Camilla na mambo ya Zenj..

Ali Kuniki

Nyerere Day 2011 in Washington DC

Maadhimisho ya nne ya kuenzi maisha na kazi za Mwl Julius K. Nyerere yatafanyika Oktoba 15, 2011 hapa Washington DC. Mmoja wa waasisi wa Julius Nyerere Comemoration Bwn Rick Tingling akielezea maandalizi ya siku hiyo katika video hapa chini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfp2o_kTmyw

NYOTE MNAKARIBISHWA

Itafanyika
Howard University Basement Auditorium
725, 2225 Georgia Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20059
FROM 3PM-6PM

MAELEKEZO KUELEKEA Howard University Hospital Basement Auditorium:
1.Ingilia mlango wa mbele wa Hospitali unaotazamana na Georgia Avenue.
2.Pita kwenye dawati la maelezo kwa utambulisho
3.Endelea mbele mpaka kwenye "lift" zilizo kama yadi 50 toka dawati la mapokezi.
4.Chukua "lift" / elevator kuelekea sakafu ya chini (basement).
5.Elekea upande wa kulia ukifuata alama zinazoelekeza ulipo ukumbi.


NOTE: Mabadiliko pekee niliyojulishwa ni kuwa Balozi Mwanaidi Maajar hataweza kuhudhuria kwa kuwa atakuwa nje ya mji.

Zanzibar To Charge 5 In Deadly Ferry Capsizing

(CNN) -- Tanzanian authorities will charge five men with negligence after a ferry capsized in the island of Zanzibar this month, killing more than 200 people.

Four of the suspects have been arrested and will appear in court Monday, said Suleiman Haji Suleiman, a spokesman for the second vice president of Zanzibar.

They are two port officials, the owner of the ship and a transport official in charge of ensuring passengers' safety.

"All those people will pay for allowing the overloaded ferry to leave port," the spokesman said. "The captain of the ship is still missing, but there's a warrant out for his arrest. We are hearing that he fled to Kenya or another neighboring country."

The captain will be charged in absentia, he said, adding that a complete list of their charges will be presented Monday.

Government officials are investigating the source of the accident and will report their findings in about two weeks, the spokesman said.

It was unclear how many people were aboard the ship when it sank on September 10, but more than 600 people survived, according to authorities. It capsized in the predawn hours, sending passengers clinging to mattresses and objects from the cargo to avoid getting swallowed by the dark waves.

Authorities said the ferry -- MV Spice Islander --carries a maximum capacity of about 600 people and was traveling between the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba.

The two main islands on the Zanzibar archipelago are popular among tourists for their pristine sandy beaches on the Indian Ocean.
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania.

Hope fades for ferry survivors...

Stone Town, Zanzibar - Divers searched on Sunday for any remaining survivors from the capsizing of an overcrowded ferry off the east African coast which killed nearly a quarter of the 800 passengers crammed onboard.

Zanzibar police said overloading probably caused the worst maritime disaster in the history of Zanzibar, Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago and a popular tourist destination.

“According to what we've heard so far from survivors, the ship was overloaded with cargo from Dar es Salaam, which included several vehicles, cement and iron rods,” Police Commissioner Mussa Alli Mussa told Reuters.

“Passengers who survived the accident told the police that the ship started taking in water from the cargo hold. That's when the vessel started to sink,” he said.

Zanzibat minister of state Mohamed Aboud Mohamed told a news conference on Sunday the latest death toll from Saturday's disaster was 197, with 619 survivors.

The MV Spice Islander began its voyage in Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, where it was loaded with passengers, motor vehicles, bags of food and cement and other building materials.

When it reached Zanzibar, also known as Unguja, it took on more passengers and cargo for the trip to the archipelago's smaller island of Pemba.

Some passengers realised they were in danger as the ferry started to tilt while still in the port and tried to get off. A few succeeded before the crew pulled up the ladders so the ship could depart.

“First of all, the person to be blamed is the government, the whole government of Zanzibar ... they are still not serious, they need to resign now,” said Safia Juma, who lost relatives in the accident.

Rescue workers admit it is unlikely they will find anyone alive but expect to recover more bodies.

“Teams of divers are searching the area this morning to see if they can rescue more survivors or recover additional bodies from the submerged vessel,” said Mussa.

Crowds of relatives and onlookers gathered in Stone Town on Sunday morning to await news of passengers still missing.

“We lost eight relatives but my child survived ... and we haven't got any bodies and I have been here the whole night” said Yazid Amour.

Zanzibar residents said ships on the Unguja-Pemba route are notoriously overcrowded but few are inspected for safety.

“These ships are death traps, which have been brought here to finish us all,” said Nassoro Abdallah Nassoro, who said he lost five relatives in the accident.

Mussa said on Saturday more than 500 people were on the ship's manifest. According to the registrar of Zanzibar's seafaring vessels, the Spice Islander was licensed to carry 600 passengers.

Four hours after the ferry left on Friday, Abuu Masoud got a call from relatives as the ferry started to sink. They were among those who perished in the fast Indian Ocean currents.

“At around 3 a.m., they told us the vessel had tipped over and they were standing on its back waiting for assistance,” Masoud said.

“They told us there were about 25 to 30 of them who were left standing on the ship. At around 4am, their phones were not reachable and we haven't seen or heard from them since,” said Masoud, who lost seven relatives in the accident.

Tanzania's worst maritime disaster was in May, 1996. Eight officials were charged with the murders of 615 people after the ferry MV Bukoba sank in Lake Victoria. - Reuters

Salam za Rambirambi kutoka kwa Umoja wa Watanzania Ujerumani (UTU)

Watanzania tunaoishi ujerumani tumesikitishwa sana na habari mbaya ya ajali ya meli iliyotokea 10.09.11 katika bahari ya hindi katikati ya visiwa vya Pemba na Unguja nchini Tanzania. Ajali hii ni pigo na msiba mkubwa kwa Taifa letu. Salam za rambirambi ziwafikie Familia za wafiwa, Viongozi wa Tanzania, na watanzania wote kwa ujumla.

Umoja wa watanzania ujerumani (UTU) kwa masikitiko makubwa tunaungana na wanafamilia, na taifa zima katika kipindi hichi kigumu cha maombolezo.
Tunatanguliza shukrani zetu za dhati kwa vyombo mbali mbali kwa jitihada zake za kuokoa maisha na kusaidia kwa namna moja au nyingine katka janga hili kubwa kwa Taifa
Tunaomba kwa mwenyezimungu aziweke roho za marehemu mahali pema peponi amen

-- kny ya UTU

Mfundo Peter Mfundo
Mwenyekiti

Meli yazama huko Nungwi...

Picha kwa hisani kubwa ya George Kazi


Hadi muda huu zaidi ya maiti 50 zimeopolewa, kutoka kwenye ajali hiyo kwa juhudi za Waakazi na Wavuvi wa Nungwi.

Headington schoolgirls teach English in Zanzibar

SCHOOLGIRLS from Oxford helped teach African villagers English during a charity trip to Zanzibar.

The 12 Headington School pupils visited Zanzibar for two weeks to help the Zanzibar Action Project (ZAP), which provides support for a rural fishing community.

During their trip they helped villagers with extra IT and English lessons and taught at several nursery schools.

Seventeen-year-old Jessie Tucker, one of Headington’s International Baccalaureate students, said: “It has been an incredible experience and extremely eye-opening.

“Working with ZAP has been a rewarding and inspiring experience and I truly believe their cause is a worthwhile one.

“It was wonderful to meet students who have been sponsored by ZAP and get to know them. They all have such high hopes.”

Over the past three years Headington pupils have managed to raise nearly £10,000 for ZAP.

The IB and A-Level students spent nearly two weeks of July in Jambiani, a fishing community with a population of around 8,000 in south-east Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean.

Vanessa Sinclair, the school’s community liaison officer, said: “The girls’ voluntary work in UK nursery schools before they left enabled them to teach some very creative and imaginative lessons in the village nurseries.

“During their visit the girls meet the students they have sponsored, who introduce them to their families and village life as well as supporting them to teach in the nursery schools.”


Oxford Mail

From heaven to hell: refugees flee Zanzibar for Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Sep 1 – It seems an unlikely choice: fleeing the palm-fringed beaches of tourist paradise Zanzibar for the bombed-out buildings of war-torn capital Mogadishu, one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

And yet opposition supporters from the Tanzanian archipelago did just that when they fled post-election violence in 2000; they recount their epic journey into a violent city most people are desperate to leave.

“We feared prison and violence, being arrested if we stayed home,” said Hamis Mohammed, one of about a hundred Zanzibaris living in Mogadishu, where gunmen cruise the ruined city in heavily armed pickup trucks.

