Tanzania Newspapers Today

Today's mainstream newspapers extensively covered the 9 percent fuel prices cuts. In fact this was the lead story for most of the newspapers. Though it is good news especially to wananchi whose pockets have been strained for a long time by the ever rising cost of living. Another story, related to the main one, is that of 2,549 tonnes of imported fuel intercepted by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) at Dar Port after it failed to meet local standards. The petrol will be returned to the country of origin. There are, however, other stories such as the one on fish imported from Japan that made headlines recently as the authorities raised fears overs the consignment having exposed to possible radiation. This story also, was covered by many newspapers on their front pages. (See editorial for the lead story comment)

Zombe 'atishia' kujinyonga

Aliyekuwa Kaimu Kamanda wa Polisi Mkoa wa Dar es Salaam, Abdalah Zombe akizungumza na waandishi wa habari nje ya Mahakama Kuu jijini Dar es Salaam jana asubuhi.

Katika maelezo yake Zombe alisema kuwa anamshangaa Mbunge wa Arusha mjini, ambaye pia ni Waziri Kivuli wa Mambo ya Ndani ,Godbless Lema kwa kitendo chake cha kuhoji kuhusu uhalali wa hukumu ya Zombe katika kesi iliyokuwa ikimkabili ya Mauaji ya wafanyabiashara wa madini kutoka Mahenge.

Zombe alisema kuwa Lema, haijui Katiba ya Tanzania na kufafanua kuwa Lema kama mbunge, Bunge ni muhimili wa Dola unaojitegemea na vile vile pia Mahakama ni muhimili wa Dola unaojitegemea. Hivyo alimshangaa Lema kuwa hakutakiwa kuhoji maamuzi halali ya Mahakama.

Aidha aliongeza kusema kuwa Wabunge wa CHADEMA hawajui watendalo bungeni na kuwa endapo Chadema watapata ridhaa ya kuongoza nchi, yeye Zombe atajinyonga.

"Endapo kama CHADEMA watatawala nchi hii, mimi nitajinyonga kabisa" Hiki ni chama cha hovyo na wabunge wake ni wa hovyo. "Hawaijui Katiba",alisema.

Zombe alimaliza kwa kusema kuwa anamfahamu Lema siku nyingi na kwamza alikuwa ni mmoja kati ya wanamtandao wa wizi wa magari kutoka nchini Kenya akiwa na wenzake.

Source: Daily Mitikasi

Journalism colleges to participate in broadcasting competition

Simbarashe Msasanuri

Four journalism colleges will battle for honours as they lock horns in a broadcasting competition to be held at Royal College on Friday at 10AM.

According to the Coordinator of Studies at Time School of Journalism (TSJ), Madam Blandina Semaganga, during an exclusive interview with Bongo Blast, four colleges will participate in the competition and they are: TSJ, Royal College, Dar es Salaam School of Journalism (DSJ) and DACICO.


TSJ Principal Caroline Setumbi

“Preparations are at an advanced stage and lecturers from these colleges last week, held a series of meetings to iron out many issues such as that of judges and choose a committee,” she said adding that TSJ students were to visit Royal College studios today (Wednesday) for a familiarization tour so that they get used to the studios before the competition.

The competition will see students from these colleges airing various radio programmes such as news, entertainment, serious programmes, interviews and so on. Winners will walk away with various prizes while every participant will get a certificate of participation.


TSJ Coordinator of Studies Blandina Semaganga

According to Semaganga, all the students from these colleges are invited to witness the competitions.

Also speaking to Bongo Blast in an another exclusive interview, TSJ Principal, Madam Caroline Setumbe hailed the competition as a positive move in as far as providing exposure to students is concerned.

“The competitions will benefit our school and our students in that they get exposure. Besides them advertising the college and themselves, they will interact with media stakeholders, opening doors for employment opportunities,” she said.

She, however, pointed out that she was confident that TSJ was going to win the competitions. Only time will tell.

Of demystifying HIV/AIDS and diluting male sexual appetite

A Tanzanian legislator has come under fire from different sectors of the society after courting the limelight by saying that all those who contracted HIV did it deliberately. What surprises most is the fact that the legislator has stood by his words, he simply refused to withdraw his statements.

The MP for Nkasi North, Mr Ally Kessy Mohamed, has insisted that he will never withdraw a statement he made in Parliament that people infected with HIV got it deliberately.

