joining CCJ earlier in April was immediately designated as the party spokesman, took with him other two top CCJ leaders to join Chadema. 

Well known for crusading against corruption, before ditching CCM he had accused it of embracing pro-rich policies. He told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday that he was joining Chadema as a proper platform to push for political change and true democracy in Tanzania.Leaving CCJ with him is the party chairman, Mr Richard Kiyabo and deputy secretary general (mainland), Mr Dickson Ng’hily. Read the rest of this entry »

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