“First we ran to Kenya, but we did not feel safe there and could not make a living, so after many years, we are now here living in Mogadishu,” Mohammed added, a supporter of Zanzibar’s Civic United Front (CUF) party.

The refugees said police cracked down on supporters during post-election violence in which some 30 people died, forcing several to leave by boat to Kenya.

Over a decade since they left, many of the Zanzibari community here now cohabit in one crumbling and bullet-scarred building, a former government ministry abandoned during the two-decades of war in the city.

“The situation here in Somalia is not good, but we survive,” said Salim Ahmed, one of the leaders of Mogadishu’s Zanzibari community, as the crackle of rifle fire echoes in the distance.

“We get no support from aid agencies, so we find small jobs – barbers, beggars, fishermen, or as labourers,” he added.

The Zanzibari’s journey is the opposite of tens of thousands of Somalis, who have fled to neighbouring Kenya and Ethiopia from drought, famine and conflict, while others have braved the dangerous sea-crossing to troubled Yemen.

The UN has described Somalia, where a civil war has been going on since 1991, as facing the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world, with several regions including Mogadishu declared to be in famine.

“God willing, we will go back home someday,” said Masud Rashid, who left the white-sand beaches of the Zanzibari island of Pemba in 2001.

A dream to go home
He spent over a year in Kenya’s giant Dadaab refugee camp, before leaving in frustration as refugees are barred from work and travelling to Mogadishu during a period of relative calm because he heard jobs were available.

“We have many problems here, but we are still fearful of going home,” added Rashid, who works as a barber, and is now married to a Somali woman.

“Coming to Mogadishu was not a choice, it was the only place we could a find a place to be left alone, and where we could work,” said Abdul Abdallah, a Zanzibari fisherman, wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “make love, not war.”

“The Somalis treat us ok, we go to the mosque together, it is only that you can never tell when there will be fighting here.”

In the crowded market outside, sacks of grain from the UN World Food Programme are illegally sold, alongside a stall selling empty ammunition boxes.

Zanzibar and Mogadishu do share historical links: sea-faring Zanzibari sultans once ruled the Somali capital in the 19th century.

But modern similarities are few: tourism is the main foreign currency earner for Zanzibar, famed for its lush spice plantations and historical buildings, listed as a world heritage site by the United Nations cultural organization.

Mogadishu, meanwhile, has been at war ever since the toppling of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, with battles between rival warlords and militia groups devastating the once elegant city.

Battles break out almost daily, and visitors to Mogadishu are warned to wear flak jackets and hire armed guards to prevent kidnap.

Yet slogans daubed on walls around the refugees’ homes provide messages of hope amidst the violent city.

“Everyman got a right to decide his own destiny,” the graffiti reads, a line from reggae legend Bob Marley. “We will fight the little struggle.”

But Zanzibari leaders said the situation had changed since the refugees fled.
The semi-autonomous archipelago has since elected a new president and local legislature, and the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party has formed a coalition with their former fierce rivals, the CUF.

“We welcome them back if they are still citizens of Tanzania – they should not be afraid of arrest if they did not commit any big offence,” said Mohamed Aboud Mohamed, a state minister.

“We have a new Zanzibari Government of National Unity comprising leaders from the main political parties,” he added.

The CUF leader also called for them to return.
“We need them back home to join hands in building our country after several years of political hatred and division,” said Seif Sharif Hamad in a statement, who is also Zanzibar’s vice president. “We are now working together.”

But the return remains a slim possibility at present, the refugees say, citing both security concerns and lack of funds.

“It would be a dream to go home if it is true that we can be safe there,” said Mohamed Said, another refugee. “But I don’t know how we would get back from our exile without help.”


Capital News

Rock Restaurant

Perched on a rock in the middle of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania, is a tiny seafood restaurant simply named The Rock Restaurant. Depending on the tides that day, you can either swim, walk, or boat over for a fresh caught meal!

Kitabu Kipya: "Sub-State Governance through Territorial Autonomy"

This study focuses on territorial autonomy, which is often used in different conflict-resolution and minority situations. Four typical elements are identified on the basis of the historical example of the Memel Territory and the so-called Memel case of the PCIJ; distribution of powers, participation through elections and referendums, executive power of territorial autonomy, and international relations.

These elements are used for a comparative analysis of the constitutional law that regulates the position of six currently existing special jurisdictions, the Åland Islands in Finalnd, Scotland in the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico in the United States of America, Hong Kong in China, Aceh in Indonesia and Zanzibar in Tanzania.

The current sub-state entities examined can be arranged in relation to Memel in a manner that indicates that Hong Kong and the Åland conform to the typical territorial autonomy, while Puerto Rico and Aceh should probably not be understood as territorial autonomies proper. At the same time, the territorial autonomies can be distinguished from federally organized sub-state entities.

Price:169,95 €

More info: Springer

Isles May Welcome Alcohol Sponsorship in Sports

Zanzibar — ALCOHOL manufacturing and distributing companies may be allowed to sponsor sports in Zanzibar, if they accept to abide to conditions of advertising non-alcoholic products, the Deputy Minister for sports Bihindi Hamad Khamis said in the Zanzibar House.

The deputy minister was responding to questions from Nassor Salim Ali (CCM-Rahaleo) and Hija Hassan Hija (CUF- Kiwani) who wondered why the government should not woo the companies to sponsor sports in Zanzibar like it is done in the mainland.

However, the deputy minister said alcohol advertisements were still prohibited in Zanzibar sports grounds. Meanwhile the legislators have also shown concern over bar businesses at the Gymkhana netball ground premises. They want the government to restrict bar business at all sports grounds.

Bihindi promised to look into the matter. In another development, as the dust from the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) settles down, fans keen on experiencing cultural diversity were from yesterday enjoying this year's Oman Cultural Festival taking place at the Zanzibar stone town.

"The event is held to strengthen the cultural ties," the Oman consular in Zanzibar Sheikh Majid bin Abdallah Al-bad said at the press to announce the festival on Tuesday. The five days festivities expected to come to an end next Sunday include fashion show, food preparation (mainly sweets), dancing, body painting, exhibition, and screening of films made in Oman.

According to the consular 45 Oman citizen are already in Zanzibar to perform in the festival to be officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Culture and Heritage Sheikh Hamid bin Hilali Al Maamar.

Flanked by the Director of Information Omar Yussuf Chunda, and the Commissioner of Culture and Sports Bakar Hamad Mshindo, the Oman official said Zanzibar was picked for the festival because of the cultural relationships, and bilateral relation agreement signed last year.

"The festival to be held at House of wonders and Old-fort at Forodhani Street will demonstrate the message of peace and friendship with Oman commitment to support Zanzibar's development," he said.

We tend to go up slowly, but down fast..

by Suppiluliuma

No Explosive Change, Please, This is Tanzania, Bwana

Nairobi — After Tanesco subjected large swathes of Dar es Salaam to power cuts lasting anywhere from 48 to 72 hours a couple of weeks ago, rumours emerged of a protest march. Because there wasn't any real organisation behind the march, the day it was planned for came and went. Things fizzled out quietly.

These days, the most intense dialogue about the power crisis is found on Twitter feeds where people can get quite creative about insulting Tanesco and the government for ruining their day. In other words, business as usual in Dar-es-Salaam.

Every so often I stumble onto a massive debate about governance and whether Tanzania can consider itself a true democracy, or even a multiparty democracy for that matter. Sceptics tend to say that Tanzania doesn't qualify as a multiparty democracy, or even as a democracy for that matter, because we are still being ruled by the same party that came into power after independence. I hear time and time again that in order for Tanzania to really become democratic we have to witness a change in the political party in power.


More and more lately, the idea seems to be that this change should come about explosively. On the one side are the opposition parties that are pushing harder and harder for a chance to govern. On the other side are the masses of us who are frustrated and can't imagine change coming from within the system we are saddled with, so we call for radical change.

In these circumstances, arguing against the idea of explosive change seems like a fool's errand at best. At worst, you come across as an apologist for the state and for the party in power. But this is Tanzania, bwana. We march to the beat of a drummer only we seem to hear. For the past five or so years, the calls for "change" have been accelerating as we are continually impressed with how dismal our situation is by the opposition parties and other concerned friends of development. To be sure, they are right -- there are real and terrible consequences to our surprisingly ineffectual government. The difficult admission is that we have chosen this system mostly because it "works" for us.

