Things begin to happen in Dodoma

FRESH details have emerged on the Dar es Salaam-Dodoma ‘migration’ after providers of such utilities as water, electricity and telecommunications announced grand plans to upgrade and expand service delivery in the new capital-designate within 100 days.

The present utility infrastructure and set-up in Dodoma have created doubt as to whether the 43-year old decision to shift to the centrallylocated region could at this time around materialise.

According to some critics, the capital transfer would hit a technical snag especially after some ministries, including the Prime Minister’s Office explicitly declared to move permanently to the Capital City District, which is part of the semi-arid Dodoma region.

But the state water, telecom and electricity firms, which had been investing multi-billion dollars on infrastructures in Dar es Salaam, said they are well organised to counter any rising demand owing to population inflows.

The Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) has told the ‘Daily News’ that the firm, which has received funding from the TIB Development Bank, will upgrade the national broadband network to enable data transfer from the current 40 GB to 200 GB by November this year.

“The expansion work has already started to increase the traffic capacity between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma. TTCL is working with equipment manufacturers, Huawei and Alcatel, to execute expansion works,” TTCL Chief Executive Officer, Dr Kamugisha Kazaura, said.

According to the TTCL boss, the firm will launch its 4G service in the new capital (designated) in November. It is also working to upgrade its IP-Network to allow sharing of large data and files from the current 1 GB to 10 GB.

An IP network is a communication network that uses Internet Protocol (IP) to send and receive messages between one or more computers.

The plan, according to TTCL, will help improve communications in the region. Energy and Minerals Minister Sospeter Muhongo made it clear in Dodoma that his ministry had resolved to upgrade the electricity infrastructure to provide better reliability and more resiliences, among other improvements.

Professor Muhongo announced the construction of Iringa-Dodoma-Singida- Shinyanga power line (backbone transmission line), linking the regions to the national grid, will be completed by October.

The 670-km stretch, with transmission capacity of 400kV, is now completed from Iringa to Dodoma and will be launched in September.

“The project, to cost 450 million US dollars, is being financed by the World Bank, Japan Development Agency, European Union, Korean Development Bank and the African Development Bank. At the completion of the project, Tanzania will be able to sell surplus electricity to Kenya and Zambia,” the minister said.

The Ministry of Water held a closed-door meeting with its key players in Dar es Salaam yesterday to deliberate on the best ways to reduce outages and provide the highest quality of service to the growing demand for the utility.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Engineer Mbogo Futakamba, has reported that the ministry planned to expand the region’s water distribution network.

He said as it stands now, the capacity of the Dodoma water utility agency is to pump 61.5 million litres daily while production can go up to 72 million litres.

“Actual demand for water in Dodoma is 46 million litres but the authority has been pumping less than 40 million litres due to minimal demand and limited distribution networks,” Mr Futakamba explained.

The deep borehole drilled at Mzakwe in the region with the support of the Korean government is not enough. Plans are, therefore, underway to construct Farkwa Dam, which is situated 30 kilometres from Dodoma Municipality.

“We had conducted a feasibility study and it will take between 18 and 24 months for it to be complete. In addition, the government has so far compensated residents at a 60-hectare area to pave way for the construction of a sewerage facility,” the PS detailed.

He said while the construction of the dam will cost 520bn/-, talks are going on with a Chinese firm to support the construction of a sewerage system in the region.

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Chadema: Sept 1 is ‘Defiance Day’

Chadema has declared September 1 “Defiance Day” to mark the start of a nationwide campaign against “dictatorship”

Dar es Salaam. Chadema has declared September 1 “Defiance Day” to mark the start of a nationwide campaign against “dictatorship”. The party said opposition supporters and other well­wishers across the country are expected on that day hold peaceful processions and rallies against what it claimed as President John Magufuli’s growing “dictatorial tendencies”.

Reached for comment last night, Inspector General of Police Ernest Mangu told The Citizen that he would not comment as he has yet to get official communication from Chadema. Briefing journalists on resolutions made by the party’s Central Committee when it met last weekend, Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe said the decision was aimed at protecting democratic gains made in the country in the last two decades, and which were in danger of being lost. He said since Dr Magufuli took over last November, he and his lieutenants, including Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, have made remarks and taken decisions that were contrary to the law and the Constitution. He mentioned some of the decisions as the banning of political rallies, the limiting of live coverage of parliamentary proceedings, muzzling and undermining of opposition MPs and directing courts to rule in the government’s favour in tax cases. Others include prohibiting members of the international community from meeting representatives of political parties and civil society organisations without the government’s permission and tabling of the Information Bill, which seeks to have “errant” journalists jailed for between 15 and 20 years. “We call on other political parties, civil society organisations and all Tanzanians who are touched by this to come out and support us,” Mr Mbowe said.

