THE ROVOS RAIL TOURIST TRAIN, CAPE TO DAR VIA TAZARA

The Rovos Rail tourist train is on its way from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania on its annual vintage trip from the tip of the African continent to its heart, rolling through famous tourist attraction sites in southern Africa.

The luxury train left Victoria Falls on Monday this week, heading northwards to Dar es Salaam in its 15-day epic journey from South Africa to East Africa.

Reports from trip organizers said the train is due to arrive in Dar es Salaam Saturday mid-morning this week, July 15. This epic 2-week journey travels through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania and is one of the most famous vintage trains in the world.

In Zambia and Tanzania, the Rovos train rides on the TAZARA track. 

TAZARA is among the longest and most modern railroads in Africa with pure Chinese technology.

The 1,067-mm gauge railway covers a distance of 1,860 kilometers (1,160 miles) from Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean coast to Zambia’s central province town of Kapiri-Mposhi.

Covering 6,100 kilometers, the 2-week tourist-tailored epic journey from Cape to Dar es Salaam takes place every year on a vintage Edwardian Train snaking through the southern to eastern parts of Africa on tourist missions.

Known as the “Miracle railway,” the Tanzania-Zambia rail is among the longest and most modern railroads in Africa with pure Chinese technology.

It crosses and passes through spectacular features including the 23 tunnels cutting through the Eastern Arc ranges in the southern highlands of Tanzania and the Great Rift Valley rim. The longest tunnel covers 800 meters through rugged mountains.

These dark tunnels make the rail among most fascinating features any visitor could enjoy while snaking through 920 kilometers from Dar es Salaam to the Zambian border of Nakonde.

From Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi, the railway crosses or passes on over 300 bridges with stopovers in 147 stations.

It took 50,000 Chinese rail experts and engineers with other 60,000 Tanzanian and Zambia workers to lay down 330,000 tons of heavy steel rail to get this railway going.

The workers moved 89 million cubic meters of earth and rock to complete the rail’s construction, including the laying down of 2,225 concrete culverts.

Twelve Chinese surveyors walked on foot through rugged landscapes and wild places for 9 months from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya in the Southern Highlands, covering about 900 kilometers, in order to choose and align the railway’s path. On the course of its construction, 65 Chinese railway experts and engineers died.

Rovos Rail, or the “Pride of Africa,” is a luxurious train that follows Cecil Rhode’s trails from the Cape, passing through Southern Africa to Dar es Salaam and linking its passengers to other parts of Africa through other railway networks in Eastern Africa.

It is an exciting, and perhaps the only moment of a life-time ride on such a train pushed by steam engines and with old wooden coaches dating back to the late 1890s, but modified into a 5-star hotel with all the required first-class tourist facilities.

The old Edwardian Rovos Rail train rolls with 21 wooden coaches with a capacity to accommodate 72 passengers. The wooden coaches are aged between 70 and 100 years, and have been furnished into passenger-worthy carriages.

Owned by Rovos Rail Company, the vintage train made its first maiden trip to Dar es Salaam in July 1993 to complete Cecil Rhode’s dream of laying a railway line from Cape Town in South Africa to Cairo in Egypt, snaking across the African continent from the southernmost tip to the northern tip of this continent.

SOLAR ENERGY COMPANIES URGED TO PROVIDE QUALITY SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS

IRINGA: The government in Iringa region has urged companies involved in producing and distributing solar power systems to see the importance of making such a mechanism by setting them up for the prevention process when stolen.

The statement was issued by the Iringa Regional Commissioner Amina Masenza yesterday when she was officially launching the office and operations of Mobisol in Iringa, where she said that there have been thefts on the Solar Panel in the country.

"People steal solar panels because they know they can use it elsewhere and you manufacturers have to put safety equipment on your installations so that someone cannot use it after stolen," Said Masenza.

She said that there is need to stop that kind of behavior where people steel solar panels and resale them but those systems could have security put in place it will prevent theft on solar panels in Iringa and the country as whole. 

However, Masenza thanked Mobisol for coming in Iringa but asked the company to cooperate with Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) at the same time with Rural Electricity Agency (REA) to make it easier for the company to arrive and provide electricity where there is no power supply.

Earlier on, the Zonal Hub Manager, Vedast Thadeo said the company's goal is to reach every citizen by providing reliable and affordable electricity and raising youth employment.

He said Mobisol is also focusing on conserving the environment – while, at the same time, the electricity they provide offers an opportunity for people to utilize it for various income generating activities which improve their economic wellbeing. 

Thadeo said that the Germany-based solar-service company Mobisol provides a range of solar home systems with an affordable payment.