It seems we are ambivalent patriots. In the build-up to the last election, I was surprised by how much voter apathy emerged in general, but particularly in the Blackberry class. Being Tanzanian, we are experts and very eloquent about what is wrong with the country, not to mention all of the things that we would do exactly right if we were actually in charge. However, actually voting is still seen as a futile exercise and a waste of time. Instead the ideal solution centres around putting an opposition party in power, or finding a benevolent despot who will guide us with a firm and steady hand into the bright and shining future.

This is a measure of how good we have it -- we think that we can afford our complacency. Tanzanians know that we don't have to take to the streets in order to effect change. We can and regularly do talk ourselves into it, however incremental it is.Multiparty politics have done us a world of good in the past decade: The political competition in Bunge is starting to weed out the weak, Zanzibar is coming along quietly as an experiment in power-sharing. We need not fear that Jay Kay will do anything ridiculous to try to stay in power indefinitely, like pretending not to know how old he really is. We can afford to anticipate a change in administration, and we can afford to let complaint be our main method of political action. But we shouldn't end there.

Since we are so full of latent opportunities and we can afford to do things the easy way, why don't we? It doesn't take that much effort to go from disparaging Tanesco on social media, to checking up on your MP's performance. We can afford to ignore those political parties that are trying to play a game of brinkmanship with the government since all they will do is drag us backwards into low-grade civil strife. We can afford to skip merrily past the potential benevolent despots who are waving at us from the sidelines, hoping we'll succumb to their reasoned arguments and their charm.

We can even get away with ignoring those who want a party change in the next three years because let's just admit it: This isn't a simple matter of picking between republicans and democrats the way that more mature democracies tweak policies around the edges while leaving their systems stable. If we're not even capable of getting ourselves organised around a national interest -- like unacceptable power rationing policies -- then perhaps we should simply embrace what we can do well. Such as talk and think and vote our way, mostly through parliament, into a better government. We're all informed dissenters, we can get somewhere on the strength of that.


East African

Shaggy awasili Zenj...

Tanzania's art deco ruin, the Majestic cinema, inspires restoration campaign

Every Friday they gather there, seven or eight elderly men in a ramshackle auditorium of cobwebs and broken chairs. Sitting under an open sky (the roof fell in long ago) they watch the flickering images of old films projected on to the wall.

"It's the Cinema Paradiso of Zanzibar," said Martin Mhando, director of the annual Zanzibar International Film Festival (Ziff), which takes place on the Tanzanian island next month. "Cinema Paradiso was heavenly compared to what's there."

This is the Majestic, one of Africa's first cinemas, an art deco gem from the 1920s that lost its lustre. Mhando is leading a campaign to restore the ruin to its former glory – vital, he says, because where Tanzania and its islands once had 53 cinemas, now there are only two.

The effort in Zanzibar's Stone Town is backed by the award-winning British film-maker Nick Broomfield, known for documentaries such as Biggie and Tupac, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, and Battle For Haditha.

Broomfield said he has been inspired by the diehards who keep the Majestic alive despite its decline.

Speaking from Los Angeles, he added: "Even though the cinema doesn't have a roof, people are using it and setting up their own projector. It probably has a lot of memories for them. It was the place where people went on dates and met their first girlfriends.

"Cinema is a shared experience. As a film-maker, the most wonderful thing about watching with a group of people is that you can tell which parts of the film are working and which aren't.

"It's a bonding thing, a way of holding a group or locality together. When I was growing up, everyone went to the cinema on Saturday morning to see the cartoons. It was social cohesion, and that's one of the exciting things that could happen with the Majestic in Zanzibar."

Broomfield will be running workshops at the Ziff and is set to shoot his next feature film in Tanzania.

"East African film-making is going to grow and become more important," he said. "The Majestic is a wonderful piece of architecture … In terms of the east African film-making community, the relevance of Zanzibar would be enshrined in the Majestic. It would be an encouragement for people to take cinema seriously. It would also be a fantastic venue for the Zanzibar International film festival."

The Royal Cinema Theatre, as it was originally known, was designed by Scottish architect John Sinclair, mixing Moroccan and Oriental-inspired styles. Renamed the Majestic a few years later it was destroyed by a fire in 1953. An art deco-themed replacement opened two years later, showing Indian and Hollywood releases such as The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston. Gone with the Wind, Jaws and Love Story were all big hits on Zanzibar.

The economic slump of the 1980s closed cinemas all over the country. The last of three on Zanzibar, Cine Afrique, recently closed and was converted into a supermarket. The Majestic itself is said to be under threat of being turned into an office block.

Mhando said the Ziff uses a cinema on nearby Pemba island but it does not run full-time. That leaves Tanzania with two multiplexes in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

"The economy got bad in the 1980s," Mhando said. "Tickets had cost $1-2, but we knew if it got to $3 the cinema economy would collapse and that's what happened. People could no longer afford to watch movies. Videos came along and they stayed inside. By 1996, all the cinemas were closed."

Despite this gloomy backdrop, the Ziff claims to be east Africa's biggest arts and film festival since launching 14 years ago. "At Ziff we have full houses of 1,500 people every night. So we started thinking about rebuilding the Majestic.

"I think if it was refurbished properly, people could go to movies there on a regular basis. It still has beautiful art deco."

Mhando hopes to make a cost assessment and raise funds so the Majestic can become a 200-seat multipurpose venue with space for corporate events, seminars and workshops along with a cafe.

Then, he hopes, the faithful who gather there each Friday will be joined by a new generation. "The old men still have their dreams of watching movies every week. They remember the old splendour of the Majestic and the moment of their youth. That's the relevance of cinema culture to them. Once you've been bitten by the bug, there's no escaping it."

• This article was amended on 3 June 2011. The original said: "That leaves Tanzania with two multiplexes in the capital, Dar es Salaam". This has been corrected.



Guardian.

AHS teacher accepted into African study tour

Paige Cole, an Apalachee High School history teacher and former Teacher of the Year, has been selected for the Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad and will spend several weeks this summer in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Also accepted into the GPA was her husband Toby Cole, an art teacher at Brenau University.

The GPA is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and coordinated by the African Studies Institute at the University of Georgia. The Coles were accepted in January, and have since
taken part in monthly meetings at UGA to prepare for the language and culture they’ll experience in east Africa.

"We [will] get a lot of exposure to the culture, the language...and learn how they do things with education," Cole said.

In Africa, the GPA group will tour the Ministries of Education of both Tanzania and Zanzibar, see how American aid money is distributed for programs like malaria prevention, visit two African orphanages, and collaborate with rural teachers.


BCN

Zenj yaambulia dola million moja...

Dar es Salaam, May 27: Vowing to jointly combat the twin scourge of terrorism and piracy, India Friday unveiled a gift package for Tanzania, East Africa's largest country, that included $191 million in lines of credit and grants for a slew of development projects and a 300-bed hospital to be set up by Apollo Hospitals.

More, read here

8 Tips for Visiting Zanzibar: Africa's Spice Island

If you’re keen on tacking on some R&R after your oh-so-stressful Safari, consider Zanzibar. The "zan" in Tanzania is just an hour-and-a-half ferry ride from the mainland in the Indian Ocean. It’s the perfect tropical spot to kick back and relax. Here are a few tips to help you plan your trip.

1. Remember your visa. Visitors from the United States and Europe require visas to enter Tanzania. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous state within Tanzania, so you don't need a separate visa to visit, but you do need to show your passport.

2. Travel June through October. This is the best time to visit Zanzibar because the temperature averages 26°C (79°F).

3. Plan your trip around the holy month of Ramadan. Zanzibar observes Ramadan for a month every year. During this period Muslims are forbidden to eat, drink, or smoke between sunrise and sunset. Although hotels catering to tourists are not affected, many small shops and restaurants are closed during the day. If you plan to arrive during Ramadan, aim for the end, when a huge feast called the Eid al-Fitr (which means "end of the fast") brings everyone out to the streets.

4. Rent bikes. Bikes can be rented from shops near Darajani Market. Mopeds and motorcycles are another great way to get about the island.

5. Take the ferry. Not a big fan of flying in the small planes? Several hydrofoil ferries travel between Dar es Salaam and Stone Town. The fastest trips, lasting about 75 minutes, are on hydrofoils operated by Sea Express and Azam Marine. Tickets can be purchased on the spot or in advance from the row of offices next to the port in Dar es Saalam. Timetables and prices are displayed on boards outside each office. Tickets for nonresidents range from $40 for first class (Tsh 65,000) to $35 (Tsh 60,000) for second class. The harbor is quite busy so keep an eye on your possessions and if you don't want help from a porter, be firm.

6. Take a deep breath when flying. Remember to exercise patience with all the local airlines because schedules are flexible and very often flights are delayed.

