81,000 rural, urban homes and public services will newly access electricity

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$105 million equivalent IDA credit  [1]and a US$6.5 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant to improve electricity services in Tanzania, where electrification rates in some areas are as low as two percent.
 
The Energy Development and Access Expansion Project will improve the quality and efficiency of the electricity service provision in the three main growth centers of Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Kilimanjaro.  It will also establish a sustainable basis for energy access expansion and support the global objective of reducing CO2 emissions by reducing barriers to renewable energy development.
 
“Tanzania continues to implement sound macro-economic policies, which provide a suitable environment for progress towards its macro objectives of high growth and reduced poverty,” said World Bank Country Director for Tanzania John McIntire.  “This project will help ensure a more stable and reliable electricity provision to the population.”
 
Despite the high incidence of poverty in rural areas, various surveys show that non-electrified rural households in Tanzania spend roughly 10 percent of monthly disposable income on kerosene, candles, and batteries to satisfy their energy needs.
 
“Various modern off-grid technologies can provide electricity service for the same price, with improved quality and additional social, economic, health and environmental benefits,” said World Bank Senior Financial Analyst and the project’s Task Team Leader Pankaj Gupta.  “This project will support Tanzania’s efforts to implement these newer technologies, while improving the service quality for existing customers and allowing new customers to connect to the grid.”
 
“It is our hope that this project will help spark a sustainable local market for renewable energy,” said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility.  "By boosting affordable and clean off-grid electricity access in the region, we are one step closer to a robust, lower carbon economy.  That will help the environment by lowering greenhouse gases, but it will also dramatically improve living conditions for millions of the world’s most vulnerable who still lack modern energy.”
 
About the GEF
 
The GEF is a 178 member-strong international financing body devoted to global environmental issues that support sustainable development. GEF grants flow to projects in developing countries related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing US$7.4 billion in grants and leveraging US$28 billion in co-financing for over 1,800 projects in over 150 countries.
 
Through its Small Grants Program, GEF has also made more than 7,000 small grants, up to US$50,000 each, directly to nongovernmental organizations and community organizations.

A team of three students from the University of Zimbabwe trounced 12 other teams from across the continent to win the seventh International Competition on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Arusha, Tanzania.

The University of Zimbabwe is one of the only two universities in Zimbabwe that teach law, and in past moot courts neither campus has made it to the finals. Haramaya University from Ethiopia took second place.

The competition was organized by the ICRC with the assistance of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and ran from 24 November to 1 December. The aim of these competitions is to expose students to IHL and humanitarian action through training, simulation and advocacy. The competition was opened by the Tanzanian Minister for Justice, Hon Mary Nangu, and the head of the ICRC’s regional delegation, Pascal Cuttat.

The finals were held in a trial chamber of the ICTR where the two winning teams battled it out before three judges from the ICTR and three ICRC representatives.

Dennis Byron, President of the ICTR, said the competition gave students an insight into IHL at a practical level ''empowering future leaders of the legal profession'' with a knowledge of, interest in and respect for IHL.

''This competition is an eye-opener and exposes the students to the workings of the ICRC and INGOs, plus the field of IHL,'' said Happias Zhou, a law lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.

The University of Zimbabwe team took home a trophy that they will hold until the next competition, and two of their best speakers were awarded a three month sponsored internship at the ICTR.

The other participating countries were Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.

The students all felt that the competition fostered interest in IHL and was very enjoyable. Some said they would like to work in IHL upon completing their studies. ''It was an unforgettable experience for us all,'' said one participant.

ICRC communication coordinator Len Blazeby, who oversees the competition, noted that the teams exhibited a higher standard than in previous years. ''There was a noticeable improvement across the universities in the students' knowledge of IHL, which is encouraging for the teaching of the discipline in the region. Working in conjunction with the ICTR symposium this year added a lot for the students.''

Tanzanian health authorities have cautioned people living in regions neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the central African country.

Western Tanzanian regions bordering DRC include Mbeya, Rukwa, Kigoma and Kagera.

"All regional medical officers have been instructed to keep on alert because people from eastern parts of DRC enter into Tanzania through the four regions," Wilson Mukama, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said in a statement.

Meanwhile the UN World Health Organization (WHO) clarified that while the latest figures released by various sources mention 375 cases and 167 deaths in western Kasai Province of DRC, the cause of death cannot be confirmed yet.

Of all of these cases and deaths, only one confirmed case of Shigella and less than 10 of Ebola have been registered.

