Sustain anti-poaching, deportation drive: Bunge

The minister for Defence and National Service, Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha, said 631 firearms, including 13 military weapons, had been seized during the operation. 

By Peter Nyanje,The Citizen Reporter

Posted  Tuesday, December 17  2013 

In Summary

• The Parliamentary Committee on Peace and Security said in its report yesterday that shortcomings notwithstanding, the two operations, should be maintained as they touch sensitive issues that the nation must address at any cost.

Dodoma. The government should not abandon  operations ‘Tokomeza’ aimed at taming poaching and ‘Kimbunga’ for identifying and flushing out illegal immigrants.

The Parliamentary Committee on Peace and Security said in its report yesterday that shortcomings notwithstanding, the two operations, should be maintained as they touch sensitive issues that the nation must address at any cost. 

The advice comes just weeks after the government announced suspension of Operation Tokomeza, following widespread criticisms from MPs and human rights activists on reportedly human rights abuses by public officials who were carrying out the exercise.  Operation Tokomeza involved units from the army, the police and other security organs and was suspended in October, this year.

When the operation was suspended, 952 suspected poachers had already been arrested and 104 ivory seized. The operation began on September 5, 2013.

The minister for Defence and National Service, Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha, said 631 firearms, including 13 military weapons, had been seized during the operation.

He said 1,458 rounds of ammunition had also been seized during the operation which was conducted in game reserves and national parks across the country.

According to latest figures, poachers kill an estimated 30 elephants every day in Tanzania, or about 850 every month.

The number of elephants in the country had dropped from 130,000 in 2002 to 109,000 in 2009, and wildlife experts have warned that the entire population could be wiped out by 2020 if poaching continues. Operation Kimbunga is still on but its pace and intensity has slowed down significantly.

Tabling the Committee report, Mr Vita Kawawa (Namtumbo – CCM) said: “The shortcomings notwithstanding, which have since then been addressed by the government and the Parliament, the Committee still believes that the two operations are crucial if we want to deal with poaching and illegal immigrants.”

Several illegal immigrants from Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been repatriated since President Jakaya Kikwete issued the order in July, this year, to ensure that all illegal immigrants are sent to their home countries.

Meanwhile, the Committee has advised the government to enact a special law to control demonstrations. According to Mr Kawawa, the law should be clear about key issues such as people who want to organise demonstrations, day, time and place where they are to take place.

The Committee noted that though conducting demonstrations was a right of every mwananchi, there was a need to put conditions to ensure that people exercise that right without infringing the rights of others.

On the other hand, the Committee has cautioned the government to give priority on  peace and security in the country. It also advised the government to invest heavily in the area.

“The tendency of not investing adequately in peace and security must be reversed to ensure that security organs undertake their duties effectively,” he said.

On the other hand, the government has been pressed to apply at home international protocols which it has signed and ratified in order to avoid controversy between the two legal instruments.

The advice was given by the Standing Committee on Foreign affairs and International Relations when tabling its report before the Parliament yesterday.

Presenting the report on behalf of its chairman, Mr Edward Lowassa (Monduli – CCM), a member, Mr Juma Nkamia (Kondoa South – CCM), noted that after a country signs and ratifies an international protocol, it should domesticate it by ensuring that it corresponds with local laws.

“Not domesticating these protocols tends to create legal frictions between the international laws and the local legislations,” he said.

Mr Nkamia cited the Sadc Protocol on Gender which the government signed in 2008 before the Parliament ratified it in 2010 as an example, noting that it was in contradiction with the 1971 Marriage Act.  Elaborating, he said while the protocol states that a woman could not be married before attaining the age of 18 years, the Marriage Act gives permission for a girl aged bellow that age to enter into matrimonial contract.