7. Be wary of taxi drivers. Whether you arrive by plane or ferry, you will be approached by taxi drivers. Be sure to agree on a price before getting in, as taxis do not have meters. The fare to Stone Town should be around Tsh 11,000 (around $10–$15). Your driver may let you out several blocks before you reach your hotel because the streets are too narrow. Ask the driver to walk you to the hotel. Be sure to tip him if he carries your luggage.

8. Be very careful when using ATMs. Make sure you use one that is on a reputable bank’s premises and that the bank is open—cards get swallowed all the time. Beware the airport ATM—it is omnivorous.



Fodor's

Sol Melia To Expand Into Tanzania

PALMA DE MALLORCA—In keeping with its strategy to expand into new markets, Sol Melia will open a new hotel on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania.

Melia Zanzibar will be a five-star holiday resort and bolsters the company's presence in Africa following the inauguration of its first hotel in Cabo Verde. Previously operated by the Kempinski chain (Zamani Kempinski), the hotel will reopen next August under the Spanish company's most international brand, Melia Hotels & Resorts, joining the portfolio through a management contract.

Hotel Business

EAC finalises draft legal, good governance protocol

The East Africa Community partner states have finalised the EAC draft protocol on good governance.

The draft was finalised during a three-day meeting between the five EAC member states in Moshi, Tanzania.

The final draft will be discussed at a multi-sectoral meeting of the partner states’ Ministers responsible for good governance, ethics and integrity, foreign affairs, EAC, justice and constitutional affairs, among others, which is scheduled for between June 8 and 1 June in Zanzibar.

Opening the meeting of experts, the EAC deputy secretary general (Political Federation), Ms Beatrice Kiraso, said the protocol was crucial especially in view of the deepening and widening of regional integration, with the ultimate goal of a Political Federation.

“Good governance is a cornerstone of our integration and regional prosperity because it guarantees internal security and stability through accountability,” Ms Kiraso said, adding that good governance does not just happen; it is built and nurtured through sustained effort and must be willingly accepted by both the government and the governed.

She said that if the East Africa region was to see lesser conflicts, it has to seriously embrace and address issues of good governance seriously and attain the vision of secured, peaceful and politically united East Africa.

She admitted that the draft EAC Protocol on Good Governance was very sensitive but that the region has to apply the best practices to improve the living standards of its people and achieve the ultimate goal of EA Political Federation.

Justice Minister for Burundi, Mr Nestor Kayobera, who chaired the experts meeting, also stressed the importance of good governance for effective and sustainable development of the EA region.

“Good governance is critical for overall development of EAC,” Mr Kayobera said.

To make it comprehensive, the Protocol shall also include issues of Economic and Corporate Governance.

The final draft, which has been subjected to wide consultations in the Partner States involving key stakeholders, is due to be presented to the EAC Council of Ministers in August for consideration.



Daily Monitor

"Wabara" wachomewa vibanda Zenji; waambiwe waondoke

Menu ya Kizimbani

Zanzibar's rare monkeys only one of many lures for Indian Ocean visitors

A group of rare Zanzibar red colobus monkeys crashed recklessly through the trees, squealing as they pulled at each others' tails and raced across tree limbs that swayed precariously under their weight in the tropical island's only national park.

Nearby, a pair of the endangered primates -- which are found only in Zanzibar -- groomed each other as another stretched lazily on a tree branch, its feet dangling down so low that they almost touched my head as I walked on a narrow path in the tropical Jozani Forest.

It was my first encounter with the flagship species of Zanzibar wildlife conservation, named "Procolobus kirkii" after Sir John Kirk, the British explorer and naturalist who first brought it to the attention of zoologists. The leaf-eating primates with a dark red to black coat, a paler underside and distinctive pink lips and nose are popular among tourists flocking to this exotic island.

The inquisitive monkeys with wayward hair complement the experience of this Indian Ocean archipelago, which is better known for its exhilarating scuba diving and spectacular snorkeling; the narrow, winding, cobbled alleyways characterizing its ancient capital of Stone Town; as well as an exotic history that includes being the site of the shortest war on record.

There are no firm estimates on the number of red colobus monkeys surviving in the wild. Various accounts indicate that hunting, deforestation and poisoning by farmers looking to protect their crops has cut down their numbers to between 1,500 and 3,000 in three forests.

During my visit to their lush forest in central Zanzibar, I could see that the species is a remarkably social animal. They live in groups of 30 to 50 individuals who play and groom while resting between meals. Males are said to maintain close bonds that enable them to act together to defend their group.

But the monkeys I saw were clearly used to human contact, practically ignoring curious American, European and African tourists who were going "Ooh!" and "Aah!" in awe as they got so close to the animals that they might have as well have been their long-lost cousins.

Despite their charm, the monkeys are not Zanzibar's main attraction.

I visited their forest home during my stay at the Kiwengwa Strand Hotel, a seaside resort on Zanzibar's eastern coast that boasts brilliant white beaches and powdery soft sands fringed by tall coconut palms and lush vegetation.

That natural beauty, and Zanzibar's strategic position just off continental Africa, has attracted adventurers, explorers, conquerors and fortune-seekers for centuries, transforming the tiny archipelago into a melting pot of African, Indian and Arabian cultures and influences.

At one time, Zanzibar became one of the wealthiest nations in Africa after it grew into a major exporter of cloves and other spices cultivated on its soil, ivory plundered from east and central Africa as well slaves from the region.

A struggle for control of Zanzibar helped spark the shortest war in history, when British forces attacked those loyal to self-proclaimed Sultan Khalid bin Barghash on Aug. 27, 1896. The battle ended about 38 minutes later when Barghash fled the palace to end a two-day reign that began after his cousin and predecessor died suddenly.

These days, adventurers and explorers still flock to Zanzibar in the form of tourists seeking to rest weary bodies after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest peak in northern Tanzania.

The island is also popular among tourists seeking seaside recuperation after days of exhausting early morning game drives, nature walks and other wildlife adventures in Tanzania, a country with the largest concentration of stunning wildlife attractions in Africa including Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, Gombe Stream National Park and Selous Game Reserve.

One of the best ways to get a taste of Zanzibar is to visit Forodhani Gardens in the evening, when dozens of vendors serve an array of delicacies including grilled lobster, octopus, fish, meat, chapati, samosas, french fries, fresh sugar cane and coconut juices and much more to local residents and tourists gathering there at sunset. The light from small lanterns enhances the ambiance.

Still, Zanzibar's charm is not limited to the main island of Unguja.

About 50 miles separates it from the verdant and hilly island of Pemba that is often described as one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world.

Pemba's mangrove-lined coast is broken by hidden, pristine coves and pristine bays. But limited infrastructure keeps most tourists from the volcanic island, effectively letting only the most adventurous enjoy its hard and soft coral gardens with bountiful schools of coral fish, pelagic marine life, mantas and turtles.



The Hour

Madonna, Jennifer Lopez On 'Every Mother Counts' Documentary Soundtrack

Starbucks will release a companion CD to Christy Turlington Burns' documentary "No Woman No Cry" that will include music from Rosanne Cash, the Dixie Chicks, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Sinead O'Connor, Gwyneth Paltrow and others.

The "Every Mother Counts" CD will be released April 12. Starbucks will donate $8 from the sale of each CD between April 12 and May 9 to CARE for its maternal health programs in coffee growing countries. The Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN, will broadcast the film on May 7.

Martha Wainwright, music supervisor and composer on the film, has contributed a version of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry," Paltrow covers Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" and Rosanne Cash offers an acoustic version of "Motherless Children." Patti Scialfa's "Children's Song" is among the tracks that have not been previously released.

Turlington Burns founded the organization Every Mother Counts last year and has screened her film at health conferences and film festivals in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, India, Guatemala, Poland and Zanzibar.

The film follows expecting mothers in four countries -- Tanzania, Bangladesh, Guatemala and the Unites States -- as they face obstacles to receiving healthcare.



Billboard.com

Brecon couple speak of Indian Ocean pirate drama

A couple have spoken about how Somali pirates tried to attack their luxury cruise liner in the Indian Ocean.

Garth and Mary Evans, from near Brecon, had just sat down to dinner on the Spirit of Adventure when they were forced to take refuge in a room.

The ship was steaming between Madagascar and Zanzibar in Tanzania when it came under attack 50 miles from land in January.

But a "well prepared" liner and crew deterred the pirates, the firm said.

Somali pirates have made millions of dollars by capturing cargo vessels in the shipping lanes around the Horn of Africa and holding the ships and crew for ransom.

But stricter naval patrols in those waters have led pirates further afield.