"Everything else still remains to be investigated," Gregory Hartl, WHO communications advisor, said from Geneva. WHO's team in the area and its operations, he added, were growing by the day. "WHO is coordinating the international response, at the behest of the DRC ministry of health."

Approximately 1,850 cases, with over 1,200 deaths, have been documented since the Ebola virus was first identified in the western equatorial province of Sudan, and in a nearby region of DRC in 1976, after significant epidemics in Yambuku, northern DRC and Nzara in southern Sudan.

Ebola, a haemorrhagic illness, which causes death in 50-90 percent of cases, is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons.

It is characterised by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is often followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.

Tanzanian authorities are persuading people in villages near Ol Doinyo Lengai to move to safer areas after the volcano erupted.

Since July, areas around Ol Doinyo Lengai have been hit by earth tremors as a result of volcanic activity. The earthquakes caused panic in settled areas, including the Kenya capital, Nairobi.

The mountain has spewed smoke and discharged lava since the beginning of September.

"We don’t have a comprehensive evacuation programme for about 5,000 residents of the Engaresero village on the slope of the mountain, but for the time being we are persuading them to understand the risk," Jowika Kasunga, district commissioner for Ngorongoro, the local area, told IRIN on 14 September.

"People are worried but they are still in their homes. Many are reluctant to leave because they regard the village as a 'shop'. It is like telling someone to close the shop because many youth survive by assisting tourists who want to climb the mountain, which in Maasai means mountain of God," Kasunga said.

Tanzania's chief geologist on 19 July advised residents living close to the Ol Doinyo Lengai to stay at least 50km away from the mountain.

As a precaution, Abdul Mruma, chief executive officer of the Geological Survey of Tanzania, added: "The safest distance to stay away, however, is 100km."

The most powerful quake, on the afternoon of 17 July, was estimated at 5.9 on the Richter scale.

The United States Geological Survey, which has been monitoring the tremors, said that available information was "not sufficient to determine if the current activity reflects a geologic process that might lead to a change in the eruptive behavior of Ol Doinyo Lengai". The last major eruption of the volcano was in 1966.

Livestock herders living near Ol Doinyo Lengai in northern Tanzania have abandoned pastures on the slopes of the mountain after tremors believed to be the result of volcanic activity, a government official said.

"We have advised residents of Engaresero village who had taken their livestock to pastures on the slopes of the mountain to move away from the area," Jowika Kasunga, the commissioner in charge of Ngorongoro district, where the mountain is situated, told IRIN on 20 July.

He said the village, at the foot of the mountain, was inhabited by an estimated 5,000 people, some of whose houses had developed cracks after the intermittent tremors between 12 and 18 July.

The 'swarm' of earthquakes has caused alarm in several parts of Tanzania and neighbouring Kenya.

"People are worried but they are still in their homes," said Kasunga. He denied media reports that the mountain had spewed lava, forcing people to flee. However, tourists have been advised to avoid the area.

He said local authorities had embarked on a disaster awareness campaign that focused on what people should do in the event of a major earthquake and advising them to evacuate if the volcano erupted.

Christine, a resident of Arusha, about 100km southeast of Ol Doinyo Lengai: "Yesterday [19 July] there was an announcement on the television and the radio. We were advised not to stay near tall buildings or trees, and try to seek protection.

"At the time of the first tremor I was at home, in my bed. I just stayed in bed and waited for the tremor to end. If it had lasted longer, or if it had been stronger, I might have gone outside," she said.

"Of course I am afraid, I am not very sure about what is going to happen," said Christine, who gave only her first name. She said the wall of a government building in Arusha had cracked.

Tanzania's chief geological expert on 19 July advised residents living close to the Ol Doinyo Lengai to stay at least 50km away from the mountain.

As a precaution, Abdul Mruma, chief executive officer of the Geological Survey of Tanzania, added: "The safest distance to stay away, however, is 100km."

The most powerful quake, on the afternoon of 17 July, was estimated at 5.9 on the Richter scale.

The US Geological Survey, which has been monitoring the tremors, said the information available was "not sufficient to determine if the current activity reflects a geologic process that might lead to a change in the eruptive behavior of Ol Doinyo Lengai". The last major eruption of the volcano was in 1966.

Mohammed Mhita, the director-general of Tanzania's Meteorological Agency, also played down fears of an imminent eruption.

In neighbouring Kenya, authorities stepped up disaster preparedness after the quakes caused panic in the capital, Nairobi.

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said all office buildings, schools, factories, apartment blocks and other buildings should have emergency evacuation procedures and contingency plans ready.

Education experts have welcomed the Tanzanian government’s pledge to hire more teachers in the 2007-2008 financial year to improve the quality of education in the country.

