Congo police secure rebel territory, 'national dialogue' delayed

(AFP) – 8 hours ago 

KINSHASA — Police in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo moved in Tuesday to secure territory recently reclaimed from the M23 rebels, as the country postponed a "national dialogue" aimed at ending its political, social and military crises.
The governor of the mineral-rich but chronically unstable province of North Kivu said police had been sent into areas recently abandoned by the rebels in the face of a week-long offensive by the military and a new United Nations combat force.
Governor Julien Paluku told AFP police had mostly reestablished their control over a territory known as Nyiragongo, located north of Goma, the provincial capital and the hub around which most of the 16-month conflict has revolved.
"The police have redeployed since yesterday in Nyiragongo, but not over the whole territory because there is still a small part that hasn't been cleared, where we still need to mop up," Paluku said.
"Police units will be deployed like this every time the military goes to reoccupy a place. They will be deployed to lock down the area."
The M23 was launched by Tutsi soldiers who mutinied from the army in April 2012 and turned their guns on their former comrades.
The rebels, who seized Goma for 12 days in November before withdrawing to the surrounding hills under international pressure, retreated this week to around 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of the city in the face of the army's new UN-backed offensive.
As the police moved in to resecure the ex-rebel territory, the Congolese government postponed by three days a "national dialogue" that had been scheduled to open Wednesday.
The nationwide talks, which are supposed to involve the country's political parties and civil society groups, will now open on Saturday in three major cities, said an official from the secretariat charged with organising the process.
"The opening of the talks has been pushed back to September 7 because of the head of state's agenda," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said President Joseph Kabila had to open a meeting of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.
Kabila is due to attend a summit of the 11-country regional bloc Thursday in Uganda, where UN special envoy Mary Robinson is expected to push leaders to revive their moribund effort to restore peace to eastern DR Congo.
Kabila has promised the national dialogue in an effort to tackle the massive central African country's deep poverty, rampant corruption and widespread violence and rebellions.
But most opposition parties have said they will boycott the talks.
Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

UN Scores Military Victory Against M23 in Congo, But That's Only Part Of The Solution

By IBTimes Staff Reporter

on September 03 2013 1:09 PM

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Congolese armed forces (FARDC) soldiers ride on their pick-up truck as they advance to a new position while battling M23 rebels in Kibati near Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, September 2, 2013. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

Military troops and UN peacekeeping forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have made unprecedented gains against rebel fighters in Goma, a troubled city on the country's eastern border. This could be a a new opportunity for peace talks between various actors in the volatile region -- but after decades of failed negotiations and ongoing violence, some analysts warn that the same old approach won't yield lasting change.

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The rebel group M23 was driven from its position -- the town of Kabati, which overlooks Goma -- on Friday by DR Congo troops and a UN intervention brigade, which continued to pursue the militia even further afield through the weekend. It was the first time UN peacekeepers in the region have used their recently enhanced mandate in full combat.
M23 first seized Goma in November, and thousands of UN peacekeepers already stationed there were criticized for their inability to stop the takeover. Facing international pressure and administrative difficulties, the militants left town after only ten days of occupation. But M23 has remained a threat, and sporadic clashes continued to erupt.
"When there is a military victory like this, it is a chance to advance with a political solution, and that is better for a durable peace," said envoy Mary Robinson, a former Irish prime minister, to Reuters.

