2 TANZANIANS KILLED IN SOUTH AFRICA ON ANT FOREIGNER'S ATTACK

Two Tanzanians living in South Africa have been killed in what has been linked with the ongoing xenophobic violence that rocked the country recently.

News of the deaths came as the minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Bernard Membe, announced from Oman that Tanzania had begun evacuating its nationals from Yemen that has been engulfed in a bloody war between government forces and rebels.

In South Africa, a representative of Tanzanians living in the country told the website of The Citizen yesterday, that the two met their deaths in the anti-foreigners attacks that have left another five people from other countries dead and thousands displaced in the city of Durban.

Mr Bonka Kuseleka, a representative of the Tanzanians, named the deceased as Rashid Jumanne, a cigarette peddler who died on Tuesday in Stenga, a suburb in Durban and one Athumani alias China Mapepe, who died on Wednesday in the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.

According to Mr Kuseleka, Rashid was shot dead by unknown gunmen while peddling his merchandise while Athumani, a detainee at Westville correctional facility was stabbed to death by fellow inmates.

“As I speak to you now we are on a peaceful march with some locals in Durban to condemn these brutal killings but so far we have lost two Tanzanians here,” he told The Citizen by phone from Durban.

Tanzania: Muhimbili Goes High Tech in Coronary Procedure

MUHIMBILI National Hospital (MNH) has for the first time in history performed a coronary procedure to improve blood supply to heart muscles by using small tubes called stent to widen narrowed coronary arteries.

Speaking to journalists, cardiac specialist and head of the Cardiac Unit at MNH, Dr Mohamed Janabi, said the programme started on Monday with two patients whose arteries were blocked and were treated by the use of stents to widen the narrow arteries.

Dr Janabi said the treatment was being administered using a special machine called Cath Lab, which examines the heart to find out if there are any disease of the heart muscles, valves or heart arteries. During the procedure, the pressure of the blood flow is also measured.

"This procedure has never been done anywhere in the country, this is the first time that this is being done at the national hospital, at the Cardiac Centre where patients are examined and treated for narrow or weak arteries which, if not treated, will result in a heart attack," he explained.

He noted that this will reduce the number of patients who spend a lot of money to receive the treatment outside the country, noting that a team of experts from the United States and India was in the country to help with the procedure as well as build local capacity.

Dr Janabi added that 18 patients will be examined and treated using stents where needed by a team of experts from the US, led by Prof Peter Obrien, an intervention cardiologist, and Ms Jordan Slayton, a registered nurse. Both are in the country under the Madaktari Africa-US initiative.

Dr Mullasari Ajit from Madras Medical Mission explained that more than one stent can be placed in one patient, depending on the extent of blockages in the arteries.

Tatizo Waane added that the Cath Lab machine, which cost the government about US 2 million dollars to procure, would help determine the extent of arteries blockage in patients, which would in turn help determine what was required for treatment.

Prof Obrien explained that the stents, which are small metal tubes, help prevent heart attacks and, in some cases, chest pains, commending the MNH team for doing an excellent job.

He said the two patients who received stents on Monday were recuperating and doing very well, noting that one procedure could take between 30 minutes to two hours.

So far the national hospital has performed 543 heart surgeries, which has saved the nation a lot of money that would have otherwise been spent on seeking treatment overseas.

MNH cardio surgery surgeon, Dr Evarist Nyawawa, explained that the Cardiac Centre helped save half of the money spent by patients seeking treatment outside the country, stressing that the local capacity was well equipped to handle local demand.

Dr Janabi added that the Cath Lab machine was also found in Kenya and Uganda, noting that the national hospital was targeting patients from Burundi and Rwanda, which currently do not have the machine.

Tanzania: 900 Killed in Road Carnage Over Three Months

ABOUT 900 people died and 2,363 others sustained injuries in 2,116 road accidents that occurred countrywide between January and March, this year, the police announced in Dar es Salaam.

However, in just one month from March 11 to April 12, the road accidents claimed 103 lives in eight separate road accidents.

Traffic Police Commander Mohamed Mpinga, speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, blamed the accidents on various reasons, but mostly reckless driving by drivers as well as low participation of passengers and other road users in averting the road carnage.

"Most drivers use experience to drive cars where it may lead to the occurrence of accidents in the country. It is this unbecoming behaviour that has led to the deaths of many people," he said.

He said that on the other hand some accidents in the country are caused by road stakeholders who are not aware of their responsibilities.

The chief traffic policeman said that apart from the drivers who caused the accident due to their reckless driving, the owners of the cars were not in full control of their drivers who infringe upon traffic rules and regulations. He explained that other causes of road accidents include speeding, tiredness and smoking.

