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Tanzania: Crime On Lake Victoria Up
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East African Business Week (Kampala)
31 March 2008
Posted to the web 31 March 2008
Daniel Said
Mwanza
Fuel smuggling, crime and theft of other commodities including machinery and spares has been reported in Tanzania's mining areas around Lake Victoria Zone.
A source from one of the major gold mining companies told East African Business Week last week that smuggling is operated by a syndicate of businessmen, police and some politicians.
However, the source said that despite the fact that security organs have the knowledge of the racket no measures have been put in place to curb the situation.
Mr. Stephen Zelothe, the Mwanza regional police commander denied any knowledge of smuggling, increased crime and theft. "We are yet to get information of fuel smuggling or increased crime in mining areas, we can trace from now what's happening," he said last week.
Apart from fuel smuggling, East African Business Week has learnt that groups of thieves and smugglers from Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and DR Congo, in collaboration with their Tanzanian counterparts frequent those mining areas where they hire private gangs who conduct frequent attacks and harass villagers in the areas.
"Commodities that are in the midst of this new economic sabotage include automobile spare parts, fencing wires, gold ore, purified gold, diamond ore and iron scraps, batteries from night lighting plants, but the major item is diesel," a source told East African Business Week last week.
Recently high level managers of the big mining companies met over the matter and have started contemplating on how to cope with the problem.
One official from the mining sector said theft and smuggling is widespread and so rampant in areas of Geita and Kahama Districts in Mwanza and Shinyanga regions respectively.
Some of the areas where smuggling is rampant are Katoro, Buselesele, Nyahunge and some other surrounding villages in Geita district, Mwanza but those involved seem to be untouchables because of their political connection and links with business heavyweights in Mwanza and Shinyanga regions.
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Other areas where fuel smuggling is rampant include Kakora and Kahama towns in Shinyanga region, about 200 km from Mwanza city while the recipients of the smuggled fuel and stolen goods include Mara region and some find their market in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC Congo and some parts of Kenya.
One police officer told this newspaper that thousands of litres worth millions of shillings are being stolen or smuggled in a single day and sold in black markets.
"Every day between 60 to 100 bicycles carrying two-to-three 40-litre gallon full of diesel pass close to our village on their way to Geita town using escape routes," Mr. Magambishi Masalla, local resident said.
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