Obama hits at gender wage disparity

US President Barack Obama has issued two executive orders aimed at erasing gender disparities in pay among the government workforce.

One directive signed on Tuesday bars federal contactors from retaliating against employees for discussing pay.

The other requires such contractors to provide compensation data by race and gender to the Department of Labor.

The Democrat also rebuked Republicans for blocking equal pay legislation, as both sides vie for female voters.

Even playing field

"Pay secrecy fosters discrimination, and we should not tolerate it, not in federal contracting or anywhere else," Mr Obama, citing Census Bureau data indicating that on average, women earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn.

The executive actions covering federal contractors will reportedly affect nearly one-quarter of the US workforce.

A similar bill forbidding companies from punishing employees who share salary information has been introduced in the US Senate, but Republicans are expected the block it.

Conservatives have rejected similar legislation in the upper chamber of Congress in 2010 and 2012.

"This is about Republicans seemingly opposing any efforts to even the playing field for working families," Mr Obama said as he signed the executive orders on Tuesday.

Republicans however have argued that such moves would hurt women by restricting merit pay and job flexibility.

"We all know workplace discrimination still exists, [but] we need real solutions that focus on job creation and opportunity for women. Not more regulations that cut flexibility and cut bonuses," the Republican National Committee wrote in a statement.

Both political parties have fought to attract women voters as they approach the mid-term elections in November.

Those elections will determine which party controls the US Senate and House of Representatives for the final two years of Mr Obama's presidential term.

Scramble to fix huge security bug

A bug in software used by millions of web servers could have exposed anyone visiting sites they hosted to spying and eavesdropping, say researchers.

The bug is in a software library used in servers, operating systems and email and instant messaging systems.

Called OpenSSL the software is supposed to protect sensitive data as it travels back and forth.

It is not clear how widespread exploitation of the bug has been because attacks leave no trace.

"If you need strong anonymity or privacy on the internet, you might want to stay away from the internet entirely for the next few days while things settle," said a blog entry about the bug published by the Tor Project which produces software that helps people avoid scrutiny of their browsing habits.

'Serious' vulnerability

A huge swathe of the web could be vulnerable because OpenSSL is used in the widely used Apache and Nginx server software. Statistics from net monitoring firm Netcraft suggest that about 500,000 of the web's secure servers are running versions of the vulnerable software.

"It's the biggest thing I've seen in security since the discovery of SQL injection," said Ken Munro, a security expert at Pen Test Partners. SQL injection is a way to extract information from the databases behind web sites and services using specially crafted queries.

Many firms were scrambling to apply patches to vulnerable programs and others had shut down services while fixes were being worked on, he said. Many were worried that with proof of concept code already being shared it would only be a matter of time before cyber thieves started exploiting the vulnerability.

Mojang, maker of the hugely popular Minecraft game, took all its services offline while Amazon, which it uses to host games, patched its systems.

The bug in OpenSSL was discovered by researchers working for Google and security firm Codenomicon.

In a blog entry about their findings the researchers said the "serious vulnerability" allowed anyone to read chunks of memory in servers supposedly protected with the flawed version of OpenSSL. Via this route, attackers could get at the secret keys used to scramble data as it passes between a server and its users.

"This allows attackers to eavesdrop [on] communications, steal data directly from the services and users and to impersonate services and users," wrote the team that discovered the vulnerability. They called it the "heartbleed" bug because it occurs in the heartbeat extension for OpenSSL.

The bug has been present in versions of OpenSSL that have been available for over two years. The latest version of OpenSSL released on 7 April is no longer vulnerable to the bug.

"Considering the long exposure, ease of exploitation and attacks leaving no trace this exposure should be taken seriously," wrote the researchers.

Installing an updated version of OpenSSL did not necessarily mean people were safe from attack, said the team. If attackers have already exploited it they could have stolen encryption keys, passwords or other credentials required to access a server, they said.

Full protection might require updating to the safer version of OpenSSL as well as getting new security certificates and generating new encryption keys. To help people check their systems some security researchers have produced tools that help people work out if they are running vulnerable versions of OpenSSL.

Pistorius quizzed on Reeva evidence

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is being quizzed about his version of events on the night that he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel began his cross examination by pushing Mr Pistorius to acknowledge the full magnitude of his actions on 14 February 2013.