"We call upon all Tanzanians to lend us a hand to prevent road accidents, which cause deaths and injuries in the country," he said, observing that although accidents are caused by various reasons, it is the drivers who are mainly responsible for the safety of their passengers.

Mr Mpinga urged the passengers to provide information whenever a driver is speeding unnecessarily and violates road safety rules and regulations.

He elaborated that most of the accidents in the country are caused by drivers who depend on experience without observing the rules and regulations that govern driving.

The senior traffic police official said that in January, a total of 273 people died while in February, there were 236 accident victims.

In March, 357 people lost their lives on the road. Meanwhile, President Jakaya Kikwete has sent a message of condolence to the Morogoro Regional Commissioner (RC), Dr Rajabu Rutengwe, following road accidents that occurred over the weekend, killing 18 people and injuring 11 others.

A statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communications stated that the president had been deeply saddened by the deaths caused by the accident that occurred along Morogoro-Mbeya Highway involving a bus christened 'Nganga Express' and a truck.

A Master of the Bongo music industry

Joachim Kimaryo a.k.a Master J,  two time winner of the Kili Music Awards 2004, 2007 and judge of a talent search show ‘Bongo Star Search,’  is a music producer who is well known for his  skills in music production. Over the past several years he has worked on projects  with  bands such as Twanga pepeta, Diamond and the  Kijitonyama Choir on their hit song, ‘Hakuna Mungu kama wewe.’

Although he holds a  degree in electronic engineering, his passion for music saw him venture into the industry as a music producer, his discography today  places him among the top music producers in the country whose production skills are yet to be seen. 

He recently had a chat with the beat, sharing his knowledge and experience as a music producer, looking at where he started, his influence in the Bongo Flava we have today and what he has to offer to aspiring young musicians basing on his long-term experience in the music industry. 

Tell us about the origins of MJ Record?

Well the MJ Record we know of today has a bit of long  history. It started in 1996 in a container after a lot of resistance from my parents, especially my late father who was against my dream. With a degree in electronic engineering, it was my parents’ wish to see me secure a job in prominent places such as Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), which of course, I never saw myself doing. I had other interests, and that was music. I knew what I wanted to do even when I was still pursuing  my first degree.  Because I wanted to build a career in the music industry, I took a course in sound engineering in 1993 .And in order to raise the money for the project I wanted to establish once I returned home, I had to work to earn some money. I worked in kitchens and the money I got I spent it on music instruments and equipment for a studio.

I brought my parents a degree, but I told them what I wanted to do promising them that if things didn’t  work out  then I will do what they wanted me to do and get a nine to five job. It was hard to convince them, but I did what I believe was best for me. In 1996 I officially opened MJ production.

What has your role been in shaping the Bongo Flava we know of today?

After retiring in 2005, I have remained the owner of the studio, giving the front seat to other talented producers to influence the Bongo music culture. But I knew there was a role I needed to play to make sure that the industry was growing; that’s why when I was approached  by Madam Ritta to be a judge at Bongo Star Search, I knew that I could use my experience to  groom new talents. Also when I started the studio, I did some of my first projects for free.  One person who I must acknowledge played a big role in promoting the Bongo Flava market was Mr Kusaga of Clouds fm. He told me that if I could record music from some bands and other genres, he would play them in his radio station. From there things changed. I got a lot of projects and from there I started charging musicians Sh 5,000. That was in 1998 .

Why are female artistes still not making the cut? 

Well we have quite a number of female artistes who are  doing a great job,  for instance lady Jay Dee. To be able to survive in the game one needs to have a heart made of stone; something that many  female artistes are lacking. There is also pressure from producers, managers and even radio presenters on these female artistes to use their bodies in order to climb up the industry. Not knowing what they want is a big issue that makes female artistes not survive for long in the game. If you give up your body once or twice men will just get tired of you  and what happens next is that you will end up doing the same thing to more than one producer or presenter and once they get tired of you that will be the end of your professional career.  Women who are doing music should learn to respect themselves and believe that they can do it even without sleeping with a manager or a producer .

Why do Tanzanian artists fail to make it internationally?

The biggest issue here is about creativity. Let’s take a look at two African countries: South Africa and Nigeria. These two countries have been doing wonders in the music industry and on international level. They use their own language  and their own style, we don’t understand what they are saying  but we can still enjoy their music.

