The deadline for parliament’s ad-hoc committee to make amendments to Section 25 of the constitution and allow the expropriation of land without compensation, has been extended.
While the deadline to draft the amendment was initially due to be the end of March 2020, the National Assembly unanimously passed a motion on Thursday, 5 March 2020.
The final day for the submission will now be 29 May 2020.
The process has not been without challenges, since being passed in parliament in 2018. In January 2020, various political parties and organisations made requests to the committee, asking that the comment on the draft bill be extended by a month to the end of February.
Ramaphosa on compensation without compensation
“At the traditional leaders’ indaba in 2017, it was resolved that there should be a presidential summit on land. I’m pleased to say that this summit will take place this year”, he said when he opened the National House of Traditional Leaders in Parliament earlier this month.
“The date for the closing of submissions on the 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which seeks to amend Section 25 of the Constitution for our country, will soon be upon us. This in many ways, will be a crucial time for the land reform process. Traditional leaders were at the forefront of making contributions on this matter”, Ramaphosa said.
South Africans urged to participate in the hearings
In light of the sometimes low turnout at the hearings, the ANC’s chief whip Pemmy Majodina has urged South Africans to take part in the process and let themselves be heard.
“It is crucial that South African citizens have a say on how the expropriation of land should take place, therefore, we encourage the public to participate in numbers so that their voices can be heard”, Majodina said.
“We wish members of the ad hoc committee a successful and productive programme”
The committee is holding hearings in Winterton, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, 7 March 2020.
Both the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have been pushing for the expropriation of land without compensation, however other parties, the Democratic Alliance (DA), Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), have fiercely opposed it and are arguing that such a move would prove to be detrimental to the country’s food security and the economy. Continue »
Arusha National Park, often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours, is in fact a treasure, a rich tapestry of habitats, teeming with animals and birds. From the lush swamps of the Ngurdoto Crater to the tranquil beauty of the Momela Lakes and the rocky alpine heights of Mt Meru, the terrain of the park is as varied as it is interesting.
Zebras graze on the park’s red grasslands, and leopards lurk next to waterfalls in the shadowy forest. More than 400 species of bird, both migrant and resident, can be found in Arusha National Park alongside rare primates, such as the black-and-white colobus monkey.
The rewarding climb up Mt Meru passes through forests of dripping Spanish moss and rises to open heath, spiked with giant lobelia plants. Delicate Klipspinger antelope watch the progress of hikers from the top of huge boulders, and everlasting flowers cling to the alpine desert underfoot. Once astride the craggy summit, the reward is a sight of neighbouring Mt Kilimanjaro, breathtaking in the sunrise.
The best time to visi Arusha National Park is during the dry season from July to November, or after the short rains from December to March. The best months to climb Mt Meru are June through to February, with the best views of Mt Kilimanjaro seen from December to February. The park lies just 25 km east of Arusha and is a rewarding day trip from Arusha or Moshi.
Ruaha national park is the largest national park in Tanzania. It is one of the few Tanzania’s famous wilderness area where one can have a rare experience of game viewing spiced up by the fascinating landscape. The park is rich of plants and animals such as Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) which can not be found in any other national park. The park boasts of her almost untouched and unexplored ecosystem, making visitors’ safari experience very unique.
The Great Ruaha River as other rivers like Mwagusi, Jongomero and Mzombe save as the life line of the park. During dry season, these rivers become mostly the main source of water for wildlife. There are few natural springs saving the same purpose.
In the pick of dry season, elephants obtain water from dry sand rivers using their front feet and trunks. The remaining water falls along the Great Ruaha River are also important habitat for hippopotamus, fish and crocodiles.
Katavi National Park in western Tanzania is remote and wild, a destination for the true safari aficionado. The name of the park immortalises a legendary hunter, Katabi, whose spirit is believed to possess a tamarind tree ringed with offerings from locals begging his blessings.
Despite being Tanzania’s third-largest park, Katavi sees relatively few visitors, meaning that those guests who arrive here can look forward to having this huge untouched wilderness to themselves. The park’s main features are the watery grass plains to the north, the palm-fringed lake Chada in the south-east, and the Katuma River. Katavi boasts Tanzania’s greatest populations of both crocodile and hippopotamus. Lion and leopard find prey among the huge populations of herbivores at Katavi – impala, eland, Topi, zebra and herds of up to 1,600 buffalo wander the short grass plains.
