Vicky Pattison dresses in skintight bandeau dress as she reveals before and after body pics... dropping from size 16 to 8 in a matter of months!

She caught people's attention this summer, when she was spotted frolicking on the beach, looking a lot 'curvier' than usual.

But Vicky Pattison is clearly out to prove what a bit of dieting can do as she shows off her post-Geordie Shore before and after weight loss, where she dropped from a size 16 to an 8. 

The 25-year-old's strict weight loss programme saw the reality TV star loose the pounds in a matter of months - and is literally half the woman she used to be.

Body beautiful: Vicky worked so hard to get her body in shape

What a difference! Vicky Pattison shows off her post-Geordie Shore diet in a tight yellow bandeau dress, dropping from a size 16 (right) to a size 8 (left)

Flaunting her newly svelte physique, Vicky was spotted sauntering around town in a skintight yellow bandeau dress - proving that her previous lumps and bumps are no more. 

Tottering down the street, she teamed the dress with a pair of purple platform heels and a bronze tan whilst leaving her long, raven locks in tousled waves.

Earlier in the summer, Vicky was photographed on the beach in a tight yellow mini dress, with belly flab clearly visible as well as her wobbly legs. 

Skintight: Vicky looked amazing in her skintight yellow dress as she stepped into a taxi 

Fuller figure: Vicky was looking unhealthy and overweight back in the summer

To achieve her new figure, she had to embark on a strict diet programme, after being devastated when seeing the photographs of herself.

She told Now magazine: 'I had no idea [my weight] had gotten that bad. I was about a size 16 [in the bikini pictures] but I still thought I was a 10. It was like reverse body dysmorphia.

'[It was] horrendous, mortifying and heartbreaking. It was the lowest I've ever felt. It was a week after the photos had been released of [ex-boyfriend] Ricci with those girls.

Strolling along: Vicky looked unhealthy when on holiday (left) but now she looks fitter than ever (right)

  

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Vicky Pattison is half the girl she used to be, but seems to have gained twice as much style savvy in the process. And it's clear why she chose to show that her transformation is complete in stand-out yellow when you look back at those old photos. That's an image for the workout DVD cover!

And what better way to flaunt your figure than in a bandage dress? These Geordie Shore lasses could give the TOWIE girls a run for their money because it's a style now synonymous with glamour. A bandage dress works wonders for your figure (not that Vicky needs any extra help!) by smoothing and shaping the body leaving you looking styled to perfection.

Vicky's is the Leyla style by Celeb Boutique and you can get it now by clicking the link on the right. Although their designs are a little pricey, it pales in comparison to the cost of its designer counterparts, like Herv� L�ger - one of their creations could set you back thousands.

What's more, in all its cheery brilliance, be it canary, neon, mustard or lemon, a flash colour is exactly what you need to brighten up your winter wardrobe and ensure you stand out amidst a sea of LBDs.

So bring some sunshine to your seasonal style and opt for this hot hue for your next night out. The high street has hit the trend on too, so we've found the brightest of the bunch in our edit below.

No plan to extend runway in Arusha

There are no immediate plans to extend the Arusha airport runway although a new apron will be built, the airport manager, Ms Esther Dede, has said.

Also in pipeline is the construction of a new terminal building to accommodate the increase in passenger traffic, but the length of the runway will remain the same for now.

She said the expansion and modernisation of facilities at the Arusha airport are contained in its master plan whose implementation is awaiting availability of funds.

Under it, a new terminal building would be constructed behind the current one and hence give enough space for the taxi ways for the increasing number of planes landing and taking off from there. Ms Dede was responding to questions on whether the airport runway would be extended to cater for large aircraft after last week’s unannounced landing of an Ethiopian jet at the tiny airfield.

“We have a master plan for the airport. But I have not seen anywhere in it that the runway will be extended. This airport will continue to cater for small and medium range aircraft,” she said.

She acknowledged in calls from stakeholders in the travel industry for the expansion of one of the busiest airports in the country to enable it to handle larger planes.

However, the official said that expansion is not contained in the present master plan and that unless that is done, Arusha Airport runway would remain with the same length; 1,620 metres. “We are okay. Our runway is up to standard; that is why it did not suffer the impact of the Ethiopian jet. But our airport is not meant for large aircraft,” she pointed out.

