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DAR ES SALAAM — IN a bold step towards hosting the prestigious AFCON 2027 finals, the government is forging ahead with extensive refurbishments and new constructions in collaboration with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Sports, Gerson Msigwa, expressed unwavering commitment to meeting CAF’s stringent requirements during a recent inspection tour at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Refurbishment of the stadium, currently at 35 per cent completion, showcases upgraded seating and ongoing construction efforts are impressing CAF officials.
“Our readiness extends beyond refurbishments,” Msigwa affirmed, highlighting the proactive stance on material procurement and site production readiness.
CAF’s comprehensive venue inspections have spanned Uganda, Kenya, and now Tanzania, with visits planned for Zanzibar and Arusha. Msigwa disclosed plans for a new stadium in Arusha, with initial funding secured and preparatory work underway, despite earlier setbacks with site selection.
Excitingly, plans for a new 35,000-seat stadium in Fumba, Zanzibar, promise to elevate the tournament’s appeal, ensuring ample spectator accommodation.
Msigwa also underscored the government’s collaboration with the private sector to bolster hospitality infrastructure.
“We are poised to partner with private entities to develop hotels and transport solutions, crucial for hosting AFCON 2027 guests,” he elaborated, emphasizing a holistic approach to ensuring a world-class tournament experience.
With preparations intensifying, Tanzania’s dedication to enhancing infrastructure and hospitality signifies a monumental leap towards a successful AFCON 2027, poised to leave a lasting legacy in African football history.
Source: allafrica.com
ZANZIBAR — ZANZIBAR’S current account surplus has registered a significant increase in the last one year thanks to the tourism sector contribution.
According to the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), the current account balance witnessed a remarkable improvement, reaching a surplus of 506.9 million US dollars in the year ending May.
This marks a substantial rise from the 389.1 million US dollars’ surplus recorded during the corresponding period last year.
“The development was largely associated with an increase in service receipts, particularly from tourismrelated activities,” BoT’s latest monthly economic review said.
A current account surplus means that a country has more exports and incoming payments than imports and outgoing payments to other countries.
The tourism sector’s robust performance has been a key driver of Zanzibar’s economic growth, contributing significantly to the balance of payments.
The report said service receipt, particularly tourism rose by 12 per cent to 1.020 billion US dollars, following increased tourist arrivals.
Generally, exports of goods and services amounted to 1.084 billion US dollars a year to May, higher than 975.8 million US dollars in a similar period last year, owing to an increase in service receipts.
Conversely, cloves exports declined by 32 per cent to 28.9 million US dollars from the level recorded in the corresponding period last year, due to the cyclical nature of the crop.
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ALSO READ: Mwinyi urges action on tourism, fisheries threats
On a monthly basis, exports of goods and services rose to 103.4 million US dollars in May from 67.1 million in May, driven by services, particularly tourism-related activities.
On the other hand, imports of goods and services decreased slightly by 0.6 per cent to 591.8 million in the year ending.
“The decrease is largely explained by the fall in goods imports, particularly intermediate and consumer goods,” BoT said.
The decline in intermediate goods imports was largely due to a decrease in imports of industrial supplies and fuel and lubricants.
The decrease in consumer goods imports was mostly on account of the decrease in food and beverages, particularly for household consumption and non-industrial transport equipment.
Meanwhile, capital goods imports recorded an increase, largely attributed by the ongoing infrastructure developments.
Month-to-month imports of goods (FoB) and services amounted to 43.7 million US dollars in May, slightly lower than 49.7 million US dollars registered last May.
Experts highlight that the surge in tourist arrivals and increased visitor spending have bolstered service revenues, thereby enhancing the current account surplus.
This trend underscores the importance of tourism as a vital component of the nation’s economy.
Zanzibar has a unique economic structure shaped by its history, geography, and political status
Source: allafrica.com
TANZANIA — THE government has reiterated its commitment to continue strengthening and creating conducive environment for investment in the country, by tackling various sectoral challenges in order to attract more domestic and foreign direct investment projects.