As they have expanded their area of operation, surveillance of the Indian Ocean has been stepped up.

A recent US study found that maritime piracy costs the global economy between $7bn (£4.4bn) and $12bn (£7.6bn) a year.

Mr Evans said the 350 passengers on board Spirit of Adventure had just sat down to dinner when the captain was called to the bridge.

It later emerged that an unidentified craft had been picked by the ship's radar. It had come over the horizon and was heading towards the liner at speed.

As the cruise ship changed course, so the craft changed course to match it.

Mr Evans said it did not take long for the situation to spark a full-scale operation by the 200-strong crew.

He said: "After about two minutes we heard over the tannoy: 'Papa, papa. All crew to emergency stations'.

"We were all rather alarmed and then after a minute we were all called to the lounge and locked in."

Mr Evans said the captain had briefed passengers at the start of the cruise that pirates had started to focus their attacks in areas south of the equator, because there were so many warships patrolling north of the equator.

He added: "We had some reports on the tannoy that unidentified crafts were trying to board the craft.

"We knew we had water cannons on board, razor wire around the back of the ship and we were trailing wire ropes on the back of the ship to foul their propellers.

Company spokesman Paul Green the "relevant authorities" were alerted as soon as the emergency began.

He said: "We don't know who these people were but they saw that the ship was well prepared and it was also a cruise ship, which is not their typical target.

"It was clearly a suspicious craft. When you change course, they changed course.

"We have some well rehearsed measures on the ship, although it interrupted dinner.

"We don't talk about the measures but they have been widely reported - razor wire, changing course, water cannon, long-rang acoustic devices and trailing mesh wire.

"It passed off without incident and was dealt with in a very British manner."

He said that the captain, Australian Frank Allica, was given a standing ovation when he next appeared before the passengers, who gave him a rendition of "For he's a jolly good fellow".

He added: "Who knows what this vessel was interested in. But pirates tend to target tankers and ransom them for their cargo.

"Taking on 200 crew and some 300 mostly British passengers is a slightly different prospect than a slow-moving tanker with 14 Ukrainian engineers."

Mr Evans said: "After about an hour we were allowed back into the dining room."

Mr Evans said he and his wife were glad to return home in one piece.

He added that they would go on a cruise again, but probably not in the same part of the world



BBC

Ubunifu wa Kuendeleza Bwawa la Bwawani Hoteli

Kama unaswali, ama ushauri juu ya kuendeleza eneo hili, usisite kuchangia mada hii...Karibu!

Watoto wa Dr. Salmin Amour waondolewa Libya

Two children of the former President of Zanzibar, Dr. Salmin Amour, are among eight Tanzanians to be evacuated from Tripoli Libya after the Kenya Airways flight had been cleared to land and take off by Libyan authorities.

Flight KQ 1322 was yesterday cleared by the Libya Civil Aviation Authority to fly into Tripoli, after an initial delay in Cairo due to flight logistics, according to a statement from the national carrier. However, it is expected to jet in this morning.

Speaking to The Citizen on Sunday yesterday, the information officer with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Mr Asa Mwambene said the plane was earlier denied access into Libya, hence the delay in conducting the evacuation.

“Children of Dr. Salmin are among the eight Tanzanians stranded in Tripoli, but they will board the Kenyan flight to return home,” he said.

Apart from the Tanzanians, the Kenyan flight is expected to evacuate citizens of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Southern Sudan, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Lesotho and South Africa stranded in Libya, this paper has learnt.

Yesterday, Kenya Airways Managing Director, Mr. Titus Naikuni confirmed that the airline had deployed a charter flight following a request by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


TC

Mamma Mia...

Mustafa Hassanali kuhamasisha uzazi salama nchini Tanzania

Maonyesho ya bure ya kwanza ya mavazi kufanyika tarehe 5 Machi

Fedha zaidi zahitajika toka serikalini kupunguza vifo vinavyotokana na uzazi

Yale maonyesho ya mavazi yajulikanayo kama ‘mamma mia’ yenye nia ya kuhamasisha uzazi salama, sambamba na sherehe za miaka 50 ya uhuru Tanzania, na miaka mia moja ya siku ya mwanamke duniani , kwa kushirikiana na shiriki lisilo la kiserikali la utepe mweupe ‘White Ribbon Alliance’ na ‘Vodacom Foundation’, yazinduliwa rasmi.

Akizungumza katika uzinduzi huo, mbunifu wa mavazi, aliyejipatia umaarufu kitaifa na kimataifa, Mustafa Hassanali amesema “ntazindua toleo langu jipya la ki-afrika katika maonyesho haya ya ‘Mamma Mia’ siku ya tarehe 4 na tano mwezi Machi hapahapa jijini Dar es salaam, na nategemea kupata ushirikiano wa watu wote, katika kuhamasisha uzazi salama kwa msaada wa shirika la utepe mweupe”

‘Mamma Mia’ ni jukwaa la maonyesho ya mavazi ambalo limelengwa mahsusi katika kusambaza ujumbe kuhusu uzazi salama, litafanyika tarehe nne mwezi machi, katika hoteli ya ‘Moevenpick Royal Palm’ kuanzia saa mbili na nusu usiku, na onyesho jingine kwa siku ya Jumamosi ya tarehe tano kuanzia saa tisa na nusu jioni, katika viwanja vya Mnazi Mmoja.

“nimefurahi sana kuwa wa kwanza kuandaa onyesho la mavazi la bure nchini kwa siku ya tarehe tano, ambalo madhumuni yake sio tu kuhamasisha uzazi salama, bali pia kuifanya tasnia ya ubunifu wa mavazi na mitindo iweze kufikiwa na wengi pale katika viwanja vya Mnazi Mmoja.” Alieleza Hassanali

Akizungumza kuhusu ‘Mamma Mia’ ni jina lililotokana na wimbo uliovuma sana katika miaka ya 80 na kundi la ‘ABBA’, ambapo mia inasimama kuiwakilisha sarafu ya shilingi mia , na miaka mia moja ya ya siku ya mwanamke duniani, Mustafa anaongeza kuwa, “kwa kila atakae kuja kuangalia shoo, atatoa shilingi mia moja, si kwa maana nyingine bali ni kama mchango wake katika kuhamasisha uzazi salama nchini”

Akiongezea katika suala zima la uzazi salama, mratibu wa Taifa wa Muungano wa jumuiya ya utepe mweupe na uzazi salama nchini, Bi Rose Mlay amesema kuwa, toka mwaka 2004, wamekuwa mstari wa mbali katika kuhamasisha and kuiomba serikali kuongeza fungu katika bajeti ya sekta ya afya na uuguzi, ili kupunguza vifo vitokanavyo na matatizo ya uzazi.

“mpaka sasa, ni asilimia 51 tu ya wanawake wote Tanzania , ndio wanaojifungua chini ya usimamizi na kusaidiwa na wataalamu wa afya, na sababu kuu ya hili ni upungufu wa vifaa na wafanyakazi wa afya katika sekta ya uzazi kwa mikoa mingi ya pembezoni mwa Tanzania, hii sio nzuri na Haikubaliki, kwani kila mwanamke ana haki ya kujifungua salama chini ya wataalamu wa afya. Na ndio maana tunahamasisha uzazi salama.”aliongezea kusema Mama Mlay.

Msukumo wa hili hautawezekana bila ushirikiano kutoka watu na mashirika mbalimbali, ambapo Mamma mia kwa ushirikiano na shirika la utepe mweupe ( White Ribbon Alliance) pamoja na ‘Vodacom Foundation’ ikiwa na baadhi ya waliojitolea kusaidia hili ni pamoja na ‘Johns Hopkins Centre for Communication Programs in Tanzania’, The Citizen, ‘Uhuru one’, ‘Moevenpick Royal Palm Hotel’, Novamedia, Ultimate Security, Darling Hair na Image Masters.

Wabunifu wengine watakaoshiriki katika kampeni hizi ni pamoja na mshindi wa tuzo za ubunifu kutoka Zanzibar Farouque Abdella, Henrietta Ludgate na Minna Hepbum wote toka ‘London Fashion Week’, Uingereza.


Nukuu kwa Mhariri:

KUHUSU MUSTAFA HASSANALI
Mustafa Hassanali ni mbunifu mjasiriamali anaeamini katika ‘daima sitashindwa’ huku akitumia kipaji chake na ubunifu wake wa mavazi katika kuleta maisha bora ya sasa na ya baadae.

