[UgaBYTES] Jua Kali airport control system at work at Julius Nyerere International airport, Dar es salaam

[fadeco at satconet.net]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Bubelwa Kaiza
To: foundationmailinglist at thefoundation-tz.org
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 2:23 PM
Subject: [Foundationmailinglist] The Dar es Salaam Radar is defective


Dear All,

Seen the Guardian today?

The controversial multimillion dollar air traffic control system radar at 
the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) is malfunctioning. Really, 
it is not working for over a month now! I personally can confirm this. When 
flying to Bukoba on July 2, and later on August 24 while flying from 
Nairobi, saw the equipment in the stand still position - not oscillating as 
it used be doing in the past. I realised corruption crisis has reached its 
climax! Concerned with both the resultant aviation insecurity and commitment 
to further expose corruption, I contacted one of the local weekly popular 
investigative newspaper -MwanaHalisi. The paper confirmed the matter was 
already on their list for investigation. Today the matter is reported in the 
Guardian, what a media commendable job!



Since 2001 the public in Tanzania and international community, including the 
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) opposed to Government 
decision to buy the radar from BAE Systems of UK. The reasons given included 
exorbitant cost and the technology that is antiquated. The Government, under 
former President Benjamin Mkapa, ignored all the technical, economic and 
political cautions against the radar deal. The deal that no sooner than 
procurement was effected, than the whole world concluded it was a grand 
corruption machinery. The scam that hitting from back has already drowned 
former Infrastructure Development Minister, Andrew Chenge, suspected of 
illegal pocketing of over one million US dollar, from the BAE System agent, 
when Chenge was Attorney General. As the scam continues to unfold we must 
expect to witness much more.



What is probably astonishing is the revelation that the said BAE System 
Agent who facilitated the deal is also one of the directors of M-Bank. The 
latter is one of the big banks established immediately after the reign of 
Benjamin Mkapa. M-Bank was initially housed in one of Benjamin Mkapa's 
Houses, in Dar es Salaam. Probably it is not uncommon when conceptualizing 
on corruption and state capture issues.



Regards,



Bubelwa Kaiza

--------------
Executive Director
Concern for Development Initiatives in Africa (ForDIA)
Secretariat of the Great Lakes Peace and Security Network (PeSeNet)
Off University Road, Survey Area, Kawe/Mlalakuwa Plot # 301-304, House # 250
P.O. Box 32505,
Dar es Salaam -TANZANIA
Tel:  +255 22 2701890
        +255 22 2701895-6
Cell: +255 784 410 939
Fax: +255 22 2701890
E-mail: bubelwa.kaiza at fordia.org
Website: www.fordia.org