Of Christmas turning slaves into kings and the January Disease

The floods that rocked Dar es Salaam last week seems to have failed to water down this year’s Christmas celebrations as many people did it in style. For once, I thought many people will not participate as they will be busy trying to come to terms with reality but it seems as if many people put their problems behind to enjoy themselves.

As usual, entertainment joints were a hive of activity as many people took the chance to spend their hard earned cash. I had a chance to visit many areas and I have no doubt that people have the capacity and ability to enjoy until they forget themselves.

Christmas comes but just once a year and in many cases people strive to make it a day to remember. This is usually done through things that are unique and out of the ordinary. This is the reason some people drink beers in a manner they have never done it before. Some will visit resort areas while others confine themselves to their homes.

My heart however bleeds for some people who out of reasons beyond their control fail to celebrate it in style. I remember that visiting rural areas during this time will make you a mini hero as people will be looking up to you for many things.

In the remote part of the country where I hail from, those from urban areas, no matter how young they are, are respected and many people are expectant whenever they come across them. They believe urban areas where we come from are like heaven. Besides asking you a lot of questions about the urban lifestyle, they want to be associated with you.

Many of us lose it when we visit the rural areas. Even if we don’t have money, we will by all means try to pretend as if we have it. And, to those who drink beer, they know that once they walk into a bar, their old friends will be waiting anxiously for you to buy them some beer. Even those who don’t know you will also pretend to be your friends so that they can benefit.

What these people don’t know is that life in urban areas is difficult and beyond the reach of many. They also are not aware that sometimes you survive on one or two meals a day for you to make ends meet. They don’t know that there is an animal called inflation that continues to eat away your meager salaries.

They also don’t know that you have to wake up early in the morning to engage yourself in a tug of war for a place in a daladala for you to go for work, that electricity is expensive, water is gold while everything that is not your, you lay hands on, will have to pay for it.

And, your status suddenly changes when you board a bus from the city to rural areas where you graduate from being a servant to a king. That’s why many people love to spend their holidays in rural areas.

Lessons I have learnt from my experiences so far have shown me that what is important when it comes to this day is not what one has but the level of satisfaction. The rural areas bring sad memories to me because besides being adventurous to spend the Christmas holiday there, it pains to see some people struggling to force ends meet. Some children can be seen roaming around in tattered clothing on that day and a closer look at them usually shows that they will in actual fact be enjoying themselves.

So, no matter how little these people might be having what is important is that they enjoy the day and have what they call a day to remember in their lives. Don’t get me wrong dear reader I am not saying they don’t deserve better lives and things during the celebrations but what I am saying is that they have no option but to be content with what they have. As you read this article today, it is Boxing Day and it is the time when people open their presents. I hope we took our time to give than receiving during this festive season. The Bible says that it is blessed to give than to receive and this principle has seen many people being blessed for simply extending their hands.

It is also my hope that you are not reading this article with regrets. Many people become over excited to the extent of losing focus and end up doing things that they should not do. They end up throwing themselves in hot soup of which it will be difficult to come out without being burnt.

So many people have contracted the deadly virus (HIV) during these periods. Some have died while others due to excessive use of alcohol ended up driving drunk and caused the deaths of innocent lives. Let’s continue taking care of ourselves as the festive season is yet to be over. It’s never too late to save a life.

Again, I will keep on repeating that there is something called January Disease. We should also try by all means to run away from it. The best medicine for it is to budget your finances well and avoid unnecessary expenditures.

Many things will be awaiting your little pocket come January. Children will be in need of school fees, a lot of money will also be needed to buy uniforms, books and other school requirements, landlords will be waiting for their rents and the family will be in need of money for their upkeep.

The problem is that this disease is so widespread to such an extent that everyone will be suffering from it and in the long run there is nowhere one can borrow money. Your friends will be in the same predicament and will not be in a position to help.

Let’s therefore watch our spending this holiday as its effects will be felt heavily next year. For those who spend a lot of money when they visit their folks in rural areas so that they can be called heroes while forgetting that January with all its need will be awaiting them, they will have a rude awakening.

Let’s enjoy ourselves to the fullest but we should do it with hope and vision that life has to go on come January. Bongo Blast takes this opportunity to wish you all a happy and prosperous 2012. And may God guide you and bless you through out the year.

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

BongoBlast wishes you a merry Christimas

BongoBlast Editorial Board, Publisher, Management and staff wish all our valued readers a merry Christmas and a Blessed 2012.

Kikwete visits flood victims

The President of Tanzania, Dr Jakaya Kikwete toured flood affected areas using an army helicopter before visiting flood victims housed in various centres such as schools. Kikwete urged all valley residents to relocate, promising over 800 hectares for resettling the over 4000 people rendered homeless.

“It is high time for the people living in the valleys to move out of these areas,” said Kikwete when he visited Mchikichini Primary School that is housing more than 1000 flood victims.

He said that the government had put in place plans to survey plots in Kibaha and Kinondoni for those willing to vacate the valleys.

The Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Said Meck Sadick said that they had put inplace health facilities for the provision of first aid and that the government had donated 1,600 blankets while mattresses were expected yesterday. Various companies continued to donate different items for the flood victims though the situation remains critical.

Pictures: Michuzi Blog

Over 4000 people displaced as Tanzania floods death toll shoots to 23

The number of people who perished in floods that rocked Dar es Salaam early this week has risen to 23 while more than 4000 people were forced to abandon their residences and have been housed at three stations in the city.

The situation continued to be unbearable as almost all the affected areas remained inaccessible and with the looks of things, will remain so for a long time to come as flood water continue covering these areas.

Though no serious rains were witnessed on Thursday, a visit by Bongo Blast discovered that valleys and low lying areas such as Jangwani and those along Msimbazi River remain engulfed with flood water making it difficult for those affected to go back.

Displaced people have been housed in schools and health centres in Kinondoni and Ilala districts. Aid has started to flow in as good Samaritans were donating in cash and kind.

There is urgent need of aid as there are many people who need food, clothing, clean water, bedding and other humanitarian needs. There are fears of an outbreak of diseases such as cholera and malaria as many of these people don’t have access to clean food and water and to mosquito nets to cover themselves at night

Havoc as Tanzania floods death toll rises

Submerged. . . . .

The heavy rains that rocked Dar es Salaam and other parts of the country have continued to cause untold suffering among citizens as the death toll rises to 13 and is expected to rise. More people are feared dead while many have been displaced and are still to be accounted for by their families. The rains have brought business almost to a standstill in the city with infrastructures such as roads and bridges being destroyed.

Most people whose houses are in low lying areas continue to count their losses as they had to be rescued to higher ground in a bid to save their lives. Property worth billions of shillings has been destroyed comprising household goods, vehicles, road infrastructure, shops and many small trader markets.

Various properties such as mattresses, fridges, TV sets and other household goods could be seen being swept away by the floods and many people were positioning themselves strategically to collect these goods for their own use. Some new items such as pipes, new pairs of shoes and clothes could also be seen with many people jostling to get a hand on them.



Police officers asses a damaged road in Dar es salaam.

Confusion reigned supreme as many people panicked and in a bid to save their lives some climbed on top of trees and roofs of buildings waiting for rescuers. The rescuers used helicopters and speed boats.

Today, the rains are continuing unabated but are lighter giving hope to citizens that the floods are ending. A snap survey yesterday by Bongoblast revealed that the effects of the foods were severe with many people failing to report for work while many businesses remained closed. Transport was problematic and many people resorted to walk from town to various residential areas.

