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The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women by:
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IMAGINE if for 16 days there was no violence in our homes or communities.
Imagine if for 16 days there was no violence against children no hands so strong to break a body so fragile.
Imagine if for 16 days there was no rape no hurt.
Setting low education standards: Implications and complications.
One of the major controversies about the trend of education in our society is on the feeling that those with a final say on the sector are apparently not worried about standards.
In other words those who call the shots in this area are accused of being contented with standards of education provided by our schools which critics contend have been declining as time passes, contrary to expectations of parents and other interested parties.
Of course, there has always been no consensus on this question, as those determined to defend the status quo vehemently question the notion of “standards”, arguing that the so-called standards are relative and that, after all, a given society has a right to set its own benchmarks for evaluating the kind of education relevant to its environment.
The above argument raises more questions than answers, and sounds a bit academic. Findings of the latest research conducted by TWAWEZA organization on primary school education in some East African countries however, discredits this kind of argument by revealing that we have semi-literate primary school leavers in our society, thanks to the education system which leaves much to be desired.
Then there is this classic example which demonstrates that some of the decision makers in the education sector are allergic to quality standards. It is all about the decision by the Ministry of Education to reintroduce a requirement for Form Two students to pass a special examination in order to proceed with further studies.
According to the new directive, those failing to make it will be given an opportunity to repeat a year, and be shown the door on squandering the second chance.
For most of the post-colonial years, this was part and parcel of the education system, but was later abolished without giving the key stakeholders in the education sector convincing reasons behind the change.
If my memory serves me well, the game of abandoning and re-introducing Form Two examinations has been on and off - sometimes depending on the thinking of the Minister in-charge of the education portfolio.
Some of us who went through the system now being reintroduced know that it has one important benefit which ought not be lost for the sake of cost cutting and any other questionable excuses. Form Two special examination helps to keep students busy for the entire period of their four-year secondary school education.
A form one student soon realizes that there is a hurdle to be cleared at the end of his/her second year at the new school, and is conditioned to study hard for academic survival. On entering Form Three, our student sets his/her mind to the final Form Four examinations and can’t afford to fool around.
Now that the Form Two special examination is back, we may sigh with relief and say so far so good. But we are told the pass mark will be 30 per cent. Why such a low pass mark?
What sort of standards are we setting? What kind of mentality are we inculcating in the minds of our children by encouraging them to aim low in life? In other places the opposite is the case, for youths are tuned to aim high and made to believe that the sky is the limit.
Surely, those behind the not so motivating pass mark have got their own reasons although, as usual, are not in a hurry to come out and argue their case convincingly. In the first place, key stakeholders in the education sector are supposed to have been consulted to get their views on such an important decision and endorse it.
The fact that this has not been done is not news as we are somehow used to this kind of situation, much as it is unacceptable and uncalled for. The question is: When and how will this attitude be got rid of?
While no one cares to explain the rationale behind the 30 percent pass mark, yet those conversant with the poor academic performance in most of our schools can hazard a guess that fear of mass failure is behind it all.
In short, it is realized that sticking to an acceptable pass mark in Form Two examinations would mean the end of the education road for many students in most of the secondary schools now serving citizens in the low income bracket.
Again one key question continues to haunt us .Is the lowering of standards a solution to the myriad problems and challenges currently crippling our education system?
Parents as agents of change in education sector.
last time,I wrote on pre form one classes, whether they should be formalized or banned. Basing on my comments, I received a number of feedbacks through SMS and e-mail from readers. I had an interesting and fruitful online discussion with one of the readers, Sabas Massawe, whereby at the end of the discussion we agreed that for a longtime we, Tanzanians, have sent our frustrations and complaints on weaknesses in our education sector to the government, hoping that, the government is there to do everything for us. We reckoned that parents and community members have a role to bring change in education sector. Today’s article is going to discuss and justify that parents have a role to play as agents of change in education…
In simple definition, an ‘agent of change’ is someone who knows and understands the dynamics that facilitate or hinder change, and utilize his/her knowledge and skills to champion for talking hindrance to change. This person is self motivated by an urge to see that there are positive changes in his/ her environment.
Since independence, our education system has gone through a number of significant changes, according to my opinion, some of which were necessary and some were not necessary. Main changes in education curriculum have been observed at primary and secondary education levels.
In the last two decades there has been a dramatic change in the education system which affected curriculum, textbooks, and many more. However, all these changes have not been due to changing of various socio-economic policies but due to the wishes of the prevailing education ministers.
In one way or another, these changes have an adverse effect on teachers, students and parents. For example, changes in curriculum means students and their teachers will have to adjust to a new curriculum.
On another side parents have to shoulder a burden of ensuring that their children have obtained new text and reference books, as worse enough when these changes affect students academic performance its parents who suffer because their future academic dreams for their children are shuttered.
In one way or another they have to struggle to look for alternative means of supporting the child to obtain skills and knowledge for preparations of future responsibilities and their economic independence.
Therefore, they are forced either to look for private schools, send their children to vocation training centers or leave around to support home chores. There might be a myriad of effects as a result of decisions made by policy and decision makers at higher levels, which might have an adverse effect on parents and their households.
It takes courage to be an agent of change in education. As parents are becoming increasingly involved in the education and training of their children, there is a possibility of using various approaches in effecting changes in their children, schools in which their children are studying as well as at the policy level.
What happens when parents encourage each other? A strong school community focused on learning develops, to the benefit of all children. All parents, regardless of their mastery of language, background, level of literacy or experience, have something to contribute to bring out positive changes.
Parents can become agents of change in education starting from their households, they need to instill in their children motivation toward learning, encouraging them to learn not for passing exams but acquiring skills and knowledge as well.
Parents can take time of their busy schedule to follow academic progress of their children in school. They can review their exercise books; talk with them as well as visiting their teachers to obtain feedback from teachers.
On another side parents can participate through attending school meetings and other functions such as ‘Open days’, which provides an opportunity for parents to obtain an understanding of school operations and participate in providing views or concrete criticisms on issues pertaining school operations.
It is my strong belief that through such forums parents can be very good monitoring agents of what is happening in school and demand for improved services for their children.
It should be noted that rights come with responsibilities, as part of requirement of change agents, parents should also be ready and motivated to fulfill their responsibilities.
For example, reviewing students exercise books, support students in learning, ensuring students have necessary requirements, motivating students to be independent in learning, follow up students attendance, attend school meetings, require feedback from teachers and many more.
