Poor Little Rich Tanzania

This could be reduced in future uranium
Tanzania is one of the largest gold producers in Africa. It exports
diamonds, the rare tanzanite gemstone - and wants to promote uranium
from 2012. Despite the abundance of natural resources, much of the
population lives in poverty.
"Here lives the richest region of the Masai Bahi! He has tens of
thousands of cattle and is a really rich man!" Amosi Juma points to an
area right by us. It is about half as big as a football field,
surrounded by low buildings. The walls of these sheds are made of
branches, which are closely interwoven and cemented with clay. The
roofs of the flat, not even man-sized buildings are made of straw.

Mathias Lyamunda represents the non-governmental organization FEMAPO
It may be that the Maasai must graze his cattle in a few years
elsewhere. Here in central Tanzania, near the capital, Dodoma,
Tanzania's hope the government and several multinationals to promote
uranium may be soon. More than 300 drill holes were created here in
the past four years, says Amosi Juma. The graceful boy from the
village Mkakatika was employed by the drilling. When workers there, he
did not at first really know about uranium, "We have even raised the
question: 'Is not uranium dangerous?' Only then we got gloves. By the
time we had already worked more than a week. "

Only recently, Tanzanian companies were here again to take soil
samples. One of the wells located directly in front of us. It is
sealed with a stone and stands a few meters into the earth. "The
uranium is actually just under the surface here," said Mathias
Lyamunda, head of the small non-governmental organization FEMAPO, as
he demonstrated with a stick, the depth of the sample hole.
"Where will graze our cattle?"
Where is their grazing cattle, the wonder and the villagers. A few
miles stony, graustaubiges land located in the district is Mkakatika
Bahi. The village has a newspaper stand - lovingly painted with
advertisements for beverages and phone cards. There is always
something going on. Coke, lemonade and beer are the big hit with the
customers. Under the big tree in the center, we meet for
conversation.The young people have not much to do, there is currently
no work in the fields. One or the other has been one early in the
morning reeking of alcohol. Mkakatika living by farming and ranching.
In the village live with the local Maasai and Gogo different ethnic
groups together. Mosi Paulo, the great, very slender village chief
with his bright blue cloak, a Masai, "I want these uranium mines have
not here," he stressed."Here we are 4820 people living in this village
and we were told that should live to the uranium mines within a radius
of about 60 kilometers not people, that this area would be evacuated.
So our village. Where shall we go?"
He knows the majority of villagers behind him: "That is for sure.. We
here in the village does not have full information about the uranium
and the company that came here because of the drilling, we have also
given no information about this company, our farmers and their farms
attacked from behind and carried out their research without saying
that someone And when we asked then, as the company has said. 'We have
a license from the highest authorities, that's that!' "
Neither asked nor heard

The villagers are worried about their future
While we talk to the villagers, Flaviana Charles comes to an
all-terrain vehicles. It represents the "Center for Human Rights."
Regularly questioned the non-governmental organization, the local
population, whether there are new holes and whether government
officials were present. "The Tanzanian Constitution requires that the
people here are involved in the process. But in this area, people are
simply not informed about what happened." Instead, it says the village
chief, he had been asked by the company, who he was. In addition, he
was informed that he was neither asked nor will listen.
In 2012 there will be serious about uranium mining in Tanzania. For a
long time in Africa, uranium is encouraged. Even the atomic bombs of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were built with uranium from the Congo. Global
demand is high. Solely for the operation of German nuclear power
plants per year, about 3,000 tons of uranium are needed.
Lack of information policy
The deputy Tundu Lissu knows the problem well, because he comes from
the region. For years, the opposition party for the Chadema has hired
attorney elected to parliament in Lissu an environmental organization.
"The government has declared seriously that they want to start with
the uranium-learning courses in 2012. This is a huge problem. We do
not have any policy that sets the framework to deal with uranium."
Tanzania has neither the technical nor the financial resources nor the
expertise to deal with the consequences of uranium mining, said Lissu.
Uranium was finally no gold. "Our government has too much hurry to
dismantle uranium. This is very dangerous. Instead of just jumping to
start with the promotion, we'd better think twice." The lawyer says
that the government not only to the communities do not stick to the
rules of the game - even the Parliament would not have the political
goals of uranium sufficiently informed. It will not be informed how
the reductions are planned, nor would information be made public on
projects in neighboring states.
"Our government does not care for the people"

Mineral resources like diamonds bring the population has no wealth
The people in Tanzania are poor. The country is rich when it comes to
the natural resources. Here you can find gold, diamonds and tanzanite
gemstone local.Tanzania is the fourth largest producer of gold in
Africa. In 2010 alone, revenues totaled more than $ 1.5 billion. The
Tanzanians themselves noted, however, little of this wealth, Tundu
Lissu explains: "From the $ 1.5 billion remain for us a mere 16
million dollars." Even when it comes to large amounts of uranium: 14
million tons of uranium ore there should be in the region Bahi. There
are two Australian companies who are interested in Mantra Resources
and Uranex.
Also Ibrahim Ismail, who represents the interests of the villages in
the non-governmental organization FEMAPO, is the way how to deal with
resources in the country, a sign that the government their people in
the lurch: "Our government is not responsible for the people. Check
out some of our schools, all of which are in miserable condition. And
just when is chosen, then the government is here trying to do good.
And after the election, they shall be first and foremost for
themselves "
An old man who has lived here more than five decades, agrees:.. "In
our area here, the uranium is found predominantly in the vicinity of
settlements, if one breaks down, then the impact on people This is the
reason why we are here and do not want mine. " And even after he
pushes a threat: "Should this happen nonetheless, to adjust the amount
to a civil war, we shall defend our villages with all possible
means.."