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Logistical nightmare as govt 'rushes' to Dodoma

OP public officials appear to have been caught by surprise by prime minister Kassim Majaliwa’s announcement that he intends to move all key government functions permanently to Dodoma within the next two months, 

We are not playing politics ... we will pass legislation in parliament in September to formalise the move,' says prime minister Kassim Majaliwa

 triggering a big scramble as ministries rush to beat the 'impromptu' deadline he has set.

Several officials close to the government told The Guardian that some ministries had been "caught completely off-guard" by the PM's public declaration that he plans to have settled in the nation's designated capital city by September.

"The announcement has caused pandemonium in some ministries…we all knew that the government would eventually shift to Dodoma, but the problem is that this is such short notice," said one official who asked not to be named.

"Where is the infrastructure in Dodoma to accommodate thousands of employees of government ministries and their families? It's a logistical nightmare for us," the official added.

Apart from a shortage of office and residential accommodation, Dodoma is also lacking in modern international schools, shopping malls and other facilities, according to officials.

Reports say the permanent secretaries of many government ministries are now at pains to coordinate the transfer of both functions and employees in their own ministries from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.

About 19 government ministries are now required to take their cue from the PM and also relocate to Dodoma by September this year.

This means that potentially thousands of civil servants and their families will now be abruptly uprooted from Dar es Salaam to begin new lives over 500 kilometres away in Dodoma.

Majaliwa reiterated yesterday that the government means business in the move to Dodoma and would submit a bill for approval in the next National Assembly session to formalise the decision.

"We are not playing politics here...we will pass legislation in parliament in September to make the move to Dodoma official,” the premier asserted during a working meeting with various stakeholders from both the public and private sectors in Dodoma to further discuss the nitty-gritty details of how the move is to be implemented.

He gave officials 14 days to prepare a detailed plan for the government transfer to Dodoma, which should also outline infrastructure shortfalls and funding gaps.

“We are now at the implementation stage...there is no option but to see this thing through," he said.

Majaliwa also ordered the state-run Capital Development Authority (CDA) to ensure new development projects in Dodoma do not deviate from the municipality's master plan.

A previous estimate by CDA said Dodoma would require at least 1.3 trillion/- to get the necessary infrastructure in place to transform it into a bona fide capital city.

CDA director general Paskasi Muragili told The Guardian yesterday that the city was "ready to receive and accommodate" the government.

“Everything is intact and we are prepared to be a fully fledged capital city. I am glad that finally our plans will now be put into action," Muragili said.

"Since the establishment of CDA, our plans have always been derailed by lack of commitment in the past,” he added.

According to Muragili, the housing shortage problem can be tackled within a very short time.

He noted that other important basic social services such as water and electricity are now readily available in Dodoma, unlike in the past.

Meanwhile, as other government departments appeared to still be struggling with the logistical and financial obstacles involved in shifting to Dodoma before the September deadline, one minister has declared that he will be moving to the capital next week.

Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Tizeba, said his ministry was all set for the move and “will finalise all the necessary preparations this week.”

Real estate agents in Dodoma are already reporting a big land rush as speculators scramble to buy property after President John Magufuli’s announcement that his government, including his own office, will be shifting to Dodoma before the end of his first term in office in 2020.

"People are arriving here in busloads from Dar es Salaam looking for plots and farms to buy. Prices of real estate property have skyrocketed in just the two days since the announcement," said one real estate agent in Dodoma.

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2 million fake phones blocks from market

THE government has blocked 1.82 million counterfeit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers since the exercise began last month, with the control against the use of fake devices in the country sustained on a daily basis.

Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan told delegates to the fourth Annual Mobile360 Africa in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the fake phones were blocked through GSMA, which tracks bogus IMEI numbers and send them to Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA).

TCRA, the telecommunication industry regulator, prohibits the devices from entering the local market. Ms Suluhu, in a speech that Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Makame Mbarawa read on her behalf, said the government via TCRA remains firm against the use of counterfeit phones in the local markets by blocking their IMEI numbers.

TCRA has contracted GSMA to track and submit weekly updates of lists of IMEI numbers for smooth operation of the Central Equipment Identification Registrar (CEIR) launched late last year.

