[wanabidii] Re: UJENZI WA BARABARA YA LAMI SERENGETI

We have lots of new fans and thought it might be helpful to briefly
summarize where we are in our fight to save the Serengeti.  We will
discuss:

*  FALSE BELIEF BY MANY THAT THE ROAD HAS BEEN SHELVED

*  GERMAN GOVERNMENT TO SPEND 23 MILLION EUROS FOR BETTER LOCAL ROADS
FOR COMMUNITIES EAST    AND WEST OF THE PARK

*  KENYAN NGO IS FIGHTING THE HIGHWAY IN EAST AFRICAN COURT OF JUSTICE



OVERVIEW:
FALSE BELIEF BY MANY THAT THE ROAD HAS BEEN SHELVED
June 2011 - the then Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr.
Ezekiel Maige sent a letter to UNESCO which was carefully worded to
give the misguided and incorrect impression that the government was
not going to build the highway.  The international press picked this
up and reported that the highway was shelved.  We immediately sounded
alarm bells that this was only smoke and mirrors but once proven the
highway was not abandoned most of international press did not print
retractions, or if they did they were small mentions leading to the
continued misconception that the highway was abandoned.

Just a few days after Maige sent the letter to UNESCO, the Tanzanian
Works Minister Dr. John Magufuli stated: "We have not abandoned the
construction of the road through Serengeti National Park. What we have
decided that we aren't going to build a tarmac road through the park
but an ordinary gravel road",


* GERMAN GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR COMMUNITY ROADS

April 2012 - The German government announced in German press releases
and on their Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
website, that they had signed a 23 million Euro deal with the
Tanzanian government to build better local roads for the communities
East and West of the Park and to also partner with the World Bank to
fund the Southern Route which would serve 5x as many people and go
through an already highly developed agricultural area.  This would
serve the purpose of connecting Arusha with Lake Victoria.  Curiously
the Tanzanian government has remained quiet on this agreement.


* LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY KENYAN NGO

ANAW (African Network for Animal Welfare) filled a lawsuit in the EACJ
(East African Court of Justice) asking the court to block the building
of the highway as it would affect Kenya since the wildebeest migrate
from the Sereneti to the Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya.

Tanzania tried to get the case thrown out but  the court overruled
TZ's objections and the case will be going to full trial sometime in
August.



DETAILS:

MISINFORMATION TO UNESCO

Many people remain confused and believe that the plans for the highway
are shelved. This is not the case.  The confusion stems from a letter
that the then Minster of Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr. Ezekiel
Maige sent to UNESCO last June.  This was then picked up by the
international media and misreported that the highway had been stopped.
 From the beginning we warned this was just smoke and mirrors but the
damage had been done and now that we have proven it is indeed still on
Tanzania's agenda the press has not retracted their earlier reports.

The Letter that Mr. Maige sent to UNESCO said:

" The proposed road will be constructed in two sections:
The eastern stretch of 214 km tarmac road will be constructed from Mto
wa Mbu to Loliondo,
The western stretch tarmac road that will be constructed from Makutano-
Natta-Mugumu, a distance of 117 km. The stretch of 12 km from Mugumu
to the Serengeti National Park western border plus a corresponding
stretch of 57.6 km from Loliondo to Serengeti National Park eastern
border will not be tarmac. The 53 km section traversing Serengeti
National Park will remain gravel road and continue to be managed by
TANAPA mainly for tourism and administrative purposes as it is
currently."

The Minister curiously said that the current road across the same 53
km stretch across wilderness zone will "remain" gravel, though NO SUCH
ROAD EXISTS - only a dirt lane exists there now. They do not exclude
commercial use, stating that it will be used "mainly for tourism and
administrative purposes as it is currently" .  The worrisome word is
"mainly".  What does "mainly" mean?  In our eyes the word should have
been "exclusively".  Using the word "mainly" implies it would be used
ALSO for commercial purposes.


However the truth is it is "exclusively" instead of "mainly". And
clearly, it will be the only connection between upgraded tarmac roads
being planned on either side of the Serengeti. Whatever route is now
there, which is not much, will have to be upgraded to make this
connection happen.

Just a few days later, some statements began to come from Tanzanian
ministers: "We have not abandoned the construction of the road through
Serengeti National Park. What we have decided that we aren't going to
build a tarmac road through the park but an ordinary gravel road",
said Works minister Dr John Magufuli.

We had a volunteer drive the entire length of the existing road in the
Serengeti documenting with photos and GPS along the way to prove that
there is NO EXISTING GRAVEL ROAD only a dirt lane.


