Dar es Salaam. Kiongozi wa ACT-Wazalendo, Dorothy Semu amesema alishtuka baada ya kuona wanatengwa kwa makundi baada ya kuzuiwa katika Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa Quatro de Fevereiro jijini Luanda, Angola.
Semu, Mwenyekiti wa ACT-Wazalendo, Othman Masoud ambaye pia ni Makamu wa Kwanza wa Rais, Zanzibar na Mwenyekiti wa Chadema, Tundu Lissu walizuiwa na mamlaka za Angola kuingia nchini humo jana Machi 13, 2025.
Si hao pekee, bali hata viongozi wengine mashuhuri wakiwemo marais wastaafu kutoka Botswana na Colombia, Waziri Mkuu mstaafu wa Lesotho na baadhi ya wakuu wa vyama vya siasa kutoka mataifa mbalimbali barani Afrika walikumbwa na kadhia hiyo.
Viongozi hao, pamoja na wanaotoka mataifa mbalimbali yakiwemo ya Uganda, Botswana na Kenya walikwenda Angola kushiriki mazungumzo ya Jukwaa la Demokrasia Afrika (PAD). Mazungumzo hayo yaliandaliwa na Taasisi ya The Brenthurst Foundation.
Lengo la jukwaa hilo ni kuwaleta pamoja wanademokrasia wa Afrika ili kutafakari kuhusu demokrasia na kubadilishana uzoefu na mikakati ya kuimarisha demokrasia.
Semu aliyerejea nchini usiku wa kuamkia leo Ijumaa, Machi 14, 2025 amesema kundi lao liliwasili uwanjani hapo kwa ndege ya Shirika la Ndege la Ethiopia lakini walilazimishwa kurejea nyumbani kwa ndege hiyohiyo.
“Kwanza tulikuwa tumechoka sana, kwa sababu tulisafiri takribani saa nane kutoka Dar es Salaam hadi Addis Ababa, kisha Luanda.
“Kwa uzoefu wa nchi za Afrika, ulipoanza mchakato wa kukusanya hati zetu za kusafiria na kuanza kuitwa wachache pembeni, kisha kuamriwa ‘kaa hapa’, baada ya muda unaona wenzako kwenye msafara wa kueleka Benguela wanaongezwa katika kundi, nilijua kuna tatizo,” amesema.
Semu akizungumza na Mwananchi leo Machi 14, amesema jambo jingine lililowafanya kujua kama kuna tatizo ni viongozi wakiwemo wanasiasa mashuhuri kutopitishwa eneo la VIP (wageni mashuhuri) wala kupokewa na watu wa Serikali na uhamiaji.
“Nilivyoona kundi letu limetangulizwa, hisia zikanijia kuna kitu hakipo sawa, tukajiuliza kwa nini tupo hivi? Mwanzoni tuliitwa kundi la watu watano, akiwemo waziri mkuu mstaafu wa Lessotho.
“Sasa tulipoanza kupitishwa kwenye korido za uwanja wa ndege na kila tukijaribu kuwauliza watuambie kitu gani tumekosea, hatukupewa ushirikiano. Niliamua kuwa mtulivu kwa sababu nipo Afrika na kazi ninayoifanya ni ya siasa na demokrasia,” amesema.
Amesema aliamua kuwa mpole baada ya sintofahamu hiyo, akitambua yupo nchi ya watu na kazi anayoifanya ni kuzungumzia masuala ya wananchi.
“Nilijua kuna shida, sikuwa na wasiwasi kwa sababu tumezoea mambo ya maagizo kutoka juu, kwa sababu kila mtu alikuwa anasema ameagizwa, tulisubiri kuona maagizo yataendelea hadi wapi.
“Ni kama vile walikuwa wanatusubiri na walishapanga, lazima tuondoke,” amesema Semu.
Amesema msafara wa ACT-Wazalendo, ulikuwa na yeye, Othman, Katibu wa Haki za Binadamu na Makundi Maalumu, Pavu Abdallah na Naibu Katibu wa Mambo ya Nje, Dk Nasra Nassor Omar.
“Mimi pamoja na Dk Nasra na Pavu tuliopanda ndege ya Ethiopia, tumesharejea Tanzania. Wakati tunakuwa deported (tunarejeshwa) tuliwaacha wenzetu (Othman na msafara wake) mambo yao yakiendelea, kwa sababu tulilazimishwa kurudi na ndege iliyotupeleka ndani ya saa mbili tulikuwa tayari tumeishaingia kwenye ndege.
“Hatukujua kilichoendelea huko nyuma maana tulikwenda kwanza Addis Ababa kisha Dar es Salaam,” amesema Semu.
Dk Nasra ambaye ni Waziri Kivuli wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa wa ACT-Wazalendo, amesema kabla ya kufika eneo la uhamiaji baada ya kushuka kwenye ndege, walipanga foleni kusubiri taratibu za ukaguzi, lakini katikati ya eneo la dawati la uhamiaji, palikuwa na ofisa wa Angola.
“Ofisa huyo ndiye aliyekuwa akichukua hati zetu za kusafiria, baada ya kuchukuliwa hati zetu tuliwakuta wenzetu (Othman), pamoja na marais wastaafu kutoka mataifa mbalimbali waliowekwa pembeni.
“Tulijua wamewekwa pembeni ili kusubiria taratibu za kuchukuliwa, kwa sababu ukiona marais au viongozi wengine wamesimamishwa pembeni. Tulifanya mazungumzo nao ya kawaida kwa muda saa mbili, kabla ya kuanza kutenganishwa,” amesema.
Dk Nasra amesema baadaye waliwekwa kwenye ukumbi bila kuelezwa chochote, kisha wakarejeshwa.
Source: mwananchi.co.tz
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
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