Kazi za mbunifu Mustafa zimekuwa zikithaminika na kuonyeshwa kimataifa, ambapo Mustafa alifanikiwa kuonyesha ubunifu wake katika nchi kama Angola ‘Angola Fashion Business’, FAFA (Festival of African Fashion and Arts in Kenya), Kameruni, Wiki ya Mitindo India 2009, Naomi Campbell’s fashion for relief 2009, Arise Africa Fashion Week 2009, Wiki ya mavazi Durban & Cape town, Vukani Fashion Awards Pretoria, Miss Ethiopia Beauty Pageant, Mediterranean Fashion Festival, Sicily, Italia, M’net Face of Africa, Msumbiji, Uganda, na Wiki ya Mitindo Kenya, ambayo kwa pamoja yamemletea heshima kubwa, ndani na nje ya nchi.



KUHUSU SHIRIKA LA UTEPE MWEUPE
Ni shirika la kimataifa lisilo la kiserikali, lenye nia ya kuleta mabadiliko katika suala zima la uzazi salama, kati ya mama na mtoto duniani kote.

Katika jamii nyingine, rangi nyeupe ina maana ya majonzi, na jamii nyingine, nyeupe in maana ya matumaini na uhai, hivyo basi utepe mweupe umetwaliwa kama kumbukumbu kwa wanawake wote waliofariki kwa mimba , na katika harakati za kujifungua.
Toka ilipoanzishwa mwaka 1999, shirika la utepe mweupe limekuwa likikuwa kwa kasi duniani kote, hadi kufikia kuwa na nchi wanachama 148 ambao wanapaza sauti zao kwa ajili ya wanawake na jamii zao kwa ujumla. Ambapo kwa sasa linaongoza katika kuyakabili majanga yanayotokana na vifo vya uzazi.

KUHUSU MUSTAFA HASSANALI NA SHIRIKA LA UTEPE MWEUPE.

Mustafa Hassanali, ni mbunifu wa mavazi anayeshirikiana kwa karibu sana na shirika hili, ambapo kwa pamoja waliwahi kufanya onyesho na Naomi Campbell lililofahamika kama ‘Naomi Cambpell’s fashion for Relief’ mwaka 2009, ambapo zilokusanywa kiasi cha dola 65,000.

Mustafa Hassanali, mwenye shahada ya udaktari, anaamini kwa moyo mkunjufu kabisa katika kutumia mitindo kama njia yakusaidia kuchangisha fedha, na kusambaza ujumbe wa masuala ya afya kwa jamii yote.

Kwa maelezo zaidi tembelea www.mustafahassanali.net

Prince William ashauriwa kwenda honeymoon yake Zanzibar...

Zanzibar's New Star of the East Hotel Is Fit for a Royal Honeymoon

While Prince Wills and Princess-to-be Kate Middleton are rumored to be spending their honeymoon in Isles of Scilly, we can't help thinking the royal couple should maybe pull a switcheroo and shack up at the newly opened Star of the East on Zanzibar.

The Tanzania hotel would provide a paparazzi-free zone. It only offers 11 villas, and each has its own private plunge pool, Jacuzzi, personal butler, ginormous furnished terrace and lush garden full vegetation, from which the newlyweds will be able to watch the sunset and get all romantic.

Plus, the all-inclusive hotel offers a private beach where the couple can frolic without getting bothered by stalker fans. Though we think we could spend the entire time chillaxing in the terrace (see picture). And though it's a small, exclusive resort, there's a spa, the Mvua African Rain Spa, where the lovebirds can get some post-nuptial pampering.

The villas, two of which are two-bedroom spaces, have a traditional hut shape with retaining walls made of local stone and coral rock. They also are eco-friendly, sporting solar panels and using an irrigation system where outgoing water is used to irrigate the gardens instead of wasted.

Rooms start at around 635 Euros, or $868 a night. A two-week stay there would definitely require a royal-sized budget.


Hotelchatter

Mchungaji wa Kimarekani wa Kanisa la Anglikan kwenda Zanzibar

The Rev. Jerry Kramer, the Episcopal priest who threw his church into the recovery of Broadmoor after Hurricane Katrina, has left the church for a more conservative Anglican community.

Kramer, the former rector of the Free Church of the Annunciation, said by e-mail he now is affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America.

That community is composed of former Episcopalians who split with the U.S. church in 2008 over deep theological differences.

Kramer is now a member of an Anglican community in New Braunfels, Texas, with his wife and three children.

He said he is awaiting training before moving to Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania in east Africa, to do missionary work in a predominantly Muslim region.

Kramer left New Orleans in 2009 on a medical disability. He said he was physically and psychologically exhausted, suffering from difficult-to-manage diabetes, heart and liver problems.

After Katrina ruined his church, Kramer and his congregation put off rebuilding.

Instead, they opened the campus to the needs of Broadmoor residents, who received food, washed their clothes, got health care and used trailers on the site to house the offices of the Broadmoor Improvement Association, which planned the recovery of the devastated neighborhood.

Kramer's gifts fit the moment. Hyperactive and inventive, he spun off ministries and blew up established conventions in pursuing the work, almost erasing the distinctions between the church and the surrounding community.

In other ways, however, he was deeply orthodox.

He was increasingly ill at ease with changes in the Episcopal church's theology, particularly what critics saw as its diminution of the authority of Scripture and its increasing openness to faithful, same-sex relationships.

Those were the changes that caused the rift between the Episcopal church and those who left to form the Anglican Church in North America. That body, which says it has 100,000 members in nearly 1,000 congregations, now seeks to become a recognized member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

From Texas, Kramer said the Epsicopal church "simply no longer believes what Christian have always believed."

He said the Anglican community he is now affiliated with "is in the process of replacing (the Episcopal Church) as the authentic expression of Anglicanism in the Americas."

Kramer said his Type 2 diabetes is now "completely cured," and he is medically cleared to resume work.


nola.com

Washington state sells 2 ferries to Tanzania

The state finally has sold two of its discarded passenger-only ferries, the Kalama and the Skagit, to the African nation Tanzania.

The ferries have been docked and inactive since September 2009. The Legislature ordered the state to get out of the passenger-only ferry business in '06.

The two ferries had been sold to a boat broker in Port Coquitlam, B.C., which sold them to Tanzania. They will be put in service between the mainland of Tanzania and the Zanzibar archipelago. They were sold for $400,000 combined, far below the $900,000 value the state said they were worth in December 2009.

Marta Coursey, spokeswoman for Washington State Ferries, said the two boats will be taken to Africa by cargo ship.

The state had hoped to sell the two 112-foot boats locally, but when that failed, it placed them for auction on eBay, asking $300,000 each, with no success. The ferries were built in New Orleans and purchased in 1989 for $5 million.

Ferry historian Steve Pickens said the Kalama and the Skagit were the first two passenger-only boats the state built. They were supposed to go into service in 1989 but were tied up because there was no money to run them. Following the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, the two vessels were sent to San Francisco and served commuters crossing the bay while the city's bridges were repaired.


TST

Mkurugenzi wa Manispaa ya Zanzibar Amwagiwa Tindikali...

Mkurugenzi wa Manispaa Zanzibar Nd.Rashid Ali Juma amwagiwa tindikali na watu wasiojulikana, hali yake ni mbaya sana.

Tukio la kuwagiwa tindikali linahusishwa sana na uwamuzi wa SMZ kuondoa makontena katika eneo la darajani ili kupisha utengenezaji wa bustani.

Aidha kuwekuwepo na vitendo vingi vya kujichukulia sheria mikononi visiwani humo tokea kuanza kwa mwaka huu, ambapo baa kadhaa zilichomwa moto na watu wasiojulikana.

EAC business bodies weary of trade barriers

Bangirana (left) chatting with Ahmed Saleh Mbarouk, the Zanzibari National Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture board member, at the function


EAST African Community states should institute mechanisms to reduce non-tariff barriers because they are hurting trade in the region.

Bernard Bangirana, the Uganda Allied Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (UACCIA)executive director, said this would increase benefits from cross-border trade and accelerate development among member nations.

Non-tariff barriers are limitations like infrastructure, regulations and laws that impact negatively on domestic and cross-border trade.

“We will engage the private sector and our respective governments to ensure that these barriers are removed to improve trade in the region and other trading blocs in Africa,” said Bangirana.

He was addressing a regional stakeholders’ meeting organised by UACCIA and the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture to find ways of boosting trade in the region last week.

Julius Onen, the trade ministry permanent secretary, called for the creation of regional synergies to remove trade barriers as they hike transaction costs. He cited transport infrastructure gaps as the leading obstacles to trade, saying they affect negatively foreign investment inflows into the region.

Bangirana said the chambers would sensitise people to deepen understanding of the regional trade systems.

like; administration of trade rules of origin, cross-boarder taxation systems, harmonisation of product standards, lobbying governments to improve transport networks as well as disseminating information about the implications of trade agreements among the business community in the East African partner states.