The athlete said he made a "mistake" on the night that he shot Ms Steenkamp.

"You killed a person, that's what you did! You shot and killed her, won't you take responsibility...?" Mr Nel said.

Earlier, Mr Pistorius described how Ms Steenkamp died before the ambulance arrived while he was holding her.

The athlete denies deliberately shooting dead his girlfriend, arguing he mistook her for an intruder.

Prosecutors contend he intentionally killed her in the toilet of his bathroom after a row.

The 27-year-old Olympic and Paralympic sprinter, who is a double amputee, faces life imprisonment if convicted of murder.

On Tuesday, he broke down in tears whilst describing the events leading up to the shooting and the actual event.

If acquitted, South African law stipulates that the court must consider the separate, lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for which he could receive between six and 15 years in prison.

Mr Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.

There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.

The court in Pretoria says in the opening moments of cross examination showed the highly combative style Mr Pistorius can now expect from Mr Nel in the coming days.

Gerrie Nel: Fierce prosecutor

Gerrie Nel is known for his no-nonsense attitude inside the courtroom and is one of South Africa's most respected legal minds.

With more than 30 years' experience he has a string of successful prosecutions under his belt and is no stranger to high-profile cases. He prosecuted former police boss and Interpol's ex-head Jackie Selebi on corruption charges, once calling him an "arrogant liar" during cross examination.

Those who know him praise his meticulous attention to detail and his "fearlessness". He was junior prosecutor in the murder case of anti-apartheid activist Chris Hani in 1993.

He was also the founding head in 1999 of the Gauteng province division of South Africa's elite police and prosecution unit the Hawks, then known as the Scorpions.

Earlier while being questioned by his lawyer, Mr Pistorius described the moments after paramedics had arrived at the scene.

"They asked for some space to work so I stood up. Reeva had already died whilst I was holding her before the ambulance arrived. So, I knew there was nothing they could do for her," he said.

He also described his distress as police and other officials arrived at the house.

"I asked a policeman if I could wash my hands because the smell of the blood was making me throw up," he said.

Mr Pistorius said that during their three-month relationship he and Ms Steenkamp had become very close

Reeva Steenkamp's mother held her head while listening to the testimony of Mr Pistorius on Tuesday

Aimee Pistorius was overcome with emotion as she listened to her brother's testimony on Tuesday

His lawyer Barry Roux also asked him to demonstrate how he would swing a cricket bat.

Mr Pistorius said he was on his prosthetic legs when he used the cricket bat to break down the toilet door.

He said the three sounds heard by witnesses at 03:17 local time was the cricket bat hitting the door - about five minutes after he shot at the toilet door.

He said he was on his stumps, when he shot at the door.

"I can barely stand on my stumps," he said.

'Loud crying'

During his questioning, Mr Roux also mentioned statements from close neighbours who were listed by the state but not called by the prosecution.

He said the statement from Kenny Motshoane's house described hearing "crying" and not "a woman screaming", as mentioned by other witnesses.

Another woman living nearby also says she heard "loud crying" and not a woman screaming, Mr Roux said.

Before Mr Roux ended his questioning he asked Mr Pistorius if he had intentionally killed Ms Steenkamp.

"I did not intend to kill Reeva or anybody else for that matter," he replied.

On Tuesday, the athlete described how the couple had spent a quiet evening together on 13 February, Ms Steenkamp doing some yoga as he spoke to his cousin on the phone.

Toyota to recall 6.4 million vehicles

Toyota is recalling 6.4 million vehicles globally, including 35,124 in the UK, over five separate issues.

Some 3.5 million vehicles are being recalled to replace a spiral cable attached to the driver's side airbag.

It may be damaged when the steering wheel is turned and result in the airbag not being deployed in a crash.

Other issues include problems with seat rails, steering columns, windscreen wipers and a glitch with the engine starters that poses a fire risk.

Toyota said it was not aware of any vehicle crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by these conditions.

However, it said it had received two reports of fires in connection with the engine starter problem.

The carmaker said that "due to inefficiencies in the design of the starter motor relays, metallic particles might accumulate on the contacts within the relay".