The unexpected landing of the Ethiopian-registered Boeing 767-300 ER carrying over 200 passengers and crew at the airport on Wednesday last week has brought the facility into the national focus, including safety concerns.

The jet, operated by an aviation firm in the Horn of Africa country, landed unannounced after an apparent communication breakdown with the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) where it was destined to land.

Although the giant plane landed “safely” and managed to take off a few days later through application of specialised equipment, it skidded into the grass at the end of the 1,6200 metre long runway.

It took two days for engineers from Ethiopia and local counterparts to tow the giant bird back to the tarmac and on the right direction in the runway to enable it  take off.

According to aviation experts, Boeing 767-300ER  requires a runway with a minimum length of 2,341 metres at maximum landing weight. KIA’s runway is 3,200-metre long.

This 94-Yr-Old Woman Waited For Her Solider Husband To Return From War For 63 Yrs!

Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph E. Gantt went off to war 63 years ago, leaving behind a wife who never gave up on his return.

On Friday, 94-year-old Clara Gantt stood up from her wheelchair and wept in the cold before the flag-draped casket. Sgt. Gantt was finally home.
The faithful widow spoke to the journalists saying,
"He told me if anything happened to him he wanted me to remarry. I told him no, no. Here I am, still his wife."
Gantt was a field medic who went missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950 during the Korean War while serving with Battery C, 503rd Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division, according to the Defense Prisoner of 
War/Missing Personnel Office in Washington, D.C.




According to the office, elements of the 2nd Infantry Division were attacked by greater numbers of Chinese forces near the town of Kunu-ri, North Korea. The division disengaged and withdrew, fighting its way through a series of Chinese roadblocks. Numerous U.S. soldiers were reported missing that day in the vicinity of Somindong, North Korea.
After a 1953 exchange of prisoners of war, the U.S. soldiers, who returned, claimed that Gantt had been injured, captured by Chinese forces and later died from malnutrition and lack of medical care.
However, his remains were only recently identified.
"Sixty-some odd years and just receiving his remains, coming home, was a blessing and I am so happy that I was living to accept him," Clara Gantt said.
The widow confessed to the journalists that she never had never been tempted to marry.

"I am very, very proud of him. He was a wonderful husband, an understanding man," she told reporters. "I always did love my husband, we was two of one kind, we loved each other. And that made our marriage complete."
Joseph Gantt is to be buried with full military honors is scheduled for Dec. 28 in Inglewood, Calif. Gantt said she plans one day to be buried next to him.

You messed with the wrong reptile! Python loses death match with Florida alligator and ends up in its JAWS

Parks officials in Florida have been fighting a losing battle to rid the Everglades of invasive Burmese pythons, not realizing that their secret weapon may be the state reptile.

A remarkable photo posted on the Facebook page of Everglades National Park Monday depicted a death match between a massive gator and a python - with the former coming out on top.

The picture of the tenacious reptile devouring its slithering opponent was accompanied by a post offering some information about the battle between the two critters. 

Alien vs predator: This American alligator came out on top in the battle with a Burmese python, an invasive species infesting the Everglades National Park in Florida

According to the message, earlier this month park staffers were contacted by resident Steve Greene, who reported ‘another “Gator and Python incident.’

The eyewitness told officials that as he was heading to Royal Palm State Park, he spotted an American alligator thrashing around.

‘The gator was moving fast and very determined to get under the bridge,’ Mr Greene reportedly said.

Parks officials explained in the Facebook post that the Burmese python is an exotic, invasive species that doesn’t belong in the Everglades.

The confrontation between the two critters took place in the area of Royal Palm State Park in the Everglades

‘Occasionally, the American Alligator, an apex predator in the Everglades, is seen consuming Burmese Pythons,’ the Facebook message read. ‘and sometimes the reverse!’

The snakes have no natural predators, they can eat anything in their path, and they can reproduce in large numbers.

Pastoralists hail Sacking of ministers

 Livestock herding communities and activists supporting them are happy about last Friday’s cabinet shake-up in which four ministers were sacked over alleged atrocities committed against the pastoralists.

“I am happy because some of my brothers were victims of excessive force used by the police and game rangers”, said Mr. Elikarim Mangi from Babati when reached on phone.

He said it was appalling that nothing had been done by the relevant authorities over the law enforcers and local administrators who took law into their hands on pretext of implementing Operation Tokomeza.

