Tanzania’s shocking vast wealth

Name Magreth U. Makinge.

Tanzania is a beautiful country, blessed and richest with natural resources including water bodies like Indian ocean, rivers , lakes like lake Victoria, lake Tanganyika, forests, also game reserves and national parks such as Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro conservation area.
Tanzania also has mineral deposit including gold, nickel, Tanzanite, diamonds, copper, iron ore, coal, limestone, soda ash, gypsum and phosphate. Gold, diamonds and Tanzanite are being fully mine by multinational companies.
Despite having all this resources, Tanzanians lives in extreme poverty which is below a dollar per day while 89% of the total population survives on a single meal per day.
In reflecting the two articles one on Tanzania’s shocking vast wealth which is about mining sector and the second one is about Magufuli lands Tsh. 200bn deeper fishing contract the following are the challenges/problems.
Poor mining policies which benefits the multinational companies but not Tanzanians, that the government get just 3% of the production and 97% goes to the foreign investor.
The Tanzania government has failed to manage its natural resources this cause the massive increase of poverty level within the country.
Poor negotiating mechanism on the party of our leaders, that the mining contract and license are not well negotiated by the government, as they are after their own interest and not after the interest of majority Tanzanians.
CSOs can contribute the following;
It is important now for CSOs to strengthen their capacities and create awareness to the communities around over the proper management of natural resources and lobbying the government to amend and change some of the policies which lead to unequal distribution and emphasize sustainable natural resource management.
To form coalition so as to have power as CSOs all together, this will enable CSOs to increase their ability in works and strengthened the capacity of CSOs to create awareness on natural resources.
YETS can contribute the following;
YETS 2008- 2012 should form an Association that will work irrespective of the CSOs in promoting awareness through projects during trainings and advocacy on potential natural resources the country has.
Last YETS should act as agent of changing agency.

Email:upendomak@yahoo.com