Disease outbreaks

Fears are now rife that there might be outbreaks of disease such as cholera and the government should prepare and make sure that should the outbreak occurs, then they will be in a position to deal with it.

Many affected people are still to return to their houses as they are covered by water. And, with the rains continuing, then it might take time before the water subsidies. With the Christmass holiday nearing, many people are set to have one of their dulliest holidays as they will either spend it out of their residences or trying to force ends meet after all their properties have been lost in the floods.

The rescue operation continues in the city though the water is beginning to subsidies.

The picture combo below shows the effects of floods in various parts of the city.





END OF THE ROAD. . . The fate of the driver of this government vehicle is unknown after the vehicle plunged into a gorge created by the floods in Mbezi, Dar es Salaam.


Some flood victims had to climb on top of the roofs of their houses to save their lives as depicted in the picture.





An aerial view of submerged houses along the Jangwani valley in Dar es salaam.




Houses submerged along the Jangwani valley, in Dar es Salaam.

Picture sources: Michuzi, Full Shangwe and Daily Mitikasi blogs

Floods wreak havoc in Tanzania, claim five lives and destroy property

Heavy rains have continued pounding in Dar es Salaam and other parts of the country causing untold suffering among residents especially those occupying low lying areas. The early morning rains today threatened to bring business to a stand still as many roads were flooded, becoming impassable, forcing many workers to either fail to report for duty or report late.

The situation was unbearable as many houses were flooded submerging property and all household goods. Some shops in residential areas were not spared either with their owners waiting to count their losses when the floods subsidies.

And, with the meteorological agency having issued an alert that the rains are expected to continue pounding coastal areas, more still needs to be done to save lives and property. Five people were reportedly killed yesterday due to lightning, drowning and electrical shocks. The damages caused by today’s rains and floods are still to be announced.

Helicopters had to be used to save thousands of lives in low lying areas of Dar es salaam as some had no option but to get on top of the roofs of their houses.

It all started around 3am yesterday when a heavy downpour with thunder and strong winds hit the city leading to power blackouts in many parts of the city. The same thing repeated itself today as early morning heavy rains caused floods that will definitely leave many people counting their losses.

Rescue efforts are continuing in various parts of the town.

300 families homeless in Dodoma

Flood waters swept across 70 houses in Ntyuka and Iyumbu wards in Dodoma municipality on Monday Night rendering about 300 families homeless. The families are now in need of relief supplies.

This was confirmed by the Dodoma Municipal Council Director, Nicholas Buleta who said supplies including food had been distributed to the affected people but were not adequate to satisfy demand.

Of Christmas fever, gifts and the January disease

“Christmas comes but once a year,” is a common saying but, it is that time of the year again and by the time you read this column next week, I am sure you would have come across the madness and ecstasy that comes along with celebrating the day.

Who can fault those merrymaking as this is a rare day that only comes once in a blue moon. Everyone strives by all means to make it a day to remember and they do things they don't do everyday to an extent that even the type of food they eat on that day is not only unique but also five-star.

My memory of some Christmases I have spent in rural areas brings with me both good and sad memories. I remember that some families when it comes to this time struggle to force ends meet. Sometimes they wouldn't be having the money to buy new clothes for their children. And, it is this time of the year when they taste bread and margarine for the first and last time that year.

I have seen many children in tattered clothes, storming discotheques or nearby shopping centres in a bid to celebrate the day. To them, those clothes will be their best and what touches me so much is that they don't mind many things and they enjoy themselves to the fullest. This part of life seems fictitious but it is real.

But, on the other side of life, I have seen many people who lack nothing. They will have food to throw away. In my mother tongue, we have a saying that describes this act and when it is loosely translated, means “kicking food”. I have seen many people who take this opportunity to 'kick food' and as this day approaches, just take your time to observe the goings on within the community and you will realise that what I am saying is true.

Dear reader, I am not saying people should not celebrate this day but, I am just highlighting the discrepancies of life. I have heard so many people saying that life is unfair and I just concluded that it is from these differences they derived that conclusion and in most cases they blame God for that.

However, despite these disparities one of the important part of marking this day is giving. Many people spend a lot of money buying gifts they give to their beloved ones. I think we should also follow this trend and give something to someone this Christmas. No matter how small it might be, it will be highly appreciated.

Receiving gifts is the part I like most when it comes to this day, but to tell the truth my hand becomes heavy when it comes to giving to others. It's not only me as I discovered that we are many when it comes to this. To make the giving easy especially for those with perforated pockets, Christmas cards provide a cheaper option as they can be used as gifts.

One fun thing about the whole concept is that all the gifts are supposed to be kept and sealed even on Christmas day only to be opened on the following day which is popularly known as Boxing Day. But, people with uncontrollable curiosity like me can't wait that long to know what the wrapped box contains, so I usually open the gift as soon as it comes without minding what day it is.

And, with Christmas around the corner and power outages continuing, I am just but imagining how it will be like. Some people will be forced to drink warm beer and soft drinks if this trend continues. Many children in high density suburbs who rely on discotheques as a form of entertainment during these days will also be disadvantaged if power outages rock their areas.

Let's just pray and hope that a miracle occurs so that power rationing becomes a thing of the past before X-mas. Though this holiday promises to be one of the dullest for many people, it is not the availability of electricity I am worried about. When ever I think of the period after this festive season I feel sorry for many people.

Though many people will try by all means to make their families happy, they usually find themselves in dilemma come January as reality will dawn on them that a lot of money is needed for rentals, school fees, food and many other basic needs. Trying to run around, borrowing from friends will be mission impossible as the so called friends will also be in red. They won't be having any cent to spare but will also be planning to come to you for help.

This is known as the January disease. The beginning of every year is usually problematic as wananchi's pockets would have been perforated during the festive season. So many families have disintegrated due to this disease and despite it being perennial, it seems as if we don't learn from our past mistakes. We always fall into the same trap every year as the temptations of the festive season are too strong to resist.

As we enter into this festive season, let's stop wasting a lot of money on luxuries only to regret it when the January disease strikes. Let's plan wisely and avoid the embarrassment. And, to you dear reader, Bongoblast wishes you a merry X-mas and a happy New Year. Remember don't drink and drive this holiday. And, it is better to be late than to be the late. God bless you.

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/ symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Prostitute bites off client’s private parts

Gweru, Zimbabwe

A PROSTITUTE has appeared in court in Zimbabwe charged with assault after she bit the penis of a client who refused to pay her.

Wadzanai Marimo, 34, admitted the assault of one of her regular clients, Brian Shumba, 38, at Gweru Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

According to police, the pair had been drinking together at a nightclub in Gweru on Monday night before going back to Marimo's house.

In the bedroom, a dispute broke out after Shumba allegedly refused to pay Marimbo for her services, magistrate Florence Nago heard.

Marimo then bit the end off Mr Shumba's organ, leaving him bleeding profusely, before spitting it out in her garden.

Several hours later, the unfortunate patron was found unconscious and taken to the Gweru Provincial Hospital.
On Tuesday, he shuffled into court, in obvious discomfort, and to a chorus of giggles, to give evidence about his injuries.

Police assistant Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said he could confirm that a "34-year-old woman bit off her boyfriend's male organ" on Monday night at her home.
Marimo will be sentenced this week.

Whither CCM ‘skin shedding’ campaign?

