The preposition, if we’re to remind our colleagues again, is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, special relationships or to introduce a subject. We’re talking words like: by, for, to, into, “in to,” which, at and with.
Prepositions are highly idiomatic, so their usage is fixed—that is, you aren’t allowed to alter or use one differently from the way the indigenous speakers use it!
Now on Page 9 of Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet of Friday, April 5, there’s a story whose headline is thus written: ‘South Africa parliament speaker turns herself INTO police.’
A reader who pointed out this goof to us, one Ali Makengo of Dar, said the first impression he got was that the beleaguered SA Parliament boss is interfering with the work of the country’s police!
However, that wasn’t the case, because things became clearer when Makengo checked the intro, for it read:
“South Africa’s Speaker parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Ngaqula has handed herself OVER to the police a day after she resigned over corruption allegations.”
It means the Speaker freely walked to a police station and said something like this: Hey, cops; here I’m and ready to record a statement in regard to the malicious rumours indicating I’m a bad person!
It means the sub-editor should’ve written the headline to read thus: ‘South Africa parliament turns herself IN (not into) TO police.’
Back to Page 5 of the broadsheet, where there’s a story whose headline is written this way: ‘TARURA constructs 826 kms ROADS’ network in Kagera.’
“Roads’ network” would mean a network belonging to roads, which would be nonsensical, of course! We’re certain the sub-editor meant to write: ‘TARURA constructs 826km ROAD network…’
In Para 3 the scribbler reports: “TARURA Regional Manager…said in the three-YEARS period, the budget allocated for roads improved…”
Three-years period? Nope! We say three-YEAR period, for as we keep noting here, when a noun is used as a qualifier, you don’t pluralise it.
On the same page, there’s another story entitled, ‘REO warns against denying girls education’.
In this story, the scribbler reports in Para 3: “Expounding, he said nowadays most women have become good leaders and bread EARNERS…”
No siree! When someone earns a meaningful income and becomes the key provider of a household, he or she isn’t called the bread earner; he or she is called the BREADWINNER (one word).
Page 8 comprises a picture spread entitled, ‘Samia swears in new Government officials.” One of the pictures has a caption that reads:
“High Court of Tanzania Sylvester Kainda ‘with’ A Bible (sic!) takes oath of office at State House in Dar es Salaam yesterday.”
A Bible? Hey, No! We say THE Bible, because this holy book is just one which, according to believers, carries the word of God. You may talk of a “copy of the Bible.” Or a new and different version of the Bible! And Judge Kainda is not “with” the Bible; he’s HOLDING the Bible.
Let’s move on to Saturday, April 6, on which day Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet carries a story on Page 5 entitled, ‘Govt to construct four modern facilities for cancer treatment.’
Reporting in regard to what a minister said, the scribbler writes in Para 4:
“She was responding to a question by Tunza Malapo (Special Seats MP) who wanted to know plans by the Government to improve cancer treatment SERVICES in the country.”
The capped word, services, is a qualifier that adds no value the phrase “cancer treatment.” It’s a sheer waste of print paper space!
On Page 14 of the broadsheet, there’s a story headlined, ‘Firm boosts production with advanced hatchery tech,’ in which the scribbler tells readers:
“Information provided to this journalist HAS THAT the Silversands hatchery project included the implementation of cutting-edge technology…”
Information…has that? A-a! We say “…information has IT that…”
Ah, this treacherous language called English!
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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
