ON THE SPOT-CAROLA KINASHA(TANZANIAN DIVAS)

When you talk of Afro-fusion music in Tanzania and leave out Carola's name you will be doing a great injustice. The songstress is one of the great musicians around who maintain a low profile. She spoke to Erick Mchome about herself.
Where were you born? I am a Maasai born in I.ongido in Arusha.
Are you married? Yes, to a fellow Tanzanian and we have two kids.
Where exactly do you live? I am based at Kinondoni in Dar es Salaam.
How many countries have you visited so far? Music has taken me to more than 10 countries.
How do you manage to keep your voice? I do not really take care of it, as I smoke but it is natural and am proud of it.
Who would you like to feature in your music? I prefer those not yet recognized like Anania Ngoliga (Tanzania) while in South Africa, I would go for a woman called Letambulu.
What can't you live without? My children; they are so precious to me.

INVESTORS IN DAR TRANSPORT TO ENJOY TAX EXEMPTION

The Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) has joined the drive to address public transport woes in Dar es Salaam and efforts being by made by the authorities to end the nagging problem of traffic congestion in the city.
The agency said it is now ready to offer fiscal incentives to enable local investors to import modern buses to create public transport fleets, which are a sure way of safe commuting in cities. The TIC incentives include tax exemptions to transporters who will import new big buses for providing commuter services in the city.
Its director of Investment Promotion Raymond Mbilinyi told BusinessWeek recently that the incentives aim at encouraging local investors to invest in modernizing public transport to overhaul the current wanting system and help to reduce traffic jams on Dar es Salaam roads.
He said investors interested to invest in commuter bus companies can approach the agency for assistance.  
"TIC can assist in providing incentives such as tax exemptions to local investors who form partnerships to acquire modern buses. The incentives will not only attract and retain the investors in the city transport sector, but also help to create formal jobs in the industry and the national economy at large," he said.
TIC has been reluctant in the past to give bus operators such incentives, they said, was important for the sector’s growth and development as well as a measure to increase the safety of passengers.
Owners of upcountry buses have for many years called on the agency to include passenger buses into the list of capital goods which would make them eligible for exemption of some taxes.
Last year, Mr Mohamed Abdullah, the chairperson of the Tanzania Bus Owners Association, told BusinessWeek that its members wanted the government to waive VAT on new buses. He said by doing so, would greatly help to address the problem of accidents on the country’s roads since transporters would be enabled to reasonably acquire news buses.
But with the tax on, he noted, acquisition of new buses is expensive, forcing many transporters to resort to old vehicles that jeopardize the safety of passengers.
It is expected that TIC’s fiscal incentives offer will also include buses plying upcountry routes. Currently, buses providing upcountry transport services, also include those with built on lorry chasses, which logistics management experts say is mechanically wrong.
TIC says tax waiver for public commuting buses will be given to transporters who partner to form companies or associations operating transport fleets. In Kenya, such services are provided by groups of operators who have joined forces to form saving and credit cooperative societies (saccos).
The Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra), has already ordered Dar es Salaam commuter bus owners to form transport such organisations or risk being banned from doing business.
The authority argues that Dar es Salaam public transport currently dominated by individuals owning single buses, would improve if the owners operate as companies or cooperative societies. The present chaotic nature of the city’s transport is due to the fact that each owner tries to maximize revenue in a single day without regard to traffic rules or safety of commuters.
"Only operators who team up to form companies will be licensed and the rest will be banned,” Sumatra director-general Israel Sekirasa had told commuter bus owners at a recent meeting in Dar es Salaam.
He said the plan had many advantages including improving city transport and enabling bus companies to easily get loans from financial institutions. Mr Mbilinyi urged private operators to form partnerships to create medium and large commercial fleets that would facilitate profitable operations.
According to him, engaging the private sector in transport service delivery is important in improving services, adding that private companies or cooperatives can also easily attract local capital and/or foreign direct investment that are required to transform the sector.
The investment promotion expert said transport companies could raise money from banks to finance assets and vehicle acquisition through arrangements such as leasing finance and capital markets.
He urged commuter operators to form saccos as a way of raising long-term capital from various sources since such groupings appeal more to financiers than individuals. He said major benefits of commencing commuter city bus transport companies would include improvement of quality of service and enhancement of planning and management of operations.
Available statistics show that currently, Dar es Salaam has about 6,000 commuter buses that are owned by about 3,171 operators. These buses carry only 43 per cent of the city daily commuters. Most of the commuter buses have a capacity of less than 30 seats. This results into most people resorting into to owning vehicles.
Other benefits to be accrued from forming city bus transport cooperatives is the reduction in vehicle operating costs, improving efficiency and offer quality service to commuters. Logistics expert say such arrangements would also be an incentive for attracting investors to establish bus assembly plants in Tanzania.
Commuting fleets, they argue, would also promote use of compressed natural gas [CNG] or biodiesel for public transport, hence reducing fossil fuel imports. That would also boost possibility of undertaking of clean development mechanism [CDM] transport project, whose focus is reducing carbon emissions.
The CDM transport initiatives are being promoted worldwide to help attract financing of urban public transport using windows of carbon trading. Tanzania is also considering venturing into that area.
Mr Mbilinyi said limitations to efficient and safe public transport in the country include limited incentive packages, constrained financing as result of the global financial and economic crisis, infrastructure limitations and high fossil costs. According to him, investment in modern bus fleets is not only about getting money, but employment of contemporary business management practices.

