Chaos hits Mtwara after gas project confirmation

 The main bus terminal in Mtwara is deserted before the Ministry of Energy and Minerals’ 2013/14 budget estimates were tabled in Parliament yesterday. Chaos erupted in the town after the government said a gas pipeline will be built between Mtwara and Dar es Salaam as planned

In Summary

Witnesses said 31 soldiers were in the convoy when the accident happened at Kilimanihewa. The driver of the truck that was ferrying the solders lost control. Mr Kapambara Mgawe, the TPDF spokesperson, confirmed the death of the soldiers.

Mtwara/Dodoma. Violent demonstrations erupted in Mtwara yesterday after Prof Sospeter Muhongo, the minister for Energy and Minerals, announced in Parliament that construction of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam gas pipeline would continue according to plan.

Mtwara town had all the appearances of a ghost town earlier, with empty streets and businesses shut from dawn, but chaos erupted soon after Prof Muhongo’s speech mid-morning. Gangs of youths hurled stones and burnt down and vandalised houses belonging to Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and its leaders. A TV journalist was also attacked.

Other reports said four Tanzania People’s Defence Forces soldiers died and 20 were seriously injured in a car accident as they were rushing from Nachingwea in Lindi region to Mtwara to help suppress the riots.

Witnesses said 31 soldiers were in the convoy when the accident happened at Kilimanihewa. The driver of the truck that was ferrying the solders lost control. Mr Kapambara Mgawe, the TPDF spokesperson, confirmed the death of the soldiers. The accident happened after the driver of the truck lost control while taking a sharp corner. Some of the injured were taken to Ndanda mission hospital. Prof Muhongo’s detailed account of how the government would ensure that Mtwara residents benefit from the gas rang hollow in the ears of the rioters.

In the current budget, Sh63 billion has been allocated to gas processing in Lindi and Mtwara. A US-based firm has been given the go-ahead to build the processing factory. According to Prof Muhongo, the factory will not only create jobs for the people of Mtwara but also boost the power supply to the grid--and this would ensure industrial investment in southern region.

Already, Dangote Industries is setting up an integrated cement plant in Mtwara, the minister said. “With good limestone and gypsum deposits,” he added, “Tanzania attracts sound investment opportunities in the sector and also offers an ideal opportunity for Dangote Cement to consolidate its operations in Eastern Africa,”

Site work has reportedly started on the Green Field Cement plant.

According to the minister, about 0.3 per cent of charges from sale of natural gas will remain in Mtwara and Lindi. Residents also stand to benefit from more social services and amenities like schools, dispensaries, water and electricity that will likely follow the arrival of investors. And youth in Mtwara and Lindi will receive training in gas and oil-related disciplines at Vocational Education Training Authority centres.

According to Prof Muhongo, the American firm Schlumberger has built a large workshop in Mtwara that is designed to repair equipment used in mining, exploration and development of oil and gas.

His promises notwithstanding, riot police had to use tear gas and live bullets to disperse rioters yesterday. There were unconfirmed reports of death and severe injuries in the confrontation between demonstrators and the police.

Journalists based in Mtwara sought cover in offices and homes after protesters turned on them, accusing them of failing to properly report their grievances. “It is dangerous for journalists to roam about in the streets as we have received threats from the rioters,” Modestus Mwambe, the ITV/Radio One Mtwara correspondent, said in a breaking news broadcast yesterday.

A radio reporter, whose name we could not establish immediately, narrowly escaped a beating after being cornered by protesters. TBC correspondent Kassim Mikongolo’s house was burnt down as the enraged mob accused the state-owned television station of sabotaging the interests of Mtwara residents. TBC transmissions on analogue terrestrial transmitters had been cut off in Mtwara since Tuesday evening and only returned after Prof Muhongo’s budget speech. But our reporter saw Mtwara residents following the TBC broadcast during the budget speech through the few digital Pay-TV receivers available in town. source the Citizen

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1 dead, 44 injured in blast in Tanzania church