The recent stance by the CCM National Executive Committee (CCM-NEC) on the “Kujivua gamba” campaign is retrogressive though expected. The organ’s publicity and ideology secretary, Nape Nnauye, poured cold water onto the whole exercise when he pointed out that his party’s cleansing philosophy neither targets individuals nor aims at stripping anyone of their party membership, adding that the misconception had created unnecessary tension.
This is in outright contrast to what he preached as soon as the new brooms took office early this year. Addressing reporters soon after assuming office in April, the then new Ideology and Publicity Secretary Nape Nnauye said the party had given all its members said to be involved in corruption scandals three months to cleanse themselves.
“The party will no longer tolerate any member associated with corruption… the party will not wait for proof from the courts. Once one is accused, the party will sack him,” he said.
It’s now seven months after this warning was made and the question that remains is how many corrupt individuals have been sacked so far Comrade Nape? Dear reader, I only recall of Rostam Aziz who resigned voluntarily.
It seems the going is fast becoming tough for the new brooms probably giving an explanation to the current shifting of goal posts. The happenings seemingly vindicate Bongoblast after publishing the following analysis soon after the campaign was launched:

The winds of change that currently swept across the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi's top echelon seems to be the dim light beginning to show at the end of a long and dark tunnel as it brings with it hope that sanity will at last be restored in the party that is said to have lost touch with the people who voted them into power.

Though for many, the changes are welcome and being considered a move towards the right direction, there is need to be cautious and let time vindicate the changes. The recent changes, everyone will agree with me, were not only necessary for the party to strengthen itself and regain wananchi's confidence, but also were long overdue.

The party made a bold decision by replacing old brooms with seemingly new ones, in a bid to sweep clean the party that was slowly moving towards political abyss that could have seen the party losing its relevance and subsequently dying a natural death. The move, hailed by many, should be used as a springboard for the revival of the party. The new leadership should live up to expectations if ever they will entertain any thoughts of reviving the party that is facing its strongest ever opposition in history.

And, with the newly appointed secretary-general, Mr Wilson Mukama, having immediately assumed office and promised fireworks, vowing to leave no stone unturned when it comes to tackling corruption, all hope seems not lost for the party and if the whole team adopts this vigor and vitality, fronting a no nonsense approach to corruption and other practices that are demeaning the party, then CCM will be invincible in no time.

Mukama warned the party members implicated in corruption scandals to either quit or be prepared to face the music. But, though this is a good stance as corruption is fast becoming one of the causes of the party's downfall, many questions remain unanswered. One of them being the kind of music the secretary-general is promising that the party hasn't played before.

Though simple as it might look, the problem has roots too deep to uproot. The crisis the party is facing can never be solved by a mere threat and requires action. The first mistake the party did was to allow corrupt individuals to manipulate the party structures to their advantage, to become powerful people who will become very difficult to get rid of.

The new broom that has been commission, without adequate support from senior party members, might find the going too tough and the dirty too heavy to sweep. They will obviously make a lot of noise when they are still new in office but mark my word, if they are not strong enough, their noise will quickly turn into silence, relegating them to being toothless bulldogs.

This is so because in the first place, the party should have made these changes long back by banning all tainted leaders from vying for parliamentary and other government and party seats. We have a lot of these corrupt leaders who are members of parliament. They were elected by the people due to their influence and financial muscles and it will be difficult to get rid of them. Neither will it be easy to tell them to voluntarily resign or relinquish their posts. This will be a non starter and Mukama knows that.

The same people have used their financial acumen to penetrate the structures of the party to such an extent that getting rid of them seems mission impossible. If the restructuring exercise had begun before last year's elections, then the party could have managed to get rid of corrupt individuals by now. I know this might have a backlash on the party where divisions are likely to emerge but, it is for the betterment of the party as in the long run it would emerge more powerful than before.

The party gains nothing by harbouring controversial and corrupt individuals, who in most cases taint its image. Let me give free advice to Mukama and his team that the battle has just began and they should brace for a long and gruesome battle as these corrupt individuals are no push overs. They have stood their ground and managed to stay not only in the party but as leaders in various portfolios in government so this will be more of a David and Goliath battle.

The problem here is that when rotten tomatoes are placed in the same basket with fresh ones, they tend to spoil the good ones. And, this scenario does not only depict rotten tomatoes that were put in the same tin with good ones but those that have been in the basked for a long time, making it difficult to distinguish the rotten ones from those that are still good. This is the puzzle Mukama is facing to such an extent that the influence of the rotten ones has spread like veld fire within the party.

The new secretariat team, to show that they are not taking things lying down, pledged a CCM nationwide “cleansing” drive, which according to the new publicity secretary, Mr Nape Nnauye, will see reshuffles being conducted from district to regional level across the country.

On paper, the announced steps seem good and if they are religiously followed, then a new CCM is in the offing. What continues to boggle many people's minds is whether the party will be able to transform itself and gain the confidence of the general public.

Some people believe that the new team is just building castles in the air and very soon they will join the squad. The truth of the matter is that they will either succeed and bring about the much-needed change into the party or they will be swallowed and join them. No one will fault them since it is written that “if you can't defeat them, then join them.”

The secretariat faces a daunting task and they should be prepared to tear the party apart in order to rebuild it so that it emerges stronger. The problem is that politics is a game of numbers and influence. It is against this that it will be difficult for CCM to take decisive measures on those with tainted hands because besides it having the potential to split the party, it also has the ability to weaken it at a time the opposition is gaining ground at an alarming rate.

The other problem is that most of these corrupt individuals wield a lot of power in the party and they have a lot of supporters of which if they are expelled from the party, will likely to go with their supporters. The job is not as easy as the Mukama team thinks. It will be an uphill task trying to get rid of unruly elements from the party structures.

I would bet my last shilling that because the aim of the secretariat is to revive and not to weaken the party, they are most likely going to apply emergency breaks whenever they find themselves taking steps that are likely to worsen the party's fragility. As long as we continue to have the corrupt leaders within the party structures and the political environment remaining as it is for the country's oldest political party, changing the face of the party will remain just but a pipe dream.

It will remain to be seen whether CCM ‘itaweza kujivua gamba bila kujidhuru’. Only time will tell and a good luck to the new brooms.

The struggle continues for the party through the skin shedding campaign to cleanse itself, but I believe NEC should take bold decisions and act on all those tainting the image of the party before it is too late. Even if this temporarily threatens the stability of the party, in the long run it will be a major breakthrough. Only time will tell. God bless us

Bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah@blogspot.com

Education: Of the blame game and joke of the year

Human beings are fun creatures. If you haven’t discovered that yet, then look around you. Some people create history, while others strive the rest of their lives trying to make it. So many people are remembered for great deeds they have done in their lives that helped to change the face of the earth while others are remembered for wrong reasons.

Zeroing in on this country, we have so many people we consider heroes while others are villains. I can’t really come to mention names here but when it comes to our independence, the name of the Father of the Nation, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, arguably becomes the first for everyone who is well versed with the details of the struggle.

But, when it comes to education and every time I think of this sector, I am quickly reminded of a man who hit newspaper headlines for a controversial reason. I believe he qualifies to have his name written in the Guinness Book of Records. His name is Albert Mnali, a former District Commissioner (DC) who ordered the caning of 19 primary school teachers in the northern region of Kagera.

The teachers were said to have been caned by a police officer in front of their pupils after an investigation into poor exam results at three schools. The report blamed teachers for being late or not showing up for work and not teaching the official syllabus.

When the then DC ordered the teachers to be flogged, he was trying to come up with a solution to a problem bedeviling the education sector. In fact, the incident exposed a lot of short comings in the sector that leads to pupils failing to make it in life. The teachers were blamed for their students’ failure as they came late for school and sometimes failed to show up.