“These updates from GSMA to TCRA’s data base has enabled the government to block over 1.8 million counterfeit IMEIs. TCRA continues using CEIR to monitor counterfeit IMEIs to ensure they don’t enter the local market,” she explained.

The VP acknowledged the key role that mobile phone technology plays in addressing social and economic development challenges across Tanzania and Sub Sahara Africa through digital inclusion.

“The mobile phone sector is playing a critical role in driving financial and social inclusions in many African countries through providing access to financial information and services,” she said, adding that digital inclusion helps to drive economic and infrastructure development.

The VP said currently mobile phone subscriptions in the country stands at 39.8 million, with 20 million internet users. The construction of the national ICT backbone, the National Fibre Optic Cable Network infrastructure, that connects all regional and districts headquarters in the country has also contributed to internet service affordability. The backbone is also linked to international submarine cable to bridge the gap in the digital inclusion.

“We in Tanzania are already enjoying the benefits of ICT as the price of internet access and transmission has significantly dropped... the backbone infrastructure will bring with it more affordable rates for businesses and citizens,” she charged.

There were 700 kilometres of fibre when the government embarked on the installation of the national backbone but today the country has 18,000km of fibre, said Ms Samia, noting: “ I am sure after two years we will have 25,000km of the fibre network in the country.”

The fibre network also provides neighbouring countries like Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda Zambia and Malawi with access to super highway submarine cable available in the shores of Indian Ocean in Dar es Salaam. GSMA Director General Mats Granryd, speaking at the meeting, said it’s difficult today to imagine a world without mobile connection. “As an industry we are committed to connect everything and everyone to a better future.”

He described Africa, the second largest continent, as the least penetrated, with less than half of its population subscribing to mobile services. Launching the ‘Mobile Economy: Africa 2016’ report yesterday, Mr Granryd said Tanzania was among eight markets in Africa with significant contribution to mobile phone industry growth on continent.

He said in the next five years, there will be an additional 168 million people connected by mobile services across Africa, reaching 725 million unique subscribers by 2020. “Eight markets will account for the majority of this growth, most notably Nigeria, Ethiopia and Tanzania, which will together contribute over a third of new subscribers,” said Mr Granryd.

According to the report, over half a billion people across Africa use mobile phone services as the continent continues to migrate rapidly to mobile broadband networks.

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Tazara flyover construction scheduled for October

ACTUAL construction of the longawaited flyover at the junction of the Nelson Mandela Expressway and Nyerere Road in Dar es Salaam is set to begin in October, this year, it was revealed yesterday.

The Resident Engineer from Oriental Consultants Global, Kiyokazu Tsuji, told this paper in Dar es Salaam that currently the contractor is preparing diversion roads before the actual construction begins.

He was speaking on the sideline of a tour by eight teachers from different schools in Japan, who visited the country through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Teachers’ Programme from July 25, this year.

“We expect to start the construction of the foundation of the flyover around October, this year and we hope to complete the project as per contractual period,” Tsuji said.

Funded by Japanese government through grant aid, the project is expected to cost US$45m upon completion.

“This is our first flyover to be built in Dar es Salam, Tanzania; we are confident that we will meet the contractual period scheduled for October 2018, thus improving congestion in the city,” Tsuji explained.

The Project Manager, Nobuhiko Maruni from Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Company Limited, said that his company needs a good plan to implement such a big project. “This is the big bridge to be constructed along this traffic, thus we need to have a good work plan to ensure that it is completed as per contractual period,” he said.

He, however, observed that currently the project has employed six Japanese, nine Philippines and 50 Tanzanians, noting that more Tanzanians will be employed when the construction of the flyover begins.

Commenting on the tour, JICA Tanzania Office Representative, Kobe Nobuyuki, said that the teachers will observe and study activities of the agency’s experts and Japanese Overseas volunteers.

He said the teachers will disseminate their impressions to their students at their schools. Nobuyuki said that the visit will help to deepen the long-standing bilateral relations between Japan and Tanzania.

The delegation will be in the country up to August 2, this year and will visit, among other areas, Kilangala Secondary School in Morogoro, Mvumi Irrigation Scheme and Mikumi National Park.

In April, this year, President John Magufuli laid the foundation stone for the construction of the flyover to decongest the city’s traffic.

