Arusha, Tanzania:
The once robust Tanzanite industry could be heading towards a slip following reported claims of rampant smuggling.
Fears are that some buyers abroad may either stop buying the rare gems or their prices in global markets could fall.
“These claims are quite damaging although they have not been verified”, said broker Jeremiah Kituyo.
He said the entire value chain of the mineral, mostly excavated for the international markets, would suffer irreparably.
He made the remarks on Wednesday during a tour of the tanzanite mining site at Mererani by Arusha-based journalists.
The day-long tour follows recent unverified reports that there was rampant smuggling of the mineral from Mererani to the markets abroad.
The claims appear to have sent waves through the main importers of the mineral notably in the United States, India and Germany.
The people behind the alleged smuggling remain a mystery especially after the security system was put in place in 2018.
Efforts to reach the minister for Minerals, Dotto Biteko, or his deputy, Stephen Kiruswa, proved futile yesterday.
However, impeccable sources at the ministry confided in The Citizen that the smear campaign could have originated from the industry itself.
“It is a fitina (mischief) that may be from people who used to own mine blocks at Mererani or general dealers”, a senior mines officer hinted.
In 2017, the government erected a 24 km perimeter wall around the mining site to ensure no minerals are smuggled out.
The government said that the measure was taken to curb smuggling of the rare gem that is mined nowhere in the world except Mererani.
Dr Biteko has repeatedly said that the government will no longer leave anything to chance in the fight against smuggling.
“Anyone arrested with the precious gems will be stripped of his mining licence and slapped with a Sh50 million fine”, he was once quoted as saying.
The security measures in place include conducting thorough inspection using scanners on people leaving the mine premises.
The reinforced security was put in place following a successful installation of 24-hour CCTV surveillance cameras on the walls.
With surveillance cameras and barbed wires, the 20 feet high wall has reportedly helped in monitoring suspicious activities in the site.
The gemstone dealers, miners and exporters interviewed at the site pleaded ignorance of any sort of smuggling as alleged.
Mr Sammy Mollel, the chairman of Tanzania Mineral Dealers’s Association (Tamida), said that he and other stakeholders were at a loss over the information.
He said that the kind of security mounted around the Mererani mines would hardly provide a loophole for “rampant smuggling” as alleged.
Persistence of such reports, he warned, would deal a blow to the industry which is yet to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Tax evasion is not good in international markets”, said Tamida boss.
He warned that if, “the truth” on the tanzanite market is not told now, the industry can fall back to 2021 when it was associated with terrorism something that required more efforts to restore the present confidence.
After those reports in the Wall Street Journal, Mr Mollel, as Tamida chair, was roped in a high powered team sent by the government to the US to counter the claims.
It is estimated that between 75 to 80 percent of tanzanite is sold in the US to Tiffany & Co.
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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
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“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
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