The goal is to make it easier for investors to understand how other businesses and projects are progressing in Tanzania so that they can be attracted to invest in the country.
The remarks were made by the Deputy Minister of State in the President’s Office, Planning and Investment, Mr Stanslaus Nyongo, during his familiarization tour to the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam.
“As we all know, investment is critical for the country to progress, both domestic and foreign investors are crucial, and this centre is very important in creating an environment for people to come and invest and make the sector successful in our country,” said Mr Nyongo.
He appealed to all investors, especially locals, to take advantage of the available opportunities by investing in the country in order to support President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s efforts to provide ample opportunities for domestic investors.
Furthermore, he commended TIC for establishing and continuing to facilitate provision of services to investors, including the establishment of a one-stop centre that has merged various government institutions, a move that has reduced the need for investors to visit different offices in search of licensing and authorisation of services.
“So, instead of the investor coming and starting to go around one office after another looking for licenses and various services, those services are now available here, and that is a good thing I have seen, and as a country, we must take pride in the step we have reached,” he said.
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Mr Nyongo also expressed gratitude to the sixth phase government under President Samia for continuing to improve the TIC, which has been a relief for both domestic and foreign investors, as well as an economic stimulus.
During his familiarisation tour at the TIC, the deputy minister also had an opportunity to discuss various matters with TIC management and other staff.
According to the TIC, project registrations has surged by 91.6 per cent and stretched to 707 worth of about 7 billion US dollar (approximately 19tri/-) from July 2023 to June 2024, from the 369 worth 5.4 billion US dollar (14tri/-) recorded in the same period of 2022/2023.
The achievement is attributed to the new Investment Act No. 10 of 2022 that acts as the pivotal role in boosting both domestic and foreign direct investment.
Source: allafrica.com
THE Tanzania national beach soccer team is gearing up for the upcoming Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (BSAFCON) finals in Egypt this July.
Team Captain, Sadick Salum, expressed pride and determination in representing Tanzania with honour.
“We are immensely grateful to the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) for providing us with an excellent training camp in preparation for the tournament,” Salum stated.
He emphasized of the federation’s crucial role in providing necessary resources and facilities for effective training.
“The training camp has significantly improved our physical fitness, team spirit, and tactical understanding.
We have focused intensely on aspects like defence, attack, and set-pieces to ensure peak performance during the championship,” Salum added.
Player Ibrahim Ibadi echoed Salum’s sentiments: “I feel a great sense of responsibility and pride.
Our team is highly motivated and determined to achieve remarkable success for Tanzania in the tournament.”
“We also want to thank our fans and supporters,” Ibadi continued.
“Your unwavering support is incredibly meaningful to us, and we’re committed to making you proud. Together, we aim to showcase Tanzanian beach soccer’s strength and talent on the international stage.”
Tanzania’s campaign begins with a match against Uganda in the Beach Soccer Championship qualifiers.
Fourteen nations will participate in the qualifiers, competing in a two-legged format to determine the seven teams joining host Egypt in the finals this summer.
The first leg of qualifiers is scheduled for July 19th to 21st, with the second leg taking place on July 26th to 28th
Source: allafrica.com
Malawi’s leader of Opposition, George Chaponda, today met with Tanzanian political parties through the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD), a platform dedicated to promoting democracy and constitutionalism.
The meeting took place at the TCD offices in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Writing on his Facebook page, Chaponda said that as the Leader of the Opposition in Malawi with over 20 years of experience in politics, he was honored to share valuable insights and principles with my Tanzanian counterparts, aimed at strengthening our democracies.
“I also extended warm greetings from the former President of the Republic of Malawi and President of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who fondly recalls his time teaching at the Universities in Tanzania,” he said.