It said that if the relays continued to be used, the particles could come off and enter the relay's circuitry and in the "worst case, this could lead to the starter relays catching fire".

Approximately 20,000 vehicles involving six Toyota models and the Subaru Trezia are being recalled to replace both engine starter relays and the engine starter motor.

Other recalls include:

• Approximately 2.32 million vehicles over problems with the seat rails

• Some 760,000 vehicles because of a potential defect with the steering column bracket

• Nearly 160,000 vehicles to replace the windshield wiper motors

Toyota's RAV4 sports utility vehicle (SUV) is also impacted by the latest recall

Reputation risk

The latest recall, which affects 27 different models, is the fifth major one that the company has issued in recent months.

In February, it called back 1.9 million of its top-selling Prius hybrid cars because of a software fault that might cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly.

In the latter half of last year, it issued separate recalls affecting more than 2.2 million vehicles.

Overall, the company has recalled more than 25 million vehicles over the past two-and-a-half years.

That is far more than the number it called back in 2009 and 2010 - widely seen as the worst years in terms of damage to its reputation.

Toyota's sales had suffered in the aftermath of those recalls, which were prompted by problems with accelerator pedals becoming trapped under floor mats.

The recalls had also triggered a criminal investigation against the carmaker in the US.

Earlier this year, the firm agreed a $1.2bn (£720m) settlement with US regulators after a four-year inquiry into its reporting of safety issues.

Recalls are not uncommon in the industry. For example, General Motors is in the middle of recalling millions of vehicles as well.

However, there are concerns that Toyota's current troubles may hurt its efforts to rebuild its reputation, which was damaged by the 2010 recall fiasco.

Smart cars overturned in California

Authorities in San Francisco are investigating the vandalism of four diminutive Smart cars found turned over on their sides on Monday.

The four vehicles had body damage and broken windows, a police spokesman said.

Seven suspects wearing hooded sweatshirts were reported in the area.

Other instances of vandalism of the small cars have been reported in Canada and the Netherlands, where at least one vehicle was dumped into a canal.

California authorities are looking into whether the latest incidents on Monday morning were an act of vandalism or a campaign against the small vehicles, which weigh less than 2,000lbs (907kg), the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Facebook wipes soldiers rape page

Facebook has removed a page entitled "Soldiers deserve to be raped and murdered" - but not because of its subject matter.

The page was created last year and had sparked objections from members of the armed forces and the public.

The site initially left it in place, saying it did not breach its rules.

However, Facebook removed the page shortly after being contacted by the BBC, saying a check had revealed the account holder's details to be fake.

Critics of the company have said the case highlights concerns about its review policies.

Community standards

The page was created last July and had called on visitors to "support the cause in weeding out and eliminating this worthless breed of cowardice".

Facebook's Community Standards state that it will remove content where it perceives there to be a "genuine risk of physical harm" and that members may not "credibly threaten others, or organise acts of real-world violence".

Some Facebook users warn that hate pages can cause tension offline

However, a spokesman for the social network indicated that the threat had not been specific enough for its complaints team to act on.

"Sometimes there is content on Facebook that expresses angry and unpleasant ideas but doesn't directly target anyone," he said.

"In such cases the page may be left up. However, we can compel people who post things like this to make their real names visible so they are publicly accountable for their views.

"On investigating this particular page administrator, we found they were using a fake account and we removed it."

He confirmed that the fact the creator's details were false was only flagged after the site was contacted by the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, who had asked about the matter after it had been raised by a member of the audience.

'Show respect'

Among those to have previously complained about the posting were visitors to another page on Facebook set up to support members of the Royal Marine commandos.

Its administrator - who had previously served in the British Army - said that this was just one of several pages concerning the armed forces that they had complained about, and added that he believed Facebook needed to be more proactive about deleting such material despite concerns this might raise about free speech.

"You've got to show respect for the men and women who have fought and died for others to hold their own opinions," Stef Proietti told the BBC.

"It creates hatred and causes anger.

"I appreciate that a lot of these types of pages are set up by what you would call internet trolls looking to create a reaction.

"But, as we've seen in the past... it creates more tension, not just among the social network's community but it also spills out into real life."

Mark Zuckerberg's site says it has more than one billion monthly active users

By contrast, La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the Net) - a Paris-based group that campaigns for internet users' rights - said it was concerned that a company with as much influence as Facebook should be left to make such decisions.