According to President Magufuli, the construction of the first flyover is one of the many massive projects that are ongoing and about to take off that are aimed at reducing congestion in the city of Dar es Salaam. He expressed gratitude to the government of Japan for the grant of 93.438bn/- to fund the project.

According to Tanzania National Roads Agency, the four lanes flyover will reduce 80 per cent of the time spent to travel from the airport to the city centre.

The construction of the flyover is expected to take 35 months and will include the construction of a 425 metres bridge.

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New tricks to cheat EFDs uncovered

THE Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has uncovered new tricks being applied by some dishonest business people to cheat the government’s order wanting them to issue receipts from Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) for each transaction made.

Such fraud has been uncovered following the ongoing countrywide operation, which started early this month to enforce the newly-legislated Finance Act 2016.

The act requires traders to issue receipts for each transaction made in the provision of goods and services while customers too are required to demand receipts for the goods and services they pay for.

It seeks to instil discipline and develop the habit among the people to demand receipts.

There is a penal code for offenders, with customers found without a receipt(s) liable to a fine of ranging between 30,000/- and 150,000/-, depending on the value of the traded commodities or services offered.

TRA’s Director of Education and Taxpayer Services, Mr Richard Kayombo, told the ‘Daily News’ yesterday that such deceit by unscrupulous traders include cheating customers by telling them that their EFD machines could not issue receipts, citing network problems.

“For the EFDs to issue the receipts, they don’t need a network. The network is needed only when the traders need to send us reports of their day’s sales,” Mr Kayombo said. He added that the authority wondered how it is possible that a network is unavailable a whole day while the network used is the same as applied in mobile phones,” he wondered.

He called on individuals to reject unavailability of network as a reason for not getting the receipts from the traders. Mr Kayombo said it has been noticed that some traders tend to issue outdated receipts to customers who persistently ask for receipts.

“There are some traders who capitalise on the habit of some customers -- of not checking their receipts by issuing them with outdated receipts, which they store under the counter for issuing to demanding shoppers,” he noted.

The senior TRA official appealed to shoppers to report such traders to appropriate authorities to enable appropriate measures to be taken against them. He said the people must look for TRA labels; Taxpayers number (TIN) and date on the receipts -- to confirm their authenticity.

However, the main challenge remains the poor response from the people in demanding receipts; oblivious of the fact that such indifference could provide a chance to the business people to pocket the money that is supposed to be paid as tax.

Meanwhile, he cautioned that there was a danger that non- TRA officials could use the current operation to extort money from customers who don’t possess receipts.

On the ongoing exercise to distribute free EFDs to business people in Dar es Salaam, TRA Principal Research Officer, Mr Beldom Chaula, called on traders to report agents who solicit money before issuing the EFDs, insisting that the machines were earmarked for traders who could not afford to buy them.

The authority had planned to supply 5,700 EFD machines to traders in the city.

TRA has meanwhile confirmed that there was enough stock for supplying the machines, noting that suppliers had the capacity to meet demand.

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Two in Dar court over 14bn/- fraud

TWO prominent businessmen, Samwel Shanshasen Lema, and Mohamed Mustafa Yusufali, appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam yesterday charged with 223 counts of conspiracy, forgery, money laundering, evading tax and occasioning loss of over 14bn/-.

They were not allowed to enter any plea to the charges before Principal Resident Magistrate Wilbard Mashauri because they have been charged under the Economic and Organised Crime Control Act, which falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

The two were committed to remand custody until July 28, when the prosecution will respond to the request by the defence team, led by advocates Alex Mgongolwa, Hudson Ndusyepo and Nehemia Nkonko, who are challenging the validity of the charge of money laundering.

In the case, both accused persons are facing one count of conspiracy to defraud, 181 counts of forging tax invoices for two different companies, one count of money laundering and one charge relating to occasioning of loss to a specified authority.

Lema, an Arusha based tycoon, separately faces 38 counts of forging value added tax (VAT) returns and one count of tax evasion. This case is the second for Yusufali, popularly known as ‘Mzee wa Milioni 7 kwa Dakika’, to face before the same court.

The first case involves tax evasion to the tune of 15bn/-. During the court session, the prosecution team comprised Senior State Attorney Mutalemwa Kishenyi and State Attorneys Jacqueline Nyantori and Diana Rukondo and a prosecutor from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Leonard Swai.

The prosecution told the court that the accused persons and other persons not in court conspired to defraud the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) of 14,052,011,435.69 between January 1, 2012 and December 3, 2014 within the cities of Arusha and Dar es Salaam.