* GERMAN GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR COMMUNITY ROADS

Last 27th April 2012 the German Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development announced through a press release on its
own website that Germany and Tanzania concluded a bilateral agreement
telling that as a result of intergovernmental negotiations Germany
will contribute a total of 23.5 million euros, with the support of
German conservation organizations and international donors to ensure
that people receive in the areas bordering the Serengeti better future
opportunities without the construction of the road. As part of this
package, Germany is also willing to participate jointly with other
donors in the development of the so-called southern bypass.

Since then there is no confirmation of such agreement from the
government of Tanzania. Also the route of that southern bypass is not
defined yet but a pair of alternatives has been suggested by some
organizations like FZS. (Frankfurt Zoological Society).


*LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY KENYAN NGO

On another front of the fighting to save the Serengeti, African
Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) moved to the East Africa Regional
Court to seek an interim order to stop the project on the grounds the
road would harm the park's ecology on 10th December 2010. ANAW also
asked the Court to declare that the action was unlawful and infringes
on the provisions of the East African Community Treaty. In the suit,
ANAW also challenged the Tanzania government's official ESIA which
conceded serious ecological and environmental hazards of the proposed
project citing more than 15 negative impacts on the park should the
road project go ahead.
On 15th march 2012  the allegations presented by Tanzania were
rejected by the EACJ. It will now go to full trial.  The date has not
been set yet but is expected to be on August this year.

Serengeti Watch is actively supporting ANAW funding the legal action
thanks to donations from our supporters. You can find the link below
to donate.


*RECAP

The Serengeti and the Great Migration are still under threat of a
commercial road as part of the called corridor of destruction that
includes a proposed International airport on the West side of the
Serengeti, a soda ash mining plant on Lake Natron and a new commercial
port to be built adjacent to Coelacanth Marine Park at Mwambani bay. A
railway is planned to link these infrastructures from another new port
to be built on the shores of Lake Victoria, next to Musoma, connecting
Uganda to Tanzania by ship and then to Indian Ocean.

Serengeti needs a southern road urgently. Only then can the world be
sure that the traffic flow will automatically be channelled through
the area South of the Serengeti National park and Ngorongoro
Conservancy Area. This traffic corridor will not only divert traffic
into the densely South but will also be the preferred alignment for
any future development – be it railway, pipelines, high tension power
lines.


LINKS:
German governments webpage announcing funding:
~ This is a Google Translation of the following German article
http://www.bmz.de/de/presse/aktuelleMeldungen/2012/april/20120427_tansania/index.html

Here is a link to the German Ministries webpage which also confirms
the agreement:http://www.bmz.de/de/presse/aktuelleMeldungen/2012/april/
20120427_tansania/index.html


Information concerning ANAW lawsuit:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/stop-the-serengeti-highway/chronology-of-anaw-lawsuit-to-block-the-highway/344571812240687