It’s not all rosy in the education sector and schools, especially in rural areas continue tuning out half-baked products, most of them illiterate. It is a shame and many schools are in a sorry state of affairs. Some of them don’t have proper structures while others don’t have desks and chairs. Books and other equipment are either not adequate or unavailable.

Some students have to brave harsh Tanzanian weather conditions to walk several kilometers to and from school. Poverty on the other hand contributes much to pregnancies that have cut short the education of thousands of schoolgirls throughout the country. With the look of things, much still needs to be done to make sure the sector is in order.

I also don’t know whether the recently rejected policy draft titled, “Education and Training Policy”, was a joke of some kind or what? I commend our Members of Parliament for out rightly rejecting the draft that was presented by a certain Calistus Chonya, Policy Analyst, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, that was aimed at slashing the current number of years for primary education from the current seven to six.

I consider this a joke because it was proposed at a time when there is a lot to be desired when it comes to the quality of primary school leavers in this country.

The act of coming up with such proposals is tantamount to ‘kupoteza mishale kwa kuwinda kunguru wakati kanga wanakuja.’ Surely there are many other pressing issues that should be addressed in the ministry first before thinking of reducing the years.

Let the powers that be know that what is wrong with our education system is not the number of years pupils study, but the quality of education they get. More effort is needed to make sure that service delivery is improved and once everything is in order then we might think of reducing the years.

As long as the learning environment is not improved and even if the number of primary school years are increased, then no positive results will be achieved. The problem bedeviling the education sector is too big for the government to tackle it alone. This calls for the private sector to chip in and help address some of the shortfalls.

Discipline among teachers is vital to turn around the sector. Mnali was forced to instill discipline in the same manner teachers use to instill it to their pupils. Don’t get me wrong dear reader, I am not condemning and neither am I condoning what the DC did but what I am trying to highlight here is that teachers need to pull up their socks and make sure that they do justice to the little ones.

Again, we may all blame the teachers but if we look at their working conditions then we are also forced to feel sorry for them. Sometimes we tend to expect miracles out of them while at the same time they are incapacitated by the working conditions and environment. The problem in the education sector is like a vicious circle it is very difficult to lay blame on one group of people in the circle.

That’s why the blame game is so evident every time results, be they Grade Seven, Form Four or Form Six, are published. The government usually blames both the teachers and students, while students blame their teachers and sometimes parents. Parents on the other hand blame teachers and the government while teachers blame the government and students; the list is endless.

A solution is exactly what is needed. There is need to overhaul the education sector for us to achieve the intended results, lest the gains we have achieved in the sector can be reversed. Everyone has to play his or her part and together we will make it.

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Arrest warrant issued for Tanzanian in Benz swindle

A Tanzanian man, who is awaiting trial for allegedly swindling a Harare man of a Mercedes Benz worth US$6 000 has been issued with a warrant of arrest.
Magistrate Mr Morgan Nemadire issued Julius Magoli (36) with a warrant of arrest after he failed to turn up in court for his trial yesterday.
Prosecutor Mr Michael Razor alleges that on November 30 last year, Margoli went to Rocky Matenda's garage driving his S260 Mercedes Benz.
It is the State's case that Matenda had shown interest in the car before.
The two, the State alleges, made an agreement whereby Matenda was to give Margoli US$2 000.
He would also top up with an inferior model of a Mercedes Benz.
Matenda paid Magoli US$2 000 and Margoli left his Mercedes Benz on the pretext that Matenda would get the vehicle registration book after giving Margoli the other car.
The court heard that on December 4 the same year Margoli went to Matenda's workplace where they drank beer while in the office.
It is alleged that Margoli left the office, went to where the vehicle was parked and drove off after telling the security guard that he had been sent to buy more beer by Matenda.
As the accused was leaving, the security guard went to enquire with Matenda.
Matenda waited for Margoli to return until the close of business, it is alleged.
The State alleges that Margoli did not return with the vehicle.
He is alleged to have switched off his mobile phone.
The following day Matenda made a police report.
On December 19 last year Matenda got Margoli's address and was accompanied by some of his employees.
Upon their arrival, they identified the car and took it.

Source: The Herald

Recklessness as bus, canter collide

An undisclosed number of people were injured when a Prisons' bus collided with a Mitsubishi Canter along Airport Road, near Quality Plaza recently. The driver of the Canter failed to give way to the oncoming bus during the morning rush hour. The accident blocked the road causing a traffic jam.









Accidents continue to claim many innocent souls on our roads and in most cases, human error is to blame. For how long shall we continue to watch our loved once perishing on the roads due to negligence. The time to act is now and now is the time.

Of child abuse and fathers turning monsters

The hullabaloo caused by British Prime Minister David Cameroon’s remarks seems to be dying down while at the same time the message has been sent; a big NO to same sex marriages. But, though we were quick to dismiss Cameroon, calling him all sorts of names, I am reminded of a saying we used to tell those who always wanted freebies that ‘kitu cha bure duniani ni jua tu.’

This means that we can’t expect Britain and other countries to pump millions if not billions of US dollars or pounds to poor countries without them gaining something. At the end of the day, all aid comes with strings attached, whether visible or invisible. The sooner we learn that nothing is for free the better and easier we will understand Cameroon’s position.

Though as a nation we cannot be forced into having laws that are against our norms and values, it is high time we refrain from relying on aid. We are poor yes, but we should try all by means to stop extending our hands to receive every time. Even the Bible tells us that it is blessed to give than to receive.

Cameroon is right to say what he said because it is his country and they have no moral obligation to help any country in as much as we don’t have any moral obligation to change our laws. To call a spade, a spade, we should move away from aid because as long as we are still getting aid, we will always be told what to do.

Let it be a lesson to us to strive to be self reliant so that no one can try to recolonise us. This country is rich and if we could utilize our resources then we can go far. As we celebrate 50 years of independence, can we as a country look back and be proud of our achievements? It is a question that I ask you dear reader today.

I believe the issue of same sex marriages has been buried and is fast becoming water under the bridge. The choice is ours.

I have written about it before and by nature it should be a tired story but it seems as if the society is turning a blind eye to it. Children are now an endangered species and I wonder what kind of future generation we are preparing.

When reading through newspapers I came across this shocking story. It is a stranger than fiction story and I believe it qualifies to be turned into a script for a Bongo movie.

Two female strangers’ curiosity last week, led to the dramatic rescue of an eight-year-old girl who had been tied almost hanging from the roof crossbars by her mother. This was a punishment for allegedly stealing 500/-.

The women who were walking past the house around 2:30pm heard a feeble voice crying for help in a locked room. They called police officers to ascertain what the matter was with the crying child in a locked room. When the police officers broke the padlock, they found the child hanging on the bar in pain.

The child is also said to have been found with severe burns on her buttocks and hands which she said were inflicted on her by her mother after accusing her of failing to do house chores. The girl was taken to hospital for treatment.

It is a shame that such cases continue to happen and what pains most is the fact that the perpetrators are close relatives who in actual sense are supposed to protect the little ones. I have for a long time been writing about mothers who ill-treat their children. Some of them behave as if they were total strangers to their children and it’s a shame because motherly love is what has made what the society is today.

Many people are what they are now because of their mothers who gave them maximum love at a time where fathers maintained their distances. I know this trend might be fast changing, but it is a fact that many children are closer to their mothers than fathers as they are said to be having a softer heart.

The issue of having women ill-treating their own children was unheard of and men were the ones notorious for that. I know of families where children had to go to sleep every time their father either enters the room or arrives at home.