His host, Hon. Dorothy Semu, Vice Chairperson of TCD, was accompanied by TCD Executive Director Ms. Bernadertha Kafuko, former Ambassador Mr. David Kapya, who served as Special Assistant to the late President Benjamin Mkapa, and Ms. Jacqueline Liana, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Politics and International Relations from Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Mr. Julius Mwita, Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Training from the Party for Democracy and Progress (CHADEMA), Mr. Jafari Mneke, Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs for the Civic United Front (CUF), Hon. Shaweji Mketo, Acting Deputy Secretary-General of ACT Wazalendo Mainland, and Mr. Faustine Sungura representing NCCR-Mageuzi
The meeting was a resounding success, fostering a spirit of collaboration and solidarity among democratic stakeholders in the region.
Source: allafrica.com
Disregard public notice allegedly from Tanzania’s examinations council announcing deadline for correcting names on certificates
IN SHORT: A message allegedly from the National Examinations Council of Tanzania claims that Tanzanians can correct name discrepancies on certificates via WhatsApp. But according to the council, this is not true and the message should be ignored.
A public notice supposedly from the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) is circulating on Facebook.
The notice claims to offer Tanzanians who completed secondary school between 1988 and 2024 the opportunity to correct discrepancies in their names on various certificates. This includes corrections to birth, education and professional qualifications certificates.
Necta is a government body responsible for administering all national examinations and assessments in Tanzania.
The notice outlines the procedure for Tanzanians to correct mismatched names on their certificates to avoid confusion when applying for jobs. For the changes to be made, the notice instructs citizens to submit their documents via WhatsApp.
The fee for this correction service is TSh37,850 (about US$15) and the deadline for applications is 30 August 2024.
Similar versions of the notice have also been posted on Facebook before, asking citizens to pay varying fees for correcting names on different certificates.
The notice has been published here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report). But is it legitimate?
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Fake public notice
There are signs that the notice might be fake.
One is that the notice instructs people to send their documents via WhatsApp. This is an unusual way for a Tanzanian government agency to receive official applications. Such applications are usually submitted to a dedicated office or online portal.
To find out if the information on the notice was correct, we checked the e-services section of Necta’s website. We found guidelines on how to request name corrections on certificates.
The website has a strict deadline for submitting correction requests. You have one year from the date your results are published to request a name correction on your transcript.
The fee for correcting a name on a certificate is TSh35,000, according to the Necta website.
On 4 July, Necta posted the same public notice stamped “FAKE NEWS”.
The fake notice has also been posted here and here.
Source: allafrica.com
Lydia Charles Moyo vividly recalls the realities of her school days, which were far from rosy. Raised by a single mother, Lydia attended public schools, where resources were scarce, and the environment was less than conducive to academic success.
Her secondary school, Kingongo, on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city, was especially challenging, lacking basic facilities such as libraries and laboratories. With no mathematics teacher for an entire year and a daily two-hour walk to and from school, Lydia witnessed many of her peers, especially girls, drop out due to poverty, early marriages, and teen pregnancies.
Despite these challenges, Lydia was one of the few who persevered. Out of 200 students, only nine made it to high school, and she was one of the three girls who did.
The sense of responsibility she felt for her friends who couldn’t continue with education spurred her to action. Along with her friends, she started campaigns in high school to boost girls’ confidence and educate them about their rights.
Today, she heads an organisation, Her Initiative, recognised as a youth-first and women-led NGO that offers programmes to equip young women with education, skills, and resources for entrepreneurship and employment. It leverages technology to advance digital inclusion and remove barriers for young women and girls.
“When I got to high school, I felt this huge guilt because I’d left my friends behind. And I knew it was not that they were not smart, but we did not have a conducive environment that supported us academically. So I spoke to a few of my friends and we started campaigns in schools to boost girls’ confidence and esteem because we realised the reason we made it to high school was because we had the urgency and the confidence to navigate the day-to-day challenges to achieve our dreams. So we wanted to instil this in our peers. We also spoke to them about their rights,” she explains.
Together with her friends, they invited role models from various fields to inspire the girls and provide guidance on succeeding in life.
By the time Lydia joined university, many of her peers were still struggling to meet their basic needs, often resorting to risky behaviours for financial gain. Determined to make an even bigger difference, she and her friends organised entrepreneurship workshops aimed at fostering financial independence among college girls.