Source :
http://www.facebook.com/notes/stop-the-serengeti-highway/where-we-are-in-our-fight-to-save-the-serengeti-overview/455687037795830
On Jun 26, 8:48 am, gilbert maganda <glbmaga...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Ndugu wana jukwaa nisaidieni tafadhali, hivi Serengeti National Park kuna Dhahabu ama ni maneno ya mtaa...
>
> --- On Mon, 6/25/12, Victor Mwita <victormw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Victor Mwita <victormw...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [wanabidii] Re: UJENZI WA BARABARA YA LAMI SERENGETI
> To: wanabidii@googlegroups.com
> Date: Monday, June 25, 2012, 4:56 AM
>
> Natamani huu mjadala ungeisha kwa serikali yetu kuanza ujenzi wa hii barabara muhimu kwetu sisi watanzania. Kama hao wajerumani wana hela ya kutupa misaada kwa nini wasizitoe wakajenga tunnel maeneo hayo wanayodhani wanyama wataathirika na hayo magari? Hiyo southern route hailingani na hii ya serengeti acheni kutudanganya. Kwa nini wakenya na vibaraka wao wanaendelea kupinga maendeleo yetu. Wanyama ni muhimu kuliko wananchi wa mkoa wa Mara na Arusha? Acheni kujikomba kwa visenti vichache huku mnawaumiza watanzania wenzenu bwana. Inakera mno mtu ajifanye anatoka mkoa wa mara na ajidai haoni umuhimu wa barabara ya Serengeti. Ni unafiki tu, Tuulize sisi tunaolazimika kwenda Mwanza kwanza kabla ya kuja Arusha.
>
> On Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 2:56 PM, Yona F Maro <oldmo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> QUESTION:
>
> Why is a highway needed through the Serengeti?
>
> RESPONSE:
>
> The government of Tanzania says it is needed for the marginalized
>
> communities East and West of the Park to get to large towns for goods
>
> and services.
>
> ANSWER:
>
> The German government is going to spend 23 million Euros to build
>
> local roads between these villages and the next largest town to them.
>
> As well as clinics, schools, water wells etc.
>
> Why is it necessary for these communities to go THROUGH the park? We
>
> have
>
> asked this question of the communities through our partnership with
>
> WCST (Wildlife Conservation Society Tanzania who did community
>
> awareness meetings. The resounding answer we got was that the people
>
> did not see a need to go through the park to the other communities.
>
> They had no business dealings that they wanted or needed to do with
>
> these other communities.
>
> QUESTION:
>
> Is there other reasons that there would need to be a highway through
>
> the Serengeti?
>
> RESPONSE:
>
> The government says it is to move goods back and forth from Arusha to
>
> the Lake Victoria Region.
>
> ANSWER:
>
> There is a Southern Route alternative AROUND the park that will go
>
> through a heavily populated area. This would not only connect Arusha
>
> to the Lake Victoria region, but would help 5x as many people in
>
> getting their crops and
>
> cattle to market.
>
> Much of these roads already exist - they just need to be upgraded and
>
> other connecting roads built to make it viable transport corridor for
>
> the mass amounts of lorries, buses, vans, personal vehicles and trucks
>
> that would be using it on a daily basis. The governments own EIA
>
> predicts 500 or more vehicles using the connection between Arusha and
>
> Lake Victoria on a daily basis within a few years.
>
> The necessary infrastructure to support these travelers already exists
>
> in this area: hotels, cafes, petrol stations, mechanics, police
>
> stations, cell towers, markets etc.
>
> The World Bank, along with the German government and other world donor
>
> have offered to fund the Southern Route. In reality this route would
>
> take less than one hour more for the trip than if it went through the
>
> Serengeti.
>
> QUESTION:
>
> So since the German government has an agreement with the Tanzanian
>
> Government to build better local roads and other infrastructure for
>
> the communities on either side of the park and the World Bank and
>
> other donors have offered to fund the Southern Route that would
>
> connect the hub areas of Arusha and Lake Victoria. . .
>
> . . . . WHY is there still a need for a road THROUGH the Serengeti - a
>
> World Heritage site? A road that will kill the Goose that laid the
>
> golden egg? When $1.28 billion is spent annually on tourism in
>
> Tanzania every year with over 600,000 jobs directly tied to the
>
> industry - not to mention other Tanzanians who benefit from tourism
>
> such as growing food that is supplied to the lodges, mechanics for
>
> safari vehicles, curio shops that sell the carvings and beadwork of
>
> local artisans to tourists?
>
> RESPONSE:
>
> ?
>
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/STOP-THE-SERENGETI-HIGHWAY/125601617471610
>
> SUPPORT FOR LAWSUIT AGAINST HIGHWAY
>
> ANAW (Africa Network for Animal Welfare) - an NGO in Kenya is
>
> preparing to fight a legal battle in the EACJ (East African Court of
>
> Justice) against the Tanzanian government to stop the Serengeti
>
> Highway.
>
> We are supporting ANAW's efforts to protect the Serengeti by providing
>
> information, facts and figures, statistics and information from
>
> scientists and other experts, including environmental lawyers. We also
>
> are helping to provide funding which has been acquired from grants and