He said that since its inception in 2011 has succeeded in installing 100 solar plants for that year but has now installed more than 55,000 solar home systems throughout the country and distributed in all regions of the Tanzania mainland.

“We are delivering a clean and affordable alternative to fossil fuels for low-income households living without access to reliable energy." said Thadeo.

It includes a solar panel, battery, solar controller, lights, as well as cell phone chargers. The system is available in three different sizes between 80 and 200 Watts. 

He said, the systems can illuminate entire households, and power e.g. laptops, radios, TVs, fridges and charge cell phones. The larger systems are powerful enough to run energy-based businesses.

He said that so far Mobisol has given employment to more than 50 young people in Iringa region while requesting a chance to serve in various government departments including schools, dispensaries and various energy needs.

Thadeo said that over the past six years the company has managed to employ some 320 Tanzanians and 800 with jobs contracts. By Friday Simbaya, Iringa

RC IRINGA AMPONGEZA RITTA KABATI KWA KUHAMASISHA MICHEZO KUPITIA MASHINDANO

Mkuu wa mkoa wa Iringa Amina Masenza akisalimiana na wachezaji timu ya MUCOBA toka wilaya ya Mufindi mkoani Iringa akifuana na Mdhamini Mbunge wa Viti Maalum Mkoa wa Iringa Ritta Kabati kabla mchezo wa fainali kati ya Ruaha FC na MUCOBA FC jana. (Picha Friday Simbaya)

MASHINDANO ya Ritta Kabati ‘Challenge Cup’ yamepata mshindi na bingwa wa kwanza wa mashindano hayo ambaye ni Timu Ruaha FC ya mjini Iringa, baada ya kuitoa MUCOBA ya Mufindi kwa mikwanji ya penati 4-2, baada ya kipenga cha mwisho ilikuwa 0-0 jana.

Mgeni rasmi alikuwa mkuu wa mkoa wa iringa amina masenza ambapo pamoja na mambo mengine ametoa pongezi katika uwanja wa chuo cha ualimu Kreluu wakati wa fainali kati ya Mucoba FC na Ruaha. 

Alisema alisema kuwa alipendezwa na mashindano hayo na kuwa yameendeshwa kwa uratibu mzuri japo timu ya Polisi FC ndio ambayo ilitaka kuvuruga mashindano hayo. 

Mkuu huyo wa mkoa alisema timu ya Polisi ilionyesha utovu wa nidhamu katika mashindano hayo jumbo ambalo sio nzuri katika tasnia michezo ambayo ina taka kuwa na ‘fair play’. 

MKUU wa mkoa wa Iringa Amina Masenza alipongeza jitihada za Mbunge wa viti maalum mkoa wa Iringa Ritta Kabati kwa kuhamasisha michezo kupitia mashindano yake ya Ritta Kabati Challenge cup 2017.

Masenza alitoa zawadi mbalimabli kama ifuatavyo; mshindi wa kwanza ni Ruaha FC alipewa pikipiki, kikombe na mpira mmoja na pesa taslimu 50,000/-, mshindi wapili ni MUCOBA alipewa pesa taslimu laki tano na mpira na mshindi wa tatu ni timu ya Kitanzini FC ya mjini Iring ilizawadiwa pesa taslimu laki mbill na mpira pamoja na zawadi zinginezo zilizotolewa kwa washindi mbalmbali.

Mkuu wa mkoa wa Iringa Amina Masenza amepongeza jitihada za Mbunge wa Viti Maalum Mkoa wa Iringa, Ritta Kabati kwa kuhamasisha michezo kupitia mashindano yake ya ‘Ritta Kabati Challenge Cup 2017.’

MAGAZETI YA LEO JULY 16, 2017

R.I.P Mrs Mwakyembe, Pole sana

BWANA ALITOA NA BWANA AMETWAA, JINA LA BWANA LIHIMIDIWE!

BEEKEEPING: A LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITY TO ADDRESS POVERTY AND COMBAT ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION.

By Friday Simbaya, Iringa

Tanzania is a mega-biodiversity country with six globally recognized biodiversity hotspots. The country is home to about twenty percent of Africa’s large mammals and has at least 14,500 known species. Tanzania is among 15 countries with the highest number of endemic as well as threatened species. Tanzania accounts for more than one-third of total plant species in Africa and ranks twelfth globally in terms of bird species.