 Wounded churchgoers lie on the ground as Roman Catholic nuns run for cover after a blast at the St. Joseph Mfanyakazi Roman Catholic Church in Arusha, Tanzania Sunday, May 5, 2013. A Tanzanian police official says a woman died and over 40 people were seriously injured when a bomb exploded in the Roman Catholic Church in northern Tanzania, with eyewitnesses reporting that the bomb was thrown from a motorcycle

A woman died and 44 people were seriously wounded when a bomb exploded in a Roman Catholic church in northern Tanzania, a Tanzanian police official said Sunday

The woman died in hospital as a result of the bombing in the Arusha church just before Mass, which was attended by the papal envoy to Tanzania, said Magesa Mulogo, the regional police commissioner of Arusha.

Mulogo said eyewitnesses report that the bomb was thrown from a motorcycle into the church. Mulogo said the driver of the motorcycle has been arrested.

The Vatican's ambassador to Tanzania, Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, was attending the official opening of the church when the explosion occurred. He escaped unhurt.

Mulogo said the motive of attack is not known but Tanzania has in the recent past experienced sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims.

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State Out to Combat Poaching

DESPITE poaching posing serious challenges, the government has assured that it is determined to see growth in the population of wild animals.

This was revealed by the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Lazaro Nyalandu, just a day after it was reported that a Parliamentary Committee plans to ask the National Assembly to form a special committee to probe poaching.

"The situation is tense but we are determined not to allow any reverse in the population of wild animals. We will do it the best way we know how," Mr Nyalandu told the 'Daily News' over the phone.

Given its complexity, Mr Nyalandu said the ministry has embarked massively on intelligence operations and involvement of local and international stakeholders. He was reacting on the accusations levelled against the ministry by the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Land, Tourism and Environment that it has remained silent while poaching activities continue.

The Committee Chairman, Mr James Lembeli (Kahama- CCM), said on Tuesday that his team was disgusted by what he termed as the government's failure to stem poaching. "Poaching is different from ordinary theft, it is somehow complicated with so many syndicates and that is why we cannot be open in the techniques we are employing in stopping this crime," said.

Mr Nyalandu. He said reports that circulated over the weekend over the Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) soldier who was arrested and being held on allegations of poaching was evidence that poaching has taken a new twist. The officer was arrested by Lake Manyara National Park rangers after a vehicle he was driving overturned during a car chase.

He was reportedly found with two pieces of ivory. "We are going an extra mile now, suspecting anyone because this is a complicated area and it is demand driven since parts of the animals removed by poachers such as ivories are very expensive in the world market," he said.

Mr Nyalandu said the ministry is working closely with CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), Interpol and various countries which have appeared to be popular destinations for poached trophies. He called on the MPs to appreciate what the government is doing and support the initiatives being taken.

Mr Lembeli told reporters on Tuesday that his committee was awaiting a government report on the Lake Manyara incident. "We expect to meet the minister soon over the incident. Hopefully, he will give us the government's action plan to rein in the poachers.

But if the government fails to meet our expectations, we know what to do to compel it to act," he said. The Lake Manyara National Park incident came two weeks after the arrest of police officers in Serengeti National Park. Two others were lynched days later in connection with trade in ivories, evidence that the problem is complex and involves a complicated network.SOURCE ALL AFRICA

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Serengeti Receives Few Local Tourists

THE number of Tanzanians visiting the world famous Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) for tourism purpose is less than 10 per cent, according to Park's Tourism Department.

People seem to have failed to utilise the advantage of low fees charged by the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) for the locals visiting the park, blessed with a variety of beautiful fauna and flora.

"Entry fees for any Tanzanian visiting SENAPA is 1,500/-(about one dollar), but still the number of locals visiting the park stands at seven per cent," said Mr Godson Kimaro, in charge of the Park's Tourism Department.

Among other attractions, SENAPA is also the home land of 1.5 million wildebeests and hundreds of zebras that forms the great Serengeti migration, a big attraction to thousands of tourists from overseas. SENAPA is rated as one of the Tanzanian major tourist destinations and the world's top amazing park.