Lydia Charles Moyo receives the King Baudouin Foundation 2023-2024 Africa Prize for Her Initiative organisation. PHOTO | POOL
A programme known as Panda, Kiswahili for “plant” – denoting the initiative’s objective of planting the seeds of financial self-reliance. The programme reached more than 1,000 young women in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza.
After working for a few years post-graduation, Lydia decided to dedicate herself full-time to the empowerment of girls and women. In 2019, she established Her Initiative, aiming to empower young women through economic independence.
“Gender-based violence, underage marriage and HIV are just a few examples of the problems that are stopping women from going to school, getting a job and breaking the cycle of poverty. My friends and I experienced these barriers when we were in high school, and so we started to look for solutions to the challenges we were coming up against. And that’s how Her Initiative started,” Lydia says.
“We support young women to build their financial resilience in six Tanzanian regions, but with the KBF Africa Prize we will be able to scale our work to help so many more women to achieve their dreams in Tanzania and beyond.”
Lydia Charles Moyo makes her speech after receiving the King Baudouin Foundation 2023-2024 Africa Prize for Her Initiative organisation. PHOTO | POOL
The KBF Africa Prize is her latest accolade given by the King Baudouin Foundation, in recognition of her work to unlock women’s economic potential, tackle the youth unemployment crisis and accelerate economic and social development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Her Initiative recently won the King Baudouin Foundation 2023-2024 Africa Prize, receiving €200,000 ($218,267) to expand its impact and support 100,000 more women across East Africa, in achieving financial resilience, promoting financial independence, digital inclusion, and a thriving ecosystem of youth-driven organisations, over the next five years.
Additionally, the funds will help bring together an ecosystem of youth organisations to facilitate knowledge sharing, resource pooling and harnessing the power of African youth.
The prize comprises the opportunity to connect with the KBF’s international network of non-profits and development professionals.
The 2023-2024 Africa Prize was presented to Her Initiative at an awards ceremony held on June 27, at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium.
The organisation was selected from a pool of more than 400 applicants.
Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, chair of the KBF Africa Prize Selection Committee 2023-2024 said: “The selection committee was highly impressed with Her Initiative’s combined approach to advancing women’s rights and financial independence. Coupled with its innovative use of modern technologies and strategic local partnerships, Her Initiative is a highly deserving recipient of this year’s KBF Africa Prize. We look forward to seeing what the team achieves in the years to come.”
The KBF Africa Prize recognises African organisations working to drive African-led solutions to the challenges facing the continent and to sustainably improve the lives of Africans. The Prize plays a transformative role in helping organisations scale up and advocate for their work on a wider stage. Several past laureates, including Dr Denis Mukwege, Elman Peace and Grameen Bank, have since been awarded and shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Since its inception, Her Initiative has grown significantly, reaching over 15,000 young women and girls across Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Iringa, Morogoro, Pwani and Dodoma regions. The organisation offers diverse programmes tailored to the needs of girls in and out of school and unemployed youth.
For schoolgirls, Her Initiative runs Mshiko Clubs, which focus on promoting the capacity of women and girls for entrepreneurship and financial literacy. These clubs engage them in savings challenges, small businesses, and rights education, boosting their confidence and interest in continuing their education.
For girls out of school, the organisation provides skills, resources to start small businesses, and education on gender-based violence (GBV). This support helps them become economically independent and less vulnerable to exploitation.
For young women entrepreneurs, Her Initiative’s Panda Digital platform offers hybrid e-learning opportunities. Through a combination of website access and AI-powered SMS courses, young women acquire business skills and certifications, regardless of their internet access.
The other programme, Digimali, helps young entrepreneurs digitalise their businesses, enhancing their reach and efficiency in the digital economy. yet another project, Youth Employability Bootcamp, targets unemployed young women and men, providing skills training and job placement assistance.