"A judge may or may not have considered that this was a direct call to violence, and on that ground may or may not have asked Facebook to remove it - and this is how it should be," said the group's co-founder Jeremie Zimmermann.

"[Instead] Facebook has become a sort of parallel justice with its own rules that we cannot fully understand.

"This is a major problem for whoever believes their speech is protected on Facebook."

First Amendment rights

But one academic said it was no surprise that the company had acted the way it had.

"The principle of First Amendment freedom-of-speech rights is something that nobody wants to be seen to be violating in the US, particularly Silicon Valley-type companies for which it's buried very deeply into their ideology," said Dr Joss Wright, of the Oxford Internet Institute.

"Clearly this page was taken down because it was offensive, but it's very convenient for the firm to have an alternative justification - the use of fake credentials or, as we've seen in other examples, a violation of copyright.

"I think Facebook will stick to this kind of approach as long as it can. It doesn't want to be put in a position where it's expected it will police its content because that could then turn into a requirement that is forced upon it."

Battery offers 30-second charging

A battery that can charge in under 30 seconds has been shown off at a technology conference in Tel Aviv.

Israeli start-up StoreDot displayed the device - made of biological structures - at Microsoft's Think Next Conference.

A Samsung S4 smartphone went from a dead battery to full power in 26 seconds in the demonstration.

The battery is currently only a prototype and the firm predicts it will take three years to become a commercially viable product.

In the demonstration, a battery pack the size of a cigarette packet was attached to a smartphone.

"We think we can integrate a battery into a smartphone within a year and have a commercially ready device in three years," founder Dr Dorn Myersdorf 

The bio-organic battery utilises tiny self-assembling nano-crystals that were first identified in research being done into Alzheimer's disease at Tel Aviv University 10 years ago.

The nano-dots are described by StoreDot as "stable, robust spheres" that are 2.1 nanometers in diameter and made up of peptide molecules.

The technology has a range of uses, founder Dr Myersdorf said.

"Batteries are just one of the industries we can disrupt with this new material. It is new physics, new chemistry, a new approach to devices," he said.

The team has also used the nano-crystals in memory chips which could write three times faster than traditional flash memory and as a non-toxic alternative to cadmium in screens.

Dr Myersdorf said that the batteries are likely to be 30 to 40% more expensive to manufacture compared to traditional ones and the final product will be twice as expensive than those on the market today.

But making them should be a relatively easy process.

"It is about letting nature take its course. We just need a facility that can do chemical processing," he said.

Bunge la katiba

MH. SAMUEL SITTA NDIYE MWENYEKITI WA KUDUMU WA BUNGE MAALUM LA KATIBA

Mgombea wa nafasi ya Uenyekiti wa Kudumu wa Bunge Maalum la Katiba, Mhe. Samuel Sitta ameshinda nafasi hiyo kwa kura 487 dhidi ya mpinzani wake, Mhe. Hashim Rungwe aliyepaya kura 69 kati ya kura 593 zilizopigwa, na saba kuharibika katika uchaguzi uliofanyika muda mfupi uliopita Bungeni mjini Dodoma.

Akitoa Neno la Shukrani mara baada ya kupata nafasi hiyo,Mh. Sitta amewashurukuru Wajumbe wote wa Bunge la Katiba kwa kuweza kumpa nafasi hiyo adhimu. Pia amempongeza mpinzani wake,Mh. Hashim Rungwe kwa kukubali matokeo hayo.

 Wajumbe wakipiga kura 

 Upigaji kura ukiendelea

Wajumbe wa Bunge Maalum la Katiba wakimpongeza Mhe. Sitta kwa ushindi wake wa kishindo

MWANAFUNZI CHUO CHA ARDHI ATOA CHANGAMOTO KWA VIJANA KUPITIA KITABU CHAKE DAR ES SALAAM

 Nguku anaelezea kwamba kitabu hicho yenye kauli mbiu “Sio Serikali ni Mimi, Wewe na Sisi,”inatoa hamasa kwa watu hasa hasa kundi la vijana waweze kuwa na uthubutu wa kutimiza malengo yao katika maisha. Wanaoshuhudia ni mama yake mkubwa Bi. Anna Kikwa na baba yake mdogo Bw. Emmanuel Mallewo.

