Environmental Bill is long overdue

This country has never ever had an Environmental Law upto now, 42 years since it became a sovereign state, during which much water has flowed under the bridge!
This lack of an appropriate policy to address serious environmental issues has, in turn, made all government efforts to check environmental-unfriendly human activities end in total, ridiculous failure.
Mismanagement and haphazard disposal of chemical wastes which are lethal to natural environment is a case in point here.
A study by the Natural Environmental Management Council's (NEMC's) pollution unit, for instance, did identify an accumulation of hazardous chemical wastes of over 30 years!
The study has established that this obsolete stuff consisting of such agro-based chemicals as banned DDT, Veterinary Vaccines and medical drugs of about 1,200 tones in Tanzania mainland's 18 regions is highly lethal.
Worst still, farmers, major recipients of the chemicals under discussion are not well sensitized in their use, storage and handling, leading to the formers' resentment against the use of such chemicals, on the one hand.
But on the other, the cost of disposing of the obsolete chemical wastes is high in the country. Each specific hazardous chemical wastes calls for special expertise and procedures in disposing of them.
It is for these underlying reasons that we sincerely applaud Dr. Palamagamba's advice to the government on the importance of putting a general environmental legislation in place to arrest the disgusting environmental degradation.
The Bill, if passed, will certainly address such environmental upsets as the one mentioned above, with which the existing Natural Resources Ordinance had not been able to deal with for obvious reasons.
The logic here is that we human beings deal with natural resources, and by so doing, simply we deal with an environment or mother 'Earth', if you like.
That's why we regard the government's readily acceptance of the public opinion, about drafting a general environmental legislation, as being long overdue.

OCTOBER 2003

We must aim for peace in East Africa in the short-term

The future of East Africa in particular and African continent in general will be grim if we don't try hard to promote peace, unity and people-centred development.
To use the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere's wise words, Africans need peace within nations and between nations and we need unity within nations and between nations very badly, for obvious reasons.
Mwalimu had once said in one of his speeches and writings that a house divided against itself shall not stand and that underdevelopment will undermine peace and unity.
Going by those Mwalimu's visionary remarks, one gets an impression that what is happening now in Lake Victoria, (where conflicts and misunderstandings, particularly between Ugandan Authorities and some Kenyan fishermen are said to have ensued) is diametrically opposed to what the late freedom fighter and human rights campaigner was advocating in his lifetime.
Indeed, reports that cross-boarder conflicts over fishing grounds are well underway is so disturbing that something must be done immediately to defuse an impending hostility between Uganda and Kenya.
In our opinion, the best way of doing so is probably to harmonize fishery legislations to enhance sustainable utilization of resource in a shared manner and need for strong cooperation among the three riparian countries, at least in the near future.
However, we are most gratified with the outcome of a National Stakeholders workshop on the National Discourse Forum on the Nile Basin, held at Mwanza Hotel recently.
Among other things, a Draft Constitution of the Tanzania Nile Discourse Forum was endorsed and National Steering Committee formed, a body which will, hopefully, assist in addressing and resolving issues and problems related to developments in the Nile River Basin.

September, 2003

It is high time pollution control laws were enforced

Before the 'Earth Summit' or the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development took place in Brazil's Rio de Jeneiro in 1992, not all of us, especially in poor countries, understood what exactly the word, an 'environment' means.

This first Worldwide Conference was, in fact, an eye opener because even heads of State were asked to commit their respective countries to specific environmental policies.

Most countries, Tanzania included, indeed did sign agreements on sustainable development and biodiversity. It must be remembered that previous agreement on global warming and depletions of the Ozone layer had been signed by many nations.

It may be years, however, before we will know for sure if all signatory countries will meet their commitments to environmental improvement. It is true they have at least stated their intention to do so, but showing eager interest and intention is one thing and translating theories into practice is quite another.

The point here is that local authorities or even councils countrywide, including Mwanza City Council, I am sure, similarly have had by-laws for regulating behaviour of members of the community particularly in relation to environmental protection.

However, such beautiful pieces of regulations are yet to be obeyed adequately for a number of reasons including lack of an effective law enforcement.

In our opinion, therefore, it would be more sensible if a body was set up to enforce more effectively the existing environmental control by-laws instead of making new ones.

The lead story of this issue discloses that the latest additional by-laws made by the city council aim at controlling environmental pollution, health improvement and promotion of environmental management. That is fine!

But does the City Council really have adequate law-enforcement agencies this time around? We are putting a question mark because, we believe, the additional by-laws will only be meaningful if extra law-enforcers will be employment.