AJIPIGA RISANI KICHWANI KWENYE HARUSI YA RAFIKI YAKE KISA MCHEZO WA RUSSIAN ROULETTE

Mwanaume mmoja nchini Urusi anashikiliwa na polisi baada ya kuanzisha mchezo wa kuchezea bunduki katikati ya sherehe za harusi na kupelekea mwanaume mmoja ajipige risasi ya kichwa. Huku bwana harusi na bi harusi wakiangalia kwa mshtuko mkubwa, mwanaume aliyepewa bunduki aigize anajipiga kichwani baada ya kuambiwa kuwa bunduki hiyo haina risasi, aliichukua bunduki na kuielekeza kichwani mwake.

Huku watu wengine wakimsihi asijaribu kufanya hivyo, mwanaume huyo aliielekeza bunduki kichwani na alipoifyatua risasi ilitoka kweli na kulifumua fuvu la kichwa chake.

Mwanaume huyo amelazwa hospitali akiwa amepooza mwili wake huku ubongo wake ukiwa umeharibiwa vibaya na risasi hiyo.

Kasheshe hilo lilianza kwa mwanaume mmoja ambaye ni rafiki wa bwana harusi alipotoa bunduki na kuwaalika watu waje kucheza mchezo unaoitwa "Russian Roulette".

Mwanaume huyo alijielekezea mwenyewe risasi na kuifyatua lakini risasi haikutoka. Ndipo alipomualika mtu mwingine naye aje ajaribu.

Video ya tukio hilo iliyowekwa kwenye tovuti ya YouTube inamuonyesha mwanaume huyo akiichukua bunduki na kuielekeza kichwani kwake kabla ya kuifyatua na yeye mwenyewe kuanguka chini na kuzua mshikeshike kwenye harusi hiyo.

Rafiki huyo wa bwana harusi anashikiliwa na polisi ingawa alijitetea kuwa alikuwa akijua kuwa bunduki yake ilikuwa tupu haina risasi.

Mchezo wa Russian Roulette ulikuwa ukifanyika kwenye jela za Urusi wakati wa miaka ya mapinduzi ya Urusi ambapo wafungwa walilazimishwa kuzichezea bunduki huku maafisa wa jela wakicheza kamari kujua mfungwa yupi atafariki kwanza.

Chini ni VIDEO ya tukio hilo la kwenye harusi.

MATATANI KWA KUMPIGA MGONJWA WA TB

MWANAMKE mmoja jana aliingia matatani baada ya kushindwa kuvumilia matusi aliyokuwa akitukanwa na mgonjwa wa kifua kikuu na kujikuta akimpiga ili aweze kumliza hasira zake. Tukio hilo lilitokea jana majira ya jioni, huko Mbagala Charambe baada ya mwanamke huyo [jina kapuni] kumpa kipigo mgonjwa huyo ambaye anaumwa kwa muda mrefu.

Ilidaiwa mwanamke huyo ambaye anaishi jirani na anakoishi mgonjwa huyo, alipatwa na jazba baada ya mgonjwa huyo kumtukana matusi na kushindwa kuvumilia na kumtia mikononi.

Ilidaiwa mgonjwa huyo alimtukana mama huyo matusi ya nguoni na ilidaiwa ni kawaida yake kumtuakana masma huyo na siku hiyo alishindwa kuvumilia na kumtiq mikononi.

Ilidaiwa ndugu wa mwanamke huyo walimsihi asimpige mgonjwa huyo japo kuwa anamatatizo mana alikuwa anatumia kigezo cha ugonjwa wake na kumsihi anaweza akapatwa na matatizo..

Bila kutambua alijikuta akimuingia mgonjwa huyo na ndugu wa mgonjwa huyo kuchachamaa na kwenda kuripoti kituo cha polisi.

Hata hivyo ilidaiwa kuwa mwanamke huyo alitakiwa kituo cha polisi akatoe maelezo machache kuhusiana na sakata hilo.

Kitakachoendelea kitawajia baada ya kupata tarifa kamili

MITI 6OOO YAKATWA KUZUIA WATU KUFANYA MAPENZI UKO UINGEREZA

Miti ipatayo 6,000 iliyopo pembeni mwa barabara moja kuu nchini Uingereza imekatwa ili kuwazuia watu kupeana huduma za chap chap. Miti zaidi ya 6,000 iliyopo pembeni barabara namba A666 katika mji wa Darwen kaskazini masharibi mwa Uingereza imeteketezwa ili kuwazuia watu kufanya mapenzi chini ya miti hiyo.