   Bi. Kikwa (kushoto) na Bw. Mallewo wakionyesha kitabu cha 'Safari Ya Ndoto' alichokiandika mwanao Aman (katikati) anayesoma shahada ya uchumi mwaka wa tatu katika chuo kikuu cha Ardhi.

Mtunzi wa kitabu cha 'Safari Ya Ndoto' Aman Nguku akihojiwa na waandishi wa habari katika uzinduzi wa kitabu hicho jana. Wanaoshuhudia ni walezi wake Bi. Kikwa na Bw. Mallewo.

Kuna mfano wa Mandela duniani

Nelson Mandela daima alitajwa kama 'kiongozi mkongwe wa dunia' ambaye alikuwa na ujuzi wa kutatua matatizo ya kidunia. Sifa yake ya madili mema ilimfanya kuonekama kama mrithi wa Mahatma Gandhi. Nani sasa anaweza kuchukua majuku ya Mandela?

Maswala ya Lockerbie, Burundi, DR Congo, Lesotho, Indonesia, Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, Mauaji ya Stephen Lawrence, uhamasisho wa Ukiwmi na kombe la dunia.
Orodha ya mambo aliyoyaweka karibu naye Mandela ni ndefu.
Katika baadhi ya mizozo kama mgogoro wa muda mrefu nchini Burundi alikuwa mpatanishi.
Maswala kama Ukimwi, alikuwa mwanaharakati na baba aliyepoteza mwanawe kwa maradhi hayo.
Mchango wake ulikubalika na ukakaribishwa sana.
Alipinga kuingiliwa kati mzozo wa Kosovo mwaka 1999 na kukosoa sera ya kigeni ya Marekani, wakati huo uhusiano wake na Kanali Gadaffi na aliyekuwa Rais Suharto haukuchukuliwa kwa wema.
Wengi walihisi kuwa alichelewa katika harakati zake dhidi ya ukimwi nchini Afrika Kusini.
Lakini wakosoaji wake wanakubali kuwa alikuwa kiongozi asiyekuwa na mfano wake duniani.
Alikuwa kiongozi ambaye watu walikuwa na matumaini naye, mtu ambaye alitoa mfano wa kuigwa duniani.
Mandela alionekana kama mtu aaliyweza kukabidhiwa majukumu na kuyafanya kwa kuzingatia ukweli kwani safari yake Jakarta ambako mwanasiasa wa Timor Mashariki alikuwa amezuiliwa mwaka 1997 ilipelekea kufanyika kwa kura ya maoni na kuachiliwa kwa mfungwa huyo Gusmao miaka miwili iliyofuata.

Viongozi walioachiwa jukumu la Mandela

• Martti Ahtisaari
• Kofi Annan (Mwenyekiti)
• Ela Bhatt
• Lakhdar Brahimi
• Gro Harlem Brundtland
• Fernando H Cardoso
• Jimmy Carter
• Hina Jilani
• Graca Machel
• Mary Robinson
• Ernesto Zedillo
• Desmond Tutu