New Vision

Ni katika kusherehekea miaka 50 ya uhuru wa Tanzania na miaka 100 ya siku ya mwanamke duniani

Ni onyesho la wazi, bure na la aina yake mara ya Kwanza nchini.

Itakuwa ni kampeni ya utu mwanamke na uzazi salama

Wadhamini waombwa kujitokeza kusapoti uzazi salama Tanzania



Katika kusherehekea miaka 50 ya Uhuru wa Tanzania, na miaka mia moja ya siku ya mwanamke kimataifa, mbunifu nguli wa mavazi Tanzania, Mustafa Hassanali aliyebobea katika ubunifu wa mavazi ya jioni na Harusi, kwa kushirikiana na wabunifu waalikwa wa kimataifa toka Uingereza watafanya maonyesho ya mavazi tarehe 4-5 mwezi Machi mwaka huu, kwa lengo la kusaidia suala zima la uzazi salama nchini.

Akizungumzia maonyesho hayo, Mustafa Hassanali, ambae anaamini katika kuitumia mitindo kama njia mbadala ya kuchangia, kuhamasisha na kueneza taarifa kwa jamii zinazohusiana na masuala ya afya amesema”kwa kushirikiana na shirika la utepe mweupe la Tanzania kwa pamoja tumeamua kufanya maonyesho ya mavazi kwa siku mbili, lengo si tu kuonyesha mavazi ya Mustafa Hassanali kwa mwaka 2011, na utu mwanamke, bali pia kuhamasisha uzazi salama nchini”.

‘Kila dakika moja dunia inapoteza mwanamke mmoja kwa matatizo ya uzazi, tunahitaji kufanya mabadiliko hususani katika kipindi hiki ambacho dunia inasherehekea miaka mia moja ya siku ya mwanamke, na taifa pia la Tanzania likitimiza miaka 50 toka uhuru, hivyo hatuna budi kufanya kila liwezekanalo kuhakikisha tunampa mchango mwanamke katika suala zima la afya ya uzazi” alisema Mustafaa Hassanali.

Mustafa Hassanali, mwenye elimu na uelewa mzuri wa udaktari, ambae ndie alieanzisha mpango wa ‘Fashion 4 Health’, mpango ambao umefanya maonyesho ya mavazi katika kusaidia masuala mbalimbali yahusuyo afya toka mwaka 2008, na moja kati ya harakati zake, ni pamoja na ile ya kuchangia hospitali ya wenye matatizo ya akili huko Zanzibar, ambapo kiasi cha shilingi milioni 23 zilipatikana kutokana na mradi huo.


Akiwa kama nguli wa mitindo Afrika Mashariki na kati, na mwenye nia ya kuiweka fani hii ya mitindo mbele, Mustafa Hassanali alisema”tunatarajia kufanya onyesho la wazi kwa tarehe tano ya mwezi wa tatu, hii itasaidia kuipa nafasi jamii yote bila kujali uwezo wa mtu, kupata taarifa kamili na sahihi kuhusu uzazi salama hapa nchini”.

Akichangia katika hilo, meneja mauzo na masoko wa Mustafa Hassanali, ndugu Hamis Omari alisema kuwa “maonyesho haya yataenda sambamba na utoaji elimu bure kuhusu afya ya uzazi salama, tekinolojia husika na haki ya kila raia katika hili”

Meneja Masoko huyo aliwaomba wadau na makampuni mbalimbali kujitokeza ili kudhamini onyesho hilo lenye nia njema, ili kutoa mchango wao katika kumsaidia mwanamke wa Tanzania na uzazi salama.

‘Mamma Mia’ ni jina lililotokana na wimbo uliovuma sana katika miaka ya 80 na kundi la ‘ABBA’, ambapo onyesho hilo litajumuisha mitindo mipya na ya nguvu toka kwa Mustafa Hassanali, pamoja na wabunifu waalikwa toka wiki ya mitindo ya Uingereza.

Nukuu kwa Mhariri:

KUHUSU MUSTAFA HASSANALI
Mustafa Hassanali ni mbunifu mjasiriamali anaeamini katika ‘daima sitashindwa’ huku akitumia kipaji chake na ubunifu wake wa mavazi katika kuleta maisha bora ya sasa na ya baadae.

Kazi za mbunifu Mustafa zimekuwa zikithaminika na kuonyeshwa kimataifa, ambapo Mustafa alifanikiwa kuonyesha ubunifu wake katika nchi kama Angola ‘Angola Fashion Business’, FAFA (Festival of African Fashion and Arts in Kenya), Kameruni, Wiki ya Mitindo India 2009, Naomi Campbell’s fashion for relief 2009, Arise Africa Fashion Week 2009, Wiki ya mavazi Durban & Cape town, Vukani Fashion Awards Pretoria, Miss Ethiopia Beauty Pageant, Mediterranean Fashion Festival, Sicily, Italia, M’net Face of Africa, Msumbiji, Uganda, na Wiki ya Mitindo Kenya, ambayo kwa pamoja yamemletea heshima kubwa, ndani na nje ya nchi.

KUHUSU SHIRIKA LA UTEPE MWEUPE
Ni shirika la kimataifa lisilo la kiserikali, lenye nia ya kuleta mabadiliko katika suala zima la uzazi salama, kati ya mama na mtoto duniani kote.

Katika jamii nyingine, rangi nyeupe ina maana ya majonzi, na jamii nyingine, nyeupe in maana ya matumaini na uhai, hivyo basi utepe mweupe umetwaliwa kama kumbukumbu kwa wanawake wote waliofariki kwa mimba , na katika harakati za kujifungua.
Toka ilipoanzishwa mwaka 1999, shirika la utepe mweupe limekuwa likikuwa kwa kasi duniani kote, hadi kufikia kuwa na nchi wanachama 148 ambao wanapaza sauti zao kwa ajili ya wanawake na jamii zao kwa ujumla. Ambapo kwa sasa linaongoza katika kuyakabili majanga yanayotokana na vifo vya uzazi.

KUHUSU MUSTAFA HASSANALI NA SHIRIKA LA UTEPE MWEUPE.

Mustafa Hassanali, ni mbunifu wa mavazi anayeshirikiana kwa karibu sana na shirika hili, ambapo kwa pamoja waliwahi kufanya onyesho na Naomi Campbell lililofahamika kama ‘Naomi Cambpell’s fashion for Relief’ mwaka 2009, ambapo zilokusanywa kiasi cha dola 65,000.

Mustafa Hassanali, mwenye shahada ya udaktari, anaamini kwa moyo mkunjufu kabisa katika kutumia mitindo kama njia yakusaidia kuchangisha fedha, na kusambaza ujumbe wa masuala ya afya kwa jamii yote.

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We Want More Say in This Union, Zanzibar Tells Tanzania Govt

Nairobi — The course of the 47-year existence of the United Republic of Tanzania has been anything but smooth.

From Zanzibar nationalism, the structure of government, and inequity in the sharing of government offices within the Union to sharing the benefits and costs including revenue and foreign aid, the problems have kept coming back to haunt the Union government.

According to a report of the Kituo Cha Katiba fact-finding mission to Tanzania, with regard to the economy, Zanzibar argues that there are unfair fiscal and monetary agreements that kill its economy.

For example, it points out that there is double taxation of goods imported into the Tanzania Mainland from Zanzibar.

Petroleum and natural gas, which are likely to be discovered off the islands, have been included in the list of Union matters.

However, gold, diamonds and tanzanite that are found in Tanzania Mainland are not classified as such.

Even more contentious is the list of matters reserved for the Union government.

The original 11 articles were, over time, increased, reaching 22 by 1990. To Zanzibaris, this is intended to undermine the autonomy and identity of Zanzibar.

Zanzibar complained about the sharing formula of revenues of 4.5 per cent for Zanzibar, which the Isles suggest be raised to 10 per cent.

The Union insists that is too high and would settle for 5 per cent.

Likewise, complaints persist that the Union government exclusively bears all costs of collecting revenue in Zanzibar (by the Tanzania Revenue Authority).

"In terms of resources, the people in Zanzibar pointed out that the mainland has minerals, national parks, agricultural land as compared with Zanzibar, which has limited resources..." says the report.

With regard to foreign aid they pointed out that although it is solicited and received in the name of the United Republic, Zanzibar receives little, or nothing in respect to non-Union matters such as agriculture.

It is the mainland that decides on behalf of Zanzibar how much it should get. Yet Zanzibar cannot shop for foreign aid for itself.

