Seychelles to welcome Tanzanian delegation for ‘Carnival’

ZANZIBAR VICE PRESIDENT HEADING FOR SEYCHELLES ‘CARNIVAL’

In an almost bizarre twist was it now confirmed that a Tanzanian delegation, led by the second vice president of Zanzibar (which has its own government alongside the union government), will be visiting the Seychelles for the ‘Carnival Festival’ in early March. This follows a public spat by sections of tourism operators, who had accused the Tanzanian government of being insensitive to their business by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Seychelles to promote twin centre beach and safari holidays a few weeks ago. They had claimed that the MoU was to deny them of clients at the expense of the Seychelles, a claim however put to rest by the positive experiences of similar MoU’s between the Seychelles and other African mainland countries, which worked out to the benefit of both partners by increasing ‘visibility’ in the global market place and showing how to combine the Indian Ocean islands and safaris on the mainland of Africa.

Clearly unperturbed by the shrill ‘concerns’ of a few the Tanzanian government went ahead nevertheless, as friendly countries ordinarily do, and agreed to send a delegation to the festival in the capital Victoria, comprising stakeholders and government officials from both the mainland and the ‘Spice Island’ of Zanzibar.

This will be reassuring to the two tourism sectors that official MoU’s cannot and will not be allowed to be derailed by short-sighted complaints from a few individuals trying to ride on outdated sentiments, when in fact it is only cooperation between African countries – especially under twin centre holiday agreements – which can drive the continent forward and help Africa to capture a greater share of tourism arrivals from key producer markets overseas.

So one and all, make a date with the Seychelles, for the carnival week or any time of the year, paradise awaits you.

News updates from Air Seychelles

NEW SALES OFFICES FOR AIR SEYCHELLES

A new international ticket sales office is now fully operational at the Mahe International Airport, with extended office hours and a revamped interior reflecting the quality of service passengers come to expect when travelling with the ‘Creole Spirit’.

A new domestic ticket sales office has been re-launched too after a refurbishment, also offering longer office hours for travellers and –being on line – offering up to date information on flight departures or the occasional delays.

In a related development was it also announced that Air Seychelles inflight duty free service has been taken over recently by French company SERVAIR, also aimed to reposition the duty free product alongside improved catering and of course the new flat bed seats in business class. Called ‘Laboutik’ it is offering new brands and a new range of products for travellers on HM’s international flights.

Finally, the brand new Twin Otter DHC6-400 will make her commercial maiden flight on February 15^th and many happy landings to the craft, the crew and the passengers.

Red Colobus subspezies now under ‘acute threat’

RED COLOBUS COLONIES UNDER THREAT IN UDZUNGWA FOREST

A report from researchers and scientists, released earlier this week in Tanzania, paints a gloomy picture over the future survival of the endemic red colobus monkeys of the Udzungwa Forest National Park. The subspecies, apparently only found in this part of Southern Tanzania, are under severe threat according to the publication, due to hunting for bush meat and reckless cutting of large swathes of these forests, reducing the habitat needed for the subspecies to survive.

The report also claims that for several years now no effective protection measures, or anti poaching operations, have been in place and that the same was true for stopping ‘tree poachers’ from cutting precious tropical hard wood for commercial sale.

Researchers and conservationists also pointed out that the Udzungwa Forest – as were others neighbouring them – were traditional water towers and that the rapid deforestation could have a potentially disastrous effect on the dams and hydro power generation depending on streams and rivers originating in these forests.

Tanzania has been under sustained scrutiny over failed anti poaching measures and the illicit trade in tropical woods but other than official denials and statements to the contrary little evidence can be found that the country is making a concerted effort to stopping these activities and bringing the culprits, their buyers and the financiers to book.

One conservation source in Arusha added this upon discussing the issue: ‘some areas lack management plans and local administration may not be aware or sensitized to the natural treasures in their areas or how to protect them, even not that they have to protect them by law. Tanzania is a big country and the more remote parks are faced with greater challenges compared to those on the Northern circuit. There is more attention on what is happening because of sheer numbers, but the lesser visited parks are lacking such publicity or international spot light. Only when researchers unearth bad things happening there do we Tanzanians often have a chance to learn about it and do something about it. Our government really needs to move from lip service to action. Saying so many percent of our land are protected is not enough when actually there is no protection in some parts. Maybe some parks could be privatised to raise more money for conservation, but considering our budget shortfalls in so many areas, what other options are there left. I think biodiversity can pay for itself, through discovery of medicinal plants for instance which can provide cures for many diseases like people to in the Amazon and careful sustainable harvesting of resources’.