The rare, honey-coloured Puku antelope is one of the park’s richest wildlife viewing rewards. A kaleidoscope of birds flit across the riverbanks, swamps and palm groves while flotillas of pelican cruise the lakes and elephants graze waist-deep in the marshlands. Katavi is best visited in the dry season between May and October, December and February. Continue »
Swirls of opaque mist hide the advancing dawn. The first shafts of sun colour the fluffy grass heads rippling across the plain in a russet halo. A herd of zebras, confident in their camouflage at this predatory hour, pose like ballerinas, heads aligned and stripes merging in flowing motion. Mikumi National Park abuts the northern border of Africa's biggest game reserve - the Selous – and is transected by the surfaced road between Dar es Salaam and Iringa. It is thus the most accessible part of a 75,000 square kilometre (47,000 square mile) tract of wilderness that stretches east almost as far as the Indian Ocean.
The open horizons and abundant wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain, the popular centrepiece of Mikumi, draw frequent comparisons to the more famous Serengeti Plains. Lions survey their grassy kingdom – and the zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo herds that migrate across it – from the flattened tops of termite mounds, or sometimes, during the rains, from perches high in the trees. Giraffes forage in the isolated acacia stands that fringe the Mkata River, islets of shade favoured also by Mikumi's elephants.
Located in the centre of the historic triangle of Bagamoyo, Pangani and Zanzibar, Saadani National Park covers 1100km square. It is the only wildlife sanctuary in Tanzania bordering the sea. The climate is coastal, hot and humid. It offers a unique combination of both marine and mainland flora and fauna in a culturally fascinating setting. About 30 species of larger mammals are present as well as numerous reptiles and birds. Besides many species of fish (over 40), green turtles, humpback whales and dolphins occur in the ocean nearby Gazetted in 2005, it encompasses a preserved ecosystem including the former Saadani game reserve, the former Mkwaja ranch area, the Wami River as well as the Zaraninge Forest. Many villages exist around the boundaries of the park. Before being included in the national park, the Zaraninge forest was managed by the World Wide Fund for nature (WWF) whose goal was to preserve the extremely high botanical diversity of one of the last coastal rain forests remaining in Tanzania.
The great mountain of Kilimanjaro is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. Rising in absolute isolation at 5,895m (19,336ft) Kilimanjaro is one of the highest walk able summits on the planet and a beacon for visitors from around the world. Just three degrees south of the equator, Kilimanjaro’s great peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi are nonetheless covered all year round with snow and ice. Most reasonably fit and properly guided climbers can experience the triumph of reaching the crater rim with little more than a walking stick, warm clothing and determination. Those who reach Uhuru Point , the actual summit, or Gilman’s point on the lip of the crater. (Kilimanjaro is a dormant, but not extinct, volcano) will have earned their climbing certificates and their memories
During Tarangire’s dry season, day after day of cloudless skies seem to suck all moisture from the landscape, turning the waving grasses to a platinum blonde, brittle as straw. The Tarangire River is a mere shadow of itself, just a trickle of water choked with wildlife, thirsty antelope and elephant have wandered hundreds of parched kilometres to Tarangire’s permanent water source.
Herds of elephant three hundred strong dig in the damp earth of the riverbed in search of underground springs, while wildebeest, zebra, buffalo and gazelle mingle with rare species such as eland and oryx around each shrinking lagoon. Python climb into the shade of the trees that line Tarangire’s massive southern swamps and hang there like giant malignant fruits, coils neatly arranged over the branches in a perfect sphere.
Tarangire in the dry season enjoys the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. Tarangire’s huge herds of elephant rival the park’s gigantic, squat baobab trees as its most celebrated feature – ancient matriarchs, feisty young bulls and tiny, stumbling calves are ever present to fascinate visitors with their grace, intelligence and majesty. The best time to visit Tarangire for wildlife viewing or walking is the dry season, from June to October. Continue »
Gombe Stream is the smallest of Tanzania’s national parks, a thin strip of ancient forest set amidst mountains and steep valleys on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Chimpanzees are Gombe stream’s main attraction, they are the stars of the world’s chimpanzee community, made famous by the pioneering British researcher Jane Goodall, whose years of constant observation since 1960 have brought to light starling new facts about mankind’s closest cousins. Continue »
Situated on the shore of the Indian Ocean, Azao Resort & Spa offers guests a relaxing getaway in Pongwe, Zanzibar. The resort features an outdoor swimming pool and free WiFi in the public areas. Each room at Azao Resort & Spa is air-conditioned and equipped with a mosquito net, a seating area and a flat-screen TV with satellite channels.
