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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

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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

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KATAVI — PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has instructed the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to increase its grains storing capacity to reach three million tonnes by 2030.

The Head of State issued the directives yesterday after inspecting the ongoing construction of the modern silos and warehouses in Mpanda Municipality in Katavi Region, which will increase storage capacity from the current 5,000 tonnes of grains to 28,000 tonnes.

“This project worth 14bn/-, will help the country to deal with food insecurity and reduce the post-harvest loss. The modern silos have significantly increased the grains storage capacity from 5,000 tonnes to 28,000 tonnes,” Dr Samia said.

During the inauguration of new constructed modern grain storage facilities, the President directed NFRA to make Katavi Region a special independent zone in purchasing and storing of grains.

President Samia also stressed the importance of crop buyers across the country to provide fair prices to farmers during grains purchasing season. She reiterated the government’s determination to scale up the agricultural sector, saying the country wants to move from subsistence farming to commercial farming.

Further noticing, she has instructed the regional government to cooperate with NFRA to look for the areas where they can expand the food storage projects to enable Katavi become a reliable region for food storage.

Moreover, Dr Samia said that the budget for Agriculture Ministry has increased by three folds in the past three years from 460bn/-in 2020/21 financial year to 1.248tri/- this fiscal year, directing the money to be well spent in building irrigation schemes, promoting extension services, procurement of fertilisers and construction of food storage facilities.

Meanwhile, President Samia has underscored that the government will continue executing recommendations from the Criminal Justice Commission for the improvement of nation’s criminal justice systems including Tanzania Police Force.

The Head of State made the statement after launching the Katavi Region’s police headquarters building, during her working visit in the region. The building sits on the compound spanning 1,438 square metres. It has 33 office rooms, two armory rooms, and two conference halls.

“This building is the result of implementation of the commission’s recommendations to create a good working environment for the Police Porce,” Dr Samia said.

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She said that such buildings have been built in many places in Tanzania and they all have the same status, saying that the government is also continuing to improve police stations in the country.

Dr Samia said that the construction of the building is also aligns with the implementation CCM election manifesto (2020- 2025), which directs for creation of better environment for the Police Force and to ensure that the law enforcement agency brings stability and peace in the country.

“The manifesto also wants the government to ensure that there is good governance within the Police Force so that we can have political stability,” she added.

Moreover, Dr Samia directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Commissioner of Police (CP) Camillus Wambura, to ensure that the building’s Information Communication Technology systems are linked with other institutions under the Police Force in the region.

The Criminal Justice Commission was formed by President Samia last year to investigate the performance of criminal justice institutions in the country.

In July last year, the Commission presented 333 recommendations aimed at guiding the enhancement of justice delivery, bolstering criminal justice institutions and adhering to the 4R philosophy– Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms and Rebuilding.

Presenting its report to the Head of State, the Commission highlighted key findings including major weaknesses in the entire system of criminal justice dispensation.

The institutions probed by the Commission include the Police Force, National Prosecution Services (NPS), Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Tanzania Prisons Service and Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA).

Source: allafrica.com

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Tanzanians go to the polls this year in local elections to vote for street and village chairpersons. This will be followed by a general election next year for councillors, members of parliament and the president.

Both sets of elections are being watched closely. They’re the first to be held following a raft of changes over the past eight years to drag Tanzania away from its history of operating as a one-party state and towards a more multiparty arrangement.

This history has included restrictions on opposition parties’ activities. For example, between 2016 and 2023, political rallies were banned in Tanzania. This was a huge setback given that rallies are the core campaigning and mobilising tool used by opposition political parties.

A single-party system was introduced in Tanzania in 1965. The 1977 merger of the ruling parties in the Tanzania mainland (Tanganyika African National Union) and Zanzibar (Afro-Shirazi Party) to form Chama cha Mapinduzi further entrenched the one-party state. That same year, a constitution was passed that organised Tanzania’s legal structures within a one-party system.

In 1992, the country allowed a multiparty system. This was in keeping with shifting trends across the continent and a response to calls from within and outside Tanzania for multipartyism. However, the constitution remained largely the same, with only superficial amendments. For example, electoral commissioners remain presidential appointees. The president is also the chair of the ruling party.

In 2016, the late president John Magufuli restricted the operations of opposition political parties. In 2019, a new Political Parties Act was passed to further contain opposition parties by giving the registrar wide powers to deregister parties, suspend individual members from parties and demand any information from a party.

Magufuli died in March 2021. When Samia Hassan took over as president shortly afterwards, she expressed a desire to expand the democratic space. She held dialogues with opposition leaders who raised key issues, including calls for constitutional reform. They also wanted an independent electoral commission, reforms in electoral laws and systems to allow more proportional representation, and freedom to carry out political party operations such as public rallies.

In January 2023, Hassan lifted the six-year ban on opposition-led public rallies. New electoral law amendments were also passed in March 2024. These included the Independent Electoral Commission Law and Political Parties Affairs Act. The amendments are supposed to improve fairness in the electoral process.

I have researched opposition parties in Tanzania, and analysed their efforts to survive and mobilise support. In my view, Hassan has not made a substantial difference. The reformed laws don’t bring real structural change.

While the space for campaigning and mobilising towards the 2024 and 2025 elections has widened in comparison to the period before the 2019 and 2020 elections, it still isn’t enough to facilitate free and fair elections. Opposition parties must continue to press for and demand real reforms.