In 2007, I had an opportunity to visit Bangladesh on a tour to learn various issues on education sector in that country through an invitation from Plan Bangladesh. We visited several primary schools in rural areas at Kansama, where majority of households are very poor that us.
However, parents are highly motivated to send their children to school. In addition, they make very close follow up of their children’s education progress. In one school, parents have formed a committee, which follow up academic progress of their children.
They have a roster of visiting the school daily to gather information on what happens in school everyday.
Outside every classroom, they is a simple monitoring sheet which is filled in by parents on shift, after assessing the teaching and learning processing in a particular classroom.
Parents are allowed at anytime to enter into classrooms and monitor what is going on there. That illustrated monitoring sheet provides an opportunity for a parent to asses the teaching and learning session, whether he/ she liked it, it was motivating, it was participatory and whether he/she have an opinion that the children have learned something.
The sheet has been simplified such that even an illiterate can provide an indication of his/her feelings of what he/she saw happening in the class. I am not sure whether in Tanzania parents are allowed to see what is happening in classrooms, I don’t know why? I am confident that this can be done without disturbing school operations if good arrangements are in place.
Don’t think that this stage came on a silver plate, it did not happen by chance, it reached a stage whereby parents in rural Bangladesh, were totally dissatisfied with the poor level of education services which their children are obtaining and they had to take some action, which included lobbying and advocacy for their rights to be part of quality assurance of education services given to their children. At the end responsible authorities allowed this to happen.
I call upon parents in Tanzania to act as agents of change and promote home learning as well as advocating for improved education services at school level. Building a strong community of families committed to learning benefits of our children, and surrounds them with motivation and support while holding responsible officials and authorities at task.
We have heard of several civil societies which motivate citizen’s engagement in social economic development issues. Recently, Twaweza (which means ‘we can make it happen’ in Swahili) and Hakielimu has stood out to be some of strongest the civil societies which advocate for citizen’s engagement in bringing changes is social sectors including education.
Twaweza believes that citizens in East Africa can bring change themselves, rather than waiting for governments, politicians, donors or NGOs to do it for them.
I call upon civil societies to continue empowering parents in realizing their potential and responsibilities in ensuring improvement in education sector services. Parents should be empowered to learn how to understand their children’s educational needs.
Then, they should learn how to engage with schools and teachers to understand better what the school is providing and how parents can assist in helping meet students’ needs.
They also need to learn that they are not passive actors of instructions from the school administration, they have a right to inquire further explanation on matters raised or decisions done by school administration which somehow affects their children or households, for example: frequent financial contributions, utilization of development grant from government, disciplinary actions and many more. Some school administrations are reluctant in cooperating with parents, in such cases lobbying and advocacy is needed.
In the same tune, I strongly appeal to parents in Tanzania that we cannot continue to point fingers to the government in weaknesses in the education sector; we need to do something at our own capacity and surroundings starting from our household.
We need to build a strong parents’ power to influence changes and demand accountability of responsible authorities in providing quality education services to our children. Take courage, it can be done play your part!
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How UDSM fights gender violence at campus.
Despite the international conventions, a wave of new national laws across the globe; the impunity with which perpetuators harm, maim and kill women continues, and the scourge of violence against women remains with us. Every November around the world, those who have made tirelessly worked to combat violence against women, mark a very important anniversary.
Human Rights in Vienna in 1993 and the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1994 gave priority to this issue, which jeopardizes women’s lives, bodies, psychological integrity and freedom.
Violence against women is often known as ‘gender-based’ violence because it partly stems from women’s subordinate status in society, says Prof Yunus Mgaya, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Dar es Salaam.
The deputy was elaborating on the success his institution has gone through in promoting gender mainstreaming during the 42nd graduation ceremony which also maeked the official close of the three hundred and sixty five days cerebration to mark the university’s 50 years anniversary since its establishment back in 1961.
For decades, gender based violence or rather sexual abuses have increasingly in societies, at family, work places at schools and currently at higher learning institutions.
In executing day-to-day activity at the University, Prof Mgaya said the university has set friendly regulations that promote equal opportunities to both men and women.
He says currently the recruiting process of staffs or students and study ‘formally internal trainings’ opportunities are equally distributed.
“Their also increased representatives in different posts and that we have managed to set a department focusing in addressing gender issues. The department has successfully advocated and pioneered a platform for both sex to come together and discuss challenges they face,” noted Prof. Mgaya.
University of Dar es Salaam Council Chairperson, Peter Ngumbullu, in his remarks during the ceremony said the university has also formulated a new vision simply known ‘UDSM Vision 2061’ meant at regulating the varsity’s day-to-day operation however, the vision will also champion the implementation of gender mainstreaming in all levels.
The chairperson identified that there were direct effects to the university’s management; society and the country in general if gender based matters were not effectively addressed at the institution.
“We know some of you are graduating today but you have also found some key administrative positions in public and private sectors in the country. Being informed some have also applied for extra trainings…we still need seeing you good ambassador of the university,” he said.
Adding to make it effective, “favorable environments must be set earlier.”
The authority said however that some other key initiatives that include construction of a student centre that amicably claims a total of 17bn/- upon its accomplishment is underway.
He said the centre will provide a practical learning environment, to both sex. The main focus of the centre is to eliminate some inconveniences that students especially women had been facing when studying at campus.
To some extent, the vice chancellor Prof Rwekaza Mukandala appears unhappy with the trend that only few women were graduating in different courses of Master Degrees, Bachelor Degrees and PhD’s as it’s compared to men.
Statistics indicate that during the study year 2011/12, only 36percent of graduates are women, which are equivalent to 33percent of post graduate graduates and 37percent of bachelor degrees graduate, the Vice Chancellor detailed.
Prof Mukandala established however that, during the ceremony a total of 3679 approved students of whom 2323 are men and 1319 women were conferred with different certificates.
“There good improvements as it can be compared by the time, the university celebrated its first graduation ceremony where there was a single female,” he said.
The vice chancellor is impressed with the fact that there were no cases of sexual abuses that including: Non-consensual, forced physical sexual behavior (rape and sexual assault).
Unwanted touching to an adult, sexual kissing, fondling, exposure of genitalia, and voyeurism, exhibitionism and up to sexual assault cases that have been severely reported.
Violence against women is a persistent and universal problem occurring in every culture however it also applies to non-consensual verbal sexual demands towards an adult.
The use of a position of trust to compel otherwise unwanted sexual activity without physical force (or can lead to attempted rape or sexual assault).
James Rwemamu, one among thousands students who were conferred certificates with him walking away with a BA in Education Psychology had a different view on the subject.