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But this 'durable peace' could prove elusive; M23 is only the most recent incarnation of a deadly conflict that has simmered for decades. The group coalesced in 2012 but is rooted in an older insurgency, the National Congress for the Defense of the People, which first mobilized in 2004 but was absorbed into the DR Congo army in an ill-fated March 23, 2009 agreement that would give M23 its name.
It is widely believed that Rwanda, and to a lesser extent Uganda, is backing M23 in hopes of destabilizing the DR Congo and laying claim to the valuable minerals that enrich the country's lawless eastern territories. Both countries deny these allegations. Rwanda was nearly drawn into the conflict last week when shelling from the DR Congo spilled across the Rwandan border, killing one woman. The incident occurred while troops were battling M23; Rwanda claims it was intentional.
The relationship between Rwanda and the DR Congo is deeply fraught and endlessly complicated by years of political conflicts. Today's ongoing clashes are overshadowed by memories of the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed more than 500,000 people there, stirring up ethnic tensions that contributed to two wars pitting Rwanda and Uganda against the DR Congo and its allies between 1996 and 2003, killing millions.
Inside the DR Congo, meanwhile, a government of questionable legitimacy in the western capital city of Kinshasa has been largely unable to enforce security across the vast countryside. In this power vacuum, a kaleidoscope of militant groups continues to assert control over swathes of land and commit human rights abuses against civilians.
Against this backdrop, several domestic, regional and international powers have attempted to broker peace agreements -- some seeking short-term resolutions, others attempting to lay a framework for long-term stability. The most recent of these was the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, signed in February, which set out a broad -- if vague -- plan for international and domestic cooperation. But clashes have been ongoing since then.
A recent, well-received report from a conference of Congolese, southern African and international experts argued that top-down approaches to the DR Congo's most endemic problems aren't enough.
"The Congolese must develop their own solutions to conflict minerals rather than adopting solutions that are given to them by the international community without proper consultation, since these are difficult to implement," found the report, adding that "Congolese civil society groups should strive to claim ownership of existing structures that are designed to tackle the conflict mineral trade, and seek to popularize them in order to contribute to the promotion of peace."
The conflicts that have long stymied development in the poverty-stricken DR Congo are driven by mineral wealth and worsened by a lack of political stability -- and these are largely local problems. So while military victories and international treaties may be part of the solution, the empowerment of Congolese citizens, experts and civil society groups will be paramount. Rwanda and Uganda will also have to be involved, though they still deny backing M23.
For citizens of Goma, the most immediate goal is get back to life as usual. One young cloth vendor told Voice of America this weekend that the the government has a role to play in brining stability back to her hometown. "We want the government to finish the war," she said. "Then we can get clients to buy our fabrics and we can live peacefully."






East and West: Who will Dance to African Drums?
Africans familiar with the board game “Bao” may not be surprised at the recent news that the continent lost over USD 1.4 trillion in illicit cash outflows in the years 1980 – 2009. In moves similar to those done in the ‘Bao’ board game, the continent is robbed of trillions of dollars through a coalition of evil that brings together African elites and elites from developed and emerging economies. In addition, the continent’s resources are continuously “captured” by outsiders and blocked from reaching and benefiting Africans. 
An opponent in the “Bao” game is defeated by capturing all the “seeds” (called “kete”) from the front row of the four row game. The opponent can also be defeated by being barred from making a move. In the global board game, Africa demonstrates inability to prevent capture and make strategic moves. 
At a recent forum for East African thought leaders held in Kampala, Mr. Monday Likwepa (President, Tanzania Bao Game Federation) brought to life the secrets of  the “Bao” game. He demonstrated how the “Bao la Kiswahili” played a crucial role in evolving strategies to survive or deal with occupying civilizations in East Africa’s coastal towns. The game trained future leaders in soft skills and strategic thinking that enabled Zanzibar people to contend against the Oman Arabs domination. The skills also enabled Tanzanians on mainland Tanzania to assert themselves against the British.
Mr. Likwepa shared insights on how drumbeats were also used to mobilize Africans to resist colonialism. He pointed out that the power of the famous WaZaramo’s mdundiko drums. He argued that the mdundiko beats are irresistible.
Thousands of miles away in Berlin, a famous Swedish novelist Henning Mankell argued at a forum of young global leaders that “…if you do not join Africans in their dance, you probably may never know Africa!” In the context of the resurgent competition for Africa’s attention between the West and the East: which of the two will dance to African drums?
East Africans have played “Bao” with the Portuguese, Arabs and Westerners. The Asiatic East is back on the board game. The Arabs and the West did not dance to African drums. They brought their own drums and proved to be good at “Bao;” capturing or simply blocking Africans from making a move. The West’s skills in the “Chess” game came in handy.
Africans have endured episodes of slavery, conquest, colonization and exploitation through neocolonialism. The quest to modernize the continent by the West has left the African people stuck and unable to make a move on the global board game. The continent wallows in subsistence and is unable to utilize the vast natural resources to improve the well being of its people. Will the East dance to African drums?
Having surrendered its drums and board games, Africa continuously battles with international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to evolve its policies. The East now largely signified by China kept its drums intact notwithstanding its interactions with the West and successfully evolved from donor driven initiatives to become donors. Africa, on the other hand, is still bogged down with dependency on foreign aid. The Chinese have louder drums and a board game called “Go.” The Chinese "Go" is supposed to compete against Africa’s submerged and almost forgotten game of “Bao.” African drums such as “Isukuti” and “mdundiko” previously demonized by the West are to confront their Chinese equivalent.
Africans should revive the irresistible mdundiko and  the "Bao" if they have to evolve a strategy to engage the East and the West. Without the continent’s loud and clear drums, it will be difficult to expect others to dance to the beats. Africans additionally risk “Kete” status to be played on the global board game unless investments are deployed in the indigenous games of strategy.
By James Shikwati
The author james@irenkenya.org is Director of Inter Region Economic Network and Publisher, The African Executive Magazine