“What the president did was a good job. Some ministers are not serious with the people’s problems”, he told The Citizen on Sunday, citing cases of beatings and killings of innocent livestock keepers in various parts of the country.

Mr Mangi, who commutes between his timber business mart and large herds of cattle in Ruvuma region, said Manyara leaders should be made to account from the recent death of a woman in Babati district allegedly by the police.

Rev Elibariki Gayewi of the Lutheran Church in Hanang district said the sacking of ministers was an indication that the government was now serious in addressing the problems facing the people, particularly the nomadic pastoralists after being quiet for a long time.

“I am seeing this to be a great change for the good. It is a good sign for the government”, he stated, noting that he was aware of atrocities or beatings committed under Operation Tokomeza against members of the Barbaig community near Tarangire National Park and in Morogoro.

A resident of Minjingu township in Babati district and former councillor Mr. Olais Ole Koin said he was happy with the removal of Dr. Mathayo David Mathayo as a minister responsible for livestock,saying the sector has not been well managed.

However, he wondered why the prime minister Mizengo Pinda “has not been touched’ despite his apparent failure to manage the ministers and oversee the government operations as to per his day-to-day mandate.

He described the recent trends in the Parliament as an indication that it was now matured and active to challenge the government where it went wrong. “We want the government to ensure everybody is accountable”, he explained.

Mzee Mefunya Gapjojig, the first district commissioner for Hanang when the area was curved out of Arusha region in the mid-1980s remarked; “The pastoralists are now happy that the government has started to take action against frequent killings and harassments against them”.

A business consultant based in Arusha Zephaniah Gidang’ay said what the president did was “something in the right direction” but was surprised why the prime minister has not stepped down as a political responsibility.

He played down claims by the fired Livestock minister Dr. Mathayo that he had been victimised by the Parliamentary Select Committee, wondering where the politician was when large herds of livestock were shot dead in the national parks.

He added that he expected the new cabinet line-up to have a new prime minister. A CCM grassroot official in Hanang Peter Hayumwa defended the prime minister but said the stepping down of the four ministers was not enough.

“Senior government officials and here I mean the technical people are much to blame and should have to go”, he explained, pointing fingers at the technocrats in the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.

However, some of the tourism industry players appeared not comfortable with the removal of Ambassador Khamis Kagasheki as the minister for Natural Resources and Tourism,saying he gave a needed push to the war against poachers and promotion of tourism.

“Kaghasheki was very supportive to this sector. For a short time he has been with us he has done a lot. I don’t seen anybody to fill his shoes. He was in the frontline in the war against poachers”, lamented Andrew Malalika, a tour operator in Arusha.

The Arusha-based umbrella body for pastoralist non-governmental organizations, PINGOs Forum praised President Jakaya Kikwete for the move and called on the government to ensure that people responsible for atrocities committed against people during Operation Tokomeza are taken to task.

“We are sure that the findings of the Lembeli Committee are true and we have found out that all what is contained and presented to the Parliament was true”, affirmed the PINGOs Forum executive director Edward Porokwa during a press conference here yesterday.

Christmas really is for giving: Kelly Brook gifts fans a n#de photo of herself just in time for the big day

The model shared the goofy online video with her Instagram fans which saw her face placed onto the body of a dancing Santa's little helper.

Sporting red stripey stockings and a small hat, the 34-year-old certainly looked different compared with the racy, nude snap.

She captioned the short clip: 'Happy Holidays', which received more than 700 likes in less than 24 hours.

'Happy Holidays': Kelly Brook posted an animated Christmas card on her Instagram page on Saturday, starring herself as a dancing elf 

Kelly Brook shares silly animated Christmas card

Sleigh-driver! Kelly's face is seen on a dancing elf decked out in green and white

Festive cheer: The silly clip included break dancing as graffiti-ed walls flashed in the background

The star was clearly getting into the festive mood as, after posting the card, she shared a video of her Christmas tree decked in red and gold on Sunday.

It's been a fun week for Kelly after being spotted cosying up to a gaggle of male models at Mahiki's 2nd birthday party in Dubai on Wednesday.

She got the privilege of cutting the birthday cake, whilst the Abercrombie and Fitch boys grinned and posed beside her. 

The restaurant owner was dressed in a sexy plum ruched mini dress, which she teamed with a pair of black pointed stiletto heels. 