>
> individual donations from this fan page.
>
> The case is expected to be scheduled for full trial sometime in late
>
> July or August.
>
> This lawsuit is considered the best long term solution to protect the
>
> Serengeti. But the case is also significant for several other reasons:
>
> *It was initiated completely by a local East African conservation
>
> organization, not a foreign NGO, government, or UN body.
>
> *It operates within the legal framework of an East African court
>
> system designed expressly to deal with such issues.
>
> *It is a test of the power and jurisdiction of the EACJ to decide on
>
> transboundary issues within East Africa, especially those relating to
>
> conservation.
>
> TO READ THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE LAWSUIT
>
> https://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&¬e_id=344571812240687&id=1...
>
> On Jun 15, 4:27 pm, "Tony PT" <tony_u...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hilde,
>
> > Unamaana basi mikumi ifungwe au? Sijakuelewa!
>
> > Sent from my BlackBerry® Porsche-9981 smartphone Thru Tigo Network, Tanzania.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Hildegarda Kiwasila <khildega...@yahoo.co.uk>
>
> > Sender: wanabidii@googlegroups.com
> > Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:43:47
> > To: wanabidii@googlegroups.com<wanabidii@googlegroups.com>
> > Reply-To: wanabidii@googlegroups.com
> > Subject: Re: [wanabidii] Re: UJENZI WA BARABARA YA LAMI SERENGETI NI NDOTO!
>
> > Kwanza sidhani kama Mikumi National park inaingiza hela ya maana serikalini. pamoja na kusema magari yanaua wanyama sasa kutokana na kukimbia sana, lakini Hoteli zile za Serikali zilizokuwemo mle ndani zimekufa kifo halisi miaka mingi. Pia waendao pale sio wengi kutokana kuwa hoteli zimejifia, wanapita wanaangalia wanyama wanakwenda mbele maana wanawaona barabarani mikaka mingi toka ukoloni barabara ina lami. wanyama wanamalizwa na wawindaji haramu maana vijiji vya kule bila nyama ya ngiri, kiboko, buffalo msagara, mvidunda hajala kitu. Heri Mpogoro mla samaki kuliko hao wengine waliozunguka mbuga. Ni siku hizi tu na mambo ya ulinzi mkali na shirikishi lakini nyama ya mbogo inamtia mtu wazimu kama bile amekula 'Balt salt' hii amabyo inafanya mtu akisha kuila/kuibwia atake kula nyama ya binadamu mwenzake.
>
> > Mambo ya kutokujituma, kuthamini kazi na kuwajibika, upo unabofya simu, mara umetoka kwenda kusali, kuongea, kula; wizi ndani ya mahoteli kuibia wageni; saa nzima mtu anangojea chakula alicoagiza baada ya saa anakuja waiter anasema hiki hakipo, unaagiza tena-nusu saa anakuja tena na hiki hakuna-unajiuliza kulikoni management? Hata huduma za benk-peak hours wamewacha dirisha moja eti wamekwenda kula. Foleni kama vile wakati wa mgao wa sembe nyumba kumi kumi 1980. Wanaelewa muda wa peak hours watu badala ya kwenda lunch wanatoka maofisini kwenda bank. wao wafungue dirisha nyingi wale mapema au baadae. nao wanaondoka wanaacha dirisha moja yote closed. Ana mgeni anaongea nae au anabofya simu/kuongea kila wakati. hatubadiliki ila kulalala ndio tuna shahada. angalau kwa sasa mikumi NP ina hoteli za wageni nje ya NP kama inavyotakiwa kwa sasa kupunguza kuziweka ndani ya NP kuzuia kukera wanyama. hata hivyo, zamani taa zikiwaka usiku wanyama wanahamia nje ya
> >  mikumi lodge kwa usalama wao kuondoka porini mbali. Hata hivyo, hoteli Mikumi hazipati wageni sana na vihoteli vingine ni mama ntilie vimezagaa kupikia truck drivers maugali na kuku chuma mgunu ukate nyama kwa jino la mamba.
> > hata hotelini na makampuni binfasi sasa unaona Kenyans, Malawians wanaajiriwa kwa wingi kutokana na seriousness yao kazini. sisi tuna send in send out, funerals na excuse nyingine nyingi. Vijijini ofisi za Kata tumekaa badala ya kusaidia maendeleo. Ukiuliza-usafiri hakuna. Ukimuuliza pale kijijini anapoishi amefanya nini mbona mashamba, vyoo,  maji ya visima yanachafuliwa, akuonyeshe inputs na outputs na raslimali zimejaa-hana. Ila -serikali mbaya!! Hata hapo ulipo kuwaelekeza improvement na protection ya kisima cha maji, kujenga choo bora cement na matofari wenyewe wanayo huwezi? Mkimuhoji sana-atakuchukia na siku hizi-watakugecha.
> > sishangai unavyohoji hivi reasonably lakini-tuna matatizo.
>
> > ________________________________
> > From: RICHARD MGAMBA <rmgamba2...@yahoo.com>
> > To: wanabidii@googlegroups.com
> > Sent: Thursday, 14 June 2012, 11:22
> > Subject: RE: [wanabidii] Re: UJENZI WA BARABARA YA LAMI SERENGETI NI NDOTO!
>
> > Dear all,
> > I puzzled by this debate. If Tanzania wants to build a tarmac road in its world's famous Serengeti national park, then let it be done so that we can end this fruitless debate, which has consumed much of our time.
>
> > If the Tanzanian government has money and the will as well as audacity to do it, then why all the fuss? Where's Mikumi national park today and what's the situation there? it's really frightening, but since it seemed our enemy is Kenya as we have tried to claim, while in actual sense we are our own worse enemy, let the road be built.
>
> >  I should first of all declare that if it wasn't the famous Serengeti national park, i would have been the first to campaign for this
>
> ...
>
> read more »

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