How this girl was lured by Isis terrorists

Dar es Salaam/Mombasa. A 19-year-old Tanzanian woman arrested in Kenya on suspicion of terrorism was apparently headed to Syria to join ISIS. She was recruited on the internet by a female agent of the terrorist group.

Fresh details in the unfolding tale of the arrest of three young women, who were stopped before entering Somalia, show that they had planned to fly from Mogadishu to Turkey and eventually to Syria. 

Investigators have also revealed that Ummul Khayr Sadir from Zanzibar studies medicine at International University of Africa in Khartoum, where her parents are lecturers. She was seized alongside her Kenyan companions, Khadija Abubakar Abdulkadir and Maryam Said Aboud--all aged 19 and students at local universities. Ms Sadir reportedly joined Al Shabaab last September before she returned to recruit her Kenyan accomplices.   

Authorities in Tanzania were still gathering details on the case and would not make any public statements. “She was a third-year student of medicine at the International University of Africa in Khartoum,” said Mr Sadir Abdalla Said, who told investigators he was her father.

Mr Said told Kenyan detectives that he flew to see his daughter from Oman, where he claims to work. But other evidence suggests that the parents of the Zanzibari suspect are both university lecturers in Sudan. Mr Said later claimed he last met Sadir in Zanzibar in August last year and she visited him in Oman in 2011.

The young women are accused of trying to cross into Somalia to marry Al-Shabaab militants. They were reportedly arrested in El Wak town along the Kenya–Somali border. Police claim the three hoped to reach Syria and join Islamic State, a terror group so brutal that even Al-Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has disowned it. The suspects were remanded for 20 days to allow police complete investigations.

According to The Standard, relatives watched in disbelief on Monday as the State unveiled the suspects in Mombasa. They are accused of trying to cross into Somalia to join Al-Shabaab and become “jihadi brides”.

Abdulkadir, Aboud and Sadir joined Al-Shabaab in September last year after linking up with the group on the Internet. They were lured to join the militant group in Somalia by a Syrian female contact.

Quoting investigators, The Standard reported that the three women were promised marriage to Islamic fighters in Somalia, eventually ending up as widows of holy fighters. They hoped to reach Syria through Turkey after flying from Mogadishu.

A State report suggests that the Tanzanian, who wore a red shawl when the three appeared in court on Monday, was the mastermind of the plan. Their cellphones and two laptop computers were seized by police after they alighted from a bus in El Wak town, near the Kenya-Somalia border on Friday last week.

The report also claims the Tanzanian confessed during interrogation by Kenyan detectives that she was recruited by an agent named Abdulla Ibl Zubeir through a telephone contact in Somalia. On Monday, she told relatives that someone was supposed to meet them. They were unable to connect with Abdulla, whom Kenyan investigators suspect was in Mandera, and the alleged Syrian contact.

Intelligence sources indicate Ms Sadir was born in 1990 and was a top student at Burhani Secondary School in Malindi, where she scored a grade B in 2008 before proceeding to Kenyatta University. She graduated in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Commerce.

SCOUT WILLIS GROWS ARMPIT HAIR

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Rex

Scout Willis

Scout Willis is a known advocate of the Free The Nipple campaign, and she may now be putting the spotlight on female body hair.

The daughter of action movie veteran Bruce was spotted at her London art exhibition on Thursday and seemed to have been making a statement.

The star appeared to have grown out her underarm hair, with a dark patch visible under the line of a very revealing dress.

Rex

Scout Willis with hairy armpit

More obviously, she flaunted her body as her boobs were almost on full display in the skintight, almost see-through gown she wore for the occasion.

Scout went braless in the nude-coloured dress, which ran down to her ankles and was teamed with black booties as she stepped out at the Impossible 8x8 exhibition, which included her own work.

She has been vocal about the Free The Nipple campaign in the past, writing an article for oxjane.com last summer in which she discussed her feelings on the issue.

Rex

Scout Willis at the 'Impossible 8x8' exhibition private view, London, Britain - 19 Feb 2015

She wrote: "I am not trying to argue for mandatory toplessness, or even bralessness.

"What I am arguing for is a woman’s right to choose how she represents her body -- and to make that choice based on personal desire and not a fear of how people will react to her or how society will judge her.

"No woman should be made to feel ashamed of her body."

She joins the likes of Chelsea Handler, who has also hit out at female censorship and protested when a photo challenging Vladimir Putin was removed from Instagram

She posted a topless snap on top of a horse, mimicking the Russian President's original - before hitting out at the social media site when it was banned, stating if men could be topless, why not women.

NEW FORMAT ON TANZANIAN EDUCATION

The newly-launched education system has abolished national examinations for primary school leavers and extended basic education to four years at secondary level—meaning students will sit their final examination after 11 years in primary and secondary school.