State of the opposition

Over 30 years of multiparty politics in Tanzania, the sustainability of opposition parties has been questionable. Since the 1995 general elections, which were the first since the re-introduction of a multiparty system, the vote share for opposition parties has been irregular.

Different parties have dominated in opposition. In 1995, NCCR-Mageuzi was the leading opposition party with a 21.8% vote share. In the 2000 and 2005 elections, the Civic United Front was the main opposition party with a 16.2% and 11.6% vote share, respectively. From 2010 to date, Chadema has been the dominant opposition party with a 40% vote share in the 2015 election.

The 2020 elections returned Tanzania to a de facto one party state. Chadema won 13% of the vote amid claims of electoral irregularities. Parliament became a one-party house with 99% of all members being from the ruling party.

Reforms or a performance of reforms?

An analysis of the changes Hassan has passed since she came to power in 2021 doesn’t show significant change in terms of structural reforms.

For example, members of the electoral commission are still appointed by the president. Elections returning officers at district levels are also presidential appointees. The registrar of political parties remains powerful and can interfere in political parties’ affairs.

This political context hasn’t been friendly for the establishment of strong opposition parties. Although there are 19 fully registered political parties in Tanzania, only a few are strong. These are the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi, and the opposition parties Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo.

ACT-Wazalendo was the last party to be registered in Tanzania – 10 years ago. Since then, no new political party has been registered, and those that have tried have found it difficult to get through the process.

The party registration process has two stages: provisional and full registration. Each has a set of requirements that the registrar scrutinises to determine approval. This provides room for delays.

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However, the overall demand for new political parties is not high in Tanzania. This could be due to factors such as:

• a lack of incentive to register a political party given the unfair political ground for opposition parties
• the bureaucratic process to register a new party
• limited ideological drive and uncertainty of public support due to developed political apathy – for instance, small opposition parties have supported the ruling party and worked against the main opposition party.

What still needs to change

There is a need for a change in political culture among ordinary citizens as well as the political class, including civil servants. The current political culture is submissive to the ruling party as a result of the entrenched party-state system. Due to this political culture, most citizens are not driven to question the system and demand change.

The call and demand for real reforms can only work when a majority of citizens support calls for new electoral laws and constitutional reforms. Otherwise, the ruling party has a false sense of confidence. Opposition parties and activists need to embark on systematic and aggressive civic education. Citizens need to believe in their civil right to demand change.

Aikande Clement Kwayu, Independent researcher & Lecturer, Tumaini University Makumira

Source: allafrica.com

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By APOLINARI TAIRO

Targeting more foreign investments, the Tanzania government has proposed amendment of its laws to grant special status to Tanzanians in diaspora, to set up business in key priority economic sectors.

Relaxing its prohibitive laws and legislations, the government has tabled to Parliament for debate, Miscellaneous Amendments Bill 2024, which seeks to grant special status to Tanzanians living in other countries to set up business back home.

The proposed amendments to immigration laws are set to grant inheritance rights and investment incentives to Tanzanians living in other countries through the Diaspora Tanzanite card.

Land and property ownership in Tanzania have been limited to Tanzanian citizens only. The Miscellaneous Amendments Act, 2024 which was published on June 26, proposes changes to the Immigration Act, Cap 54 and Land Act, cap 113 to allow Tanzanians living in other countries to access land occupancy titles.

Read: Samia perfects Ruto’s game to attract trade, investment

Tanzania is among African countries with restrictive immigration laws and regulations imposed to foreigners and locals with dual citizenship on land ownership rights.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan had earlier promised to review the Immigration Act. While addressing Tanzanians in South Korea during her six-day official visit in Seoul in June, she said her government would ensure that Tanzanians living in other countries would be given special status, including the ability to take up residence in Tanzania without passing through a complicated visa process.

She pledged a legal environment that would enable Tanzanians in the diaspora to remit money through their families back home for investments, expertise and technology needed mostly for agricultural production, manufacturing and services.

Tanzanians in the diaspora have invested about Tsh280 billion ($106 million) through housing, while others bought shares worth Tsh6.45 billion ($ 2.4 million) in the UTT Asset Management and Investors Services (UTT AMIS) by 2023, Samia told the Tanzanians in Seoul.

The Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) has been encouraging East African Community (EAC) citizens to establish joint businesses in Tanzania through harmonised regulations in the EAC region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the East African Co-operation established a diaspora database aiming to recognise and assist Tanzanians in diaspora to register for business and investments, banking on ample and available land suitable for investments.

Despite its rich agricultural land, Tanzania had lacked vibrant investments in agriculture with little returns from cash crops and poor agro-industrial base.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture shows that Tanzania possesses a total of 44 million hectares of land for cultivation, but only 15 million hectares are under cultivation for both cash and food crops.

Investment in livestock has been rated among lucrative business, banking on the big number of livestock and pastureland available in Tanzania.

Statistics from the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries indicate that Tanzania has a stock of about 38 million heads of cattle, about 28 million goats, nine million (9 million) sheep and four (4) million pigs.

It is second in Africa with big numbers of livestock after Ethiopia, but poorly developed for higher revenue gains. Traditional livestock breeding and lack of ranching investments have slowed down livestock revenue gains.

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