It is alleged that on diverse dates in Dar es Salaam, the two accused persons made false tax invoices bearing different numbers and dates, purporting to show that Northern Engineering and Elerai Construction Co. Limited purchased commodities from various companies worth billions of shillings.

The prosecution alleged further that on different dates in the city, with intent to defraud, Lema made several VAT returns for different months, purportedly showing that Northern Engineering Works Limited during such months purchased commodities worth billions of shillings, while it was false. Lema is also charged with evading tax amounting to 14,052,011,435.69 between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2015 -- in Dar es Salaam.

Being director responsible for management affairs of his companies, Northern Engineering Works Limited and Elerai Construction Co. Limited, which are registered VAT payers, with a view to fraudulently evade tax, he allegedly submitted to the Commissioner of TRA false returns.

All the accused persons were charged with an offence of money laundering allegedly committed between February 1, 2012 and February 25, 2013 within the cities of Arusha and Dar es Salaam.

They are alleged to have directly engaged themselves in a transaction of 420m/-, which, according to the prosecution, was proceed of predicate offences by depositing the amount in a bank account by the name Igba Jeferali Jafferjee at I and M Bank (T) Limited and subsequently withdrawing the same in cash.

The prosecution told the court that at the time of depositing and withdrawing of the money, the accused persons knew or ought to have known that the said sum was proceeds of predicate offences, which are forgery and tax evasion.

It is alleged further that between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2015, in the city, by reason of their wilful acts, Lema and Yusufali submitted to the Commissioner General of TRA false value added tax returns, hence the government to suffer a pecuniary loss of 14,052,011,435.69.

Immediately after the prosecution had read over the charges to the accused persons, Advocate Mgongolwa, on behalf of the defence team, rose up and requested the court to strike out the money laundering charge “because it was incurably defective’’.

“The defect goes straight to the particulars of the offence. Those particulars of the offence are fatal and cannot be cured under the law. Money laundering offence must contain four elements like Illicit source Placement, layering and integration,” Mr Mgongolwa argued.

Under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, money laundering is defined as engagement of person(s), direct or indirectly in conversion, transfer, concealment, disguising, use or acquisition of money or property known to be of illicit origin and in which such engagement intends to avoid legal consequence.

From such definition, he submitted, one could rightly say that for there to be an offence of money laundering, there must be intention on the part of the accused person to avoid the legal consequences of such action -- hence, the intention forms a basic element in particulars of the offence.

According to the advocates, looking at the count, the particulars of the offence were insufficient to meet test required under section 3 which defines the offence of money laundering and constituent acts provided for under section 12 (a) (b) (c) and (d) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

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JK calls for stronger, passionate leadership in CCM

RETIRED Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) National Chairman, Mr Jakaya Kikwete, yesterday underscored the need for a strong and passionate leadership to help the party continue to excel.

Mr Kikwete was giving his remarks before the party’s National Congress voted for President John Magufuli to lead the party. He took a swipe at the people who have been alleging that he was reluctant to relinquish his chairmanship to Dr Magufuli as the issue has always been on the party’s succession mechanism.

“There have been people who have severally been meeting in boardrooms to make plans for propagating and publishing lies. Their intention is to sow seeds of hatred within our party. However, their plans have always proved futile," he added.

According to him, he approached Dr Magufuli to express his intention to retire from CCM chairmanship, but the former said he was still busy putting up things in order in his government, requesting him to continue leading the party.“This has equally happened to all your predecessors as they were reluctant to assume leadership in the party after being elected presidents,” said the former president.

In accordance with the party’s constitution, Mr Kikwete, who retired from his party’s chairmanship position, was supposed to continue with his leadership until 2017, but he decided to handover power to his successor much earlier.

Yesterday, Mr Kikwete again thanked the party members for their support during his leadership, saying he would attend the NEC meetings only on official invitation from his immediate successor. “This is a historic meeting because it is my last meeting with you as party chairman. We decided that after accomplishing our duties, we all should stay aside in our elders council. We can only attend meetings when the need arises,” he said.

The former chairman told the delegates that he had faced challenges in his tenure as top party leader, especially towards the end of last year when there were factions within the party during the presidential nomination. “If CCM did not collapse last year, it will never be.

Whether you like it or not, CCM will continue to be strong not because of force but because of all the good things that we have been doing for our people. We have been puting things in order for our people and that is why we have continued to win their trust.’’