He differed with the university’s authority saying currently there ware severe sexual abuses and gender based violence at the varsity and that women turned to be champions of the fate.
“Women do not value themselves, how they appear, the way they dress and execute things, calls for less opportunity in different fields…imagine of a married woman walking half nude…can you be able to give her a chance even if you had an opportunity?” he quarried.
Stressing that, there was the need for the university management to review its regulation starting with the students’ by-laws.
“There is also a need to set and fully implement a dressing code for the university…we have heard such adopted regulations in our neighbouring universities and collage and it has worked, why not at UDSM,” added Caroline Mwaana graduate with Bachelor Degree of Business Administration.
She said some students at the university were drawn from various cultural backgrounds and that being together neededs to shape them as one.
“People will not consider were she is from but where she studied…it’s good that when we’re carrying the good image of the university we both fully know the effects of gender stereotype that has been heating our economy and lives,” she noted.
The University of Dar es salaam is the oldest and biggest public university in Tanzania. It is situated on the western side of the city of Dar es salaam, occupying 1,625 acres on the observation hill- 13 kilometers from the city centre.
It was established on 1st July 1970, through parliament act no. 12 of 1970 and all the enabling legal instruments of the constituent colleges. Prior to 1970, the university college, Dar es Salaam had started on 1st July 1961 as an affiliate college of the University of London. It had only one faculty- the faculty of Law, with 14 students.
According to the UDSM website, in 1963 it became a constituent college of the university of East Africa together with Makerere University College in Uganda and Nairobi University College in Kenya. Since 1961, the University of Dar es Salaam has grown in terms of student intake, academic units and academic programmes.
Tume ya sayansi yajiandaa kuwanufaisha wakulima.
TUME ya Sayansi na Teknolojia (Costech) imeandaa mpango maalumu kwa ajili ya kuanza kuwasaidia wakulima nchini ili waweze kunufaika kupitia kilimo.Mpango huo unatarajiwa kuanza mwakani na utawahusisha wakulima wote nchini.
TUME ya Sayansi na Teknolojia (Costech) imeandaa mpango maalumu kwa ajili ya kuanza kuwasaidia wakulima nchini ili waweze kunufaika kupitia kilimo.Mpango huo unatarajiwa kuanza mwakani na utawahusisha wakulima wote nchini.
Akizungumza Dar es Salaam jana, Mkurugenzi wa Idara ya Uhawilishaji na Uendelezaji Sayansi na Teknolojia wa Costech, Dk Dugushilu Mafunda alisema wakulima wengi wamekuwa wakilima kwa mazoea huku wakiwa hawana ushauri wa ufundi.
“Huu ni mpango maalumu wa agro business… tunayalea mawazo yao hadi wanaingia kwenye soko kwa sababu wengine hawana hata ushauri wa ufundi au elimu ya biashara,” alisema Dk Mafunda.
Pia, Costech imewashauri watu wenye ugunduzi mbalimbali ambao hawana uwezo wajitokeze kusaidiwa ili uweze kuendelezwa.
Kwa muda mrefu sasa tume hiyo imekuwa ikiwasaidia wagunduzi na wajasiriamali kuwapatia mafunzo, ushauri wa kitaalamu na fedha ili kufanikisha mawazo yao.
Mkurugenzi huyo alisema lengo lao ni kuwatambua wagunduzi walionao ili kuwajengea uwezo na kufanikisha ugunduzi wao kufika sokoni.
“Watu wenye mawazo ya ugunduzi wajitokeze wasaidiwe, kwa sababu tunatoa msaada kwa wajasiriamali na watu wote wanaojihusisha na uendelezaji uhawilishaji wa sayansi na teknolojia,” alisema.
Alisema katika mpango huo, mgunduzi hutakiwa kupeleka mchanganuo kuhusiana na kile anachotaka kukifanya, baada ya Costech kujiridhisha humwezesha mgunduzi huyo.
Alisema mgunduzi husika hujengewa uwezo wa kuingia kwenye soko na kupata faida na kwamba, akishindwa hawezi kupewa tena fedha badala yake hutakiwa kurejesha alizopewa.
Miongoni mwa walinufaika kupitia mpango huo, ni Shirika la Kutengeneza Magari la Nyumbu ambalo hivi karibuni lilipatiwa Sh200 milioni kwa ajili ya kutengeneza vipuri mbalimbali vya garimoshi zikiwamo breki......
Should pre-form one classes be formalised or banned.
Recently, Standard Seven students completed their National Examinations. Currently, majority of them are waiting for the results in order to see whether they have passed the examinations and selected to government secondary schools.
However, there are a portion of them who are currently looking for admission into private schools regardless of the outcome of their National examinations. Most of these are coming from affluent or middle class families, who can afford to pay tuition fees in private secondary schools…
As these students wait for their examination results, there has been a tendency of parents seeking pre form one courses for their children. I have been going around in Dar es Salaam on business matters, and I managed to see a number of advertisements calling for standard seven leavers to register for pre form one courses in various education centers.
Most parents have enrolled their children in these courses, without even understanding how will such courses support their children’s future education as well as whether the knowledge content given in these courses are relevant to the Form one and general secondary education academic content.
One example is my brother who has registered his daughter to one of these centers, whom I ask whether what is given in these courses is building a bridge to what is expected to be learned in Form One.
He was not able to give me a very clear explanation, but he just said that his child has completed standard seven and she does not have anything to do now at home, therefore it was deemed necessary to find her something to keep her busy before joining form one in January 2013. Its very unfortunate came to realize that most of parents have this notion of ‘keeping their children busy”.
This article is going to analyse whether pre form one courses are relevant and how should they be organize, if they are needed at all, in order to give children skills and knowledge as a bridge to secondary education.
There are many justifications for pre form one courses can be as following: on of them is that most of students, especially from public primary schools, complete standard seven with minimal mastery of English and Mathematics content and knowledge.
Therefore, there is a need to improve English and Mathematics skills of these students to prepare them for coping with Form one subjects.
Taking into consideration that in public primary school, the medium of instruction is Kiswahili, therefore, students cannot cope with sudden changes in the English medium of instruction in secondary schools.
At primary school English is taught as a subject, however, due to lack of competent teachers and teaching and learning materials, it has not been taught effectively enough to enable primary school leavers to be competent in written, spoken and reading English, which is very crucial for coping with secondary school instructions.
However, basing on my background as a language teacher, I am convinced that if students master Kiswahili very well, competently, it will not be very difficult to learn any other language, because most of skills in language learning do not differ much. The problem we are facing in Tanzania is that we have not mastered even Kiswahili it self.
