POLITICS - MKAPA, MREMA, AMOUR, HAMAD HOPE FOR ZANZIBAR SETTLENENT? THE 1996/67 BUDGET TANZANIA'S 'TITANIC' DISASTER KILWA - FROM DECAY TO DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS NEWS TANZANIA IN THE MEDIA 50 YEARS AGO POLITICS - MKAPA, MREMA, AMOUR, HAMAD Tanzaniats leading politicians - Union President Benjamin Mkapa, main opposition leader Augustine Mrema and the feuding leaders in Zanzibar - President Salmin Amour and opposition leader Seif Shariff Hamad have all had reasons for satisfaction and disappointment during the last few months of Tanzania's rapidly developing multi-party democracy. On the mainland multi-partyism is working well; a by-election under way in Dar es Salaam will help to indicate how the main parties stand after almost a year of this new system of government. In Zanzibar, by contrast, it is becoming increasingly difficult for TA to present an accurate and unbiased report on what is happening because of the conflicting information received. The opposition continues to refuse all cooperation with the government elected under questionable circumstances last year and the ruling party is resorting to strong arm tactics in its determination to maintain law and order. MKAPA Popular President Mkapa's dominant position was consolidated on June 20 when he was elected Chairman of his Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Party by an overwhelming 1,248 votes out of 1,259 at an emotional ceremony in Dodoma. Former President and Chairman Ali Hassan Mwinyi handed over the CCM Constitution, 1995 Election Manifesto and Chairman's gong midst deafening chants of tCCM', tCCM', tCCMf, dancing, ululation and music by the party's cultural troop 'TOTt. The new Chairman said that he would maintain earlier policies of socialism and self-reliance and would continue to fight tribalism, discrimination and religious bigotry. He would cleanse the party of immoral and corrupt elements and would enhance discipline, efficiency and integrity in the government and party. The next day President Mkapats position was further strengthened when the entire CCM leadership secretariat resigned so that the President could arrange for his own people to be elected by the National Executive Committee. The new party leaders are: Vice-chairman (Mainland) John Malecela (no change) Vice-chairman (Zanzibar) Salmin Amour (no change) Secretary General: Phillip Mangula (previously Kagera Regional Commissioner) Deputy Secretary (Mainland): Ukiwaona Ditopile-Mzuzuri (previously Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner) Deputy Secretary (Zanzibar) Ali Ameir (no change) National Publicity Secretary: John Mgeja MP for Solwa. Mr Ngombale-Mwiru (who had been Publicity Secretary) was later appointed Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office and Dr. Lawrence Gama (who had been Secretary General) became Regional Commissioner, Morogoro. President Mkapa has continued to surprise people by the number of changes he is making in senior posts. On May 6 he announced the appointment of Mr Omari Iddi Mahita, the ~rusha Reaional Commissioner of Police as Inspector General even though Mr Mahita had previously been two ranks below. The President sacked five other top officers. On June 30 he appointed Mr One1 Malisa as the new Principal Commissioner of Prisons and retired in the public interest 15 police, prison and immigration officers. CITY COUNCIL DISSOLVED One of the reasons for President Mkapafs popularity is the decisiveness with which his government deals with signs of bad governance. An example of this is the case of the Dar es Salaam City Council. Prime Minister Sumaye had warned the Council when he addressed them on January 4 about its low 30% collection of revenue, poor levy system, outright corruption and poor administration of the Council's by-laws. On June 28 he announced that the Council had been dissolved and been replaced by a Commission that would run the city for one year (later changed to 10 months) while a new management structure was established. The government's next step was to abolish regional development directorates and replace them with small secretariats to be under the Regional Commissioners. In districts also, District Commissioners would be overall supervisors of all government functions to reduce bureaucracy. But there are still remnants of the intolerance of opposition typical of earlier Tanzanian governments. When the long established Swahili biweekly 'Heko' published a letter claiming that there hadn't been a proper government in Tanzania since independence it was promptly banned. SECURITY CHIEF KILLED Then came what could become a setback to the governmentfs reputation for probity. On June 30 the former Director of Intelligence and Security, Lt. General Imran Kombe, was shot dead in his car in a hail of bullets by five police detectives and a civilian who were said to have mistaken him for a notorious car thief. The owner