One of my readers highlighted to me that one of the stories, published recently on child abuse was one sided. It touched more on women abusing children while it was silent on the role of men on child abuse. Today, dear reader, the issue of men abusing children, not necessarily theirs is fast growing as well. Many children have their lives shattered and will have to live with the trauma of having been sexually abused.

I remember coming across a T-shirt written ‘acheni wawe ndege mayai hana mchuzi’. Loosely translated it means that people should wait for the bird’s eggs to hatch first and probably eat the bird later, as the eggs are too small to be cooked into a meaningful meal.

This statement advises men to leave these young girls and children to grow into adulthood rather than rushing to rape a small girl whose sexual organs are not even ready for that. It is a shame that things like this continue to happen and sexually abusing a child is tantamount to slapping him or her with a death sentence. The child will live to remember the abuse that will affect the rest of hi or her life.

Some men have turned into animals by sexually abusing children, what is shocking most is that some of them abuse young boys. I am not saying that only girls should be abused but, what I am alluding to is the point that they will be doing what the whole nation was up against, Sodomy. Daggers were drawn last week when the British PM suggested that we include it in our laws.

I don’t know why we are not complaining with the same intensity, when children are sodomised and at the same time little girls are raped. More should be done to protect these children so that they have a better tomorrow. Many stories of men raping or abusing children have been awash in our media and, although we know that the law usually take its course, the increase in these cases is worrying.

Let these children grow to become adults before you can think of touching them. When they grow up, they will be independent and wise enough to make their own decisions. The society should unite in fighting child abuse. Whether the abuser is the mother, father, relative or stranger to the child deterrent measures should be taken. Let’s get rid of child abusers and make this country a better place.

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Michael Jackson doctor found guilty of manslaughter

Los Angeles

Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray was hauled off to jail in handcuffs last night as he was found guilty of killing the star.

Grim-faced Murray (58), sat unblinking as the jury of seven men and five women returned a unanimous verdict on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

They decided after nine hours of deliberations and a six-week trial that he killed Jacko (50), with a massive dose of hospital anaesthetic propofol. The Jackson family were jubilant. Inside the Los Angeles courtroom the star's sister La Toya let out a yelp of "Yes!" as the verdict was read at 9.17pm. Outside, hundreds of banner-waving Jacko fans cheered and whooped in delight.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor refused bail and remanded Murray in custody for sentencing in three weeks. He faces up to four years.

The judge told him: "The public should be protected. This is a crime that ended in the death of a human being." The killer doctor, in smart grey pinstripe suit, was immediately surrounded by three uniformed officers who pulled his arms behind his back and cuffed him. His lawyer Ed Chernoff looked tearful as the verdict sunk in.

The Jackson family - dad Joe, mum Katherine, and siblings Randy, Jermaine, Rebbie and La Toya - were in court. Jermaine said: "Justice was served. Michael is with us."
La Toya (55), said she was "overjoyed", and added: "Thank you America. Thank all the fans. Thank you the prosecuting team. Michael loves everybody and we love him. He was in that courtroom and that's why victory was served."

It was believed Jacko's children Prince (14), Paris (13), and Blanket (9), were told not to watch the verdict on TV at home so their grandmother could break the news to them in person later. The court had heard how Murray administered the dangerous sedative in the singer's bedroom on June 25, 2009, before abandoning him. The doctor claimed Jacko injected the drug himself. As Murray was led out of the court he looked at his mother, who whispered: "I love you".

Guilty doctor Conrad Murray took £96 000 a month to care for Michael Jackson - but ended up killing him. He shamefully claimed the troubled "Thriller" star caused his own death by overdosing on a powerful anaesthetic.

But a jury saw through his lies - and decided Murray pumped the King of Pop with such a massive amount of propofol he was certain to die.

The 58-year-old physician - convicted last night of involuntary manslaughter - was so distracted by his tangled love life that he disgracefully neglected his duty of care to his world-famous patient.
On the morning of the tragedy, Murray gave 50-year-old Jacko a 100ml dose of propofol. That amount is only used in hospital to knock out patients before major surgery - and was FOUR TIMES the dose that Murray admitted administering. The lusting medic then left the singer alone to speak to THREE lovers.

Jurors at Murray's Los Angeles trial were told he spent 45 minutes on the phone to cocktail waitress Sade Anding (25), before he realised Jacko was in trouble and raised the alarm.

He had texted Spearmint Rhino stripper Michelle Bella earlier that morning - and took a call from another mistress, Bridgette Morgan, at around the same time. The playboy physician was living with Nicole Alvarez (29), mother of his young son, at the time.
Murray made three other calls as the lethal dose coursed through Jackson's body. He even messaged insurers to insist the star's health was fine. Prosecutor David Walgren told the court: "He left this vulnerable man, abandoned him, to fend for himself. It violates not only standards of care, but decency from one human being to another".

Murray, who had been treating Jackson for six weeks, was still on the phone to Sade when he found the singer slumped on his bed at his Holmby Hills home at 11.56am on June 25, 2009. As Jacko's children Prince and Paris looked on in horror, Murray yelled: "Does anyone know CPR?"

After cardiac resuscitation failed, the doctor rang the star's PA Michael Amir Williams at 12.12pm. Murray told him: "Get here right away - Mr Jackson had a bad reaction."

Astonishingly, Murray waited until 12.20pm - 24 minutes after he first found Jackson's body - before asking security guard Alberto Alvarez to call the 911 emergency number.
Paramedics arrived in six minutes but Jacko was already dead. Murray failed to tell the emergency crew he had given the star propofol. He also insisted he had only left Jackson "a minute".

Jacko was taken to the UCLA medical centre where he was officially declared dead at 2.26pm. LA Deputy District Attorney Mr Walgren revealed Jacko's body was full of drugs, including relaxant valium and the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.

An autopsy revealed traces of propofol in his heart, liver, stomach and even his EYEBALLS. Murray had ordered an extraordinary 155 000mg of the drug - just over four gallons - between April and June 2009.

The court heard a slurring Jacko on a recording found on Murray's iPhone. It was disturbing evidence of the singer's drug-addled state.

Good pal Kenny Ortega - co-director of Jacko's planned This Is It tour - testified to the star's "rambling and obsessing" manner in the days before he died. Bodyguard Alvarez's tearful evidence also painted a picture of Murray's blind panic in the moments after Jacko's death.

He described how he saw the doctor rip an intravenous tube from Jackson's leg and take a vial filled with a "milky white substance" from the bedroom. Prosecutors said Murray was trying to remove propofol from the scene. - The Sun.

Violence rock Liberia polls

Polling stations closed in Liberia, yesterday, after a presidential runoff in which incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is poised to win a second term after her closest rival boycotted the vote, citing fraud concerns.

"There were no incidents reported from the various polling places and all have already closed at 6pm (18GMT)," Joseph Yassiah, spokesman of the electoral commission, said on yesterday.

Yassiah said he could not yet comment on the voter turnout, but news agencies had reported earlier that the effect of the boycott by Winston Tubman of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) was evident in the visibly reduced voter queues.

Some polling stations had no more than a dozen people waiting to cast their ballots.

Some polling stations closed before the published time on Tuesday evening, when it became clear that no more voters would show up.

At four polling stations in the West Point area of the capital, the turnout was devastatingly low - with only 83 ballots cast out of 383 registered voters at one, for example, representing just 21 percent voter turnout.

Human rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday called for an independent and impartial investigation into possible human rights abuses during the election period after several people died in clashes between police and opposition supporters in Monrovia.