They each have a private bathroom with a shower. Some rooms feature a balcony and sea views. Guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant, or relax with a drink at the pool bar. A variety of activities are available in the surrounding area, including snorkelling, diving and kite surfing. Other facilities at Azao Resort & Spa include a spa and wellness centre and a fitness centre.
The resort features a 24-hour front desk, a gift shop and luggage storage facilities. Zanzibar City is within 32 km of Azao Resort & Spa, while Nungwi is 45 km away. Zanzibar International Airport is 35 km from the property.
Zanzibar isn’t like the mainland. The semi-autonomous archipelago is a 23
-mile hop from mainland Tanzania, and although it is officially part of the East African country, in almost all aspects—politics, religion, culture, food—life there is different. As a base for traders from the African Lakes region, India, and the Arabian peninsula, Zanzibar became a hub for the region’s slave and spice trades. Most Zanzibaris consider themselves Zanzibari rather than Tanzanian, and their territory has its own leader and governing bodies. Mainland Tanzania is a mix of Christian, Muslim, and indigenous groups, but Zanzibar, which the Sultanate of Oman ruled for centuries, is almost entirely Muslim. (The Sultanate had in turn wrestled the islands from the Portuguese – and much later they became a British protectorate, until Zanzibar’s independence in 1963.)
Get on Swahili time. Time-keeping is initially confusing, but actually makes a lot of sense. In Swahili culture, people start counting time at sunrise rather than at midnight, which means that 7 a.m. Western time is one o’clock in the morning Swahili time, and 7 p.m. is one o’clock at night. (This works because sunset and sunrise times are relatively constant year-round, since Zanzibar is so close to the equator.) A trick to decipher this code is to imagine drawing a line directly across a clock face: three becomes nine, four becomes ten. When arranging meeting times, it’s best to specify the time of day you’d like to meet—morning, afternoon, evening, night—that way, even if your numbers are off, chances are you’ll still connect.
Plantains for sale on the street in Stone Town. Photo by: Megan Dolski
Don’t fear the (high-speed) ferry. Transit to Zanzibar happens by plane or boat, most likely departing from Dar Es Salaam. The plane ride involves about half an hour of cruising in a shaky Cessna, but the ferry is cheaper and can be a far more pleasant experience. The high-speed boats run four times a day each way, take about two hours, and a ticket will run you less than half of what it costs to fly. Don’t be deterred by exaggerated travel advisories mentioning capsizing vessels—the high-speed boats are safe, modern, and comfortable. Oddly, the 2013 movie Captain Phillips—a Hollywood retelling of an actual 2009 Somali-pirate hijacking—is often the preferred on-board entertainment. If it’s nice out, or you’re prone to seasickness, the top deck is breezy and has the best views.
An Indian Ocean view from the shores of Stone Town. Photo by: Megan Dolski
Greetings matter. Stop and say hi: Swahili is an easy language to pick up, and the initial learning curve is quick. Learning just the basics will take you pretty far. Don’t assume the constant streetside attention from people is an attempt to sell you something, or trap you into taking some sort of tour—that does happen, but saying hello is also an important part of the local culture. The “Mambos” and “Jambos” are often just that, so it’s a good idea to say hello back. It might be initially overwhelming, but it’s nice to realize that so many strangers will take the time to acknowledge your presence and ask you about your day. (A “Shikamoo”, usually reserved for those you don’t know, your elders or superiors, is a respectful greeting that locals will appreciate.)
The sun sets over Zanzibar’s ancient city. Photo by: Megan Dolski
Get lost in Stone Town. The ancient city—declared a UNESCO cultural heritage site in 2000—is charming, but it’s basically a maze. The act of receiving directions through the town’s winding alleys usually involves a series of confusing hand gestures and head nods, and will probably not get you where you want to go any faster. There are street names, sort of, but no one really uses them. The bright side is that Stone Town is small and safe, and not knowing where you’re going is part of the experience. Locals are helpful, so you can ask for directions as many times as you want, but sometimes it’s best to let yourself get lost.
Photo by: Joshua Kehn
Island life is slow. In Zanzibar, life moves pole pole – Swahili for slow. Things in Zanzibar don’t always make sense, don’t always work, or can take a while. It’s important to enjoy the calm chaos and take a cue from the unhurried pace. Your smoothie might take 45 minutes to show up, but it will be delicious and worth the wait. Lazuli, a tiny but wonderful restaurant in Stone Town is a good place to experience this.