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JPM now to cleanse CCM

THE newly appointed Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Chairman, President John Magufuli, yesterday vowed to cleanse the ruling party of its rot. 

In his acceptance speech shortly after assuming the chair, the president set out a number of priorities aimed at making the party vibrant.

He mentioned corruption as one of the evils which were ruining the party, saying he would make sure all corrupt party members were shown the door.

“I shall ensure that the anti-corruption drive now shifts to the party. On my watch CCM will not allow its members to get leadership positions through corrupt means,” he stressed.

The new chairman also promised to revamp the party constitution with a view to enabling it cope with the current political environment.

Regarding CCM assets, which he said were benefiting just a few party members, he stressed that he would ensure that he selects a team of experts to assess its assets across the country.

“These assets should be used to extricate the party from its economic quagmire,” he said.Dr Magufuli also said the party would squarely deal with members he termed as traitors.

“It is an open secret that some of our members have dual membership. During the day they are with CCM and at night they cross over to the opposition,” the chairman said.

According to him, CCM would work hard to boost the number of its members by ensuring new members were recruited to reinforce a winning team come the next general election.

“In the final analysis, politics is a game of numbers,” he stressed.He also promised to relocate the seat of government to Dodoma before his five-year term ends in 2020, urging all government officials to be ready for the move.

The president said Dodoma had all the facilities and infrastructure needed for government operations, thus there was no need to keep operating from Dar es Salaam while other important functions, such as parliamentary sessions, were held here.

“I have been in office for only eight months, but let me assure you that my government will move to Dodoma in the remaining four years and four months,” he said amid applause from the Congress delegates.

The head of state said the Founding Father, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, had a good reason to designate Dodoma the capital city, saying it connects to all the regions in the country through tarmac roads.

He warned government officials not to look for flimsy reasons not to make the move, stating that whoever wouldn’t feel in the mood to move should resign immediately.

“Once I make the move, I know my assistants, the vice-president and the prime minister will follow me, as well as other government servants,” he said, adding that the State Lodge at Chamwino was conducive enough for him.

The new CCM chairman made the remarks after being officially voted to the position where he also promised to make radical changes in the party so as to win the hearts of new members.

As the new party boss, he said he would not tolerate corruption, admitting that one of the oldest parties in the continent was deeply rooted in corruption.

Dr Magufuli noted that graft in the party was evident during elections, reminding the delegates that he witnessed this during the presidential race in the last general elections.

The head of state openly admitted that had the outgoing chairman been a corrupt person, he would not have made it to the presidency, adding that he believed in God and trust among a few party members who were not swayed by people who were dishing out money.

He said when he reached Iringa seeking people to endorse him he found that all the delegates had been bribed not to endorse him, forcing him to go deep into the villages where he found loyal party members who endorsed him without being bribed.

“Under my leadership, whoever takes or give bribes must know that he or she will not be elected in any position,” he warned, saying he would stick to party policies and the code of ethics.

The new chairman also vowed to deal with embezzlement of funds as well as ghost workers in the party.

He said so far his government had unearthed and removed 12,500 ghost workers from the payroll, declaring that the same step had to be taken in the party which was most likely to have them as well.

On those who betrayed the party in the last election, the new chairman sounded an alarm to the so-called traitors who were still in the party to confess before he kicked them out.

“I, as chairman, and my assistants we shall ensure that those traitors are dealt with severely. We cannot have members who are in CCM during the day and at night they are with Chadema,” he warned, categorically stating that the party did not need to have members who were only there because of some godfathers.

He promised to form a taskforce to take account of all party assets in the country with a view to ascertaining where they were , who held them and what the party was getting from them, among other issues.

According to the chairman, the party had a lot of assets and wealth, but it was regrettably still relying on handouts from sponsors, adding that a lot of party assets were in the hands of some untrustworthy members.

The new chairman thanked his predecessors for the good work they had done to steer the party up to where it was now. He specifically congratulated immediate former chairman Kikwete for having shown a high degree of tolerance.

He said the former president showed this at different occasions, but the one he witnessed was when he entered the NEC meeting last year only to be received by members singing in praise of “a certain traitor.”

“ I ask you to pray for me to have just half the measure of that level of tolerance, because I don’t know what I would have done in such a situation. I would have sacked all of them,” he noted amid cheers.

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Trader, co-accused, jailed 5years over human trafficking

THE Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court in Dar es Salaam on Thursday sentenced a businessman, Alhamaidah Momouda, and his two co-accused to pay a fine of Sh10m or serve five years in jail after being convicted of human trafficking.