Alikuwa na maadili ya hali ya juu sana ambayo yanaweza kuwa funzo kwa wanasiasa wote duniani wasiokuwa na mwelekeo mwema na yote yalitokana na vita vyake dhidi ya utawala wa kibaguzi miaka ya themanini.
Kumekuwa na marais wengine wakongwe lakini wao walikuwa watu ambao siasa zao zilihusu maswala ya ndani ya nchi zao.
Mfano Jimmy Carter alitumwa Korea Kaskazini kuzungumzia maswala muhimu na pia amekuwa akijihusisha na maswala ya demokrasia barani Afrika lakini hana hisia alizokuwa nazo Mandela kuhusiana na maswala kadhaa kama Mandela alivyokuwa.
Tony Blair alijaribu kujihusisha na juhudi za upatanisho Mashariki ya kati lakini wengi waliona kama alikuwa anajaribu kujifutia historia mbaya aliyo nayo kuhusu vita vya Iraq.
Lakini jambo ambalo litasalia vichwani mwa wengi ni Mandela alipoamua kutangaza kuwa mwanawe amefariki kutokana na Ukimwi mwaka 2005. Hii ilikuwa mapema wakati ambapo Ukimwi ulikuwa umekuwa donda sugu Afrika Kusini. Mandela aliwataka wananchi wa taifa hilo kuweka wazi maswala ya Ukimwi.
Unaweza kwenda popote duniani na picha yake na hakuna asiyemfahamu . Hakuna mfano wa Mandela. Aung San Suu Kyi labda kidogo anaonekana kuwa kama Mandela lakini sio rahisi kwake kutambulika kama alivyotambulika Mandela.
Gandhi, Mandela na Suu Kyi walikuwa wafungwa wa kisiasa na kujitolea kwao kwa jamii ilikuwa sehemu kubwa ya maisha yao.
Wakati wa sherehe za kuzaliwa kwake alipokuwa na umri wa miaka 89, Mandela alibuni kikundi cha viongozi wakongwe aliowataka kuendeleza amani duniani.
Dunia inahitaji mtu mpole, mkarimu na wa kujitolea. Bila ya watu kama Mandela kuna uwezekano wa dunia kutumbukia katika migogoro ambayo haitapata wasuluhishi na kwa mtizamo wa wengi ni vigumu kupata mfano wa Mandela duniani.

AIR TANZANIA YARUDISHA SAFARI ZA NDEGE ZA KWENDA BURUNDI

 

Meneja Rasilimali watu kutoka Shirika la Ndege la Tanzania (ATCL), Eliezer Mwasele, akishuka kutoka ndani ya ndege mara baada ya ndege ya Air Tanzania kutua wakati wa uzinduzi wa safari za kwenda Bujumbura- Burundi. Nyuma yake ni aliekuwa Balozi wa Tanzania Burundi, Francis Mndolwa.

 

Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Burundi, Dk. James Nzagi (kushoto) akiwa na aliyekuwa Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Burundi, Francis Mndolwa (wa pili kushoto) mara baada ya kupokea ndege ya Shirika la Ndege la Tanzania, Air Tanzania, iliyoanza sarai za kwenda Bujumbura mwishoni mwa wiki. Wengine mbele ni baadhi ya mawaziri wa serikali ya Burundi.

 Baadhi ya abiria wakipanda ndege ya Shirika la Ndege la Tanzania –Air Tanzania- kabla ya kuanza safari ya kuelekea Bujumbura –Burundi, wakati wa uzinduzi wa safari hiyo iliyofanyika mwishoni mwa wiki.

 Baadhi ya viongozi wakisindikiza abiria walioshuka kwenye ndege ya Shirika la Ndege la Tanzania –Air Tanzania- mara baada ya kuwasili katika uwanja wa ndege wa Bujumbura- Burundi kama ishara ya uzinduzi rasmi wa safari hizo. Kutoka kushoto ni Waziri wa Burundi wa Afrika Mashariki, Bi Nziyemana Leontine akifuatiwa na Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Burundi, Dk. James Nzagi na aliyekuwa Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Burundi, Francis Mndolwa.

Air Tanzania yarudisha safari za ndege za kwenda Burundi
·       Waanza safari za kwenda Mbeya
·       Warejesha safari za Mwanza

SHIRIKA la Ndege la Tanzania (ATCL) limezindua rasmi huduma za usafiri wa anga kutoka Dar es Salaam kuelekea Bujumbura, Burundi kwa kupitia mkoani Kigoma, safari hizo zitafanyika mara tatu kwa wiki yaani Jumatano, Ijumaa na Jumapili.
Hatua hiyo imekuja baada ya hali ya amani kutengamaa katika nchi hiyo ya Burundi ambayo ilikumbwa na vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe na kuilazimu Tanzania kusitisha huduma hizo kwa muda wa miaka 20.

Wakati huo huo, ATCL pia imeanza safari za Dar es Salaam kwenda Mbeya, safari hizo zitafanyika mara nne kwa wiki yaani Jumatatu, Jumatano, Ijumaa na Jumapili. imerejesha safari za Dar es Salaam – Mwanza kila siku, safari  zilizoanza rasmi Jumapili iliyopita.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jijini Bujumbura Burundi katika uzinduzi wa huduma hizo juzi, Meneja Rasilimali watu wa Shirika hilo la ndege, Ndugu Eliezer Mwasele, alisema uzinduzi wa safari hizo utakuwa ni njia mojawapo ya kuchochea maendeleo ya uchumi kwa nchi zote mbili.

