The Nigerian High Commissioner to Tanzania visits Mama Maria Nyerere at Butiama

The Nigerian High Commissioner to Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Ishaya S. Majanbu and Mrs. Naomi Majanbu, paid a visit to Butiama this morning.

Outside the mausoleum of the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, front row, L-R: H.E. Dr. Ishaya S. Majanbu, Mama Maria Nyerere, and Mrs. Naomi Majanbu. 

They were hosted by Mama Maria Nyerere, widow of the founding president of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere.



Mama Maria Nyerere, left, accepts a gift from Mrs. Naomi Majanbu, right.

They also visited the Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere Museum.



Mama Maria Nyerere, left, poses with her gift from Mrs. Naomi Majanbu, centre, as Ambassador H.E. Dr. Ishaya Majanbu observes.

Before their departure, Mrs Naomi Majanbu presented a gift of an African batik cloth to Mama Maria who insisted on opening the cloth and wrapping it on her shoulder.

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School built by President Yoweri Museveni in Tanzania

The village of Muhutwe in Kagera region has a special relationship with Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni. During his years in exile from Uganda he spent some time at Muhutwe, in the western Tanzania region of Kagera.

The house where President Museveni lived in the village of Muhutwe.

He reportedly lived in the house, pictured above, where he rented a small room. My guide during the trip to Muhutwe told me the room was packed with books. The landlord did not know who Museveni was until Museveni returned to the village of Muhutwe as president of Uganda and visited his former residence.

Nyarigamba Secondary School.

President Museveni not only decided to build a house for his former landlord, but even decided that two secondary schools should be built in Muleba district: one at Muhutwe, and another one at Kamachumu.

Nyarigamba Secondary School.

Nyarigamba Secondary School.

Nyarigamba Secondary School.

The decision was not received with approval by some Ugandans who complained that President Museveni should have spent that money in Uganda.

According the the Ugandan High Commissioner to Tanzania, Ibrahim Mukiibi, the schools were built as a gesture of friendship from Ugandans to Tanzania for the good job that the Tanzanian army had done in the war that toppled the former ruler, Idi Amin in 1979.

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$100,000 award for African scientists

Here's a message from the African Union; additional details and the attachments mentioned in the message on the African Union's website at  
www.Africa-union.org:

Dear Scientists,

 

Greetings from the African Union Commission.

 

It’s a pleasure for me on behalf of the AU Commission to remind you that the Grand and Prestigious AU Continental Scientific Award Competition is still open until 9 September 2010. You are challenged to win a grand prize of USD100,000 by simply completing the attached application form and submitting a few support documents.

 

The AU Commission is committed to raise the profile of African Scientists high, promote scientific development in the continent, and to recognize excellence among African scientists (women, men and to support you to persevere in your research or academic endeavors. This programme is a direct response to that.

 

You are cordially invited to apply for this award!

 

Please assist us in contact potential scientists in Africa by forwarding this e-mail with its attachments.

 

Good lucky

 

Regards,

 

Hambani Masheleni

Senior Policy Officer

African Union Commission

Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology

Science & Technology and ICT Division

Prof. Sospeter Muhongo has returned to the University of Dar es Salaam

Prof Sospeter Muhongo, a Tanzanian who last year was one of two African candidates for the position of Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) but withdrew from the race after receiving scant support from African countries, has returned to the University of Dar es Salaam.

He is an Honorary Fellow of the Geological Society of London, an Honorary Research Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World.

In addition, he is a fellow of eight highly learned professional societies. He was the founding Regional Director of the ICSU Regional Office for Africa, Pretoria, South Africa. Prof Muhongo is the Chair of Science Programme Committee (SPC) of the UN-proclaimed International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) and the Vice President of the Commission of the Geological Map of the World (CGMW). He is the co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of African Earth Sciences (Elsevier) and Associate Editor of Precambrian Research (Elsevier).

He is a Full Professor of Geology at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and an Honorary Professor of Geology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Prof Muhongo has published over 200 well-acknowledged research articles, geological and mineral maps. He has delivered more than 250 invited keynote speeches around the world at international conferences.

Over the past two decades Prof. Muhongo has co-organized over 100 international STI and science policy conferences, including those on "Science with Africa" which are hosted by ECA, AUC and their partners. Prof. Muhongo is a Member of the International Experts Group (Global Science Forum) of OECD. He has occupied numerous important national, regional and international professional positions dealing with science, technology, innovation, earth resources, science policy and science diplomacy. Prof. Muhongo, recipient of numerous scholarly and professional awards, grants and fellowships studies geology at the Universities of Dar es Salaam and Goettingen (Germany). He graduated with Dr.rer.nat. degree from the Technical University of Berlin, Germany.

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Lessons from Zimbabwe

It was 29th March 2008 at the harmonized Zimbabwe elections. Someone found out where President Robert Mugabe would vote that morning and I, and a group of journalists from SADC member countries, rushed to the voting station at a primary school in one of Harare's suburbs.

Reuters/SABC News were already there

Reuters/SABC News were already there; it seems you do not get to the top of the news business by chance. The wait was long, prompting some to find space to rest.

A place to rest...

As time passed it seemed word spread around Harare on where the president would vote that morning and the crowd of reporters kept growing.

Crowd of reporters

TV Mozambique was represented, revealed by the logo on a reporters microphone.

A reporter's microphone...

And so was the Xhinhua News Agency, advertised on the back of one of the photographers.

The back of one of the reporters...

Every one lost concentration on how long we waited and some began to disperse and find other places for resting, until an old woman came out of the voting booth. Then most of the reporters pounced on her to find out which party she voted for.

Reporters pounce on the old woman...

Long after the old woman was interviewed and left the president's entourage arrived. President Mugabe arrived with his wife and children and proceeded into the voting room. As we surged towards the room behind the entourage, the entrance was blocked by serious-looking police and security personnel and we were all blocked from entering.

An individual who I gathered was the junior minister for Information appeared at the entrance and said when the time was right, he would allow photographers only to enter the voting room to photograph President Mugabe casting his vote.

Another several minutes of waiting passed and the minister announced that all those with cameras should step forward. A heavily built photographer with a huge camera powered his way in front of me and was allowed in. When I stepped ahead with my Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200...

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200

 the minister blocked me and asked:

"What is this? Are you taking personal photos?"

I did some quick thinking and said:

"No. I am a columnist from the Sunday News, Tanzania and......"

I believe mentioning Tanzania saved me and he said, "OK", and waved me through. First, I took the photo of the First Lady casting her vote.

The First Lady votes...

And then I took a photograph of the president casting his vote.

President Mugabe casts his vote...

After casting his vote, President Mugabe left the building and held a brief press conference before leaving. I had learnt my lesson. If you want to impress ministers in elections you have to hold large and impressive cameras and equipment; if you don't have the impressive equipment you might try mentioning the name of a country that remains in the host country's good books.

Facing sideways, in glasses, the minister who eventually let me through

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