According to Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team’s Communication Officer, Miss Edina Tibaijuka, forests and wildlife contribute immensely to ecosystem services in Tanzania. “They produce food and water, they control climate and diseases, and they support nutrient cycles and crop pollination and have spiritual and recreational benefits” says Miss Tibaijuka. In essence human life in Tanzania and in most - if not all - parts of the world cannot be detached from surrounding environments and ecosystems. Communities in Tanzania and around the world should invest heavily in managing wildlife and forest resources, due to their high value

Regrettably, forest and wildlife resources in Tanzania are susceptible to lots of management challenges. Their survival are threatened by the presence of conflicting and contradictory laws and policies, corruption, lack of integrated framework for natural resources management, improper land use planning, weak national capacity for environmental impact assessment, and rapid population growth to mention but a few. These challenges lead to poverty, drying up of water sources, disappearing of vegetation, and climate change. The bottom line is, forests and wildlife resources are in danger due to high incidences of poverty of surrounding village communities.

Given the increase of deforestation and illegal utilization practices, LEAT, under the grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is currently implementing a four-year project known as “Citizens Engaging in Government Oversight in Natural Resources Management (CEGO-NRM)”. The project aims to nurture the engagement of citizens in the management of natural resources particularly forests and wildlife. The project is empowering citizens, through capacity building trainings and advocacy, in order to increase their awareness on natural resources management and social accountability monitoring. Moreover, the project is supporting villagers to venture into alternative, but environmental friendly, income generating activities, beekeeping in particular.

To this end, LEAT provided a total of 700 modern beehives to 32 groups of beekeepers in 32 villages in Mufindi and Iringa districts, Iringa region. Consequence to that, LEAT provided them with protective gears, beekeeping manuals and tailored trainings to encourage eco-friendly livelihood practices. Ms. Tibaijuka says, “The aim of relieving villagers with beekeeping projects is to offer village communities with alternative and approachable ways of gaining economic income thus sustaining adjacent forest and wildlife resources.”

Tambalang’ombe village in Sadani Ward in Mufindi District, Iringa region is one of the 32 project villages that were given 22 beehives out of 700 provided by LEAT. The secretary of its  beekeeping group, Mr. Eleuteri Kipembe says, “beekeeping has helped us to protect the village forest reserve from destruction because people fear to burn forests due to beehives that are in village forest, and to date about 14 beehives have been colonized. They also fear that if caught they will be criminally prosecuted.”

Similarly, Ms. Maida Makalimoto, the secretary of the beekeeping group at Igombavanu village in Mufindi district, said that their group started in 2016 after being given 22 beehives by LEAT. She went on to say that to now there are 16 of the 22 beehives with bees and they are were hoping to harvest honey by the end of June 2017. "Honey is used as food, as a cure for various diseases and is a good source of income and eventually reduces poverty," added Makalimoto.

Beekeeping is not only supplementing village households with nutritious food but also plays part in securing extra income thus slowing down deforestation. In few villages, the establishment of shed for beehives or a bee house containing a number of beehives (apiaries) has slowed down the unproductive use of forest resources.

Members of the supported beekeeping groups now participate in managing forest reserves as forest reserves provide flowers and home for bee colonies. Miss Tibaijuka added that, other specific objectives of the project is to bring efficiency to the protection, maintenance and use of forest resources and to foster villagers’ entrepreneurship which will enable them to start projects along the honey’s value chain and thus be able to sell honey, beeswax, pollen and other bee produces.

The thirty-two supported groups in Mufindi and Iringa districts aside, all Tanzanians - both men and women -have a chance to participate in beekeeping. Tanzania is blessed with areas that are conducive for safe and profitable beekeeping ventures. Beekeeping requires little start-up capital but has many social, economic, and environmental benefits. With proper understanding of national policies, laws, and regulations, Tanzanians will be able to start and run beekeeping projects and obtain tangible economic benefits and conserve their environments.

Moreover, beekeeping can also contribute individual and national efforts of tackling climate Change, added Miss Tibaijuka. The effects of climate change are in Tanzania in general and Iringa in particular are easy to see. The weather patterns have changed greatly in the recent years. Unsustainable uses of natural resources and emissions of greenhouses in the atmosphere are on the rise. The cutting of forests results into the release of stored carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. The Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism in his 2015/16 budget speech stated that a total of 372,000 hectares of forests are lost each year due to unsustainable anthropogenic activities in the country, especially on forests that are managed by district councils. With big beekeeping projects, communities will conserve biodiversity thus create carbon sinks for greenhouse gases.

To wind up, Miss Tibaijuka stated that the country has requisite beekeeping policy, legal and regulatory regime that if properly translated into action and enforced will make the beekeeping industry to grow and thrive in Tanzania. These include the National Beekeeping Policy of 1998 and the Beekeeping Act of 2002. These not only allow the establishment of national, district and village beekeeping reserves but also individual beekeeping farms. Unfortunately, many Tanzanians do not know them. Efforts should be made to make them aware of them and seize opportunities offered by the Beekeeping Act.