Alisema kutokana na hali hiyo Watanzania wanatakiwa kuchangamkia fursa zilizopo katika nchi hiyo ya Burundi, kwani asilimia kubwa ya wafanyabiashara wa nchi za Kongo na Burundi wanatarajiwa kuanza kutumia usafiri huo kwa wingi.
Akizungumzia hatua hiyo, Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Burundi, Dk. James Nzagi, alisema kuanza kwa safari hizo ilikuwa ni ndoto ya siku nyingi ambayo aliipigania na kutamani kuona wananchi wa pande zote mbili wananufaika kwa pamoja.

“Tumefurahi sana kwa kutimiza ndoto hii leo (juzi), kwa sababu sasa uhusiano kati ya nchi hizi mbili unazidi kuimarika hasa ukizingatia tunategemena kibiashara kulingana na fursa zilizopo.

Kwa upande wake, aliyekuwa Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Burundi, Francis Mndolwa, alisema kwa kuwa ATCL imefunga mkanda na kuanzisha tena safari hizo, ni vyema ikazingatia muda na kuhakikisha huduma stahiki zinatolewa ili kukuza shirika hilo.
Naye Waziri wa Burundi katika Bunge la Afrika Mashariki, Nziyemana Leontine alisema, “kuanzishwa kwa Air Tanzania kuja Burundi, kutasaidia wananchi wa Burundi, hususani wafanyabiashara kwani walikuwa wanaunganisha ndege kupitia nchi nyingine, lakini sasa hivi wananchi watakuja moja kwa moja. Tunashukuru sana,” alisema.

Naye mmoja wa abiria kutoka Burundi waliopanda ndege hiyo, Dk. Owera Kodime, alisema, kuanzishwa kwa safari hizo kutawapunguzia sana gharama za usafiri wananchi wa Burundi, kwa sababu Tanzania imepunguza gharama kuliko mashirika mengine.

“Tulikuwa tukitumia muda mrefu sana kuzunguka lakini sasa tutaweza kuja moja kwa moja Dar es Salaam, ni hatua nzuri ambayo imetuletea faraja sana Warundi,” alisema.
Kwa upande wa abiria kutoka Tanzania, Joseph Kisaro, alisema, “ Muda mrefu sana kulikuwa hakuna huduma, tangu mwaka 1993 huduma zilikatatika, lakini uongozi wa Tanzania umefanya juhudi baada ya mapigano kuisha. “Tunashukuru ubalozi ulioteuliwa mwaka 2003 kwani ulianza harakati haraka za kurudisha huduma hizi ambazo sasa tumefanikiwa.
“Tunaomba uongozi wa ATCL uangalie pia kuwa na safari za kuelekea Kongo mashariki kwa sababu kuna abiria wengi sana ambao ni wafanyabiashara wanaokuja Tanzania,” alisema

Mama Vicky Nsilo Swai Alipomrudishia Viatu Alivyoviacha Tanzania Rais wa kwanza Mzalendo na Mpigania Uhuru wa Afrika Kusini, Nelson Mandela ‘Madiba’

 Rais wa kwanza Mzalendo na Mpigania Uhuru wa Afrika Kusini, Nelson Mandela ‘Madiba’ akiwa ameshikilia viatu vyake ambavyo aliviacha nyumbani kwa Mzee Nsilo Swai alipoingia Tanzania kwa mara ya kwanza mwaka 1962 akitokea Afrika Kusini.

Mandela aliahidi kuvichukua viatu hivyo pindi atakaporejea Tanzania lakini katika safari hiyo ndipo alipoishia mikoni mwa makaburu wa Afrika Kusini na kumfunga kwa miaka 27.

Viatu hivyo aina ya Buti vilihifadhiwa hadi alipotoka na kukabidhiwa kwa Mandela na mjane wa Mzee Nsilo Swai, Bi Vicky Nsilo Swai (pichani kulia) mwaka 1995 Mandela alipotoka gerzani na hatim,aye kuwa Rais wa kwanza Mweusi wa Afrika Kusini.