She accessorised with just a simple pair of stud earrings and a silver ring, whilst opting for striking cherry red nail varnish.

What a night! Kelly cut the birthday cake at Mahiki alongside a gaggle of male models on Wednesday

Sultry: Kelly posed on the pink carpet in a ruched plum dress and stiletto heels

Hard times ahead for government

The Speaker of the National assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, has told ministers to change to escape frequent cabinet reshuffles.

Speaking shortly before adjourning the 14th Parliament seating yesterday, Ms Makinda noted that MPs, through their standing committees, have shown that they were determined to keep the ministers on their toes.

“As much as we will continue to have standing committee reports here, be assured that we will be hearing of scandals each year if you ministers continue to live and operate in the old days. We need to change,” Ms Makinda said. She spoke after prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda presented his speech to conclude the Bunge session.

The Speaker said what had happened should be a wake up call to ministers whom he warned against the tendency of depending on their subordinates and executives on sensitive public issues.

Ms Makinda said changes instituted in the budget cycle also calls for change in government operations if the new system is to succeed. “If the government does not change in its operation, the new budget cycle will be meaningless,” she said of the approach for Parliament to reverse the old system of only approving funds without fisrt establishing how the previsous year’s were used.

She noted for instance that reports show that only small fraction of development funds have been released in the first quarter of the financial year while the Parliament asked the government borrow money to ensure smooth take off of the new system.

“But, if we continue to depend on TRA (Tanzania Revenue Authority) and Finance Ministry alone, we will not reach anywhere… the tax collector should also ensure that he doesn’t stop his work because under the new system the Finance Act allows him to do so from July 1 each year,” she said.

In his Bunge adjourning speech, Premier Pinda thanked the MPs for the in-depth debate which led to the resignation of four ministers. He also thanked the ministers for accepting to take responsibility for cruelties revealed by the Parliament Committee which investigated the implementation of Opereseheni Tokomeza Ujangili.

On food situation in the country, Mr Pinda noted that food inflation has started to increase as the country comes off the harvesting season.

But he said food availability was still promising noting that assessment of food situation conducted in October and November this year established that a total of 828,063 face food shortage.

“These people need a total of 23,312 tonnes up to February next year,” he said noting however that the nation has enough reserves to sustain the needs.

Mr Pinda adjourned the Parliament to May 6, next year when  it will meet for the marathon Budget 

Bunge drops sim card tax as mobile firms condemned

Parliament yesterday scrapped the controversial sim card tax and agreed to raise excise duty on telecommunication services by a further 2.5 per cent. The move will raise internet costs and puts to an end six months of confrontations between wananchi and pressure groups and the government.

The intention of mobile phone companies, which also opposed the sim card tax and moved to court to block TRA from imposing it, came into question as MPs revealed that the firms had agreed to “donate” Sh30bn to the government in return.

The fate of the court case, now with the Revenue Appeals Tribunal, remains unclear as the move to scrap the tax means there will be no reason to go to court. The firms lost the first case at the Tax Revenue Board and lodged an appeal last week.    But even as the MPs approved the Excise Management and Tariff (Amendment) Bill 2013, they warned the government about its tendency to ignore advice on matters that touch on the lives of the people.

The amendments moved by the Finance deputy minister, Ms Saada Mkuya, dropped the Sh1,000 monthly sim card tax, subjecting the government to a Sh148 billion deficit in revenue collection projections.

To compensate for this, the government proposed a rise in excise duty on telecommunication services from 14.5 per cent to 17 per cent.

According to Ms Mkuya, the higher excise duty should enable the government to net Sh148 billion. The mobile telecommunication industry has agreed to give the government the Sh30 billion balance. But MPs have raised questions over the generosity of the companies that, only few months ago, said they were incapable of collecting the Sh1,000 sim card tax on behalf of the government.

“Why, all of a sudden, have the companies become so generous that they have volunteered to give the government Sh30 billion when it is the same companies that were protesting the sim card tax?” asked Mr Rajab Mbarouk Mohammed (Ole–CUF).

Other MPs opposed the excise duty hike, noting that though they wanted the government to raise money for water and electricity in the rural areas, the move would add to the burden of Tanzanians.