Keeping up with Premier League football in Stone Town. Photo by: Fabulous Fabs
Choose your own adventure. Zanzibar has become host to a handful of East Africa’s most posh luxury resorts, which can be a jarring contrast to what is an otherwise quiet, economically-challenged island (the average Zanzibari makes less than $1 a day). If you’re looking for a beach escape with other Westerners, head north to Nungwi and Kendwa, where you’ll find the same all-inclusive packages and beach discos you’ll find in most other warm parts of the world. For a slightly more Zanzibari experience, try quieter towns like Bwejuu or Jambiani where your slice of island paradise is mixed with the rhythms of village life.
Zanzibar has two rainy seasons. Every year, there are the long rains and the short rains. On the heels of the blazing and seriously sweaty East African summer, Zanzibar’s long rainy season lasts roughly from March until May. Booking a trip during this period if you’re set on a beach holiday is not a good idea; the islands get hit with some pretty epic monsoons that will quite literally dump on your beach time. The short rains generally take place between November and December, but aren’t nearly as intense—they tend to show up in short and torrential bursts, then quickly fade back to blue skies.
Sidewalk groceries in Stone Town. Photo by: Megan Dolski
Taste the world. Zanzibar has had many rulers over the centuries, and its long, tragic history has created one of Africa’s most interesting cuisines. This is the original fusion food, a delicious mash-up of Indian, Arab, Chinese, Portuguese and African cooking traditions, all driven by the constant presence of spice (these are known as the Spice Islands, after all, where cloves, cinnamon, black pepper and nutmeg come straight from the source.) Try African ugali, Indian chapatti, Swahili curries, and eat as much fresh seafood as humanly possible. Look for island specialties like octopus curry and urojo, a turmeric and coconut-based soup with crispy fritters and spiced potatoes that seems to have the island’s entire history contained within its broth. If you want to try these recipes at home, head to Darajani market, the main Bazaar, where locals shop for groceries – but get there early, before the heat rolls in.
Egg yolks are white, not yellow. Across Zanzibar, and many parts of mainland Tanzania, breakfast options are egg white or egg white—even when the yolk is included. There’s nothing wrong with them, it’s just that yolks are never a sunny yellow. They don’t taste different; chickens here feed on a grain that makes them produce monochrome eggs. The sorghum chickens eat across Tanzania has less pigmentation than the yellow maize fed to chickens in other parts of the world.
BYO common sense. In Zanzibar, it’s possible to drink, and it’s fine to wear beach clothes in the right places. That said, there are times and places when neither is appropriate. Skimpy clothing and drunken slurring through Stone Town is best avoided. There are a few bars in Stone Town, and you can drink in tourist and ex-pat restaurants and in fancier hotels in town and on the coast, but remember that the waiter serving you probably does not drink, so cut them some slack if their wine-bottle opening isn’t the most graceful. There are only a couple stores in Stone Town that sell booze, and it’s a good idea to bring your own bag so you’re not brandishing a bottle of gin on the streets.
Photo by: Martijn Munneke
Take time for tea. Drinking culture is not just for rooftops and beach bars. The local tea scene is a good way to meet people that actually live on the islands, not simply passing through. Try the tangawizi (ginger) chai, and add vanilla if possible. Grabbing a mug of hot and spicy tea on the side of the road is a good way to people watch. Most tea stands or carts start serving once the sun has gone down. If you’re in Stone Town, ask around for the nearest Babu Chai, and someone should be able to point you in the right direction.
There are no lions, elephants, or giraffes. Tanzania is known for its breathtaking safaris, but this is not the Serengeti: the wildlife is all underwater. If you make it to the islands, try and hit up one of the many dive centers offering scuba diving training courses, and of course views of the Indian Ocean life and coral. But be warned that overfishing and a lack of environmental oversight have compromised many of Zanzibar’s best reefs. Some of the best snorkeling can be had on Chumbe Island, a protected marine park about a ten-minute drive and 45-minute boat ride out of Stone Town. The day trip is considerably more expensive than the cheap packages offered on the street, but the money goes to paying a world-class staff of locals and to restoring some of Zanzibar’s more fragile ecosystems. (Not to mention an incredible lunch and some of the best snorkeling in East Africa.)