WAMWAGA BOB MAKANI

WAMWAGA BOB MAKANI

R

AIS Jakaya Kikwete ameongoza mamia ya waombolezaji kutoa heshima za mwisho kwa mwasisi wa Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema), Bob Makani (76), aliyefariki dunia Jumamosi iliyopita.

Akizungumza katika shughuli hiyo, iliyofanyika kwenye Viwanja vya Karimjee, Dar es Salaam, Rais Kikwete amesema mchango wa hayati Makani hasa katika nyanja za kisiasa na kiuchumi utakumbukwa daima na Watanzania.


Katika hotuba yake fupi, Rais ameeleza jinsi alivyozipata taarifa za msiba huo mkubwa na jinsi alivyoguswa kwa kumpoteza mwanasiasa mkongwe....

Akimzungumzia hayati Makani, Mwenyekiti wa Chadema, Freeman Mbowe amesema alikuwa ni mwanasiasa mahiri na mkweli, lakini mfumo wa kisiasa Tanzania haukumpa fursa ya kupata nafasi ya uongozi kitaifa.

Amesema, Makani aligombea ubunge zaidi ya mara mbili lakini hakuwahi kushinda kwa kile ambacho Mbowe alidai kuwa ni tatizo la mfumo.

Katika hotuba yake, Mbowe alimkumbuka nyakati muhimu za marehemu Makani alizowahi kuzishuhudia ikiwemo kutoa hotuba fupi kuliko zote katika moja ya kampeni zake za kugombea ubunge huko Shinyanga.

Kwa upande wake Mwasisi wa Chadema, Edwin Mtei aliyeanzisha chama hicho pamoja na Makani amesema taifa limepoteza nguzo imara wakati huu likiwa katika mchakato wa mabadiliko muhimu ya nchi.

Hotuba hiyo ya Mtei iliyosomwa kwa niaba yake na Mzee wa Chadema, Victor Kimesera ilieleza historia ya wawili hao wakiwa wanafunzi katika Shule ya Sekondari Tabora na baadaye wafanyakazi wa BoT.

Naye Katibu Mkuu wa Chadema, Dk Willibrod Slaa amemtaja marehemu Makani kuwa mtu jasiri ambaye alianzisha chama cha upinzani hasa enzi zile ambazo upinzani ulionekana kama uhaini... “Alikuwa ni mtu ambaye haogopi, alisema hadharani kile alichokiona kinafaa.”