Whether it's a matter of ignorance , on AIDS, or was a deliberate move to court controversy by the legislator remains debatable but the fact remains that it’s a shame that people who are supposed to lead by example especially in fighting stigma and discrimination are the ones promoting it.

The coming in of the dread HIV/Aids seems to have brought with it confusion to humanity. This has seen many people doing or saying absurd things about the virus that a normal thinking person will never dare. The problem of mystifying HIV/AIDS has contributed to the stigma and discrimination those who contracted the disease are facing.

So many people have been segregated, chased out of their lodgings or lost their jobs simply because they contracted HIV. It is a shame that stigma and discrimination continue to rear its ugly head at a time where the whole globe is supposed to unite in fighting a common enemy.

It seems when it comes to the disease, our leaders sometimes lose it as they continue to give not only fun but also awkward suggestions as to deal with the problem. A Senator in Zimbabwe, was last week quoted as proposing that there be a drug to be injected on men to reduce their insatiable sexual desire so that they can have sex once a month, claiming that would curb the spread of HIV.

Sithembile Mlotshwa, the representative for Matobo, urged the Senate to support scientific research “into a substance that will make men lose (sexual) appetite”.

“We have looked at the use of condoms and abstinence but I still think we have to look at the rate of mating of human beings because through their mating, HIV is being spread,” Mlotshwa said while contributing to a debate on HIV/Aids and access to treatment.

She went on: “The only avenue left is for us as parliamentarians to decide or suggest reducing the appetite of men and their insatiable greed for women.

"If the scientists that we have here look into the issue of trying to inject men with a substance that will make them lose appetite, and use that chance once a month at home, I think that might help.”
Another bombshell erupted from Swaziland where a member of parliament came under fire for suggesting making HIV tests compulsory and branding warning logos on the buttocks of those with the disease.

"Before having sex with anyone, people will have to check their partners' buttocks before proceeding," he explained.

All these are contributions from legislators voted by people, who expect them not only to represent them in parliament but also to come up with sound policies that will go a long way in solving their problems such as HIV.

It is high time we deal with stigma and discrimination. There is no need to segregate those living with the virus because no one is immune to the virus. The problem with those people who segregate others is that they are living in darkness, they have never gone for an HIV test and they simply don't know their status. In most cases, it is a matter of a pot calling another pot black. Gone are the days of thinking that someone with the virus is an outcast especially if we do not know our status.

This leads to many people going into self denial when they later get tested and find out that they are HIV positive. I know of many people, including my relatives, who ended up dying, denying that they had the virus despite the doctors having told them so. They sought solace in witchcraft as they spent their fortune and time going around consulting traditional healers, who in most cases tell them what they want to hear. They are told that they had been bewitched by their relatives who are jealous of their progress in life. What a shame.

I think it is high time we demystify this disease and begin treating it like any other. We know that it is compulsory, in some countries, for children to undergo immunization against the five killer diseases such as polio, typhoid, measles and so on then why can't it be compulsory for HIV.

The secrecy surrounding the disease is the one that is killing us. If testing could be made compulsory and made mandatory that the results are not secretive as they are now, then all the mystery surrounding HIV will disappear and in the long run, will be treated as any other disease where people will be open about it. I believe that the reason we have a lot of stigma and discrimination is the fact that AIDS has been mystified and is viewed as taboo.

Governments, through out the world, especially in Africa should put in place laws compelling men and women to first of all get tested before getting married. Many lives could be saved that way as many people will get into their marriages knowing the status of their loved ones. This will then make them take precautionary measures and avoid infecting each other.

A lot of ground still have to be covered in as far as fighting this disease is concerned. It only takes us to change the perception we have of the disease. God bless you all.
Bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Tanzania: End the legislators expulsion drama

The recent events rocking the Parliament should not be tolerated if the sanity of the House is ever to be maintained. Last week alone, four legislators were ordered out of the House in circumstances that have seen many people branding it the house of comedy.

The first to be kicked out was the Nyamanga MP, Ezekiel Wenje, who was accused of being “disrespectful” to the chair, following a heated debate with the House Chairperson, Sylvester Mabumba. As if that was not enough, the following day, three more opposition legislators were ordered not only out of the debating chamber but off the Bunge grounds for ignoring the deputy speaker's directive not to switch on microphones without permission from the chair.