“With the financial support, we plan to scale our programmes, leveraging the network and publicity from KBF to attract new partners who can invest in our initiatives. Additionally, we’ll continue learning from different partners within KBF’s network, including previous winners who are doing exceptional work in other countries,” Lydia says.
Her Initiative already collaborates with youth-led and women’s rights organisations in the country, such as Wildaf (Women in Law and Development in Africa) and Digital Opportunity Trust.
This year has been particularly good for Her Initiative. In May, the organisation won the Global Citizen Award in New York, as well as received the Tanzania Digital Award. Additionally, it’s been recognised by the Tanzanian Ministry of Gender for its support for girls across the country and by Mkwoki, a coalition of organisations fighting against gender-based violence, for the innovation in accelerating GBV reporting within the Panda digital platform.
Fatuma Mbaruku, a 38-year-old mother of four, traveled from Azimio to the Temeke Integrated Justice Center to file for custody and support for her four children after her 2023 divorce.
Arriving at 11:00 a.m., Fatuma, who had an infant needing periodic breastfeeding, received help with her case through the center’s online e-filing system. While waiting for her procedures to be completed, she was directed to a special breastfeeding room, providing her with privacy.
“The care I have received since my arrival is unbelievable,” said Fatuma. “I appreciate the warm welcome and high-quality assistance. They informed me of the special breastfeeding room, ensuring my comfort while waiting for my case documents.”
The Temeke Integrated Justice Center (IJC) is one of six centers in Tanzania to provide comprehensive services in one location, as part of the IDA-supported Citizen-Centric Judicial Modernization and Justice Delivery Project (CCJMP), with nine more under construction in Lindi, Songea, Songwe, Geita, Katavi, Pemba, Singida, Simiyu, and Njombe. The project development objective of the $155 million CCJMP, implemented by the Judiciary of Tanzania since 2016, is to improve the efficiency and transparency of, and access to selected citizen-centric justice services.
Referred to as “one-stop centers” (OSCs), establishments like Temeke were created to facilitate equal and timely justice for all, particularly in family cases, and to enhance gender justice. In addition to the designated child-care room, the Temeke Center houses the Primary Court, District Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal, along with essential stakeholders such as legal aid providers, social welfare officers, police gender desk personnel, advocates, and religious leaders.
“Some clients simply couldn’t afford the transport fare around the city if they had to seek the services of all these providers at different locations in the city,” said Judge Mwanabaraka Mnyukwa, the Judge in Charge at Temeke OSC.
Since its establishment in August 2021 up until March 31, 2024, the center has registered a total of 17,467 cases. Out of these, 16,328 cases have been decided, leaving 1,139 cases pending, as of March 31, 2024, across all court levels. The Temeke OSC receives an average of 800 customers daily, and by March 2024, it had served 467,825 customers, of which 267,109 (57%) are women. The integrated setup has facilitated access to those in need of legal aid, with 7,399 beneficiaries served, including 4,744 women (64%). Consequently, the Temeke IJC has become the first “gender justice” IJC in Africa and the second globally, dedicated to providing matrimonial, probate, domestic violence, child custody, property rights, and other justice services specifically tailored to meet the needs of women.
“Equitable administration of justice means leveling the ground and ensuring access to all stakeholders,” said Professor Elisante Ole Gabriel, Chief Court Administrator. “The integrated centers have mitigated the barriers for women to access justice due to economic and social hurdles, as evidenced by the numbers who have already visited this center. Cases involving children, physically impaired persons, and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers are given priority and are called first.”
The Social Welfare Department, also located on the premises, provides free psychological and counseling support, benefitting 5,047 women (64%) and nearly 2,900 men as of March 2024. “This is meant to offer a safe space for communication, healing, and conflict resolution. It helps family members navigate emotions, understand perspectives, and develop coping strategies during challenging times such as divorce, custody battles, or domestic violence situations,” said Judge Mnyukwa.