Pre form one courses may be relevant. However, there are so many things about pre form one courses which rise eye brows, which are:
(a) Amount of fee charged: Fee charged differ from one education center or school to another. Some education centers charges between 10,000/= to 30,000/= per head per month. Some school charged between 150,000/= and 250,000/=.
For example, I have a copy of letter of offer for pre form one course from one of secondary schools in Dar es Salaam, which was issued in October, 2011, and address to a parent/ guardian, which explain that for a boarding orientation course for 45 days a students is required to pay 245,500/=.
This may be afforded by middle class and affluent families but it will automatically sideline students from poor families. This might rise questions as to whether the aim of these courses is to support students skills or these are just money making projects.
Because of ignorance or not knowing much, some parents started to that without the pre form one sessions, children would not be allowed to join secondary school, so they strived to raise money.
It has been painful for both parents and students.
(b) Quality of Teachers: In some centers and schools, there are competent teachers, however, in most of these centers they hire Form Six leavers and university students who are yet to complete their studies.
Though there are some owners of these centers who have argued that Form Six leavers have done wonderful work in preparing standard seven leavers, I still do not agree with them that teaching especially languages is a profession, which encompasses a wide range of issues including psycho social support to students, phonetics (how to pronounce words), speech therapy, and many more, than students instilling content knowledge into students heads.
This can only be done by a professional teacher who have mastery in English skills;
(c) Time: most of these classes are conducted between one month and three months.
I wonder whether language skills which have been mastered for seven years can be mastered in one month, 45 days or three months? I am not convinced that this time is enough to prepare students to master English skills and knowledge;
(d) Teaching and Learning content: there a variety of prepared content for each center. Moreover, these contents have not obtained any official approval from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT), as the ministry does not formally recognize them as part of formal education system.
As a result, there is not possibility of ensuring that what our children are taught is relevant to secondary school content. I looked into subject content of one of the pre form one course materials, and found out it contains a lot of grammar and content mistakes which I am sure students would take them as they are.
As explained above, though deemed helpful, the MoEVT does not formally recognize pre form one classes as part of education system, though there has not been a direct order from the ministry to stop these classes, unless may be a punishment may be imposed in schools which have scammed parents and students.
In some countries such as Kenya, they have a Standard Eight class which means to prepare students for the whole year to orient them to secondary school content. Standard eight acts as a bridge to prepare students for secondary school academic life. On the other side, back in 1996 to 1997, I was teaching at SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in Zanzibar, I learnt quite a lot about preparing primary school leavers for secondary academic life.
Zanzibar have what is known as ‘Orientation class’, which is attended by standard seven leavers, who spend one year learning various concepts, formulas and content which are expected to be taught or frequently used in Form one and other classes in secondary education.
Orientation class has only three major subjects: Mathematics, Languages (English and Kiswahili) and General Science. Apart from teaching secondary school classes, I was also allocated to teach ‘General Science’ at Orientation class. The subject content required me to teach all concepts, formulars and content in sciences (physics, biology and chemistry).
There were students’ books, teachers guides and other teaching and learning materials officially prepared and approved by the Ministry of Education and Vocation Training of Zanzibar. These materials were used by all schools in Zanzibar.
Preparation of teaching and learning materials was accompanies by training of teachers on how to teach the content. This was very effective as students were exposed to skills and knowledge for the whole year, within the same schools, and in very simple methods. I am not sure whether the programme continues to date, but I would say it was an ideal programme for preparing primary school leavers for secondary school academic life.
So should pre form one classes be abolished or officiated? I would comment that before we come to such conclusion, we should evaluate our education system and ask ourselves, how did we reach a stage of pre form one classes to be deemed necessary? I am sure that if teaching and learning process in primary school has been effective we would not need pre form one classes.
I completed standard seven in public primary school, Mabatini Primary School in Temeke and later joined a prominent private secondary school in Tanzania, Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, I never needed a pre form one course because back at primary school level I had motivated and competent teachers, who taught effectively such that I managed to gain skills in languages, which became a bridge in form one.
Currently, teachers are demotivated and most of them are incompetent due to their ill preparations, and therefore, unless something is done to boost primary schools teachers’ morale and competency, we would still need orientation classes. It is just the whole vicious cycle.
I appeal to both the ministry of education and organizers of pre form one classes to ensure that subject content and professionalism in teaching is considered. However, parents should also play their part by demanding the quality of services in relation to what they pay.
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Education for service, not for selfishness.
On 14th October, 2012, Tanzanians in the country and abroad commemorated Nyerere Day, which is a public holiday, set aside in order to find time to celebrate the life of the first President of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. A number of symposiums, workshops, public displays and many more were organised worldwide.
In this column, I present an abridged version of an article titled “Mwalimu and the State of Education” written by Chambi Chachage, which appeared in the book named “Nyerere”. The original version appears in the website: http://fahamubooks.org/book. This abridged version has obtained written permission from both the original writer and the publisher.
In the last two weeks I presented two articles based on Nyerere’s speeches on ‘The Power of Teachers’ delivered in 1966, and ‘A Great Urge for Education’ which was delivered in 1954. Today’s article will be the last and is based on Nyerere’s speech on ‘Education for Service and not for Selfishness’.
Mwalimu Nyerere’s 1999 call for ‘Education for Service and Not for Selfishness’ was an attempt to couch his 1967s policy of ‘Education for Self-Reliance’ and 1974’s motto of ‘Education for Liberation’ in “the parlance of today”. As The Open University of Tanzania (1999) reminds us, it was ‘His Last Words on Education’. Therefore we have to pay particular attention to it as it sums up his overall stance on this theme.
He starts by using the Maxim gun as an analogy of education, poetically reminding us that it will be used by those who have it against those who do not. “The instrument of domination of the future”, he aptly predicts, “is going to be education.” He then optimistically assures us that fortunately “in the acquisition of that instrument we can all compete and all win with honour” (Nyerere 1999:3). Unfortunately as the statistics cited above indicate, this is not what we are doing. In fact we have created a system that ensures that there is no ‘place for everyone at the rendezvous of victory’ to use a phrase that popularized by his contemporary, Aimé Césaire.
A seasoned educator had this to say about such a system: “Tanzania has a deeply unequal, dualistic education system, one for the rich, and one for the poor, with an education system of ‘best’ public schools for the middle classes. This stands in stark contrast to the principles of equity and justice promoted by Mwalimu. The marker of difference is no longer race as it was in the colonial days, but class. We may find, shortly, that class inequalities are far more divisive, bearing within them profound implications for social cohesion in the country (Marjorie Mbilinyi 2004:xvi)”.