Dk Slaa amesema japokuwa Makani alikuwa mgonjwa na umri wake kuwa mkubwa, lakini bado aliendelea kufanya kazi za chama bila makosa.

RWANDA EXTENDS DUTY WAIVER ON SUGAR IMPORT

By Cosmas Pahalah

The Ministerial Session of the EAC Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment concluded in Arusha recently, by granting a request by Rwanda for an additional six-month duty waiver on sugar imports, among other business.

The Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment which brings together the Ministers responsible for these dockets in the EAC Partner States gave its approval for the extension of the stay of application of the EAC Common External Tariff (CET) on 38,000 metric tonnes of sugar to be imported into Rwanda following a report that the country could not take full advantage of a previous EAC allowance to import 50,000 metric tonnes duty free due to logistical issues.

The Sectoral Council directed that sugar exported from Rwanda to other Partner States attracts a CET rate during the six months the waiver is effective, and further directed the Secretariat to develop a strategy on sugar production, supply and distribution after observing that persistent shortage of sugar in the region has continued since 2005, despite the commodity being a sensitive product and attracting a duty rate of 100%.

The Ministers welcomed Turkey's request to negotiate a Trade and Investment
Framework Agreement with the EAC, directing the Secretariat "to respond positively" to Turkey and to undertake a study which will inform the region on the cost and benefits as well as issues to include in the harmonization with other investment and trade agreements/initiatives.

Additionally, the Sectoral Council tasked the EAC Secretariat to develop an EAC Common Trade Policy and Strategy within the next financial year which will form the framework to guide the bloc in its engagement with third parties.

On the COMESA-EAC SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area negotiations, the meeting directed that the Secretariat expeditiously develops an EAC negotiation position on Cluster One and Two of the Tripartite FTA negotiations on Trade in Goods.

The first cluster to be negotiated between April this year and August next year, covers the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, customs and transit related issues while the second cluster covering technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures will be undertaken over a period spanning nine months between August 2012 and April 2013.

The meeting took note of the study reports on the attainment of the Single Customs Territory in a fully fledged Customs Union and directed the Secretariat to forward the same to Partner States for comments. The Sectoral Council also took note of the report of the Ministerial Meeting on Non Tariff Barriers; progress made on the EAC-EU EPA negotiations; as well as the request to de-gazette Mukwano Group of Companies from the list of Ugandan companies accessing raw materials and industrial inputs duty free.

By Cosmas Pahalah

Police chiefs in the five-member East African Community (EAC) support the establishment of a Regional Referral Forensic Centre (RRFC), aimed at boosting the fight against crime in the POLICE CHIEFS PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR FORENSIC CENTER

 region.

"We have to work together for our common future and prosperity," Fabien Ndayishimiye, the director-general of Burundi's National Police, told EAC experts in Bujumbura who were on a visit to assess the country's suitability to host the RRFC.

In a statement issued from the EAC Secretariat, Ndayishimiye said the EAC bloc is united and any crime in a partner state has an impact on the other member states.

The EAC's eight-member forensic experts’ team started its assessment tour on 8 March.

In Rwanda, the Inspector-General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, commended the EAC for pioneering the regional referral forensic center, adding that his country supported the initiative.

"We are seriously waiting to see establishment of a very good facility in addressing the emerging crimes," he said.

Gasana added that Rwanda had already upgraded its own forensic facility to address investigation challenges.

"The government spends huge amounts of resources to outsource forensic services and expertise from abroad but time is ripe to acquire our own services and expertise which will cut down on both the time and the resources," he said.

On his part, the Inspector-General of Police of Tanzania, Saidi Mwema, said the country had already approved and implemented police force reforms, including modernizing its forensic investigation capacity.

"We want to see the people in an integrated East Africa benefit and be proud of our professional police services," Mwema said in Dar es Salaam during a visit by the forensic experts. "All these efforts have full government backing."