A view from the port in Stone Town. Photo by: Megan Dolski
Come out at night. Stone Town can look spooky at night when you first arrive—the dimly-lit collection of narrow streets and back alleys doesn’t exactly invite aimless wandering by the uninitiated. But don’t let the eeriness and travel advisories calling for extra caution after dark keep you confined to your room after sundown. Stone Town is bustling with life in the evenings, with kids out playing, couples strolling, and everywhere people feasting. The central park-turned-night market, Forodhani Gardens, is packed with locals and tourists sampling the couple dozen fresh food stalls. Skip the skewers of shellfish, which may have been sitting out all day, and opt for grilled Indian spiced chicken and Zanzibar pizza, chased with fresh sugar cane juice.
It’s hot here most of the year. You should drink at least one big bottle (1.5 ltr) of water a day. Tap water is fine for brushing your teeth but not suitable for your stomach. You get bottled water at the hotel or anywhere else on the island. Many hotels now have water dispensers in their restaurants with purefied water. The cost is much less than bottled water – and you contribute to protect the environment. Try a fresh coconut, it is rich in antioxidants. What you most probably know as coconut milk is in the freshly opened fruit actually more coconut water, delicious though, and the white “flesh” inside is very soft and easy to eat. Anyone in the village will climb up a coconut tree for you and get you a fresh coconut, opens it chop chop (I still haven’t mastered that) and you drink it. Beer drinkers will love this: Tanzania was a German colony. There must have been a few Bavarians amongst them since we have excellent beer in Zanzibar (and yes, I originally come from Munich!). The most popular brand is the “Kili” (Kilimanjaro), followed by Safari, Serengeti (the purest of the beers, without cornstarch), Tusker (all in 500 ml bottles but more hotels seem to stock nowadays the 350 ml bottles) and the “gourmet” Ndovu (350 ml). The locals drink beer “moto” (warm) – iiiieeehhhh! Locals will love it when you order your beer in Swahili: Kili moja baridi (one cold Kili) or “baridi sana” (one very cold Kili). Numbers: 1 = moja, 2 mbili, 3 tatu, 4 nne, 5 tanu, 6 sita, 7 saba, 8 nane, 9 tisa, 10 kumi. Please do not drink and drive!!! Strictly forbidden here. Wines and bubbly are mostly imported from South Africa. Depending on the hotel or resort you stay, there may also be French or Italian brands. You MUST try the cocktails! Either with alcohol or virgin. There is also a large selection of spirits available. The locals drink Konyagi (sort of Gin but purely chemical, better stay away from it). The fruit juices at the hotels are usually freshly made, simply delicious. Food: The seafood you eat at dinner most probably still swam in the ocean in the morning. It ain’t get fresher than here. Look out for “catch of the day” offers. NB: Some of our seafood species should not end up on a plate because of their important role for our coral reefs / slow growth / over fishing etc. The Chumbe Island Team put together a beautiful pdf document with colour pictures “Sustainable Seafood Guide 2017” and a short explanation of each species, separated into Good Choices, Choices with Caution and Avoid eating. I gladly send it to you, just drop me an email (zanzibargaby@gmail.com). In case you cannot open a pdf file, herewith the seafood species that one should avoid eating – the local name is in brackets: – Parrot fish (Pono) – Grouper (Chewa) – Reef (red) Snapper (Janja, Fatundu, Tembo, Mbawa) – Emperor (Changu) – Spiny Lobster (Kambakochi) – Sharks and Rays (Papa and Taa) Thank you very much for making wise choices for a sustainable future of our seafood species. Beef is imported frozen from Tanzania, Kenya or South Africa, the same applies to chicken. Meat is served with the typical Zanzibar Pilau rice or any other conceivable way rice can be cooked, or with potato chips/French fries/pommes (for the Germans, jawohl). If you have a chance, try to eat goat. The Zanzibaris know how to cook it, yummy!!! Potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, cabbage, spinach, onions etc are mostly grown on Zanzibar. And then there is the fruit: bananas, sweet (not acidy) pineapples, mangoes, mandarins, oranges, passion fruit, water melon, paw paw, avocado, jack fruit (in terms of physical appearance it tends to look similar to durian, but the jackfruit has a rough pebbly shell while the durian has a spikey shell. The insides look very much different, and the tastes are vastly different too, the jackfruit is more of a sweetish fruit) etc etc – fresher than you most probably ever had them before. If you buy fruit at the market, the motto “peel it, boil it or avoid it” applies. Please refer to the chart above for the seasons of our delicious fruits. Continue »