It is in this class sense that Nyerere urges us to enter what he refers to as “this honourable competition for knowledge” if “we do not want to be the permanent source of the hewers of wood and drawers of water for the educated of this world” (Nyerere 1999:4). To do so, he reiterates his lifelong position, our primary school education should be universal. As gender conscious as he was when he penned his essay on ‘The Freedom of Women’ in 1944 at Makerere, Mwalimu Nyerere warns us that if this education is not universal “those who will miss out will be mostly girls.” In light of this caution it is worthy to commend the government for allowing pregnant girls to continue with their studies upon giving birth. In this honourable competition, as Mwalimu admonishes us, our education should be of good quality.
His insistence on this attribute is too powerful and still very relevant today therefore it deserves to be quoted in full: “Primary education in particular should be excellent; for this is the only formal education that most Tanzanians are likely to receive. At present the quality of our primary school education is appalling. We must do something about it, as a matter of National urgency. Apart from the fact that it is the education of the vast majority of the citizens of Tanzania, it is also the foundation of the whole of our Education System. Ndiyo Elimu ya Msingi. If it is poor the rest of our Education System is bound to suffer (Nyerere 1999: 4)”.
It is an indisputable fact that our secondary and tertiary education is suffering because of this appalling msingi (foundation). Other statistics, apart from the ones cited above, that prove this are those on the percentage of students passing the Form 4 Examinations. As HakiElimu & IDASA (2009) observed, BEST2009 indicates that even the “only slight improvement from 33.6% in 2006 to 35.7% in 2007” (URT 2007: 30) presented in PHDR2007 did not occur after all. Rather, it was further observed, the rate stagnated at 35.6% for both years and it deteriorated further to 26.7% in 2008. This indicator only includes students who get Division 1 - 3. Ironically, overall, most students get Division 4 which is still not considered as a failure by the Ministry responsible for Education. In fact it was also observed that since 2000 over 50% students have been getting this Division, the peak being 56.9% in 2008. The results for 2009 were not out by the time I, the author of this chapter as well as HakiElimu & IDASA (2009) report, was writing.
Mwalimu also notes that our education should be relevant to our needs. We cannot compete if the majority of our people and their posterity live in villages and yet “we refuse to give those children an education that could help them to improve their own lives in the villages” (Nyerere 1999: 6). It is in this regard that Mwalimu Nyerere advocated for a policy of Education for Self-Reliance which aimed at providing a complete education by the time students completed their primary education. It is also in this regard that Mwalimu Nyerere thus conceptualized Education for Liberation, as quoted here:
“I emphasize this point because of my profound belief in the power of education. For a poor people like us Education should be an instrument of liberation; it should never be so irrelevant or otherworldly as to become an instrument of alienation. Alienation from yourself, because it makes you despise yourself; an alienation from the community in which you live because it purports to make you different without making you useful to anybody, including yourself (Nyerere 1999: 6)”.
It is thus a saddening fact that a significant number of our students complete their primary, secondary or even tertiary education without the requisite skills for competing in the so-called global village. As HakiElimu’s (2008) What is Quality Education? A Research on Citizens’ Perspectives and Children’s Basic Skills reveals, the overall competency levels in Mathematics – a subject that is the basis of computation – was very low for both primary and secondary school students. It also revealed that their reading skills in English – the so-called ‘Kiswahili of the World’ – were poor developed, especially in primary schools even though they were – and are still – required to be taught in English when they enter secondary schools. Indeed this area of language policy is one of the areas that Mwalimu is said to have regretted for failing to change. It is about time that we rectify this confused language policy if we are to ensure that knowledge is really transferred from the teachers to the students. That can be done through a language that both teachers and students are familiar with. In the case of Tanzania such a language is Kiswahili.
In his conclusion (as quoted below) Mwalimu thus adds another important ingredient that we relatively lack today:
“Finally, our education, especially our higher education, should be socially responsible. Education for Self-Reliance is not Education for Selfishness. Yes, it is for Self-Reliance of the individual, but it is also for the Self-Reliance of our country. I believe that the community has a responsibility to educate its members. The need for individuals to contribute directly to their own education and the education of their children cannot absolve the community as a whole, represented by local and central government, from its duty to assist every Tanzanian to receive a good education. But a poor country like Tanzania cannot afford to educate the selfish. It invests in education in the belief that such investment is good for both the individual concerned and for the community as a whole. In the language of yesterday: Education for Self-Reliance, especially at this higher level, should also be Education for Service. Not all of us will have the same concept of community, but all of us have a need to belong. However socially insensitive we may be, we have a need to belong to a community of fellow human beings. No human can make it alone. Nobody is asking us to love others more than we love ourselves; but those of us who have been lucky enough to receive a good education have a duty also to help to improve the well-being of the community to which we belong: it is part of loving ourselves! (Nyerere 1999: 9-10)”
Conclusion
Mwalimu Nyerere’s legacy is tied to the history/herstory of the education sector in Tanzania. His regime produced positive as well as negative results in the education realm. In the case of the former Universal Primary Education (UPE) stands out. I am convinced that in the case of the latter the confused Language of Instruction (LOI) policy stands out. It is in this regard I agree with the assessment that ‘Nyerere’s own views were also contradictory, in that he endorsed both developmentalist and emancipatory ones” whereby the “former prioritized experts, rather than mobilization of the people to organize on their own behalf.” (Mbilinyi 2004: xiii).
However, I do not endorse the assessment that his policy on education was a total failure.
No one is better posed to respond to their historical amnesia than Mwalimu himself. I doubt he had a better response than this. He commented: “At the World Bank the first question they asked me was ‘how did you fail?’ I responded that we took over a country with 85 per cent of its adult population illiterate. The British ruled us for 43 years. When they left, there were 2 trained engineers and 12 doctors. This is the country we inherited. When I stepped down there was 91-per-cent literacy and nearly every child was in school. We trained thousands of engineers and doctors and teachers. In 1988 Tanzania's per-capita income was USD280. Now, in 1998, it is USD140. So I asked the World Bank people what went wrong. Because for the last ten years Tanzania has been signing on the dotted line and doing everything the IMF and the World Bank wanted. Enrolment in school has plummeted to 63 per cent and conditions in health and other social services have deteriorated. I asked them again: ‘what went wrong?’ These people just sat there looking at me. Then they asked what could they do? I told them have some humility. Humility - they are so arrogant! (Nyerere in Bunting 1999)”
Many parents can’t afford schooling. A lot of students are not learning. Let’s have some humility.