The Inspector General of Police of Uganda, Lt-Gen Kale Kayihura, said there was need for East African countries to have ultra-modern forensic services, citing the 2008 terrorist bombings in Kampala as a case in point during which forensic investigations services were outsourced.

"If partner states [of the EAC] can pool together their capacities, we can achieve a lot," said Grace Akullu, the Assistant Inspector General of Uganda Police and Uganda’s Head of Criminal Investigations Department (CID), who represented Lt-Gen Kayihura.

According to Didacus Kaguta, the EAC Peace and Security Officer, who led delegation of experts, the regional forensic centre, once established, would ensure standards such as quality control, certification of forensic scientists as well as the accreditation of forensic laboratories.

"The facility is also expected to offer high-class training and research services," Kaguta said, adding that the facility would store data be shared with the partner states whenever required.

"Even the experts will be readily available from the centre to beef up the national resources during the time of need like emerging calamities such as terrorist attack investigations," Kaguta said.

The EAC and the Federal German Government jointly facilitated the assessment mission by the forensic experts.

GIZ Peace and Security Advisor Joachim Von Bonin said the German government shares a long history with the EAC and enjoys a very cordial partnership in the region's integration effort.

The report of the experts will be presented to the next meeting of the Chiefs of Police and the fifth Sectoral Council on Inter-State Security for consideration and adoption.

The EAC has already initiated the harmonization of peace and security initiatives, common policing standards, joint investigations, exchange of information and mutual legal assistance, among other series

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PINDA LAUCHES TANZANIA’S NATURAL HERITAGE BOOK

By Cosmas Pahalah

A book depicting in detail Tanzania’s natural heritage of flora and fauna, authored by a Finnish professor, has been launched by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda at an evening ceremony in Dar es Salaam at the weekend.

The book, ‘The Great Savannah’, by Professor Olli Marttila, in its 528 pages, summarises the diverse tourist attractions with details and colourful pictures and it is useful to tourists, travellers, environmentalists as well as academics and students.

“It is a masterpiece… and we Tanzanians are highly indebted to the author
of the book,” Prime Minister Pinda told the audience at the launch at Serena Dar es Salaam Hotel in the presence of the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Ezekiel Maige and the Finnish Ambassador to Tanzania, Sinikka Antila.

The Prime Minister said: “The say ‘History Never Dies’ and that is the fact
that Professor Martilla has put in record by publishing this handbook to ensure that our country’s history will be in record for ever.

“If we plunder our resources, this book will definitely be our judgement as it will always tell our future generations what Tanzania had. We must, therefore, do whatever possible to continue conserving the natural resources with their flora and fauna,” he added.

The Finnish ambassador, whose country funded the printing of 9,600 copies of the ‘Great Savannah’, said: “Tanzania as well as our country has to look for balance between development, exploitation of natural resources and conservation of nature. This book will contribute to a public debate about what the development path of Tanzania should be – where do we want to go and how?”

One-third of Tanzania (approximately 315,000 sq. kilometres of the total of
945,203 sq. kilometres) is reserved for conservation and the Prime Minister said the area “is far more than in any of the wealthier nations”.

The book gives a detailed description of each of the 15 National Parks, of which four are World Heritage, with key information on the country’s climate, geography and habitats and discusses way in which Tanzania protects its natural resources and identifies risks.

CORRUPTION MAJOR FACTOR FOR SUBSTANDARD GOODS

By Cosmas Pahalah


THE lust for money has been described as one of the major challenges in stopping the importation of substandard goods into Tanzania, including certain foods and medicines.

This theme was thoroughly discussed during a two-day seminar at the Glonency Hotel in Morogoro on Thursday and Friday last week, that organized by the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA).

“Our bitter experience is that the control of fake and substandard drugs is a complicated issue, due to the fact that a good number of these do not enter through official border posts, thus in fact control needs co-operation between neighbouring states,” said Hiiti Sillo, TFDA director-general, during the discussion.