Seems a tall order for all conservation minded Tanzanians ahead of them to deal with such unregulated and accelerated exploitation of resources especially ‘away from prying eyes’, adds this correspondent.

Breaking News – Rwanda records rare twin birth of mountain gorillas

MOUNTAIN GORILLA TWINS BORN

Good news were received this morning from a regular source in Kigali. Trackers and rangers in close contact with the ‘Hirwa Group’ have reported that one of the females, named Kabatwa, had given birth to a set of twins. This is a very rare event indeed, the last one witnessed 7 years ago in 2004 and therefore significant to conservationists dealing with mountain gorillas.

The two young babies are due to be named during the annual Kwita Izina festival, when every year in June new born gorillas are given names by specially selected invited guests. The festival, originally held ‘just for the naming’ has in the meantime grown to become a weeklong celebration of the mountain gorillas and of conservation, and seminars, workshops, lectures, sporting events and conservation activities are now part and parcel of Kwita Izina.

Sources within RDB – Tourism and Conservation, have also confirmed that special protective measures have been put into place immediately to ensure that ‘mother and babies’ are and will remain fine and that national park veterinarians have already visited the site to ascertain the status of the twins and mother. All the best of course to ‘Kabatwa’ who has undoubtedly scored a PR hit of the highest order for her ‘native country’.

Breaking News – Are yet more woes for Precision Air part of an orchestrated and rather more sinister campaign against them?

TAA FAILS TO CONNECT TAXIWAY TO NEW HANGAR

The 5+ million US Dollar maintenance hangar, built by Precision Air and due to be ready by latest March this year, will most likely have to stand idle for some time longer as the Tanzania Airports Authority, responsible for the management and infrastructure at Dar es Salaams’ Julius Nyerere International Airport has failed to make good on their commitment, if not duty, to link the new hangar with an access to the main taxiway.

Precision Air over the weekend made their frustration known when conducting a guided tour for the Minister of Transport of the new facility, prompting the minister to shake his head in disbelief according to an eye witness, before promising some immediate follow up. Said the same source to this correspondent: ‘just imagine, Precision is now the main Tanzanian airline, invests over 5 million US Dollars in a maintenance facility which is supposed to create high value jobs for Tanzanians and keep foreign exchange in the country by doing heavy maintenance at home instead of flying their aircraft abroad, and the airport authority is sleeping and not linking the new building with the rest of the airport to allow planes to be taxied or towed there. At times I think this company is being systematically sabotaged by envious and backward forces who do not understand the nature of aviation in today’s economy.’

Another regular source from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority would only confirm that they were made aware of the problem but was unable to give a time frame when the hanger would be connected with a taxiway so that it could commence maintenance work, as the oversight was with TAA and not TCAA.

Only recently was it reported here that French aircraft company ATR had opted to establish a manufacturer supported maintenance base in Southern Africa, inspite of having many of their aircraft fly in Eastern Africa and there is of course now speculation if the current development had anything to do with their decision to ‘go South rather than East’ with their AMO facility.

Should indeed there be such a link between the two issues, the loss for the Tanzanian economy would be even greater, although having the hangar completed and equipped, and NOT being able to use it for some more time, will surely cost Precision a fair penny.

Said another aviation source from Nairobi when contacted on the issue: ‘that is an interesting theory and worth looking into. If there is any evidence of back room dealings and as you put it possible sabotage of Precision, it should be fully looked into and any culprits be brought to book.’

In a related article last weekend was it reported here that a legal case for a winding up of the company was brought in the High Court in Dar es Salaam, timed precisely with the final stage of the preparation for an IPO, compelling the Dar Stock Exchange to put a preliminary halt to those plans as is apparently required under law, since any company with a pending winding up petition in court cannot ‘go public’ with their shares. One too many coincidences or something rather more sinister? Watch this space for further updates.