The policy makes Kiswahili the medium of instruction from primary school to university level, thereby ditching English —which has dominated Tanzania’s education system from secondary to tertiary level.

But it will take decades for the new system to take root because extensive preparations will have to be carried out before English is phased out. The policy, which President Jakaya Kikwete launched yesterday, also gets rid of school fees at both public primary and secondary levels and guarantees free education.

President Kikwete said the new policy was in line with Vision 2025 and takes into account global economic, social and technological changes. “In the next seven years, we will have built capacity whereby every child who starts Standard One will reach Form Four,” he said during the launch of the policy in Dar es Salaam.

But, given the timeframe, there are doubts that the new policy will yield significant results in the next decade. Critics say school fees in public schools are just a small portion of the cost of education, given that parents are required to make numerous contributions.

According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Prof Sifuni Mchome, the new education system will incorporate vocational education in the basic education syllabus so that students who do not make it to Form Five have skills to contribute to the development of the country.

“It’s our hope that when students complete this basic education, which is compulsory up to Form 4,” Prof Mchome said, “they will be at an age ready to contribute to the country’s development.”

Unlike the current policy, which focuses on filtering and rejecting students without skills through final exams, according to Prof Mchome, the new one raises the number of educated Tanzanians with skills.

“We need a critical mass of skilled labour for the country’s development,” he explained, “but you can’t get it through the current traditional system, which only filters and children go back home after failing Standard Seven final exams.”

Mr Kikwete declared it a significant day in the history of the education sector and said the new policy was a must so the country could proceed in line with global economic and technological changes.

The President assured the public that the new direction would take Tanzania to the next level, where the nation will have skilled people with both practical and theoretical knowledge.

Is Kiswahili a solution to education woes?

Speaking yesterday during the launch, the assistant director for policy at the ministry of education and vocational training, Mr Atetaulwa Ngatara, said it was proper that Kiswahili be the channel by which the skills are transferred to students. Language studies will then be available to enable students to communicate in English. “To think that learning in English will lead to students communicating in English is wrong,” he said. “Communicating in English is something else, which has to do with language studies.”

The document says the government will continue strengthening English in teaching along with Kiswahili during the transition period because using only Kiswahili will require a lot of resources.

Kiswahili is currently the language of instruction at primary level and English remains a subject. Thereafter, English becomes the language of instruction from secondary level to higher learning.

According to the policy, making Kiswahili the language of instruction at all levels of education is aimed at bringing sustainable efficiency in providing the skillful workforce that is needed for national development.

But in a globalised economy where English dominates almost everything—from trade to politics—it is not clear which way Tanzania wants to go in the next five decades.

After years of being driven by market forces, private schools in Tanzania will have a regulator to ensure that the cost of education is realistic and provides value for money. The idea is to make sure that school owners do not overcharge parents who shun public schools in search of quality education in the mushrooming private schools.

President Kikwete said the policy would set indicative fees for private schools and put an end to the exploitative fees some unscrupulous school owners charge. Consistency in text books

The policy also provides consistency in both text and reference books used to teach in both public and private schools, contrary to the current situation where every school chooses what it considers suitable. This will eliminate the trend where schools use different books for the same subjects, which has been blamed for the poor performance of students.

“It’s impossible that every school uses its own reference book when the final examinations are the same,” the President said. “How do we expect children to pass in these conditions?”

No national examination for Standard Seven

According to the assistant director for policy in the ministry of education and vocational training, Mr Atetaulwa Ngatara, students will be tested to check their level of understanding at each level before they get to Form 4. “Let’s say there will be a test at standard three,” he explained. “Teachers will arrange special programmes to help those who fail to get over their weaknesses and they can then proceed to another class.”

But judging by the fact that the reading culture has almost died off, dropping national examinations for primary school leavers will likely have negative consequences in terms of the quality of graduates.

The new policy further declares that the government will make nursery education compulsory for not less than a year for children aged between three and five.

Basic education—from Standard One to Form Four—will take 10 years. Standard One pupils should be aged four to six, depending on ability of the child, and the government will ensure that education at this level is free.

According to Mr Kalistus Chonya, an economist in the policy department of the ministry, implementing the new policy will not happen immediately as the policy must go through several more stages.

The document President Kikwete launched was a national policy that will produce an executive policy. It will then lead to a Bill that will be tabled in the National Assembly.

Mr Chonya, who was not in position to say when the new policy will take off, said there were still other stages to be worked on, including preparing strategies and an action plan.