Homosexuality: It’s better to remain hungry than eat a poisoned carrot

This world never ceases to amaze me. Strange happenings continue gripping this country and this might be signaling the end of the world. So many prophecies have been made concerning the end of the world and in as far as I know they were all false.

Basing on religious scriptures, many people have tried to calculate the end of the world but in vain. On top of the list is a Christian broadcaster, who incorrectly predicted that the world would end in May this year.

Harold Camping, 90, stated that Judgment Day would take place on May 21, when Jesus would return to Earth and the "righteous" would be taken up to Heaven. Despite the fact that May 21 came and went, the US evangelist went ahead and unleashed another shocker when he claimed that Friday, October 21, will be the actual Apocalypse.

Mr Camping, who runs Christian broadcast channel Family Radio, was reportedly "flabbergasted" when no one was "raptured" on that date. However, he maintains that "God accomplished exactly what he wanted to happen" and that a "spiritual judgment" had occurred in May to make way for the "physical destruction" in October.

But, despite all his predictions, nothing happened, we are over a month now since his prediction and we are still to witness the end of the world. Never mind these false prophets because the holy book points out that no one knows the day nor the hour. It goes on to say that even Jesus Himself does not know but only the Father.

The strange happenings, however, might be sending a warning that we are now living in the last days. I am not trying to intimidate you dear reader but just pointing out the realities of life. A certain traditional healer in Morogoro was last week sentenced to 10 years after she was found in possession of remains of human beings including a skull and human skin. When the news broke out, that a traditional healer had been arrested after being found in possession of the strange objects, it was not only a surprise but sent shocking waves within the community she resides.

There are so many questions that remain unanswered in as far as the body parts are concerned. The origin of the bones and the skin remain shrouded but shows how cunning witches are.

When growing up, I heard stories of witches who feed on people’s flesh but I could not believe it. The world of witchcraft is said to be complex and I remember being told that witches have the power to travel long distances during the night using strange objects as their transport. They are also said to have the powers to open graves and eat the remains of our loved one we would have buried in the cemetery.

These witches are also said to possess the power to enter into people’s houses without them being noticed. And, something that can be closer and might provide answers to the Morogoro incident is that the witches are said to have the power to take the body of the dead before it is buried and replace it with a log.

It is said that the ordinary eye will never see the changes and will go ahead and bury the log because in the actual sense they will be seeing their relative. This means that after taking the body, they will go and eat freely; enough about witches.

A strange child was born at Olturumet hospital in Arumeru District, Arusha Region leaving the medical profession gasping for answers. In most cases when such a child is born, we always blame witches for it. And, as expected, all the relatives who had accompanied the mother to hospital deserted her soon after the child was born saying it was an abomination.

The strange child is said to have four male sexual organs and two anuses. While one of the anuses is located at the right position, the other one is said to be at the back, just below the shoulders. The medical personnel are said to be examining the child to determine if there is anything that could be done to save the child; strange indeed.

Another shocking incident happened recently in Dar es Salaam, when a man died while washing cars in Urafiki Kilimani area, Kinondoni District. He is said to have collapsed while working and died on the spot. Investigations are said to be going on.

These are some of the strange things that have been gripping this country in the past week or so. And, as if this was not enough, another bombshell came straight from Britain, where the prime minister there hinted that his country will consider cutting aid to those countries that don’t endorse gay marriages.

Homosexuality, lesbianism, same sex marriages, ushoga or what ever name it might be called is a social disorder that people like Cameroon should think first before trying to use their financial acumen to impose upon countries with weaker economies. Same sex marriages are not only a taboo in Africa but also brings with them serious reproaches from the community.

We all know that in Uganda, there was a controversial bill that advocated death sentences on all those found to be gay. In Malawi, a gay couple that had married was thrown into jail before being relegated to the scam of the society. Many African countries have made it crystal clear that gay marriages are not acceptable.

And, of late, many countries did not take Cameroon’s statements lightly and have made it clear that its better they remain poor than be forced to adopt something that is against their beliefs. Countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Tanzania just but to mention a few denounced the practice.

Speaking to Journalists during a news conference said; “Our position on this matter is crystal clear. Our moral values and culture will always prevail even if we remain poor. We understand the issue is UK’s Conservative Party policy but we will not bow down to their pressure,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bernard Membe.

Same sex marriages are a shame and I believe it is only the religionless people who advocate them. This is because all the religions I know, be it Christianity, Muslim and even African traditional religion don’t approve the same sex thing. We can’t allow people to impose their religionless practices on us simply because they are dangling a carrot in the name of aid. It is better we remain hungry than to eat a poisoned carrot.

If Cameroon decides to cut aid because of that then that’s it. We are a sovereign country and us being poor does not mean that the rich will have to detect how we run our own affairs. Homosexuality is a disease that is worse than the dreaded HIV/AIDS and it should not be given room to spread.

In the Bible God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah using fire because of this and accepting it now is tantamount to turning our country into a Sodom and Gomorrah. I commend our leaders for standing firm for the sake of their followers. Homosexuality has no place in this country and Cameroon together with his fellow gays should know that. They either respect us, our culture, norms and values or they stay with their aid.

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Engaged couple discover they are brother and sister when their parents meet just before wedding

An engaged couple who dated for five years have been left in turmoil after their families met and they discovered they were brother and sister.

The woman, who is due to give birth next month, is devastated by the discovery that the father of her child is her brother.

The couple, who met at university, had decided they wanted to introduce their single parent families to each other before they got married.

My fiance is my brother: The unnamed couple had been together five years before they discovered, days before their wedding, they were siblings

Bombshell: The unnamed couple had been together for five years before they discovered, just before their wedding, that they are siblings

But at the meeting it emerged they were brother and sister who had been separated as small children.

The unnamed South African couple are still in shock after making the discovery last Saturday.

The country's Sowetan newspaper reported that the siblings had been raised separately after their mother and father went through an acrimonious divorce.

It reported: 'Their parents separated when the woman was eight months old and the man was two years old.

'The man's father said he dumped his wife in 1983 because she was cheating on him. The girl was raised by her mother, while her brother was raised by his father.

'Neither of them knew they had a sibling.'

The Sowetan reported that the children grew up separately with their single parents near the towns of Nelspruit and Bushbuckbridge, which lie 50 miles apart in South Africa's eastern Mpumalanga province.

They reportedly met again at university in 2007 and fell in love.

Their two families did not meet throughout their five-year relationship, until they were brought together last week to discuss wedding arrangements.

In many African cultures it is traditional for the family of a male partner to pay a lobola, or 'bride price', to that of his fiancée.

In doing so, the two families normally arrange a summit at which they are formally introduced and able to conduct the negotiations.

But the couple's plans were derailed when their parents came face to face and revealed their bombshell.

The woman told the Sowetan she was devastated by the revelation.

She said: 'It was love at first sight. We were studying together at Tshwane University of Technology in Nelspruit.

'When I first saw him, we connected. We fell in love and since that day, we never looked back.

'All we wanted to do was just to have a family and many kids.

'So you can imagine how shocked we were when they broke the news. We are going to have a child together. We do not know what we will tell him when he grows up.'

The couple said they had decided to split after hearing the news and were discussing how to handle the shock with their separated parents.

The man added: 'We can't think straight at the moment and will just take everything one step at a time.'

Incest remains one of society's last taboos and is an unthinkable concept to most people.

Yet research by the British Medical Journal showed that half of those separated from relatives at a young age experience strong sexual feelings when they are reunited.

Psychiatrists believe the natural repulsion brothers and sisters feel growing up together as children acts as an inhibitor to incest.