“During the budget we opposed the increase to 14.5 per cent because it would hurt poor Tanzanians,” said Ms Christine Lissu as she tabled the opposition speech, “but today the government wants to raise it to 17 per cent while the rate does not exceed 12 per cent in the rest of East Africa.”

Mr Salehe Pamba (Pangani–CCM) said the government needs to get into the habit of involving stakeholders before making decisions, especially on taxation issues that directly affect the people.

Mr James Mbatia (Nominated–NCCR-Mageuzi) said the sim card tax conflict is evidence of how uncoordinated the government is.

“It is amazing that the Finance minister (William) Mgimwa, who backed the law that introduced the sim card tax, disowned the same law a few days after the protests started,” he said.

Shock as medical registration fees up by 600pc

Patients here will now pay six times more in charges at mid-level public hospitals as the authorities move to decongest Muhimbili National Hospital, which serves more than 1,000 people every day.

Mwananyamala hospital, in Kinondoni district, has hiked the registration fee from Sh1,000 to Sh6,000 for out-patients beginning December 1.

The Citizen on Sunday has learnt that Temeke and Amana hospitals will also announce new fees soon as the government seeks to turn them into regional referral hospitals. The move has caught many city dwellers unawares and concerns have been raised over the state of affairs at health centres and dispensaries, which face acute shortage of medicine and personnel.

Many of the over four million city residents who are poor will struggle to raise the new fees at the designated referral facilities. They are expected to throng the lower facilities that still maintain their registration fees at Sh1,000.

In a spot check at Mwananyamala, The Citizen on Sunday met patients protesting the rise in the fees. They lamented that the new charge was way too much for a government hospital. A notice pinned at the hospital announced the new fees and change in status. Patients with referral letters from public health centres will pay Sh3,000 in registration fees.

Those without such documents will pay double the amount, according to the notice. On Wednesday, brothers Mohammed and Abdalah Mwinjuma from Makumbusho left without treatment when confronted with the changes. They claimed they had neither the information nor the money demanded. The brothers have over the years relied on Mwananyamala as it is the health centre nearest to their home. “My brother (Abdalah) is ill and I have brought him straight here,” said Mohammed as they walked out. “Now I am told I have to pay Sh6,000 because we don’t have a referral letter. We have not been attended to.”

Lucy Charles had a referral, though, and had been cleared to see a doctor after paying Sh3,000. But she still complained that the amount was too much: “We used to pay Sh1,000, which is affordable for the common mwananchi like me, but what is the difference with the private hospitals? We don’t see any improvement in services, just the pricing.”

But an official at Mwananyamala defended the new fees, saying they were within the official cost-sharing policy. Mr Edwin Bisakala, the Health Secretary, said the earlier payment of Sh1,000 was only for registration while the current amount covers a medical card, consultations and initials lab tests. “Formerly, the patients were either bringing an exercise book that we used to keep their medical records but the new A4 card remains in the patient’s file at the hospital and the patient is given a card number for reference. On top of that, the patient will get consultation and some initial tests.”

He added: “We are just implementing the national cost-sharing policy that says we should raise the fees by 50 per cent if the cost of operation has risen.  Secondly, it is now a regional referral hospital requiring that the people make use of the health centres in their wards.”

The new charge is expected to help raise internal hospital revenue so that even when the national medical subsidy is delayed or insufficient, they can still maintain required operational levels without disrupting services. “The hospital therapeutic committee proposed the new price and sent the proposal to the hospital board which is the representative of the citizens, who approved it,” he said.

The new charge at Mwananyamala hospital and impending ones at Temeke and Amana means that ward public dispensaries will now receive more patients. But inquiries at the health centres and dispensaries indicate that the current situation in terms of medical supplies and staffing will likely remain the same.

A tour of several of these health centres and dispensaries established that little has changed and staff have not been made aware of their new role. Sources at Makuburi dispensary, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were taken by surprise at the sudden surge in patients. The source added: “We were taken aback at first as Mwananyamala did not involve or inform us of the consequences of their move. We now attend to about 200 patients, up from an average of 100 every day.”  An officer at Sinza health centre said they did not know if help would come, and in what form, if they were to handle the new challenges. “We were not informed of the changes but the patients have increased. We have not been given additional funding or more staff and medicine. “

At Makuburi, the facility has only two doctors while the third is on leave. “The government or the administration of Mwananyamala hospital should have first considered the situation in these centres because now we will have a big burden using the same inadequate resources,” said one worker.  Ministry of health officials were unavailable for comment.