“Many will agree that the most important thing in education is the interaction between motivated, competent teachers and their students," Suleiman Sumra, a retired professor of education and researcher with Hakielimu, an NGO dealing with educational issues, told IRIN.

The government allocated 18 percent of this year’s budget to education and announced plans to hire more teachers in June.
 
On 11 July, Education Minister Margaret Sitta told a parliamentary session in Dodoma, the country's political capital, that the government would employ 14,490 primary and secondary school teachers to raise standards.
 
"Permits will also be issued by the government for about 600 expatriate teachers for privately owned primary and secondary schools," Sitta said when she presented her ministry's budget estimates.

Sumra commended the government's efforts to revamp primary and secondary education, saying the 2002-2006 Primary Education Development Plan and the 2004-2009 Secondary Education Development Plan had led to significant improvements in the provision of basic education in the country.
 
Ministry of Education records show that enrolment in primary schools increased from 4,839,361 in 2001 to 7,969,884 in 2006, while the net enrolment ratio in primary schools increased from 65.5 percent in 2001 to 96.1 percent in 2006.
 
“This means that nearly all the children of primary school age are now enrolled in primary schools,” Sumra said.

Pressure on secondary schools

The increased enrolment in primary schools has put more pressure on secondary schools to absorb those completing primary education. Enrolment in form one, the first year of secondary education, increased from 99,744 in 2003 to 243,359 in 2006.

Sumra said that while it was important to expand schools and enrol more pupils, the question of teachers should also be tackled. “When you cannot have everything and trade-offs have to be made, priority should be given to teachers over buildings," he added.

During a debate on the education ministry's budgetary estimates, legislators praised the government's efforts to build primary and secondary schools over the past 10 years. However, they expressed concern over the shortage of competent teachers and teaching aids, as well as inadequate laboratories and libraries, especially in rural areas.
 
"It is unfair for pupils in rural schools, which have very few teachers, to attempt the same examinations as their colleagues in rich, privately owned or missionary schools," said Ponsiano Nyami, a legislator from Nkasi constituency in the remote southwestern region of Rukwa.
 
Nyami gave an example of a secondary school in his constituency with only one teacher - the headmaster. This teacher was forced to use the school's head-prefect as deputy and to carry out administrative duties, such as looking after visitors.
 
Another legislator said the number of secondary school leavers was far fewer than the number of places at the country’s 33 universities. This has meant students with lower grades have been given places in higher education.
 
"What kind of graduates should we expect from such universities?" asked James Wanyancha of Serengeti constituency.

Teenage pregnancy

The country has also been facing the problem of rising teenage pregnancies. In late May 2007, President Jakaya Kikwete expressed serious concerns over the number of pregnant girls dropping out of school.

According to official figures, 30 percent of girls enrolled at standard one in primary schools never made it to standard seven. In secondary schools, 20 percent of girls fail to complete four years of education.
 
"Government statistics show that 95 percent of school girls who become pregnant belong to poor families," said Susan Lyimo, an MP from opposition party Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) during the debate on the education ministry's budget estimates.

Calling on the government to review the country’s laws on pregnant girls’ education, Lyimo said: "Denying education to these girls deprives them of the chance to grow up to their full potential and condemns them to the vicious cycle of poverty.”

Tanzania's semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar could fail to achieve the millennium development goals because of high population increase, according to the islands' finance minister Mwinyihaji Makame Mwadini.

He said the Zanzibar government was planning to step up its family planning campaign and impose stricter migration rules to regulate the flow of outsiders wishing to settle in the islands.

Opposition politicians have expressed concern over what they claimed were large numbers of people from mainland Tanzania settling in Zanzibar. The leader of the opposition in parliament, Abubakar Khamis Bakari, has advised the Zanzibar government to reintroduce entry permits for mainlanders coming to the islands.

"We have to strengthen the family planning campaign and consider the idea of regulating people coming from outside to settle in Zanzibar. The use of identity cards is also intended to monitor [the entry of] people," Mwadini told Zanzibar's House of Representatives on 10 July.

Members of the islands' parliament had wanted to know what measures the government would take to control the population increase at a time of rising unemployment and land scarcity in Zanzibar.

Zanzibar’s population is estimated at just over a million and is growing at an annual rate of 3.1 percent. The islands registered a population growth of 3 percent between 1978 and 1988, up from 2.86 percent between 1976 and the 1978 census, and 1.81 percent between 1957 and 1967.

Zanzibar is made up of the main islands, Unguja, which covers 1,651 sqkm, and Pemba, the smaller isle of 980 sqkm.