Access to justice in Tanzania is severely constrained for women, small businesses, and the rural poor due to various factors, including socioeconomic, cultural, political, infrastructure, and governance issues. Court processes need improvement, as indicated by the backlog and case clearance rates. The lack of public information, slow publication of court decisions, and perceptions of corruption further hinder access to justice and highlight other deficiencies within the justice system.
At the time of the project’s design, the Tanzanian court system received about 200,000 cases (both filed and pending) per year in all types and levels of courts, of which only about 120,000 were decided annually (i.e., a rate of about 60%), thereby causing a perpetual increase in backlogs and compounding delays. Manual event-based systems and processes resulted in inefficient case management. For example, more than 50% of cases took 30-90 days from filing to preliminary objection, and two-thirds took 90-1,000 days to progress from pretrial hearing to trial. Two-thirds of cases took 150-1,000 days from trial to decision.
In 2015, the Government of Tanzania launched a major reform of the judiciary to align with the National Development Vision 2025. Implementation of the CCJMP began in 2016 with initial financing from the International Development Association (IDA)of $65 million, to support the necessary judicial reforms needed to create a results-oriented, citizen-centric, and accountable justice delivery system. Additional financing of $90 million was provided in 2022.
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In addition to constructing IJCs like Temeke, CCJMP has achieved important milestones such as expanding access to court services through the construction of 78 subordinate courts (18 already operational), serving over 13 million citizens, and enhancing transparency via online publication of court decisions. The project has also increased the electronic publication of court decisions from 3% in 2021 to 54% in 2024. It has reduced case processing times across different court levels, lowering the case backlog rate from 11% in 2021 to 3% in 2024. The project has also successfully implemented the integrated e-judiciary system, introduced virtual court hearing services through video conferencing, and adopted a Gender Justice Strategic Framework. As a result of all these initiatives, CCJMP has raised citizen confidence in justice services from 61% in 2016 to 88% in 2023.
Temeke, a densely populated low-income area, is among the largest districts in the Dar es Salaam region. While the majority of the center’s clients are local, its integrated services also attract individuals from surrounding districts. The expression at the center’s front door, “Tupo Hapa Kukufuta Machozi” (“We are here to wipe away your tears”), serves as a poignant message of encouragement.
Source: allafrica.com
As the sun rises over Pemba island in Tanzania, Shajia and other seaweed farmers head towards the water to harvest their seaweed at low tide.
When Shajia first started farming seaweed in 1995, she did it largely along the shore. In the decades since, conditions have changed.
“Due to the high temperatures caused by climate change, the seaweed was not doing well on the shores,” she explains. “We were forced to go deeper into the ocean.”
The IFAD-supported LDFS project is helping Shajia adapt to the new normal. As well as receiving equipment, she’s learned how to grow seaweed along ropes. This ensures a plentiful harvest that is easier to gather and is protected from the tides.
Processing the precious produce
At midday, the boats return to shore, laden with their glistening produce. The seaweed is then sorted and spread out on drying racks at the local collection centre.
The dried seaweed is then exported for use in medicines and processing into carrageenan, a gelling substance that is used in everything from shampoo to soy milk. With government plans to establish a processing plant on Pemba, farmers will soon be able to move up the value chain and get higher profits for their produce.
Beauty business
Twenty-six-year-old Saumu has been farming seaweed on her underwater plot for two years. After receiving training and equipment through LDFS, she increased her yield to 290 kilos. She uses her earnings to pay for her children’s education and to purchase iron sheeting to build a new home.
Saumu is also part of a collective of young women who produce a rich seaweed skincare oil. While they currently use imported powdered seaweed, they plan to purchase equipment to process Pemba-grown seaweed into powder themselves.
Saumu is a role model for other young women. “We need to take advantage of the opportunities in front of us, like the seaweed farming, which can benefit us and our families.”
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For centuries, the islands off the east African coast have been part of a vast oceanic network spanning the Indian Ocean, with sailors following the trade winds all the way to southeast Asia. Today, rural people in the region are sustainably harvesting the ocean’s bounty before it sets out across the world.
Source: allafrica.com