On their part, business people decried double taxation, saying that while the TRA has a presence in Zanzibar, once you re-export to the mainland, there is reassessment, harassment, delays in clearing the goods.

The structure of government has also been put under a microscope.

The bone of contention is that the Union deals with Union and non-Union matters lumped together.

Hence Zanzibaris feel that when a minister of the Union deals with issues affecting both entities, he is likely to favour the mainland. In short, there is a conflict of interest.

At the same time, budgetary allocations are bundled together for the Union government and Tanzania Mainland without any clear distinction.

It is for this reason that there has been a clamour for the establishment of a three-tier government consisting of the Union, Zanzibar and Tanzania Mainland.

This problem dramatically took centre stage in 1984 and led to the then president of Zanzibar, Aboud Jumbe, being forced to resign.

In regard to political and government institutions and processes, Zanzibaris stated that they are not considered a country, yet they are.

They pointed out that while the Union entails two countries, their president has no role.

They pointed to the inequity in the sharing of government offices within the Union. There are only three ambassadors from Zanzibar.

The ambassadors from the mainland work for the benefit of the mainland. Likewise, they point to the relatively few Zanzibaris serving in embassies abroad.

A Zanzibari is yet to serve as the Inspector General of Government.

n the army, all ranking generals are from the mainland. Most staff in the Tanzania Revenue Authority are said to be from the mainland too.

"In general, therefore, at the political level, many Zanzibaris do not think the Union is in their interest; they think that they have no say in the Union. They feel marginalised; they believe that, at the institutional level, they are not taken care of. They do not get to learn of opportunities or services offered by ministries dealing with Union matters since they do not maintain offices in Zanzibar," the mission observes in a report titled "Federation within Federation: The Tanzania Union Experience and the East African Integration Process."However, peace and security were pointed out as benefits of the Union.

From the mainland, there were complaints about the over-representation of Zanzibar in Union institutions, including parliament.

It was also pointed out that the portfolios for the mainland in government are virtually non-existent since there are people from Zanzibar holding portfolios for non-Union matters.

According to the mission, these issues were compounded by the unique structure of the Union: A two-government structure with a Union government and government of Zanzibar, but without a Tanganyika government. On the one hand, it was claimed that Zanzibar could not negotiate with the partner with whom they had executed the Union treaty with a view to modifying it as the need arose.

Revive Tanganyika

On the other, there were voices from the mainland calling for the revival of a Tanganyika government.

The dual mandate of the Union government, for instance, jurisdiction over Union matters, and over non-Union matters of the mainland created its own problems and suspicions.

"An attempt was made to design mechanisms to deal with the problems but these, including the Constitution Court, a Permanent Commission and many ad hoc ones appear to have been largely ineffectual; they always had to resort to the one-party structure to deal with the issues," the report observes.

"The transition to multiparty politics has made the latter approach to Union problems impractical. The transition has also brought in its wake, problems of electoral and post-electoral violence and claims of electoral fraud in Zanzibar. This has in turn highlighted the problems of the Union, and in particular the place of Zanzibar within the Union," it adds.

The incremental erosion of the powers of the government of Zanzibar is best illustrated by the 1977 merger of Tanganyika African National Union and Afro Shirazi Party.

This meant that matters that were entirely within the jurisdiction of Zanzibar were to be decided by a pan-territorial political party - Chama cha Mapinduzi.

Renegotiation

In the political arena, two court cases were filed asking the High Court of Zanzibar to declare the Union null and void.

Other players have mooted the renegotiation of the Articles of Union to create a fully fledged federation.

The Articles of Union constitute the legal basis of the Union and for them to have effect, they should have been ratified by both Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

There is no evidence of any law in Zanzibar ratifying the treaty. The only evidence of ratification appeared in the Government of Tanganyika Gazette under the signature of the Solicitor General of the Tanganyika Government.

The Union, therefore, it is concluded by some, "lacked a legal basis right from the very beginning because while the Articles were signed by Karume they were not ratified. The Union therefore exists de facto, but not as a matter of law," the reports notes.

"Hence decisions were made on the basis of good will and political expediency rather than law and the constitution. The unification process was not constitutionalised; it was just a political agreement between Nyerere and Karume and even the Articles of Union came as an afterthought. They were formulated subsequent to the fact."

It was stated that some key figures in government do not understand the structure of the Union, for instance, the two governments and three jurisdictions.

This creates confusion which is compounded by the constitution itself.

It was pointed out that while Article 4 of the constitution does provide for the two governments with three jurisdictions other parts of the constitution mix up things and blur the distinction.

HARUSI TRADE FAIR 2011 - MAONYESHO YA HARUSI 2011

Maonyesho ya Harusi kufanyika Dar.
Wadau wa Harusi kukutanishwa Dar
Siku tatu za Maonyesho ya Harusi Diamond Jubilee
Maandalizi ya Maonyesho ya Harusi 2011 yapamba moto Dar


Maandalizi ya maonyesho ya pili ya Harusi Tanzania ‘Harusi Trade Fair 2011’, yanayotarajiwa kuanza tarehe 1- 3 mwezi ujao katika ukumbi wa Diamond Jubilee yanaendelea vizuri , huku yakiwa yanajumuisha wataalamu waliobobea katika nyanja zote zinazohusiana na suala zima la Harusi.

Muaandaaji na msimamizi wa maonyesho haya makubwa ya Harusi Tanzania, Mustafa Hassanali amesema kuwa “maonyesho ya mwaka huu yatakuwa makubwa, mazuri na yenye kuvutia zaidi ya mwaka uliyopita, na tunatazamia kuyafanya yawe maonyesho makubwa zaidi kwa ukanda huu kwa miaka ijayo”

Nukuu zinasema kuwa, maonyesho ya mwaka huu tayari yameshawavutia zaidi ya washiriki 32 , wakiwemo washiriki wa maonyesho yaliyopita na wapya.

Maonyesho ya Harusi ya mwaka 2011, ni maonyesho ambayo uboreshaji wake umevuka kutoka siku mbili za maonyesho hadi siku tatu kwa mwaka huu, huku likiongezewa na kujumuisha vionjo vingi zaidi.

“Harusi ni tukio zuri, ambalo hutokea mara moja tu, huku likiunganisha familia na jamii pamoja, hivyo nia yetu ni kuwapa maharusi mahitaji yao yoote muhimu kwa pamoja na kwa wakati mmoja, na maonyesho haya ndio sehemu muafaka kwa hilo” alisema Mustafa Hassanali.

Maonyesho haya ya Harusi ambayo hufanyika kila mwaka, huwaleta pamoja wahusika wote wa mambo ya Harusi katika kujenga na kutengeneza mtandao wa kimafanikio baina yao, na ndio maana maonyesho haya yamekuwa ni ya kwanza na ya aina yake Tanzania, ambapo kwa mwaka huu yatapambwa na vitu kama keki, maua, wapiga picha, magauni ya Harusi, bila kusahau mengi na yenye ubunifu katika Harusi.

Gabriel Makupa wa ‘GRM Production’, ambae ni mmoja wa washiriki wa mwaka huu wa maonyesho haya alisema kuwa, wamekuwa na wakati mzuri kibiashara, hali iliyosababishwa na ushiriki wao katika maonyesho haya kwa mwaka uliyopita.

“tumekuwa na wakati mzuri kibiashara, hii imetusaidia kujenga mtandao mzuri kibiashara, tulitangaza huduma zetu vilivyo, na hii ndo sababu ya sisi kushiriki tena mwaka huu” alisema Gabriel wa GRM, kampuni inayojihusisha na upigaji picha katika maharusi.

“makampuni yajitokeze kutangaza huduma zao mwaka huu katika maonyesho haya, ni nafasi nzuri, kwani tumeshapata makampuni 32 mpaka sasa yatakayoshiriki mwaka huu, idadi ambayo inaongezeka kila siku, “ alisema Mustafa Hassanali.

Mmoja wa washiriki wa mwaka huu wa maonyesho kutoka ‘Karibu Holiday’, kampuni inayoshughulika na maandalizi ya fungate kwa maharusi na mapumziko binafsi nchini, Bw. Susai Nathan alisema kuwa, maonyesho ya mwaka huu ni njia mbadala ya kutangaza huduma zao mpya zenye ubora maalum kwa fungate, mahususi kwa maharusi au watakaofunga ndoa katika miezi hii mitatu ijayo.

Haya ni maonyesho ya siku tatu ambayo yana mengi, na si yakukosa kushiriki ama kuhudhuria kwa maharusi, familia, na wale wote wanaohusika na kamati za Harusi, ili kujionea na kujua mengi yahusuyo Harusi na mahitaji yake.


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