How Dar can curb corruption

Tanzania has to pull up its socks and back words with commitment if the country wants to triumph against corruption, says Transparency International (TI).

The organisation recently ranked Tanzania at 111 out of 177 countries on its 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index, nine places down from the 2013 index.

Since the publication of the 1996 Warioba report assessing the state of corruption in Tanzania, the country has established a comprehensive body of regulations, laws and oversight institutions aimed at preventing, investigating and sanctioning corrupt practices, including the Prevention of Corruption Bureau (PCB) to Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), and the Ethics Inspectorate Department. 

However, anti-corruption institutions suffering from lack of staff, resources and coordination, enforcement of the laws and regulations remaining limited, which some view as the reasons behind the stalling of the fight against corruption.

“Despite 2013 being a year in which governments around the world passed new laws and forged fresh commitments to end corruption, people are not seeing the results of these promises”, said Transparency International.

According to the organisation, anti-corruption is an increasingly attractive platform for politicians, with many incorporating anti-corruption pledges into their election campaigns. The danger, however, is that these anti-corruption promises fail to materialise.

 “Government guarantees of greater accountability do not always bring about tangible results at the local level. Protests in Brazil this summer showed public exasperation at the continuation of political scandals in spite of governmental assurances of a zero-tolerance policy on corruption,” claimed the organisation .

Borrow a leaf

Tanzania and the Sub-Saharan region as a whole once again shows the highest perceived levels of public sector corruption, averaging a score of 33.

According to TI, there are however success stories which showed action in executing anti-corruption strategies. Estonia established a new anti-corruption strategy centring on increasing transparency in state institutions by creation of online database accessible to all, where people can find who in their municipal council won a tender and what can be done with taxpayer money.  The effort, among others, saw the country climbing four places in the index, from 32 in 2012 to 28 this year.

According to the latest corruption studies in the country, 18 per cent of Estonians said they had been offered bribes and four per cent had given bribes. The strategy is not dealing with crimes directly, but rather focusing on prevention and education.

In Spain, after a period blighted by political scandals indicating a lack of accountability and fading public trust, the country has dropped ten places in the index from 30 last year to 40 this year. Spain tried to remedy its corruption troubles with a new Transparency Law passed by a congress in September and awaits Senate’s approval .

DC announces city’s cleaning schedule

The district commissioner here, Halima Dendego, has announced plans by the local government to undertake an improvement on the current public cleanliness exercise in Tanga popularly known as “Kalembo Day,” conducted every first Saturday of the month to ensure that it does not become a nuisance to businessmen.

Announcing plans at the first inaugural meeting of the Tanga District Business Council (TDBC), Dendego said that under the new plans to be effective starting next year, businesses would not be closed on ‘Kalembo Day’ as it was the case in the past.

Closure of businesses has caused quite a stir and has been a nuisance to businessmen who have complained of losing profits through the exercise. Contributing to a general discussion on the state of business in Tanga City, a member of the council, Sadik Shembilu, said people were not treating the day with mockery, with businessmen closing businesses as usual but staying inside their houses without doing any kind of cleanliness.

“It does not serve the original purpose of cleaning the city. We thank authorities for establishing the cleanliness drive but I think we should change our tactics,” said Shembilu.

He suggested the use of youth brigades to clean many areas using payments from households instead of using the current system.

The district commissioner said that the city would be divided into zones where cleaning would be done by different sectors of the society.

“The first zone would be where the city council is able to conduct cleanliness without any problem. The second zone would be left to the private sector and would include a plan to establish youth groups to do the cleanliness for a fee,” Dendego pointed out.

She said the other zone would involve areas where the public would do cleanliness collectively (msalagambo).

“Cleanliness in Tanga would be a 24-hour affair and the health department is expected to take charge of the situation to ensure that everybody takes part in the exercise.

Meanwhile, a health department official, Joseph Mbati, said that registration of youth groups to undertake cleaning tenders has already started and eight groups have already been registered.

Dar’s $500bn gas boom and Africa’s richest tribe

The discovery of natural gas reserves, apart from elevating Tanzania’s economic status, has also triggered heated debate, putting the country’s future at a crossroads. While the government has maintained that its policy aims to create what it calls ‘a win-win situation’, some observers believe Tanzanians have been locked out of the $500 billion gas bonanza.