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Should pre-form one classes be formalised or banned?
Recently, Standard Seven students completed their National Examinations. Currently, majority of them are waiting for the results in order to see whether they have passed the examinations and selected to government secondary schools.
However, there are a portion of them who are currently looking for admission into private schools regardless of the outcome of their National examinations. Most of these are coming from affluent or middle class families, who can afford to pay tuition fees in private secondary schools…
As these students wait for their examination results, there has been a tendency of parents seeking pre form one courses for their children. I have been going around in Dar es Salaam on business matters, and I managed to see a number of advertisements calling for standard seven leavers to register for pre form one courses in various education centers.
Most parents have enrolled their children in these courses, without even understanding how will such courses support their children’s future education as well as whether the knowledge content given in these courses are relevant to the Form one and general secondary education academic content.
One example is my brother who has registered his daughter to one of these centers, whom I ask whether what is given in these courses is building a bridge to what is expected to be learned in Form One.
He was not able to give me a very clear explanation, but he just said that his child has completed standard seven and she does not have anything to do now at home, therefore it was deemed necessary to find her something to keep her busy before joining form one in January 2013. Its very unfortunate came to realize that most of parents have this notion of ‘keeping their children busy”.
This article is going to analyse whether pre form one courses are relevant and how should they be organize, if they are needed at all, in order to give children skills and knowledge as a bridge to secondary education.
There are many justifications for pre form one courses can be as following: on of them is that most of students, especially from public primary schools, complete standard seven with minimal mastery of English and Mathematics content and knowledge.
Therefore, there is a need to improve English and Mathematics skills of these students to prepare them for coping with Form one subjects.
Taking into consideration that in public primary school, the medium of instruction is Kiswahili, therefore, students cannot cope with sudden changes in the English medium of instruction in secondary schools.
At primary school English is taught as a subject, however, due to lack of competent teachers and teaching and learning materials, it has not been taught effectively enough to enable primary school leavers to be competent in written, spoken and reading English, which is very crucial for coping with secondary school instructions.
However, basing on my background as a language teacher, I am convinced that if students master Kiswahili very well, competently, it will not be very difficult to learn any other language, because most of skills in language learning do not differ much. The problem we are facing in Tanzania is that we have not mastered even Kiswahili it self.
Pre form one courses may be relevant. However, there are so many things about pre form one courses which rise eye brows, which are:
(a) Amount of fee charged: Fee charged differ from one education center or school to another. Some education centers charges between 10,000/= to 30,000/= per head per month. Some school charged between 150,000/= and 250,000/=.
For example, I have a copy of letter of offer for pre form one course from one of secondary schools in Dar es Salaam, which was issued in October, 2011, and address to a parent/ guardian, which explain that for a boarding orientation course for 45 days a students is required to pay 245,500/=.
This may be afforded by middle class and affluent families but it will automatically sideline students from poor families. This might rise questions as to whether the aim of these courses is to support students skills or these are just money making projects.
Because of ignorance or not knowing much, some parents started to that without the pre form one sessions, children would not be allowed to join secondary school, so they strived to raise money.
It has been painful for both parents and students.
(b) Quality of Teachers: In some centers and schools, there are competent teachers, however, in most of these centers they hire Form Six leavers and university students who are yet to complete their studies.
Though there are some owners of these centers who have argued that Form Six leavers have done wonderful work in preparing standard seven leavers, I still do not agree with them that teaching especially languages is a profession, which encompasses a wide range of issues including psycho social support to students, phonetics (how to pronounce words), speech therapy, and many more, than students instilling content knowledge into students heads.
This can only be done by a professional teacher who have mastery in English skills;
(c) Time: most of these classes are conducted between one month and three months.
I wonder whether language skills which have been mastered for seven years can be mastered in one month, 45 days or three months? I am not convinced that this time is enough to prepare students to master English skills and knowledge;
(d) Teaching and Learning content: there a variety of prepared content for each center. Moreover, these contents have not obtained any official approval from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT), as the ministry does not formally recognize them as part of formal education system.
As a result, there is not possibility of ensuring that what our children are taught is relevant to secondary school content. I looked into subject content of one of the pre form one course materials, and found out it contains a lot of grammar and content mistakes which I am sure students would take them as they are.
As explained above, though deemed helpful, the MoEVT does not formally recognize pre form one classes as part of education system, though there has not been a direct order from the ministry to stop these classes, unless may be a punishment may be imposed in schools which have scammed parents and students.
In some countries such as Kenya, they have a Standard Eight class which means to prepare students for the whole year to orient them to secondary school content. Standard eight acts as a bridge to prepare students for secondary school academic life. On the other side, back in 1996 to 1997, I was teaching at SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in Zanzibar, I learnt quite a lot about preparing primary school leavers for secondary academic life.
Zanzibar have what is known as ‘Orientation class’, which is attended by standard seven leavers, who spend one year learning various concepts, formulas and content which are expected to be taught or frequently used in Form one and other classes in secondary education.
Orientation class has only three major subjects: Mathematics, Languages (English and Kiswahili) and General Science. Apart from teaching secondary school classes, I was also allocated to teach ‘General Science’ at Orientation class. The subject content required me to teach all concepts, formulars and content in sciences (physics, biology and chemistry).
There were students’ books, teachers guides and other teaching and learning materials officially prepared and approved by the Ministry of Education and Vocation Training of Zanzibar. These materials were used by all schools in Zanzibar.
Preparation of teaching and learning materials was accompanies by training of teachers on how to teach the content. This was very effective as students were exposed to skills and knowledge for the whole year, within the same schools, and in very simple methods. I am not sure whether the programme continues to date, but I would say it was an ideal programme for preparing primary school leavers for secondary school academic life.
So should pre form one classes be abolished or officiated? I would comment that before we come to such conclusion, we should evaluate our education system and ask ourselves, how did we reach a stage of pre form one classes to be deemed necessary? I am sure that if teaching and learning process in primary school has been effective we would not need pre form one classes.
I completed standard seven in public primary school, Mabatini Primary School in Temeke and later joined a prominent private secondary school in Tanzania, Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, I never needed a pre form one course because back at primary school level I had motivated and competent teachers, who taught effectively such that I managed to gain skills in languages, which became a bridge in form one.
Currently, teachers are demotivated and most of them are incompetent due to their ill preparations, and therefore, unless something is done to boost primary schools teachers’ morale and competency, we would still need orientation classes. It is just the whole vicious cycle.