The legislators are Tundu Lissu (Singida West), Rev Peter Msigwa (Iringa Urban) and Godbless Lema (Arusha Urban). What boggles the minds of many is the fact that all the legislators that have been shown the door so far belong to the opposition camp and this proves right an old adage that where two elephants fight, the grass suffers. The two camps might be trying to prove a point here but that is hardly needed right now. There are more pressing issues the House should deal with rather than embarking on a fight or a struggle to prove superiority and show who is better between those in the ruling party and the opposition.

The growing and disturbing trend of disruptions in the House where legislators end up being chased has received mixed feelings among the people. But, what is important when it comes to this issue is that the people who are disadvantaged are the ones who voted these legislators into parliament. Firstly, those legislators who end up being chased out will be having important issues to iron out, of which the bureaucracy and procedures of the House seem to stifle; hence they remain defiant, in a bid to fully represent their constituencies.

The powers that be in the House should be tolerant and find other ways of punishing legislators they feel are being respectful. This is so because chasing them out of the house is tantamount to chasing the whole constituency as no one will be there to represent them. This is a disservice not only to wananchi but to the country as a whole as Parliament needs these legislators' contributions for it to come up with sound policies and resolutions.

The chaos cannot be tolerated and legislators should find common ground. As long as there is no threat to human life, the justification of expelling a person out of the House remains questionable and as there could be other means of dealing with these problems. This has to be nipped in the bud and failure to control it at this stage will prove disastrous as chaos will reign supreme in the House, a move that might see more legislators being thrown out of the house.

Constituencies sent legislators to the House, not to sleep as others often do, but to represent their interests and make sure that a lot of things are ironed out. When legislators who are trying to express themselves and having issues clarified are chased out of the House then who will blame them if they go and sleep, without contributing anything. Maturity and tolerance are needed in the House for progress' sake. Legislators have a duty to perform, not to fight personal battles, so discipline should be upheld without disadvantaging wananchi who elected them. (ends)

NGASSA AFUZU KUCHEZA ENGLAND

MSHAMBULIAJI wa timu ya Azam Fc ya jijini Dar es Salaam, Mrisho Ngasa, amefuzu majaribio yake ya kuichezea timu ya Seattle Sounders ya Marekani inayoshiriki Ligi Kuu ya England.

Ngasa aliondoka jijini kuelekea nchini Marekani kwa ajili ya kufanya majaribio na timu hiyo iliyofika dau la kumnyakua kwa ajili ya kuongeza nguvu katika safu ya ushambuliaji ya timu hiyo.

Aidha baada ya kuwasili nchini Marekani Ngasa alifanyiwa majaribio ya kwanza katika mchezo wa kirafiki baina ya timu hiyo na Manchester United ya Englandm, ambapo Ngasa alichezeshwa dakika 15 za mchezo huo na kuwaacha hoi mashabiki lukuki waliojitokeza kushuhudia mchezo huo.

Pamoja na jitihada za Ngasa alizoweza kuonyesha katika dadkika hizo 15 na kukosa bao katika dakika za mwisho za mchezo huo, lakini timu yake ilibugizwa mabao 7-0.

Akithibitisha habari hizi kwa njia ya simu, Meneje wa Azam Fc, amesema kuwa baada ya Ngasa kufanikiwa kufuzu majaribio hayo, sasa kinachofuata ni utaratibu wa uhamisho wa mchezaji huyo ili aweze kuitumikia vyema timu yake hiyo mpya.

Aidha, kiongozi huyo akisema kuwa kutokana na Ngasa kufuzu kucheza soka la kulipwa, sasa timu hiyo inajipanga kutafuta mchezaji atakayekava nafasi yake, huku wakijiandaa kuingia mkataba wa kumuhamisha Ngasa ikiwa ni pamoja na dau kamili ambalo bado hadi sasa halijawekwa wazi.

Habari na mdau sufianimafoto.blog

Tanzania Newspapers Today

The mainstream media mainly covered the drama in Parliament, where three legislators were ordered not only out of the House but also off the Bunge grounds for ignoring the deputy Speaker's directive not to switch on microphones without the permission from the chairperson. (Read the editorial for more information)

The gutter press looked at scandals as usual and the recklessness that exposes some stars to diseases such as HIV.


Source: Daily Mitikasi blog