JPM ideas take effect … great wall goes up around tanzanite mine
AFTER the works to build a concrete wall measuring 24.5km around the Mirerani mining quarries are complete, a new capping project to install the fort with live electric wires around the entire distance will soon start.
“… according to the president’s (Dr John Magufuli’s) directives, the 3.2m wall is not enough to keep off intruders … the fort needs to be reinforced with electric fencing as well as surveillance cameras and other security related electronics,” says the Chief of Defence Forces, General Venance Mabeyo, who recently visited the ‘Great Wall of Mirerani.’ The wall is regarded as ‘floodproof’ because all the waterways which used to cause havoc during the rains have since been sealed off – providing just a single entrance and exit gate to ensure that security is maintained.
Last week, the CDF met heads of security at the ‘Great Mirerani Wall’ built specifically to protect the rare Tanzanite gemstones – found only at that area across the world. “We would like the Commander- in-Chief of the Tanzanian Armed Forces, Dr President John Magufuli to inaugurate the wall … any time this year; this project is one of the country’s efforts to safeguard resources and build the economy,” said General Mabeyo, adding that the idea was hatched by the Head of State himself.
Built under the order of President Magufuli the wall whose works started last November 2017 havebeen completed two months ahead of schedule. Among the delegations which toured Mirerani, was the Inspector General of Police, IGP Simon Sirro who assured Mirerani residents that, the wall was not meant to prevent them from making their earnings from the mines, but rather to protect the rare gems from smugglers, thieves and other criminals.
Running nearly 25km, the ‘Great Mirerani Wall’ is probably the longest fort ever built in the country, if not in the entire East African region, with the works being undertaken by the army through the National Service arm. The Commandant for National Service, Major General Martin Busungu was also present and lauded the armed forces for the speedy works.
The Commanding Officer-in-charge of the construction, Lieutenant Charles Mbuge said the wall project started in November last year and was scheduled to be completed on the 30th of April 2018 but so far, the work was done, seventy days ahead of schedule. President John Magufuli ordered construction of the wall to protect all mining activities at the Mirerani Hills, in effort to curb the notorious gemstone theft and smuggling at the Mineral Extraction Zone.
The Head of State issued the order in September 2017 while inaugurating the KIA-Mirerani road, instructing General Venance Mabeyo to mobilise the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces to erect the fort around the precious gemstones’ mining area, to curb theft, smuggling as well as alien infiltration in the quarries. Notorious smuggling of the Tanzanite gemstones is what prompted the government to erect a wall surrounding the mineral extracting zone in Mirerani.
Recent reports indicate that Tanzanite gemstones worth nearly 700 billion/- are smuggled out of the country annually through illegal means with the lot ending up in the neighbouring Kenya and to as far as India and South Africa. While Kenya handles Tanzanite Minerals valued at nearly $100m every year and India documents blue gemstones worth $300m, it is surprising that Tanzania, the only source of the blue gemstones, records just $38m worth of Tanzanite business per annum.
“… according to the president’s (Dr John Magufuli’s) directives, the 3.2m wall is not enough to keep off intruders … the fort needs to be reinforced with electric fencing as well as surveillance cameras and other security related electronics,” says the Chief of Defence Forces, General Venance Mabeyo, who recently visited the ‘Great Wall of Mirerani.’ The wall is regarded as ‘floodproof’ because all the waterways which used to cause havoc during the rains have since been sealed off – providing just a single entrance and exit gate to ensure that security is maintained.
Last week, the CDF met heads of security at the ‘Great Mirerani Wall’ built specifically to protect the rare Tanzanite gemstones – found only at that area across the world. “We would like the Commander- in-Chief of the Tanzanian Armed Forces, Dr President John Magufuli to inaugurate the wall … any time this year; this project is one of the country’s efforts to safeguard resources and build the economy,” said General Mabeyo, adding that the idea was hatched by the Head of State himself.
Built under the order of President Magufuli the wall whose works started last November 2017 havebeen completed two months ahead of schedule. Among the delegations which toured Mirerani, was the Inspector General of Police, IGP Simon Sirro who assured Mirerani residents that, the wall was not meant to prevent them from making their earnings from the mines, but rather to protect the rare gems from smugglers, thieves and other criminals.
Running nearly 25km, the ‘Great Mirerani Wall’ is probably the longest fort ever built in the country, if not in the entire East African region, with the works being undertaken by the army through the National Service arm. The Commandant for National Service, Major General Martin Busungu was also present and lauded the armed forces for the speedy works.
The Commanding Officer-in-charge of the construction, Lieutenant Charles Mbuge said the wall project started in November last year and was scheduled to be completed on the 30th of April 2018 but so far, the work was done, seventy days ahead of schedule. President John Magufuli ordered construction of the wall to protect all mining activities at the Mirerani Hills, in effort to curb the notorious gemstone theft and smuggling at the Mineral Extraction Zone.
The Head of State issued the order in September 2017 while inaugurating the KIA-Mirerani road, instructing General Venance Mabeyo to mobilise the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces to erect the fort around the precious gemstones’ mining area, to curb theft, smuggling as well as alien infiltration in the quarries. Notorious smuggling of the Tanzanite gemstones is what prompted the government to erect a wall surrounding the mineral extracting zone in Mirerani.
Recent reports indicate that Tanzanite gemstones worth nearly 700 billion/- are smuggled out of the country annually through illegal means with the lot ending up in the neighbouring Kenya and to as far as India and South Africa. While Kenya handles Tanzanite Minerals valued at nearly $100m every year and India documents blue gemstones worth $300m, it is surprising that Tanzania, the only source of the blue gemstones, records just $38m worth of Tanzanite business per annum.
Comments
Post a Comment