I appeal to both the ministry of education and organizers of pre form one classes to ensure that subject content and professionalism in teaching is considered. However, parents should also play their part by demanding the quality of services in relation to what they pay.
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Land grabbing denotes severe consequences to villagers.
Land grabbing is aggravated by weakness of laws that have been formulated in the general administration of land matters in Tanzania.
Current studies indicate that the sudden rush for farmland that appeared to peak in 2009 was triggered primarily by the food price crisis of 2007 and 2008.
Many commentators agree that the crisis was sparked by a convergence of events that included reduced grain stocks and a jump in oil prices that prompted a diversion of some food stocks to bio-fuels.
Joseph Chiombola, Programme Officer of Hakiardhi an non-governmental organization which specialises in land ownership equity, says that the biggest hotspot in land conflicts currently is the Rufiji Delta in Coast Region and Kilombero in Morogoro Region.
The ambitious large-scale production for export, food, industrial demands, and bio-fuel have increased the land value drastically to the extent that efforts to win big portions of land now have become a common practice.
Chiombola, who doubles as a legal counsel and researcher, admits that the change of policy from Socialism and Self Reliance commonly known as Ujamaa has changed the ways that people perceive the ownership of property.
He revisits the history of Tanzania whereby from 1961 up to early 1990s when the real liberalisation policy took a new turn as being the most peaceful period in terms of land ownership in Tanzania.
“When Mwalimu Julius Nyerere confiscated land it was known clearly that this would be used for the public good. Today this is not necessarily the case, there is a state of confusion,” he substantiates.
Chiombola further says that from the outset Nyerere had a vision of communal ownership which augured well with his Ujamaa policy, so the confiscation of private farms meant that they would be owned by the central government or its agencies.
In this way, there are farms that belonged to the then National Agriculture and Food Corporation (NAFCO), ranches that belong to the National Ranching Company (NARCO) and land belonging to absentee landlords.
State motivated grabbing
Chiombola is worried that although the government has good intentions in some of its plans to recover large portions of land, in many cases villagers are not well involved. Therefore in some cases it is even difficult to predict the long-term effects of these programmes.
Again, taking an example of NAFCO, due to new political dynamics which saw the rise of the private sector, it is extremely difficult to understand who really benefits from these more than 543,604 hectares of ranch/farmland in the wake of the fall of nationalization and rise of privatization.
He says even though people were not fairly compensated during the Ujamaa era, this did not cause much envy than it is now when the well to do people enter into joint venture with some foreign companies like it is with the Kilimo Kwanza initiative, the Tanzania’s Green Revolution Scheme, and eventually the poor and ignorant people are forcefully evacuated.
“In essence the free market economy has encouraged land invasion in Tanzania in the name of encouraging large scale investment in agriculture. This is unfair to the majority poor,” he notes.
He argues that with the expansion of the private sector, competition for land is ever increasing; the demands in agriculture have also reflected the socio-economic development to the extent that it is difficult to understand who really takes charge of affairs going on.
However, he affirms, for instance, that the foreign aspect is always characterized by technical justification; that there is an increase in the prices of commodities in the world market which necessitates for large scale investment in agriculture in Africa.
Another explanation is that land is needed in order to mitigate the effects of Climate Change, namely that to plant trees targeting absorption of carbon dioxide, and at times that the scarcity of oil has forced for the bio-fuel to be used as alternative sources of energy.
In the same campaigns Chiombola says there is the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). He says all these are good campaigns but they are always associated with severe problems on the part of the aggrieved people.
This stance is supported by a senior legal counsel from the LHRC, Advocate Reginald Martin, who says Kilombero and Ulanga districts, both in Morogoro Region, are the hotly contested areas for large scale investments in agriculture.
Export food and alternative energy programmes
In this aspect Chiombola is again worried that there is no full involvement of the peasant farmers, some of whom are forcefully evicted from farms which they have been cultivating for a number of generations.
In this category there are some areas which have been earmarked either for food or for bio-fuel, and at times a combination of both. There is a lot of lobbying by some well to do people in these projects who collude with some villages so that they can later use the accumulated land in mortgaging as Real Estate Bond in seeking bank loans.
Later on these people come up with written projects for cultivation of jatropha, maize, sugar canes, and oil palm for the purpose of generating bio-fuel. To this end the Hakiardhi NGO conducted a research titled Accumulation by Labour Dispossession which earmarks the most affected areas in this trend.
He confidently mentions that Morogoro region stands to be the hottest hotspot of all land related conflicts, particularly in Kilombero.
Other areas are Rufiji Basin, Hanang, Kisarawe, and Loliondo where the conflict between the pastoralists and farmers in one hand, and the Ortello Business Company Ltd (OBC) from the UAE in the other, have stood as the longest unresolved conflicts in Tanzania.
Just recently in September this year, an Arab royal hunting firm denied allegations that it was plotting with the state to force thousands of Maasai community off their land to pave the way for a commercial game hunting.
An online activism site ‘Avaaz.org’ claimed that up to 48,000 Maasai pastoralists living in the Loliondo area were to face an imminent eviction in a deal that could hand over a large chunk of their ancestral land for commercial hunting by royals from the United Arab Emirates.
Avaaz.org convinced people around the world to sign a petition to oppose any attempt to evict the Maasai from their traditional land.
Nearly 900,000 people signed the Stop the Serengeti Sell-Off petition on the online site Avaaz.org, which claimed that “the Tanzanian President’s approval of the deal may be imminent, but if we act now, we can stop this sell-off of the Serengeti.”
But the Ortello Business Company Ltd (OBC) an UAE multi-million-dollar hunting corporation came out clear, refuting claims that it was planning to purchase the wildlife rich Loliondo Game Controlled Area (LGCA).
“There’s no such a plan at all because Tanzanian land laws do not allow foreigners to purchase land,” the OBC Country Director, Issac Mollel said. However, this is not to forget that this area has been locked in controversy since early 1985 during the second phase presidency of Ali Hassan Mwinyi.
“In Kisarawe the Sunbiofuel caused a lot of commotion after it wanted to hijack almost all the productive lands in the area for the bio-fuel project. This company did not pay compensation to villagers, but later this company sold this piece of land 100 percent to another company, the 360 Degrees Company,” he discloses.
Chiombola elaborates further that his organization has always strived to see that any Government’s development plan gets implemented but without causing harm to the poor people as it has always been happening in many places.
Another example to elucidate this is the Kilwa bio-shape project whereby 34,000 hectares were taken by investors at the Mavuji and Migeregere villages.