He recounted further that in many cases the control of unwanted drugs has been affected by a number of issues, such as the shortage of staff, and lack of vital information from sources who decide to collaborate with law-breakers.

“It is strange that people tend to go for cheap things without knowing the ultimate consequences of using them, as it is the case with using fake, substandard or expired drugs, but the effects are altogether devastating, including death itself,” said Sillo.

Supporting this stance was Ms Charys Ugullum, who said that identifying the harmfulness of any drug is a scientific process which involves the use of a laboratory for examination, but in many cases people either take for granted their security whenever they use drugs or sometimes they think laboratory experiments are just time-consuming.
“While we admit that there are fake and substandard drugs in the market, we request you journalists to allow us to conduct technical examinations, as we have such laboratories as can help in verifying the samples, before these matters are reported in the media,” she remarked.

She elaborated that currently the TFDA is well equipped for examining various food samples and medicines; she urged whoever wants to establish a business or import such goods to use the services of her organization in order to ensure that end users are not ill-affected by such commodities.

On the other hand, a legal counsel with the TFDA, Meshack Shashi, said that implementation of laws with regard to importation and use of drugs has been successful, for his organization has conducted arrests and some of the culprits have received punishment in the courts of law.

However he noted that some of the law-breakers get minimum sentences up to the fine of 30,000/=, for crimes that are worth millions of shillings, a fact that has caused them to go back to the same illegal conduct.

In another presentation, by Emmanuel Alphonce, who dealt with the matter of control of foods and drugs, he said that it demanded one’s having good training in order to discover what a fake medicine is and what is not.

“In some cases we have discovered that the covers of medicines do not necessarily represent what is inside, but this needs one to be knowledgeable, and at times requires laboratory experimentation in order to verify,” he said.