Momouda, a Saudi Arabian national, and co-accused Ally Mohammed, a Kenyan national, and Dounia Benneni, a Morocco, were sentenced after pleading guilty to the charge.

Passing judgement, Principal Resident Magistrate Huruma Shahidi said because the accused pleaded guilty to the charge, the court convicted them and sentenced them to pay a fine of Sh10m or serve a five-year jail term.

"Severe punishment is called for for the accused to serve as a lesson to them and other persons with like mind,” the prosecution had urged the court.

However, the accused failed to pay the fine and were taken to prison to serve their sentence.According to the prosecutor from the Immigration Department, Method Kagoma, the accused committed the offence on diverse dates between April 29 and June 6, this year, in Dar es Salaam.

It was alleged that on the material dates, at Kariakoo within Ilala District, the accused dealt in the trafficking of Irakoze Singorine, Rahma Girukishaka and Shimilimana Hassan.

Other people who are alleged to have been victims of the conspiracy are Nduyimana Riziki, Rehema Cancana, Shimilimana Selemeni, Dunishe Bella, Irakoze Amana, Nizingimana Aisha, Inasuku Endru, Zawadi Niyonzima and Nzeyimana Amina.

It was alleged that the accused sent the people from Dar es Salaam to Said Arabia as slaves after lying to them that they would find employment for them in the foreign country.

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Magufuli's profile in brief

 THE President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, was born on October 29, 1959 in Chato village, Biharamulo District in Kagera Region. Currently, Chato is a district in Geita Region. He is married to Janet Magufuli, a primary school teacher.

The couple is blessed with seven children. Dr Magufuli is a PhD holder majoring in Chemistry. He was elected to be the fifth president of the United Republic of Tanzania in October 2015 through the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

He was sworn- in on November 5, 2015. As he began his term as President, Dr Magufuli proved to have all the required leadership qualities and skills. He has the development visions and goals as to where the country should head and has plans to achieve these visions and goals.

He is not afraid of making wise decisions in the best interest of the nation. On top of that, he is eager to see the country achieve further development. He made this clear even during his electoral campaigns when he pointed out that he would make sure all citizens get the best social services and that solutions are found for their problems.

He said he would be president of all. Dr Magufuli attended his primary education at Chato Primary School from 1967 to 1974. He attended ordinary level secondary education at Katoke Seminary in Biharamulo and Lake Secondary School between 1975 and 1978.

Dr Magufuli then attained advanced level secondary education at Mkwawa High School, Iringa from 1979 to 1981. He attained a Diploma in Science majoring in Chemistry and Mathematics in 1981 to 1982 at Mkwawa College of Education.

After that he attended National Service from July to December, 1983, at Makutupora in Dodoma Region, from January to March 1984. He was shifted to Makuyuni camp in Arusha for further National Service courses before returning to Dodoma at Mpwapwa National Service Camp where he graduated.

He pursued Bachelor of Science in Education (Chemistry and Mathematics) from 1985 to 1988 at the University of Dar es Salaam. He attained his Master’s of Science in Chemistry degree from the same university and later at the University of Salford in the United Kingdom in 1994. Later he attained his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Dar es Salaam, where he studied from 2006 to 2009. In 1982 and 1983, Dr Magufuli worked as a teacher at Sengerema Secondary School.

He taught chemistry and mathematics. Later on, he left his teaching job and was employed by Nyanza Cooperative Union Ltd as an industrial chemist from 1989 to 1995. In 1995 he ventured into politics and was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Chato.

After the general election in 1995, the third phase president, Mr Benjamini Mkapa, appointed him Deputy Minister for Works. In the 2000 general election, he retained his seat as MP for Chato Constituency by then East Biharamulo.

He was promoted to full minister in the Ministry of Works. In the 2005 general election, Dr Magufuli won again. This was his third MP term. He was trusted by the then fourth phase president, Jakaya Kikwete and was appointed to be Minister of Lands and Human Settlement Development from 2005 to 2008.

Then he was transferred to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries as minister. He served in this capacity from 2008 to 2010. From 2010 to 2015 he served as the Minister for Works. Dr Magufuli has also held various positions as co-chair of the World Urban Forum with UN-HABITAT (III), as member of Tanzania Chemical Society. Dr Magufuli had not only served in various governmental positions, but also he had held a number of positions in his political party.