Energy and Minerals minister Sospeter Muhongo did not take kindly to the debate initiated by Tanzania Private Sector Foundation chairman Reginald Mengi. Prof Muhongo believes Mr Mengi harbours selfish interests, and does not speak on behalf of the masses as he claims.

But even before Mr Mengi’s outcry against the exclusion of locals from the lucrative natural gas sector, Mtwara and Lindi residents had rioted against what they claim is their sidelining from the imminent boom. The government’s response was to fire tear gas and bullets at them and deploy the military to calm the situation. Countrywide, the nation is divided on how gas revenues should be distributed and spent. Amid the heated debate between Prof Muhongo and Mr Mengi, The Citizen asks in a special news analysis whether Tanzania could learn a lesson from Africa’s richest community.

Kikwete in tough cabinet choice

 In re-crafting the Cabinet,  the engine of  running government affairs,  President Jakaya Kikwete  faces a two-in-one challenge: filling  vacant posts, and determining whether the current governance systems are, or aren’t  good enough to enable even the best brains and dedicated individuals to operate efficiently.

That, some analysts, say, is apparent, in the wake of four ministers being sacked, and a looming reshuffle that could see more heads rolling, amid heightened concerns at levels ranging from the grassroots to Parliament, that the government is a let-down, in its public service mission.

On Friday,  the president,  as top appointing authority,  fired four ministers implicated by a parliamentary select committee with gross human rights abuse during an operation to tackle poaching, dubbed ‘Operation Tokomeza’. 

Chairman of the committee James Lembeli revealed shocking incidences of crimes, including murder, rape and torture committed by soldiers deployed to execute  the operation that triggered much alarm and criticism. He then proposed that the four minister-- Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi (Home Affairs), Mr Khamis Kagasheki (Tourism and Natural Resources), Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha (Defence and the National Service) and Dr David Mathayo (Livestock and Fisheries Development)--take responsibility by resigning.

Shedding political party affiliations often typical on issues of a relatively mild nature, MPs supported the proposal, culminating in President Kikwete endorsing the plea by blessing the sacking of the ministers.

Commentators who spoke to The Citizen on Sunday pointed out that, whereas departure from the Cabinet via resignation of,  or expulsion  by ministers deemed inefficient or irresponsible was a positive trend, it wasn’t a wholesome solutions to operational problems.

The Head must  probe  the extent to which the governance systems were a stumbling block to  the performance of  even ministers who would be exemplary performers in an ideal environment.

What’s more, they noted, restricting punitive measures to ministers was unfair and wouldn’t have long-term positive bearings if  subordinate, but nonetheless key  executives such as permanent secretaries and top political officers  implicated in the atrocities are not sent packing.

Political scientist Bashiru Ali, says the whole governance system in the government was in  such a shambles  that even potentially capable ministers wouldn’t be helpful and whose tenure could consequently be short-lived.

“The same would happen even if we bring in angels…have you asked yourself how many ministers have served in the energy and tourism ministries since Kikwete came to power?” the University of Dar es Salaam lecturer asked. The ministry  of energy has seen three ministers on the wheel since President Kikwete came to power in 2005 while that of tourism will be having its fourth head after the next reshuffle. He said President Kikwete’s administration lacked clear administrative discipline, making even new ministers vulnerable to failure.

“The system is exhausted…it is ungovernable; this parliament will be investigating one scandal after another because the system is failing…it needs a major overhaul,” said Mr Bashiru.

To show failings in the country’s governance system, the academic said the parliament itself  was suffering from similar accountability problems, making even the Lembeli’s report questionable.

He queried: “We heard of raping  and killings in Mtwara during gas-related chaos; have you seen any report on those atrocities?”

Leader of the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) Prof Ibrahim Lipumba asked President Kikwete to constantly review performance of his ministers before things get out of hand.

Chadema’s Chairman Freeman Mbowe said we would be committing  serious political mistakes to pour too much blame on alleged underperforming ministers without critically reviewing how the current governance systems work.

“Contributions in parliament by mostly CCM MPs indicate that the ruling party was losing grip,” said the Hai MP. Mr Mbowe said he expected the President  to weed out more unsuitable ministers, citing the Education sector as an example.