Everybody is looking for love. When you finally meet the right person, it feels like a dream come true especially, if the search took a lifetime. Irony is, the partner in waiting could be on the look out for something totally different. It is also possible, that he/she could be with you for his own selfish agenda. Forgive my vague recollection of the biology lessons but I’m certain that a symbiotic relationship involves 2 organisms that directly benefit from each other. In parasitic relationships two organisms are in it; the hunter and the hunted. In the perilous world of dating, parasitic relationships are quite a norm; men and women hunt down each other like the soldiers of Persia. Hunter is gunned down Having been a hunter myself (I convey my sincere regrets), I know how what the poisonous arrow does to the prey and in my reformed state, would not wish for that arrow to land on anyone least of all, a close friend. Anyway, when my best friend broke news of a found love, I was excited for him because his luck buffered my hopes. But when I met Cindy (his girlfriend) I knew we had a problem. I am a woman and I know when a girl is into a guy and Cindy was evidently not into my pal. I also know that sharing wise words with a soul in love is like playing ukulele to a goat; you don’t expect a jig from the beast. When I spoke to my pal, I knew he was heading for the rocks. He was giving so much into the relationship yet the girl was taking and taking. He was always there for her but she was never there for him. He spent all his money, time and energy on her but she was ever too held up to see him. Cindy was a user! It was written all over her face. One for the money Nobody likes being used but it’s the new fad, and it is being done for so many reasons. The common reason is sex. Men are ever guilty of this offence, but women are gradually catching up. Nowadays women too are using men to get over an ex, make up for bad sex or as a rebound tool after a break-up. Most of the time, men are okay being used for sex because they get to reap benefits without being in a relationship. A friend once told me she doesn’t really like the boyfriend but she stays with him because he buys her nice things and provides for her. Once upon a time, women were the branded users but men are warming up to the idea. If you ask me, material lifespan in a relationship is much more short-lived than the emotional one. When a relationship is materialistic, ladies, you eventually age and a new hot item 20 years fresher appears on the shelf. Anyway, dating someone for the money is an age-old way to use someone. Strategic self-made unions The insulting thing about being used to cure someone’s bouts of jealousy, is that you feel twice as stupid; the user, exploits you to get back at the real deal he is interested in while you hang in there hoping to win your ticket to the aisle. You are a pawn in a game, either to make an ex jealous, to impress or compete with someone else. Many times I hear people say: ”I am with X because they make me feel good about myself.” As shallow as it sounds, there are men who only date the prettiest girl or woman who goes for the hottest guy, to boost their self-esteem. It’s no secret that you can get somewhere because of who you know and not necessarily what you do. We’ve all heard of “sleeping your way to the top”; relationships can be used the same way. You could use someone either to climb the corporate ladder or to improve self-image like the “strategic” Hollywood unions between aspiring actors and powerful producers. Some people even get-married to feign the “family man” image to the public. Watch out for these signs How do you know that you are being used? The easiest way to tell is when you are perpetually sorting out a financial mess, accomplishing this task or that. What are you in the relationship: a task manager? It is not fun when you and your partner are on different pages. Bottom line is that nobody wants to be used and knowing you are just a pawn in a game is damaging to one’s self esteem.  It’s easy to know when you are being taken for a ride though; as a woman your intuition will be your first warning. Trust your intuition. It is the mind’s alert signal at the subconscious level. We all know that Karma is a bitch and in the end we all reap what we sow. Don’t use anyone if you don’t want to be used. Is it true democracy or is it fragmentation? BY Cosmas  Pahalah ONE could say it is a bad omen for the newly established party; the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC), for it’s failing to attract support for many who were reached for comments. But on Monday this week a 19th party came to existence in the Tanzania’s political scene, the ADC is more of the break away from the Civic United Front (CUF), one time second to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). This event comes about few months after another party the CCK had received a registration as 18th party in series. Sad news however is the fact that the new party appears to lack the necessary requisites for a serious party due to the fact many commentators do not expect anything new and substantial because in recent times, parties are becoming more of sources of income to individuals. A media consultant, former political editor with The Citizen, and current head for a human rights journalist’s organization, Christopher Kidanka says some politicians in Tanzania have failed to make a demarcation between political parties and interest groups; this then is the main cause of the mushrooming of political parties in this country. “It is strange to find that people are still thinking of establishing new parties since we are seeing nothing new in terms of policies and parties’ agenda except for new names which even though are very similar to those of the existing ones,” he said when reached for comments. But without underestimating this weakness, he was quick to add that this ‘bloc’ movement of former members of the CUF has severe repercussions to its existence not only as an opposition party, but as a political party as well. He reminds that there are many tenets that identify a party as an opposition party; these have been lost since after the CUF had decided to form the Government of National Unity (GNU), with its archrival the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). “The lack of transparency in the formation of this Government had left many questions unanswered,” added Kidanka. Rev. Fr Dr Joseph Matumaini a lecturer in policy communication at St Augustine University