Miti hiyo iliyochukua eneo la hekta 12 ilikuwa ni maarufu kama kituo cha watu wanaopeana huduma za mapenzi za chap chap.

Miti hiyo iliyopandwa baada ya vita vya pili vya dunia, ilikatwa baada ya maafisa wa manispaa ya mji huo kudai kuwa miti hiyo imezeeka na inaweza ikayaangukia magari yanayopita kwenye barabara hiyo.

Lakini sajenti wa polisi Mark Wilson alisema kuwa miti hiyo ilikatwa kutokana na kuwa kero kwa wapitanjia kutokana na baadhi ya watu kupenda kufanya mapenzi kwenye maeneo ya miti hiyo huku wakionekana wazi.

"Lilikuwa ni tatizo la muda mrefu lililoleta kero kero kubwa sana kwa jamii", alisema sajenti Wilson.

Haijajulikana kama kukatwa kwa miti hiyo kutaleta ufumbuzi wa tatizo hilo la watu kujisevia pembeni mwa barabara hiyo.

CHINI YA ULINZI KISA UZURURAJI

WASICHANA wawili wamejikuta wakiwa katika wakati mgumu baada ya kuchaniwa nguo zao walizovaa kwa kuonekana walikuwa wabishi baada ya kukutwa na askari wa mtaani maarufu kama sungusungu.
Wasichana hao majina hayakuweza kupatikana mara moja walikutwa na dhahama hiyo, juzi majira ya usiku huko maeneo ya Mnazi Mmmoja jijini Dar es Salaam.


Kwa mujibu wa maelezo ya askari hao jamii wanaoshirikiana a askari wa jeshi la polisi walidai waliwakuta wasichana hao wamevaa nusu uchi na kuwasimamisha kwa kuwa wao walikuwa lindo kusaka waharifu wapitao majira hayo.


Walidai kuwa walipotakiwa kusimama walionekana kukaidi na kutaka kuondoka bila kutambua watu hao walikuwa katika lindo.


Hivyo walipoonekana kubisha zaidi wanalindo hao waliwabeba kwa nguvu na ndipo nguo zao zilipochanikia kwa kuwa walikuwa wakaidi kwenda kituoni cha polisi kwa mahojiano.

Mmoja wa askari hao aliokuwa eneo la tukio alidai wasichana hao baada ya kutakiwa kwenda kituo cha polisi walifungua mikoba yao na kutoa magauni marefu kutak kuvaa maarufu kama Madera na kuzuiliwa wafike hivyo hivyo kituoni.


JEshi la polisi wameunda vikosi maalum vya mitaani vya ulinzi vinavyojulikana polisi jamii ewanaoshirikana na askari kukamata waharifu mitaani.

ATUPWA JELA KWA KUFANYA MAPENZI NA MWANAFUNZI

MWANAMKE Sophia Philemon [44] ambaye ni mama wa watoto watatu, amehukumiwa kwenda kutumikia kifungo cha miaka saba jela baada ya kupatikana na hatia ya kufanya mapenzi na mwanafunzi chini ya miaka 18. Mwanamke huyo mkazi wa wilayani Moshi vijijini alifanya mapenzi na mwanafunzi wa kidato cha kwanza katika shule ya sekondari Langasani mwenye umri wa miaka 15 bila kutambua anatenda kosa kisheria.

Hukumu hiyo takatifu, ilitolewa jana na Kaimu Hakimu Mkazi Mfawidhi John Nkwabi wa Mahakama ya Mkoa Kilimanjaro, John Nkwabi baada ya kuridhika na ushahidi wa mashahidi wanne wa upande wa mashitaka.

Nkwabi alisema ameridhika na ushahidi uliotolewa akiwemo na mwanafunzi huyo umeithibitishia mahakama pasipo shaka yoyote na mahakama imeridhika na ushahidi huo.

Nkwabi alisema kitendo alichokifanya mwanamke huyo cha kumlazimisha kijana huyo kufanya nae tendo la ndoa ni kosa chini ya kifungu namba 138B (1) (d) cha kanuni ya adhabu kinachosimamia makosa ya kimapenzi kwa watoto baada ya sheria hiyo kufanyiwa marekebisho mwaka 2002.

Awali hati ya mashitaka ilionyesha kuwa, Februari 28, mwaka jana, saa 1:00 usiku, huko katika kambi namba tisa katika nyumba za sukari wilayani Moshi vijijini, mshitakiwa alimlazimisha mwanafunzi huyo kufanya naye mapenzi katika chumba anachoishi na mumewe.

Ilidaiwa kuwa muda huo mwanafunzi huyo alikuwa ametoka dukani alikokuwa ametumwa na wazazi wake na mwanamke huyo alimwita na kumshawishi aingie ndani ya nyumba yake anapoishi na mumewe na baadaye kumlazimisha kufanya naye tendo la ndoa.

Sophia ni mke wa mtu na ni mama wa watoto watatu ambao wawili wa kike na mmoja ni wa kiume.