He has been a loyal CCM member since 1977. Among other positions he served in CCM included: member of district political committee; member of National Council of both district and region and member of CCM's Central Committee (CC) and National Congress. He managed to hold various positions in his party.

Dr Magufuli was often in the forefront when it came to defending his political party. He made sure it won during various elections. He participated fully in campaigning for CCM candidates in several by-elections at Busanda, West Biharamulo and Igunga constituencies where the candidates emerged victorious. On July 11, 2015, CC endorsed Dr Magufuli to be the party’s Union presidential candidate.

He managed to flag well his party’s manifesto and enabled his CCM party to win the general election of 2015. He became the fifth president of the United Republic of Tanzania. Automatically, he became a member in both the Central Committee and the National Congress.

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Kikwete counsels Magufuli on party leadership

OUTGOING Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) National Chairman Jakaya Kikwete yesterday warned incoming chairperson, President John Magufuli, not to expect an easy ride once at the party’s helm as national chairman.

Speaking at the opening of the ruling party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting here, former president Kikwete said sometimes things did not go the way one expected.

“As you take over the chairmanship, there are times when meetings get very hot, thus calling for great tolerance on your part, knowing it is through such forums that things get done,” said Kikwete.

He pointed out that delegates who looked buoyant in the hall yesterday only did so when things were alright, but would be very harsh when things went wrong because they always expected nothing but good results.

Kikwete reminded NEC members, including the incoming chairperson, that the party went through great political turbulence which threatened to divide it completely, but it sailed safely and went ahead to win elections as was expected.

He said it was at such times that he sought support and advice of the council of party elders comprising former heads of state and prime ministers.

The former president noted: “Since CCM survived the strong political currents towards the last general elections, it will not die any time soon as some people expected.” He added that he was sure the new leadership would make it even stronger and more popular.

He recalled a time when he entered a NEC meeting, only to hear some delegates singing songs in praise of their to-be candidates.

According to the outgoing party leader, although there were then a lot of traitors in the party they failed to achieve their goal of rocking one of the oldest party on the African continent. He stated that those were some of the leadership challenges which the new chairman would encounter.

He noted that the government was seriously working hard to improve service provision to the people at all levels, a trend that was likely to lure back those who seemed to have lost hope in the party.

Kikwete, who was chairing his last NEC meeting, entered the conference room a few minutes before 11 o’clock in the morning, only to be pleasantly surprised by the flamboyant mood among the committee members.

They cheered him almost every time he mentioned the name of the incoming chairman, a sign that they were all ready to receive President John Magufuli as their new leader.

At least 365 out of 374 NEC members, being 97.5 per cent of the delegates, attended the meeting whose main agenda was to approve and recommend to the party’s National Congress the Central Committee’s endorsement of President Magufuli as the new chairperson. The Congress meets today.

Kikwete termed yesterday’s NEC meeting as historic, being his last one, adding that if he attended such a meeting in days to come it would be by invitation only.

He now joins the ranks of former presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Benjamin Mkapa in the party’s council of elders, who are always invited or consulted, particularly during hard times when a serious decision is to be taken.

Kikwete admitted that NEC played a great role as the party headed to last year’s general elections during which CCM faced its most difficult challenge since its establishment.

He quoted one newspaper as reporting that CCM would die by 2020, refuting the claims and insisting that it would still remain in power, not by force, but by doing the right things.

The former head of state clarified that the ruling party understood the needs, challenges and aspirations facing Tanzanians, adding that the government was working tirelessly to improve their livelihood.

After serving in the position for ten years, Kikwete said the party was still strong despite a few challenges, urging the delegates to cooperate with new leaders in their effort to steer it to another level.

He expressed optimism that all the delegates to the National Congress would today vote for President Magufuli to be the new national chairman of the party just as it was agreed at the Central Committee meeting on Thursday.

Meanwhile, most CCM members walking in groups are just discussing today’s meeting, expecting a landslide victory for Magufuli. Despite strict security at different areas of the municipality, with the CCM headquarters being a no-go zone, the town, which is in full party colours of green and yellow, is in an upbeat mood.

Today’s meeting is the talk of the town, and most party delegates are happy, saying the new chairman would turn things around in the party.

Yesterday President Magufuli was cheered as his motorcade arrived at the party headquarters for the NEC meeting. In his traditional style, the head of state went around shaking the hands of mostly party youths who had lined up to receive him. It was a similar show when he entered the conference hall as the delegates went up in thunderous cheers.

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