But those who miss out on this time can develop powerful, obsessive feelings for their sibling in adulthood.

1-month-old baby on Nigerian payroll

KANO

A 1-month-old baby, said to hold a diploma, was on the Nigerian government payroll, officials have discovered, exposing the levels to which corruption runs in Africa's most populous country.

The name of the infant was recently found on the payment voucher of a local government council in northern Nigeria during an exercise to fish out ghost employees from a bloated workforce, Garba Gajam, justice commissioner for Zamfara State told AFP late on Wednesday.

"In the on-going verification exercise of the payrolls ... in the state we discovered that a month-old baby was among the employees of one local government who is paid a salary," Gajam said.

"What is even more astonishing is that it was indicated in the payroll that the infant holds an ordinary national diploma," said Gajam, revealing that the discovery is a "widespread trend in the local government service where senior officials stuff payrolls with the names of their wives and children".

In August the name of a 5-month-old baby was found on the payroll of another local municipality, prompting an investigation.

"And we have been receiving amazing revelations which point to the rot and abysmal level of corruption at the local government level," Gajam said.

Perpetrators will have to refund the siphoned funds and face prosecution for misappropriating public funds.

Zamfara is one of the 12 predominantly Muslim states in northern Nigeria that adopted the sharia law which imposes amputation of a wrist for theft.

So far no-one has been tried for corruption in a sharia court in the state since the re-introduction of the penal code in 1999.

In 2001, two cattle rustlers had their right wrists amputated in separate sentences, drawing local and international outrage.

Source: News24

Of accidents, recklessness and history repeating itself

When history continues repeating itself then in most cases circumstances that would have led to it will be the same. The recent MV Spice Islander 1 accident is a copycat of the MV Bukoba accident. The only difference is the place the two accidents occurred.

For a long time now, we have been battling road accidents and over and over again, we have many people perishing on our roads because of careless driving. The recent accident involving a Deluxe Luxury Coaches bus claimed 12 lives when it exploded into a ball of fire after it had overturned. But hardily a week after that incident had occurred, I witnessed an incident where the driver of a Dar es Salaam bound bus was driving recklessly. Besides speeding he was overtaking in places that were not safe.

As part of journalists coming from an assignment, we filed a complaint with one of the traffic police officers who stopped the bus and consulted the passengers over the driver’s performance. Surprisingly the passengers sided with the driver, who was later given a ticket for reckless driving. But while he was still being given the ticket, a group of passengers alighted and started shouting obscenities, defending the driver. They then attacked the journalists, who were trying to save their lives.

This then convinced me that we have a big problem in this country. We have a problem of forgetting too quickly. We have what we call short memory. I hadn't realised that we, as a nation, suffer from that problem until I came across that incident because people had been burnt beyond recognition a few days earlier but the passengers were defending a reckless driver who had not only admitted his fault but also apologised. And this quickly reminded me of a daladala plying the Mwembeyanga- Yombo-Kilakala route inscribed on its back window, “Tatizo mnajisahau.”

And, for those with eyes, our transport sector is rich when it comes to depicting our cultural values norms and beliefs. Different messages are written strategically on these vehicles so that other road users and the general public can see them. Though some of these messages act as a form of identity or trade mark, they carry important messages that usually provoke readers into thinking about a certain subject matter.

The only problem is that many people are allergic to reading; they simply don't want to read. These messages can bring change in people's lives. I remember coming across another interesting message, not on a daladala but on a guta, that read, “ Mimba utatoa, Ukimwi je?” The message was reminding people that they may have unprotected sex knowing that if they get pregnant they will abort but it posed a question as to what they will do when it comes to AIDS. Interesting isn't it? Let's all try to open our eyes, we deliberately closed, so that we can benefit from such messages. Just give yourself a day to check on these messages as you commute to and from your work place or home.

So, after coming across the message (the first one), I discovered that it rightly applies to us in this country who in most cases, because of our forgetfulness, we let history repeat itself. The major culprit when it comes to this forgetting game is the media. When an event occurs, they make a lot of noise but readers are shortchanged when no follow ups are made to that story. Most stories are not followed to their conclusions.

We have so many cases that have been left hanging because of one reason or the other. We have so many stories that took us by storm only to die natural deaths. The likes of the trawlers' case, the DECI saga and the EPA just but to mention these. The stories are now thinly covered or not covered at all. I know journalists will be quick to defend themselves in the name of news values but these are important stories people would like to know their progress or conclusions.

I believe that the failure to remind the army and the government about the Mbagala blasts issue might have caused some people to sit on their laurels thinking that the problem had gone for good, only to be shocked when Gongo La Mboto blasts occurred. I feel that we tend to relax and forget too soon about some problems that will be in need of solutions.

The problem of electricity we are facing today is a spillover not only from last year, but other (many) previous years. The issue is that whenever Tanesco comes up with temporary measures and power rationing becomes a thing of the past, we think that the problem is solved and no one bothers raising the need to invest in more permanent solutions, simply because we forget too soon.

When 10 infants were discovered in a shallow grave in Mwananyamala early this year, everybody went crazy, demanding to know why such an abomination had happened in our land. The media were awash with pictures and stories of the incident.

Various sectors of the society condemned the incident branding the hospital as unethical and all sort of names. But, all wananchi's concerns fell on deaf ears as nothing tangible came out of it. Now, life is back to normal and everyone seems to have forgotten all about it.

The media did a good job by covering the incident; even columnists had a field day, blasting the powers that be left, right and centre. But, they were also found wanting, just as expected, they failed to follow the story to its logical conclusion. Up to now, the public don't know the outcome of the investigations. The last time I ever saw a story covering that event was when the bogus committee formed to investigate the issue, issued their findings and recommendations.

It is pretty obvious that we have forgotten about the Mwananyamala madness and we are waiting for a similar incident to occur again so that we can complain again. That is the problem we are facing and as long as we continue to have such an attitude, then history will always repeat itself.

Not even one journalist bothered to make a follow up on the progress of investigations. It won't be surprised if the culprits have not been brought to book up to now. No one has bothered to tell us what steps the hospital took to address the problem. Tuna kwenda wapi with such an attitude?

As long as we continue adopting an I don't care attitude, deliberately having short memories and failing to get to the bottom of the problems affecting us, then problems such as the road accidents, Mwananyamala madness, the Mbagala bomb blasts, Gongo la Mboto blasts and DECI thievery will continue haunting us. History will always repeat itself and in most cases, wananchi are the most affected. God bless us.

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/ symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Nine passengers nabbed for defending reckless driver

SIMBARASHE MSASANURI
Dar es Salaam

At a time when road accidents continue to claim innocent lives, mainly due to human error, police at Chalinze in Coast Region arrested nine passengers for defending a reckless driver and obstruction of justice.

The passengers who were in a bus christened Happy Nation that was traveling from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam, had to have their journeys cut short after allegedly verbally and physically attacking journalists who were coming from an assignment in Morogoro. The journalists, who were traveling in a separate bus, had alerted a traffic police officer that the driver of the Happy Nation bus had been driving recklessly, resulting in him being ticketed.

According to one of the journalists, Japhery Mjasiri, the Happy Nation bus overtook not only their bus but other vehicles at an undesignated place and, above all, the driver was speeding.

“As journalists, we know the impact of accidents and the efforts that are being put in place to curb them, so we approached a traffic police officer at Mikese along the Dar es Salaam- Morogoro road and told her to caution the driver of the bus.

