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Mbeya Resident Magistrate's Court has sentenced Mbeya Urban Member of Parliament Joseph Mbilinyi alias Sugu and Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) Southern Highlands Secretary, Emmanuel Masonga to five months in jail for using abusive language against the President. Delivering the judgement today (Monday), the presiding Magistrate, Michael Mteite agreed with prosecution that the duo should be given deterrent punishment. But the defense lawyer Peter Kibatala asked the court to give Sugu and Masonga an alternative sentence but Magistrate Mteite didn't rule in their favour.

THE Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), has recovered about 289.5m/- unpaid tax through public auction of properties owned by Kabanga Inn Limited, it has been revealed. The Kagera Regional TRA Manager, Mr Adam Nth’oga told the ‘Sunday News’ here that the auction was conducted yesterday morning by Mr Lyasuka Swalehe from Suka Security Auction Company at Kamachumu Township, Muleba district. Kabanga Inn Limited had accumulated unpaid tax amounting to 289,480,932/-. The auctioned properties were for the water producing factory, adding that the highest bidder, M/s Kabanga Bottlers Limited offered 370m/-. He paid 100 per cent of the amount. One of the directors for Kabanga Bottlers Limited, Mr George Kabantega, said the company will continue to produce natural spring water. “We are determined to push ahead the industrialisation agenda and support efforts by the Fifth Phase Government under President John Magufuli. The new owners will purchase modern machinery and increase job opportunities,...

WHILE the government rolls out regi s t r a t i o n s for children under five years of age, similar weight will now be thrown into registering deaths, it has been stated. Speaking in an exclusive interview with the ‘Sunday News’ here on Friday, the Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA) Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms Emmy Huddson said the registration of deaths will now be done as soon as they occur, giving almost equal weight to births. According to her, statistics of deaths available with RITA were discouraging; forcing the state to ignite a special programme to make sure the situation was improved. “We are moving on well with under five birth registration, but we are equally determined to scale up more programmes on other registrations like deaths, wills, divorces and marriages,” she said. Of late according to official statistics, records available with the Agency indicate as at this year 481,160 deaths were recorded against 468,510 recorded last year, 456,193 r...

REFORM of African national science, technology and innovation policies to enhance development that drives progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is crucial, according to a new study published yesterday by the African Academy of Sciences. The study, Africa Beyond 2030: Leveraging Science and Innovation to Secure SDGs, is based on extensive literature review, surveys and interviews with scientists, policymakers and development partners between 2016 and 2017. It further details specific policy measures that countries must take individually and collectively to leverage Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to achieve the SDGs. In the past, STI policies have been criticised for short changing monitoring and evaluation frameworks and budgets and failing to incorporate national strategies on sustainable development. These may have resulted in weak government capacity and poor public understanding and ownership. The new study calls for harnessing STI to achieve SDGs and...

  LOCAL economists need to form a think-tank to advise the government in its new development vision that will propel the country into an economic hub of Africa, after the expiry of 2025 development vision. Speaking at the re-launch of Economic Society of Tanzania (EST) in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Minister for Finance and Planning, Dr Phillip Mpango said it was important for economists to have a vibrant association that would be used as a platform to advise the government in preparing its new development vision. “We have begun initial preparations of the vision and mission of nation’s development after 2025. I am calling upon those to be elected to lead the new EST and my fellow economists to start thinking, align ourselves and contribute in that very important process for the development of Tanzania,” he said. Under the 2025 Development Vision, Tanzania is focused to transform the semiagricultural economy to a semi-industrial economy as a strategy to boost growth and devel...

PRESIDENT John Magufuli has promised to solve problems crippling the efficiency of Mwanza Airport, but categorically insisted that his government cannot hastily order 1,900 households to vacate the area over alleged encroachment. The Head of State made his stand yesterday when he arrived at the airport on his way to Chato, in Geita Region, for a brief stay before heading back to Dar es Salaam after attending the EAC 19th Heads of State Summit in Uganda. Dr Magufuli who was received at the airport by Mwanza Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr John Mongella, Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Ms Angelina Mabulla and Mwanza CCM Regional Chairman , Mr Antony Diallo, said he was waiting for a report from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development before making the final decision on the conflict pitting the residents and the airport authority. “I am waiting for the report from the ministry about the residents who ‘invaded’ Mwanza Airport...

WEIRD as it may sound, Leopards in Serengeti have started to hunt and eat one another in emerging type of beast cannibalism among the ferocious cats prowling the country’s second largest national park. The Chief Conservator at Serengeti National Park, Mr William Mwakilema, has confirmed the occurrence, saying it was not very strange for wild beasts to turn upon each other from the same family when it comes to feeding. “It may not sound common but it does occur albeit occasionally,” said Mr Mwakilema when contacted by this paper over reports of leopards turning against each other in the so-called ‘endless plains.’ Reports of Serengeti Leopards ‘eating each other,’ went viral on social media, globally, as well as the ‘National Geographic,’ when some visitors to Tanzania filmed live episodes of one of the large cats tearing and chewing the flesh from another leopard perched onto a tree. The video clips, that also got snatched up by the National Geographic, happen to include voices of l...

THE Roman Catholic Church, Mpanda Diocese in Katavi region has proposed for the arresting and prosecution of all girls who get pregnant at a tender age, a move that will help curb teenage pregnancies.   In line to that, the Church also wants the guardians and parents of the girls to be arraigned in court alongside the girls to fight the trend that is now worrisome among school going children in the country. On the other hand, gender activists and experts expressed mixed reactions behind the whole issue, pointing out that the best way is to identify the source so that proper mechanisms can be used to help tackle the problem. The advice was issued by a Priest from the Roman Catholic Church, Rev Father Leonard Kasimila during the Katavi Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) held on Friday here in Mpanda municipality. “About 80 per cent of teenage pregnancies are caused by men while the other 20 per cent is believed to be by the girls themselves. Now in efforts to curb the alarm...

NORTH Mara Gold Mine has handed over its latest service levy amounting to 1,253,396,585.34 (nearly 1.3 billion shillings) to Tarime District Council. North Mara Gold Mine Acting General Manager, Mr Richard Ojendo, handed the service levy payment to the Tarime District officials during a brief event officiated by Tarime District Commissioner (DC), Mr Glorious Luoga on Friday morning. Mr Jendo said the service levy which represents 0.3 per cent of the gold mine’s turn over covers July-December, last year. “We are happy to be given this opportunity to hand over this service levy today. Our focus is now on improving relationship, communication and building trust,” Mr Ojendo who is also the mine’s Sustainable Communities Manager said in part of his brief handing over remarks. The Acting GM said that the gold mine plans to establish a business training centre aimed at promoting entrepreneurship in the surrounding villages this year. In addition to that, he said the mine would also set up ...

PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has hailed FIFA top brass for picking Tanzania as a venue for its Executive Football Summit. Speaking with sports editors at his office in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the PM said bringing the summit to Tanzania is a big honour to success-hungry Tanzanians, hence FIFA and the African football governing body CAF deserve big applauds for the move. The Premier said he was impressed by efforts being done by both FIFA and CAF in creating clean sportsmanship by fighting corruption in football. “What both Fifa and CAF are doing in fighting corruption while increasing efforts in developing youth and women football are highly commended,” said the PM in his meeting with Fifa and CAF entourage. Responding, Fifa President Gianni Infantinno thanked Tanzanians for the hospitality they accorded him and his team and asked the Prime Minister Majaliwa to convey his gratitude to the country’s President John Magufuli. Infantino said they picked Tanzania after being impressed by...