of Tanzania says the turn of events in opposition parties signifies lack of political morality in some of the leaders, he justifies that with the current number of 19 parties, 18 in the opposition might make serious people to ask questions on the seriousness of leaders of these parties if they are not just vehicles to facilitate incomes of their leaders. “I am dumbfounded when I read a newspaper to note that we have 19 parties I was flabbergasted that even sponsors might worry if at all these politicians are serious, or else they have turned their parties into sources of income,” said Matumaini. Her reminds that even Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was successful in galvanizing financial support for the then Tanganyika African National Union because there was a clear focus that Tanzanians (Tanganyikans) were striving for having their own independence and this did not count whether these people supported Nyerere personally or not but his political course was not questionable anyhow. The don was critical that if at all politicians have reached a stage whereby parties are used for financial gains rather than service to the people then that is a big blow to this country. But he defended the decision that some people had chosen to move from the CUF because there might be genuine reasons that led them to call it quit from their former part party, and this has to send a message to the leadership that something has gone astray. A prominent political scientist and lecturer Prof Mwesigwa Baregu says it is a democratic right for some CUF members who have chosen to quit from their former party or even to establish a new party but the issue at hand is to look at several repercussions due to this decision as discussed here below: “The move to shift has been taken as a bloc decision which means there was a bloc discontent, these people want to foster their agenda, they want to show their solidarity, and it is most likely that this will have a severe impact to the CUF regardless of whether they will survive as a political party or not,” says Baregu. Another commentator who preferred anonymity is a preacher and God’s servant who simply said, “Give God what belongs to God and Caesar what belongs to Caesar” but a few minutes later he decided to give a few comments and said that the main problems with Tanzanian politicians is the fact that people are compelled top join political parties because of the physical demands of the human body like food, water and shelter. “I am sure that it is wrong to reduce politics to the human body demands because this is unethical and could make smart people to manipulate politics and divert it to fulfill their desires by forming movements which appears as political parties but lacking coherent political agenda,” he commented. A lecturer in media and politics at the Institute of Journalism and Mass Communications of the University of Dar es Salaam, Ernest Mrutu said that people must be wary of the ‘Mobutu Syndrome’ he was referring to the late Mobutu Sese Seko, former president of Zaire now Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who registered more than 360 parties through his relatives and close allies with the aim of weakening the opposition. However, he reminded that for quite sometime now there were claims from the CUF of dictatorial tendencies by its leadership and this sadden move could have been a calculated to send a strong message of dissatisfaction to the disfranchised members whose voice went unheard for so long. He further warned Tanzanians to take precautions once they discover there is a ‘dirty game’ to further political interests of some people who detests tangible development of this country. “I was surprised to hear that there is propaganda that Dr Willibrod Slaa is an agent of the CCM such campaigns are bad as they can cause harm and intra-conflicts if members are not careful,” he concluded. ‘Tuberculosis is not drug-resistant in Tanzania’ By, Cosmas Pahalah Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Haji Mponda, has assured Tanzanians that no known cases of Totally Drug Resistant Tuberculosis have been reported in this country. Dr Mponda was responding to a question by this reporter on findings made by doctors at the PD Hinduja National Hospital and Research Centre, in India’s largest city, Mumbai, who reported that they had confirmed four cases of Totally Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (TDR-TB) at their facility. Tanzania ranks 18th on the list of 22 high-burden tuberculosis countries in the world, as per statistics released in a medical journal on clinical infectious disease, released last year in December. According to the World Health Organization, every year 9 million people are infected by the disease, while 2 million of them die every year. Dr Mponda said the Government is working closely with researchers on TB drug-resistant cases in other countries, such as India and China. “I can assure my fellow citizens that, in Tanzania we have never found cases of drug-resistance in tuberculosis patients,” he said. He said the ministry is taking a close look to ensure that the current drugs for TB treatment are effective, and nobody will die because of the disease. Of the estimated 120,191new TB cases in 2007, 56,233 were sputum smear-positive (SS+), due to improved quality of services and evaluation; Tanzania met the World Health Organization’s global target of 85 percent in 2007 for treatment success. However, the case detection rate for new SS+ TB cases remains low at 51 percent, well below WHO’s target of 70 percent. Case notification rates have fallen over the last three years. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is associated with a 60 percent increase in active TB in Tanzania. Fifty percent of notified cases were tested for HIV in 2007, and the prevalence of HIV infection among TB patients is estimated at 47 percent. Plans to expand treatment to HIV-positive TB patients will reduce the death rate, and plans to improve TB reporting systems will improve followup and reduce patient default rates. Prevalence of multi-drug resistant TB remains low, with about 1,300 cases reported in 2007. Management of MDR-TB started in 2007, although preparations began in 2006 with the renovations of laboratories and patient facilities, procurement of new diagnostic tools, and recruitment of personnel. Antibiotics to control tuberculosis have been available for more than half a century. But TB bacteria have shown a resilient capability to evolve drug-resistant va