Tanzania's semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar have lifted a ban imposed in April on the importation of farm animals and meat in a bid to keep the region free of Rift Valley Fever (RVF).

"We are now convinced that RVF is not a threat," Rahma Mshangama, an official from the Zanzibar Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Environment, told a news conference on 29 June in Stone Town, capital of Zanzibar. "Farm animals and products can be imported after obtaining a permit from livestock department."

An RVF outbreak in December 2006, mainly in the central region of mainland Tanzania, claimed the lives of several people. Dozens of others were infected in the north and southern regions of the mainland.

The indefinite ban on the importation of livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats, camels and meat, led to an increase in the price of meat on the island. Zanzibaris dependent on livestock also saw their incomes fall after the ban.

Residents, including two hotel owners in Stone Town, said they were pleased with the lifting of the ban and hoped the price of beef would fall from the current TSh5,000 (US$4) per kilogram.

The RVF outbreak was first diagnosed in January in the northern regions of Arusha and Manyara and by the end of May, cases of human and livestock infections and deaths had been reported in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Morogoro, Singida and Tanga.

According to the Ministry of Livestock, a total of 46,680 cattle, 56,990 goats and 32,900 sheep were infected and 5,610 cattle, 6,896 goats and 3,998 sheep died.
Vaccination programme

In late February, veterinarians started vaccinating livestock in the affected regions of Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro and Tanga after receiving vaccines against RVF from South Africa.

On 18 June, the Ministry of Livestock announced the RVF outbreak had been brought under control.

"There are no more cases of the viral disease in livestock. The disease is now under control," Charles Mlingwa, deputy minister for livestock development, told parliament in Dodoma, the country's political capital.

Veterinary officials said the livestock vaccination helped bring the outbreak under control, and that the government had spent about $3.84 million to curb the outbreak, with most of the money going on imported vaccines.

RVF was first identified in Kenya in 1931. Its initial symptoms include spontaneous abortions in sheep, goats and cattle. The UN World Health Organization says the virus can be transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito or through contact with infected animal material such as blood or other body fluids or organs.

Consumption of milk, a staple among many pastoralists, is also a possible means of transmission. Symptoms in humans include bleeding through the nose and mouth and liver failure.

The prison system in the Tanzanian semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar should be reformed because the jails can hardly cope with the rising number of inmates, leaders from the area said.

During a debate on the 2007/2008 budget proposals for the Ministry of Regional Administration, members of the Zanzibar parliament said the inmates were living in "inhuman" conditions. The jails, they added, were also too congested.

"Prisoners are not happy at any time as they excrete or urinate in the shared buckets, and have no recreation, including being denied to watch TV or listen to radio," the MPs said. "The world is advancing so we must also change and improve our prisons."
 
The Zanzibar state minister for the constitution and good governance, Ramadhani Abdallah Shaaban, admitted that the number of inmates and prisoners on remand had increased in the past year.

"By July this year, the prisons had 420 inmates and 3,163 remandees of different ages, including adolescents," he said.

"This is an increase of 33 remandees, including five women, and 29 inmates, including three women - up by 8.8 percent and 0.93 percent respectively recorded between April 2005 and March 2006," he added.

According to the minister, most inmates (324) and remandees (2,423) were between 21 and 40 years old. Most were in jail over offences such as theft, robbery, murder, rape and under-age pregnancy.

DAR ES SALAAM

Drug trafficking and abuse are increasing in Tanzania and concerted efforts must be made to check this trend, President Jakaya Kikwete has said.

"Tanzania used to be a transit point for drugs, but now the number of users is escalating very fast,” Kikwete said at public rally to mark international anti-narcotics day on 26 June in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial capital.

He urged the police, other law enforcement bodies, parents and activists to step up the war against narcotics, saying trafficking and use of drugs had reached alarming levels. He said the problem was especially serious in Dar es Salaam, the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar and in the northern towns of Arusha, Mwanza and Tanga.

Between 2005 and 2006, police impounded 375 tonnes of bhang (a form of cannabis), 101.5kg of heroin and 35kg of morphine, among other prohibited substances, according to a statement issued by the country's anti-narcotics unit. It said at least 11,500 suspects were arrested over the two years on drug-related charges, with most arrests being made at airports, ports and streets in various parts of the country.

The president said 200 drug barons had been arrested and charged in court during the past two years. Some were jailed or fined, he said.

Kikwete directed local government authorities and teachers to ensure premises near schools were not turned into drug peddling centres or hideouts for criminals.

"We have to be vigilant in fighting the vice," he said.