“What surprised us, however, is that when the passengers in the bus were asked by the police officer whether the driver was driving recklessly, they all protected him. But, the officer went ahead to write a ticket and cautioned the driver. And, while she was still doing so, a group of passengers alighted from the bus and started shouting obscenities at us, complaining that we were delaying them unnecessarily,” he said.

He went on to point out that the impatient passengers became aggressive, shouting obscenities and threatened to beat the journalists together with their driver. “They ended up banging the windows of our bus with their fists. When the journalists realized that the situation was getting aggressive, they took their cameras and started filming and it is at that point that one camera man was beaten.”

This was also confirmed by the driver of the small bus carrying the journalists, Frank Pungu, who said he had to close his door very fast to avoid being beaten by the angry mob.

“I would like to commend the Happy Nation driver who calmed his passengers before apologizing to us for not only the reckless driving but also for the behaviour of his passengers,” he said.

When the bus left the passengers are said to have continued insulting the journalists who retaliated by calling one of the senior police officers who later on directed police officers at Chalinze to solve the case.

“When we arrived at Chalinze Police Station, we showed the police officers the video footage and still pictures of the aggressive passengers, who were nabbed and detained,” said Mjasiri before adding that this should be a lesson to other passengers that they don’t mistreat people who are trying to save their lives.

Another journalist who requested anonymity said that the attitude shown by the passengers was shocking to say the least, pointing out that their behaviour was unacceptable because “we were good Samaritans here. What we only wanted is to save their lives but what they were thinking was their destination. They thought we were delaying them while in the actual sense we were saving them.”

When teachers pass on their 'ignorance' to students, education becomes a formality

“EDUCATION is life” is the motto for a certain school in Yombo-Kilakala. But, what bothers me very much is the quality of education offered by the school. Judging from its infrastructure, number of teachers as compared to that of students, then a lot leaves to be desired.

Every time final results are released, be they Standard Seven, Form Four or A’ Level, we cry foul, blaming each other for the failure. Each and every sector of the society will be trying very hard to exonerate itself from blame to an extent that we turn a blind eye on reality.

Recent reports in the media of a Dar es Salaam school were shocking to say the least. I know many people are wondering why I am saying the story was shocking because to them it’s a tired story. It is now part of our culture. It’s true that not only are our media awash with such stories, but we have living examples of ramshackles we easily pass for schools.

About 720 pupils at a primary school in Kinondoni Municipality have no choice but to endure the pain of squatting on the floor for about eight hours of learning daily. This makes going to school a punishment to these innocent children whose hope for a better tomorrow is pinned on passing examinations.

As if this is not enough, the school faces an acute shortage of classrooms, with 1, 080 pupils sharing 10 classrooms. To add insult to an injury, the school has only two holes they share as toilets thereby putting their lives in danger as they risk contracting diseases such as cholera. What is more disturbing is that even teachers join their students in the scramble, pushing and shoving for a chance to use the facility.

The school also faces an acute shortage of both learning and teaching facilities. What is more painful is that this is not only confined to this school. This is just a tip of the iceberg as we have similar or even worse conditions in some urban and rural schools.

This is undoubtedly one of the reasons most our children fail to make it to the promised land after dismally failing their final exams. Judging by the time a student spends at school and the presence of many private colleges that purport to offer extra lessons for the students, then our pass rates should be higher than what they are today.

How can we expect our students to pass their examinations if they are learning under pathetic conditions? For students to queue up to relieve themselves is a mockery, not only of our education system, but to the country as a whole.

Our students, mostly those coming from the lower classes, have no option but to attend school under appalling conditions. We are sick and tired of our media being awash with news of schools operating either with one teacher, without enough classrooms and desks, without toilets or without even a single textbook.

The revelation then, saw the government, through the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, admitting that the situation is an embarrassment. “We are doing what we can to find a lasting solution to this problem,” the minister was quoted as saying.

I know this is a problem that cannot be solved overnight but there is need to set standards which each and every school should strive to adhere to. Failure to do that, the schools should be closed and the responsible authorities and societies forced to chip in and address the problems.

Recently, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare embarked on a crackdown on substandard and unlicenced health institutions, some of which were being operated by bogus doctors.

Many dispensaries were found wanting and were closed as they were a danger to the health of wananchi. The same can be done with schools, especially those backyard institutions operated by bogus teachers.

The proliferation of private colleges and those good-for-nothing money-generating projects called 'Tuition Centres' should be scrutinized. Such institutions, instead of adding value to our education system, seem to be adding confusion to it.

Most of them are manned by inexperienced and unqualified teachers. The owners of such institutions might be teachers themselves but they usually enroll unqualified teachers (school leavers) to come and teach so that they can underpay them and maximize profits.

To tell the truth, the primary motive for the establishment of these institutions is to make money. There is not much supervision and these people know that they won’t be held responsible for the failure of students because what they only do is to offer extra lessons. This, therefore, means that since they won’t be held accountable, then they can get away with it and make money.

What a shame. Many parents with the zeal to have their children get educated for them to have a better future, waste a lot of their hard-earned cash to pay for extra lessons that end up confusing their children.

The responsible authorities should borrow a leaf from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and visit these tuition centres and I bet my last cent that what they will come up with will be shocking. It won’t be surprising if some institutions are run by Form Four school leavers who do not have any training at all.

This, therefore, calls for guidelines, conditions and pre-requisites for the establishment of such centres. This will add value to our education system and improve our pass rates. Education will then truly become life.

I believe that the school I mentioned above and all others that share the same motto should change it from “Education is Life” to “Education is a Formality”. No one will fault them for doing that because that is the truth.

Enough is enough. Something must be done to improve our education. In fact we are tired of these so-called teachers passing on their ignorance to our children. In the end, the students will remain as ignorant as their teachers. God bless us.

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Muammar Gaddafi afariki dunia

Kiongozi wa Zamani wa Libya, Muammar Gaddafi amekufa katika mateso ya majeraha baada ya kukamatwa karibu na Mji wake wa Sirte Juu imethibishwa na Afisa Mwandamizi wa Kijeshi wa Baraza la Taifa Mpito NTC leo.

Afisa huyo wa Baraza la Taifa Mpito, Abdel Majid Mlegta aliiambia Reuters awali kwamba Gaddafi alikamatwa na kujeruhiwa katika miguu yote kabla ya alfajiri leo wakati akijaribu kukimbia baada ya msafara wake kushambuliwa na ndege za kivita za NATO.

'Pia alipigwa risasi kichwani , `alisema kiongozi huyo.

'Gaddafi injured, captured, dies'

Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi died of wounds suffered in his capture near his hometown of Sirte on Thursday, a senior NTC military official said.

National Transitional Council official Abdel Majid Mlegta told Reuters earlier that Gaddafi was captured and wounded in both legs at dawn on Thursday as he tried to flee in a convoy which NATO warplanes attacked.

'He was also hit in his head,' the official said. 'There was a lot of firing against his group and he died.'

Col Gaddafi is said to be wounded. There is no independent confirmation of the reports.

The colonel was toppled in August after 42 years in power. The International Criminal Court is seeking his arrest.

"He's captured. He's wounded in both legs," National Transitional Council (NTC) official Abdel Majid told Reuters news agency.

"He's been taken away by ambulance."

AFP news agency quoted another NTC official, Mohamed Leith, as saying that Col Gaddafi had been captured in Sirte and was "seriously wounded" but still breathing.

The BBC's Caroline Hawley in Tripoli says although the reports of the capture are unconfirmed, ships and cars have been sounding their horns in the capital and guns are being fired in celebration.

SOurce: BBC