of a similar car had offered Shs 1.5 million reward for the arrest of the thieves and recovery of the car. But, the police account of the incident differed from that of the Generalfs wife who was with him and had escaped. She said that her husband had stopped the car and put his hands in the air before he was shot. People began to wonder whether this was Tanzania or Kenya and what secrets the General was holding. The police were promptly arrested and charged with murder but the press became suspicious again when they were barred from the court when the police appeared before it. On July 20, under mounting pressure from press and public the government set up a high powered judicial enquiry under Justice Damian Lubuva to report within a month. The Commission immediately appealed to Britain's Scotland Yard for assistance but this was refused. Responding to criticism the Attorney General later assured the National Assembly that there was nothing wrong in appointing the commission while murder proceedings were going on in court. The Commission's proceedings would be in camera. MREMA Meanwhile, the Chairman of the NCCR-Mageuzi Party, Augustine Mrema, has been busy setting up a strong nationwide party apparatus. Somewhat reluctantly his party has set up a system similar to the 10-cell CCM party system believing that this is the only way to counter CCMfs strong grass roots organisation. The blue flag of the NCCR can now be seen flying in villages from end to end of the country - almost as many as the green flags of the CCM. And Mrema himself has bravely taken on a major political risk by putting himself up as candidate in a by-election which few believe he can win. Mrema had earlier accused CCM of being a sick administration suffering from 'Acquired Anti-Democracy Syndromef (AADS). AN INTERROGATION IN COURT A petition filed by two defeated candidates (from NCCR- Mageuzi and CHADEMA) in the Temeke (Dar es Salaam) parliamentary constituency occupied several weeks of High Court time. The case revealed much of what was alleged to have happened in at least one Dar es Salaam constituency during the last elections and resulted in the convening of the first by- election of the new parliament. During the case there were allegations that the successful candidate, CCM's Ramadhani Kihiyo, bribed voters with money and T-shirts, provided a free supply of water from a bowser SAFI SAFARIS Ltd P.O. Box 10132, Arusha Tel00255 57 414217065 Fax 00255 57 7065 Email DRIES SENaMARIE.SASA.UNEP.NO U K Contact: Ann Burgess. Tel: 01575 582218 or 18 Bryson ~oad, Edinburgh EH11 1EE Individually Designed Safaris in Tanzania We will design a tailor-made safari just for you. Do you want to visit the Serengeti? the coast? a district or region you remember from the past? We will take you (roads permitting) where you want to go at reasonable prices. We can also take you on guided wildlife safaris in Northern Tanzania. two days before the second round of the elections (the first round in Dar es Salaam constituencies was cancelled because of irregularities and several opposition candidates boycotted the second round on November 19 where the turnout dropped to 39% of the 143,749 registered voters) and that a CCM councillor had threatened traders supporting the opposition that they would lose their licenses. Mr Kihiyo got 37,303 out of the 57,152 votes cast in the second round of the elections. The location of several polling stations was said to have been changed because of the high rents charged by owners of the buildings where voting took place - this was alleged to have further confused voters and there were also allegations that ballot papers were bought and sold. But the court reached a pitch of high drama when NCCR MP and lawyer Dr. Masumbuko Lamwai, tackled Kihiyo on the qualifications he had told the electorate he held (as reported in the Daily News): Lamwai: You say you graduated from the Dar es Salaam Technical College in 1986. Is that right?. Kihiyo: Yes, of course. Lamwai: Do you know that man? (pointing to former Technical College Students Council Chairman)? Kihiyo: No, I don't know him. Lamwai: What is a foundry? Kihiyo: I don't know (laughter from the packed public gallery). Lamwai: How many sub-departments are there in the Mechanical Department of the College? Kihiyo: An engine room, an injection pump and repair (laughter). Lamwai: Do you have any paper indicating what marks you got? Kihiyo: I think I have it somewhere. Lamwai: Do you know who the Principal of the College was when you were there? Kihiyo: I don't know. Lamwai: Who was the Registrar? Kihiyo: Mr Kuhanga. Lamwai: No. Mr Kuhanga was my Vice-Chancellor at the University of Dar es Salaam at that time. Lamwai: When did you start your studies there? Kihiyo: I don't remember. Dr. Lamwai told the court that Kihiyo had used the title engineer during the campaign in relation to his ability to solve water problems affecting the constituency.