Corruption Archive
Ivory Highways in Tanzania
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Poaching, Serengeti on July 6, 2010
A courageous legislator in Tanzania’s Parliament has charged Tanzania’s Minister of Tourism with corruption. The pieces to the puzzle seem to fit.
Last week Tanzanian MP, Magdalena Sakaya, publically accused Tanzania’s Minister for Tourism, Shamsa Mwangunga, of deceit with regards to her attempt to sell ivory stockpiles.
This is no small matter. Sakaya is one [...]
SerHighway Reveals More Corruption
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Serengeti on June 29, 2010
Public pressure may be working to forestall the Serengeti highway. The terrible corruption of the Tanzanian government is coming to light.
Tanzania has a far less dynamic and transparent media than either Kenya or Uganda, but the “little engines that could” are blowing their whistles as hard as they can!
A tiny on-line publication, This Day, [...]
Ducky Judges Quack
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Politics on May 25, 2010
Here’s one for the books. Yesterday, a panel of 3 Kenyan judges said the proposed judicial system in the proposed new constitution is unconstitutional!
Wait, wait, don’t tell me. There isn’t a constitution , yet, because it’s being voted on August 4, so how can something that isn’t, not be?
This is incredibly embarrassing to [...]
EVAPORIZE Goma!
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, War on May 14, 2010
A large midweek wedding celebration dominated the eastern Congo town of Goma, this week, for the first time in decades. Is the war over, or just getting ready to start, again?
We’ll have to go to our PlayStation3 to find out.
I have a mixture of distant nostalgia and abject fear when I remember my own [...]
Build Baby Build!
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Economy on May 6, 2010
Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki returned from China’s expo with a commitment from the Chinese to build a new Kenyan port on the island of Lamu.
He called China “an important strategic partner.”
Hmm. That’s how Secretary of State just referred to Kenya: a “strategic partner.” Quite a phrase, that.
Kenya is on the threshold of a great [...]
It Takes 2, or 3, to Tango.
Posted by jimheck in Corruption on February 12, 2010
The deal struck last week between a major world’s arms manufacturer and the UK and US governments explains why African leaders are corrupt.
Corruption doesn’t start with an evil black man’s hand out. It starts with a white man.
BAE Systems is the world’s second largest weapons manufacturer. It’s so big that it doesn’t just [...]
Ivory Jubilee!
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Poaching on February 5, 2010
Officials from CITES were in Dar last week to inventory the ivory stockpile that Tanzania wants to sell. It looks more and more likely that Tanzania will prevail in Doha next month.
The only hope that the momentum for the sale will be derailed is with Tanzania’s tourism minister, Ms. Sharmsa Mwangung.
It’s not that Ms. [...]
Year-End Roundup & Predictions
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Economy, Politics, Weather, Wildlife Management on December 31, 2009
2009 was a bad year for East Africa. 2010 will be a little bit better.
Socially, culturally and politically, I think it’s been a GOOD YEAR for Kenya and a BAD YEAR for its neighbors.
I’m positive on Kenya and critical of its neighbors even while supporting the western powers growing sanctions on Kenya for not [...]
Law of the Jungle!
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Planning Travel on December 15, 2009
Tourist fees in the Serengeti and NCA (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) have doubled, and in some instances, tripled, and it’s not clear whether this is law or graft.
The law is printed on the official TANAPA fee schedule. Click here to download that schedule. The fees are basically $50 and in bold red letters at the [...]
Mara Muddle
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Mara on November 25, 2009
If the Mara conservancies don’t get their act together, visitors might be paying $400 in daily fees!
One of the world’s most fabulous wild reserve is really a very small area that’s being cut apart into even smaller pieces that are squabbling with one another.
In a worst case scenario that I just can’t imagine happening anywhere [...]
The Dark Squeeze
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Economy on November 19, 2009
Corruption gets worse in Africa, stays about the same in the U.S., and very few people really understand what it means.
Yesterday Transparency International released its corruption list for 2009. All of Africa got worse when compared to 2008. In East Africa, Kenya is at the bottom of the pack at 146 of [...]
Toxic Golden Goose!
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Economy on November 3, 2009
Tanzania is Africa’s 3rd largest producer of gold and important producer of diamonds, but corruption is ruining the industry and the environment. PS: they’ve found uranium.
Yesterday an “inter-faith” nongovernment group near the rich gold, nickel and now uranium mines near Lake Victoria published a report claiming that the Mara River was now toxic with [...]
Big Game Hunting
Posted by jimheck in Big Game Hunting, Corruption on October 21, 2009
Uncontrolled, big game hunting is resurgent in Uganda. I believe big game hunting contributes to conservation if carefully controlled. Problem is, it’s not being controlled at all.
The only reason tourists first came to Africa was to hunt. One of the world’s greatest conservationist, Teddy Roosevelt, was a big game hunter.
That changed radically [...]
5-Bell Alarm
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Serengeti on September 21, 2009
The Serengeti development project received a pledge of $350 million, today, from an institution that doesn’t exist.
Tanzania’s Daily Star newspaper reported today that a “FINANCIAL institution headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland had pledged to [sic] realise 350 million US Dollars (about 500 bn/-) to finance the construction of an international airport in Serengeti District.”
The newspaper, citing [...]
SERENGETI ALARM
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Serengeti on September 17, 2009
The Serengeti ecosystem is being compromised by a corrupt Tanzanian government and greedy businessmen representing themselves as conservationists.
An international airport may be built in the Serengeti; a modern highway may connect the Mara with Grumeti; and ten more lodges and hotels might all be built, without any real public discourse or environmental analysis, and with [...]