August, 2003

'Salmonella' poisoning in Lake Victoria should be prevented at all costs

This country has had a ban on her fresh and frozen fish exports waived after the European Union (EU) confirmed that test for fish samples from Lake Victoria shores were negative.
Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, sharing the lake, were all worst affected by the nine-month long ban due to what the EU termed 'unhygienic conditions under which' the fishing industry is being handled.
According to conservative statistics, the embargo had not only rendered about 2,000 (0f 4,000) workers of the fish-processing plants jobless, but also cost the country $ 100,000 each month!
But luckily enough, tests on fish samples from Lake Victoria, on Tanzanian side, sent to three different laboratories in Dar es Salaam and the Brussels based Chemphar laboratories, had shown negative results, prompting the EU to waive its embargo forthwith.
Naturally this tends to remind us about what appropriate measures should be taken in order to avert such similar episodes in future.
In his opening remarks at a workshop held at New Mwanza Hotel recently, under the auspices of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Mwanza Regional Commissioner, Daniel Ole Njoolay had only one crucially important message to deliver:
"Prevent cases of Salmonella poisoning from out breaking in Lake Victoria lest result in another costly embargo on fish exports".
Indeed, fish-fillets exported mainly to European Union countries are kind of products that should be treated with caution, of course, for obvious reasons.
And besides six government-owned flat that-bottomed vessels that have already been stationed at strategic fishing landing areas within Lake Victoria to control the quality of fish, we suggest that Fisheries and even Health Officials also ought to visit the fish processing plants routinely to check hygienic conditions there.
Anybody, regardless of his/her social status, found guilty of polluting the Lake, should be liable to a heavier punishment that will be deterrent to others.
And what if a new environmental legislation is passed so that such an offence can be punishable as treason, in the first place?

July 2003

Well done Geita Gold Mine

The 3rd August, 2000 will certainly be a day to remember for most Tanzanians because that is when the Geita Gold Mine (GGM) was officially commissioned, marking one of the country's important and rare historical events.
Its was indeed, the special moment that puts Geita and Tanzania firmly on the 'World Gold Map' as this Excellency

President Benjamini Mkapa once put it.
In his Inauguration remarks that he made at the Mine's plant and mill, the President, in fact, ordered the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, in collaboration with Tanzania Chamber of Mines, the National Management Council and the Vice-President's Office is establish what he called a Presidential Award in Environmental Management, to be given to the winning mine in this very important area.

It is, of course, too early to say at this juncture. But one would get an impression that the Geita Gold Mine Ltd Management has needed the president's order by running its own Tilapia Conservation project now that the aforesaid Lake Victoria native fish specie is evidently on the verge of extinction.

I should like to conclude by giving a word of appreciation, on behalf of Mwanza Press Club (MPC) leadership and this Newsletter's Editorial Board in particular, to GGM for these environmental conservation efforts which clearly constitute the company's contribution to Tanzania society, besides direct and indirect economic benefits.

On the other hand, this Newsletter also wishes to remind the mining companies of the president's own concerns about environmental protection and preservation with emphasis on management, handling and control of hazardous materials.

According to his Excellency, such concerns should be part and parcel of companies' mission in this country, in working in partnership with local communities and in the formulation and implementation of programmes aimed at the control of pollution, land degradation and other adverse effects on own beloved Tanzania's rich biodiversity.

At this point, however, may I pay glowing tribute to the Geita Gold Mine Ltd for what it has done so far particularly in improving Geita District's infrastructure.

With the company's funding, we understand a 67-kilometre road from Bulyankhulu - Geita has already been bear upgraded besides a 22-kilometre water pipeline from the massive Lake Victoria to the mine which has been provided freely available water to all villages along the way.

In addition, new primary and secondary school facilities are being provided and an assistance has been provided to upgrade the Geita District Hospital.

Indeed, befitting words for expressing gratitude to the Geita Gold Mine Ltd's contribution to the adjacent communities are hard to come by. But let GGM be rest assured that such valuable and supportive relationship will lead to the harmonious and happy, mutual to existence.

Well done Geita Gold Mine Ltd!

Mazingira Newsletter

MPC

The Community

NGO's

Environmental Bill is long overdue

OCTOBER 2003

We must aim for peace in East Africa in the short-term

It is high time pollution control laws were enforced

August, 2003

'Salmonella' poisoning in Lake Victoria should be prevented at all costs

Well done Geita Gold Mine