Zitto Kabwe, MP, brought the issue to the Parliament last week and there seems to be some good discussion going on. (Read the last page of Kabwe’s speech here (in Swahili).)
The following is an excerpt from The Guardian Newspaper; reported by Rodgers Luhwago:
The government has said proper procedures will be followed before deciding on whether or not to build the envisaged road from Mto wa Mbu in Arusha to Mugumu in Mara Region through Serengeti National Park.
Responding to the MPs’ outcry in Parliament on Friday evening, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Shamsa Mwangunga said the construction of the road is yet to begin pending fulfillment of technical requirements.
The minister mentioned the requirements as feasibility study, designing as well as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). “We can’t construct the road through the park without satisfying ourselves that our decision will be harmless to the ecosystem,” she said.
The reaction from the minister came after MPs wanted the government to find an alternative route in its intention to build a tarmac road from Mto wa Mbu in Arusha through the Serengeti to Mugumu in Mara Region.
James Lembeli ( CCM- Kahama), who served as conservationist for 12 years before joining politics in 2005 , said there was no way the government could construct a 50 km tarmac stretch through Serengeti as the decision would have horrendous consequences on the ecosystem.
According to Lembeli, apart from disrupting Serengeti’s ecosystem, the construction of the road through it would create room for poaching as the area would be accessible to criminal elements.
Job Ndugai (CCM- Kongwa) echoed the sentiments when he contributed to the budget that was presented by Minister Mwangunga during the morning.
Serengeti is one of the spectacular parks in the country since its wildlife migration is a potential source of attraction of hundreds of tourists every year, generating millions of shillings for Tanzania and Kenya.
Reports from authorities including Tanroads state that work on the project would start in 2012. A feasibility study on the project is said to be underway.
Source: www (dot) ippmedia (dot) com
@Video, from 9:10
“….hata wakitaka kutuua sisi, watuue”. Translation ya CBS: “If they want to kill us, they kill us”
the translation seems like the gov’t has actually been killing these villagers and is continuing to do so. Aptly it should have been translated as: “If they want to kill us, let them do so”
Thx SN for following up this issue. It was a learning experience too, to see this CBS’s video.
Bila shukrani!