The park receives an average of 350,000 tourists every year with majority of them coming from the United States of America, Europe, Russia and Asian countries such as Korea, Singapore, China and India. "It seems that Tanzanians think that it is expensive to visit SENAPA, but it costs a mere 1,500/- as entry fees and the fee for a vehicle is 10,000/- only," Mr Kimaro clarified .

Arusha Region is leading with the number of local tourists visiting the SENAPA followed by Mwanza Region, according to him. "Majority of Tanzanian tourists came from Arusha and Mwanza followed by other regions such as Mara and Shinyanga," he said.

Mr Paschal Shelutete, the TANAPA Public Relations Manager, says there still is a misconception in the minds of Tanzanians that tourism is only for foreigners. "As you can see, the rates for the locals to visit the park is very low.

And we believe majority of Tanzanians can afford the rates but it seems they have a notion that tourism is only for foreigner," Mr Shelutete said, adding that TANAPA will continue putting in place effective strategies that will enable more locals to visit the country's national park.

According to Mr Kimaro, SENAPA is figuring out the possibility of involving serious local companies to start organising trips for locals interested to visit one of the world's top amazing park. "We want to partner with interested business enterprises starting with Mwanza and Mara regions," observed without elaborating.

Mr John Ng'oina, a popular politician in Serengeti District, cited low income as the major impediment hampering the development of domestic tourism in the country. He concurred with SENAPA that it was high time they put in place an effective strategy that will encourage many locals to visit the park.

"For example, there should be standby vehicles to take locals to the park at affordable fees," Mr Ng'oina, who is also the Serengeti District Council Chairman said. Officials estimate that over 90 per cent of Serengeti District area is made up of wild protected areas including world famous park.

"Many people in Serengeti have seen wild animals including wildebeests because they have been living with the animals for years, but poor income is the major reason they don't visit the park for tourism purpose," said Mr Ng'oiana.

In 2006 SENAPA was declared one of the seventh wonders of the world and further declared a top seventh best Africa's natural wonders in Arusha a few months ago. Serengeti is the country's second largest national park covering 14,763 square kilometres and was the first park to be created in the country in 1951  .     Source allAfrica

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Tanzania Strikes Another Offshore Gas Field

BG Tanzania announced that it had completed another successful drill stem test in offshore Tanzania about 45-kms from Mtwara, with tests on the Mzia-2 well flowing at a maximum rate of 57 million standard cubic feet (mscf) of natural gas per day.

"This is more gas than was expected to flow from this well and therefore a positive development. A drill stem test is a standard procedure within gas exploration activities and helps to determine the properties of the gas reservoir," BG Group Chief Executive Chris Finlayson, said in a statement.

He added: "The successful Mzia-2 drill stem test follows completion of a multi-well appraisal programme earlier this year on the nearby Jodari field." The CEO said while the company continues exploration and appraisal offshore, BG Group and its partners are also jointly studying suitable sites for a potential onshore Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal and anticipate providing proposed locations to the government in the next few months.

An LNG plant is required to commercialise the gas finds, so Tanzania can fully benefit from its natural gas wealth. The BG Group President and Asset General Manager for East Africa, Derek Hudson, said the successful drill stem test on Mzia-2 is another important milestone in developing Tanzania's natural gas resources, coming less than 12 months after the original Mzia discovery.

"This swift progress reflects the commitment of all stakeholders, particularly the government and the communities in which we operate, to ensuring the full benefits of the country's natural gas resources are realised," he said. Mzia-2 is four kilometres from the Mzia-1 discovery, in around 1,620 metres of water and approximately 45 kilometres off the coast of southern Tanzania.

It is approximately 22 kilometres to the north of the Jodari-1 discovery well also in Block 1, where a successful drill stem test was completed in March. The drillship Deepsea Metro-1 has now relocated to Block 4 to drill an exploration well, Ngisi-1, adjacent to the existing Pweza and Chewa discoveries.

BG Group will use data from the current exploration and appraisal campaign and a recently completed 3-D seismic survey to help identify new offshore targets for a third exploration programme beginning in late 2013. Prior to Mzia-2, BG Tanzania has had seven consecutive natural gas discoveries, two successful appraisal wells and a successful test on the Jodari field. source Allafrica .com

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