In Kilwa district a Dutch biofuel company requested the district council to acquire 81,000 hectares of land to cultivate jatropha in 2006. However, it just managed to get 34,000 ha only which is less than a half of what Bio-Shape Tanzania Limited, a subsidiary of BioShape Holdings BV of the Netherlands, had previously asked for.
Chiombola says that by 2008, the company only managed to cultivate 400ha of the allocated land on which jatropha was planted but chopped down hardwood over a much bigger area.
This then caused confusions and the Government had to act. Experts estimate that Bio-Shape might have processed over 10,000 cubic meters of hardwood between 2008/9 before work at its Mavuji plantation was suspended in November 2011, due to financial problems blamed on global recession.
According to records from the Business Registration and Licensing Authority, Kilwa Woodshape, that was registered on December 19, 2007, coincided with BioShape which started work at Mavuji, and had timber processing as its primary activity.
The Dutch company and its local partners seem to have violated a number of domestic and international regulations in instituting this project, which is on the verge of collapse although its owners argue otherwise.
Tanzania Investment Centre which was supposed to be the real custodian of BioShape’s acquired land in Kilwa, was sidelined in the process by the Ministry for Lands and Human Settlement Development officials as it was reported in the media.
Weaknesses in land laws
Chiombola analyses the three categories of land as general, reserved and village land. Under the Land Act, 1999, all land in Tanzania belongs to the state.
However, land can be owned in three different ways; firstly Government granted right of occupancy, secondly the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) derivative rights and thirdly Sub-leases created out of granted right of occupancy by the private sector.
Rights of occupancy and derivative rights are granted for a short term and long-term period. Long term rights of occupancy periods range from 5 - 99 years and are renewable, but for not more than 99 years.
Long term derivates rights and leases range between 5 - 98 years. The 1999 Land Act and Village Land Act are arguably among the laws that most directly impact on the well-being of most Tanzanians.
He adds that the Village Land Act has changed the way that land is administered on the ground. There are constant impositions and manipulations from above, and at times there is too much concentration of power in the ministry.
The Act clearly states that only the Ministry, through the Commissioner of Lands, has the authority to issue Grants of Occupancy (s. 14). In an obvious reference to the legal wrangle, which ensued after the reintroduction of local authorities in the eighties, the Act firmly declares:
‘A local government authority, shall not, unless specifically authorized by this Act, make an offer of or grant any right of occupancy to any person or organisation and any such purported offer or grant shall be void (s. 14).’
The Act further states that any local authority officer “shall comply with any directives of the Commissioner issued to him specifically or generally, and shall have regard to any circulars issued by the Commissioner” (s. 11(7)).
These legislations which allow imposition from above in many cases are abused to the extent that at times they create confusions as to who really is in-charge of what.
Witness from the land eviction victims
As it has been stated above Kilombero District has stood as one of the most affected areas due to controversies surrounding land occupancy. Some reasons of this trend are fertility and productivity but also its closer geographical proximity to Dar es Salaam.
Dar es Salaam remains the centre of all government and commercial activities despite the official capital city being Dodoma in the central part of the country but this has just remained in lip service.
Mr. Godfrey Lwena, a focal person with the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) and a resident of Kilombero, says he has seen all the controversies with an inquisitive eye.
He believes the trend is always to use the Government’s institution in order to justify the eviction of the poor peasants. Strange enough is the fact that the mode of informing them is always the existing community radios in the area rather than engage them prior to such evictions.
Lwena says in the same district there is a portion of land which Government leaders, namely district commissioners, have been saying it belongs to three different owners; the Ministry of Tourism, The Chita National Service and the Sugar Development Corporation (SUDECO) that was succeeded by Sugar Board of Tanzania (SBT).
He and Johnson Msuya, both residents of Kilombero, are spending most of their time in a state of uncertainty due to the fact that they have been noted as being instigators after having stood very firm in protecting the rights of their people from invaders in that part of the fertile Morogoro region.
At the time of writing this report they were at the High Court of Tanzania, Land Division, in a Civil Case-Application No 212/2012 against the Ministry of Tourism and the Attorney General. This is before Judge Agaton Nchimbi who postponed the case up to November 20, 2012 pending fulfillment of certain legal requirements from the applicants.
Probably the saddest case is that of Seleman Mwakalinga (78), a villager from Mang’ula Mwaya in Kilombero district, who claims that corrupt village leaders have redistributed his 12 acres farm which he acquired lawfully in 1984.
The helpless old man showed this reporter supporting documents which however have failed to help him in the court since 2005 when the case appeared in the court for the first time.
The head of government communication unit at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Abraham Nyantori, admits that he has been receiving a lot of complaints from the citizenry but the Government has been acting in time to find solutions to such problems.
However, he did not deny that currently there are big Government schemes to protect wetlands for various reasons. These schemes at times lead into clashes between villagers and Government officials who are sent to implent those projects.
Revelations from the High Court
From the High Court of Tanzania Land Division is the registrar, Lameck Mlacha, who says his office has faced a lot of challenges in dealing with land disputes.
He admits that for a number of years there was a pile up of cases due to financial constraints and shortage of staff at the High Court, including judges.
This situation was a handicap to the performance of the court, and with four judges only at least 40 percent of the cases were attended in a year. However, this situation changed later when in July this year the number of judges increased to 14, reversing the trend.
He also admits that the situation is even more chaotic with the lower levels of the judiciary in handling land cases because of what he terms as “structural problems”. He says there are measures to resolve these discrepancies, though.
“It is very problematic to deal with the white collar land criminals. Some of them are very knowledgeable people. They have networks and they use money to influence certain decisions after conspiring with some unscrupulous officials,” he laments.
He argues that the centre of land grabbing for settlement purposes country-wise is Kinondoni District due to the population pressure in Dar es Salaam.
Parliament drawn in the land scams
Probably it was the Kawe Member of Parliament Ms Halima Mdee who summarized it all when she presented her private motion in the august House on Thursday 8th November, sending waves of shock in the House.
She concurs with Chiombola that the Rufiji River Basin is a hotspot of land based conflicts. The area, which is made up of 176,000 square kilometers, comprises of the Rufiji Delta, Luwero, Kilombero and the Ruaha River where 93 percent of the residents are peasant farmers.
She is saddened by the fact that up to 500,000 people whose livelihood is solely dependent on this basin are at stake due to constant threat of eviction for what she termed as to pave way to investors.
She condemned some companies which have abandoned their traditional roles and now have turned into agents of some companies in this wave of the search for wetlands.
As it appears now land grabbing is a multifaceted problem and as long as the driving forces remain intake the consequences will always be severe to the downtrodden.