Tanzania gets new Tourism Minister

TANZANIA (eTN) – In his newly-reshuffled cabinet, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete announced on Sunday morning that he has appointed Mr.

TANZANIA (eTN) – In his newly-reshuffled cabinet, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete announced on Sunday morning that he has appointed Mr. Lazaro Nyalandu as the new Tourism Minister, taking over from Khamis Kagasheki who had resigned from the post last month on allegations of human rights abuse during anti-poaching operations.

Mr. Nyalandu who was Deputy Minister to Mr. Kagasheki in the same ministry, was promoted into a full ministerial portfolio on Sunday when President Kikwete made minor changes in his ministerial cabinet.

He will be responsible for daily administration of Tanzanian’s natural resources made up of wildlife and forests, tourism, and the travel trade, while monitoring challenges facing Tanzaniaโ€™s tourist industry at this time when Tanzaniaโ€™s tourism marketing campaign is facing budgetary constraints.

The new Tourism Minister will also be responsible for overseeing daily activities affecting his ministry’s departments, including wildlife and forest resources, which members of parliament and the Tanzanian people have complained of being looted by foreign companies.

Poaching of elephants and rhinos is a big problem that this new minister will be dealing with, while corruption in key wildlife conservation departments in Tanzania seems to be a block ahead of his daily performance.

Mr. Nyalanduโ€™s predecessor, the serious and no-nonsense former Minister Mr. Kagasheki, has been a sacrificial lamb during the anti-poaching operation, aimed to stop wanton killings of elephants, rhinos, and other endangered species in this African country, nature conservationists said.

In the process of โ€œPolitics versus Conservation,โ€ Mr. Kagasheki was forced to resign by members of the Tanzanian parliament after scandals emerged, involving his lieutenants accused of torture, corruption, and atrocities during the exercise to arrest poachers.

โ€œHe was a sacrificial lamb to offenses he never made. This serious former minister fell a victim of corrupt officials in [the] wildlife department and other units under his ministry, and who succeeded to get him out so as to succeed in the motives in squandering Tanzaniaโ€™s wildlife and forest resources,โ€ said George Pills, nature conservationist in Kenya.

After the resignation of Mr. Kagasheki hardly a month ago, Tanzania had lost 60 elephants in the hands of poachers, and last week, a rhino was killed on the Serengeti plains, just to send a signal to the Tanzanian government that poachers had gained momentum.

The Natural Resources and Tourism Ministry is also responsible for controlling key tourist sites, including the 16 tourist national parks, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where the famous Ngorongoro Crater is located, and the Selous Game Reserve – the biggest and most natural wildlife reserve in Africa.

Tanzania, the largest country in East Africa, is focused on wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism, with approximately 28 percent of the land protected by the government. It boasts 15 national parks and 31 game reserves, all falling under the administration of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.

Tanzania gets a new tourism minister

TANZANIA, Dar es Salaam (eTN) – Tanzania, an upcoming African tourist destination, has a new tourism minister, Mr.

TANZANIA, Dar es Salaam (eTN) – Tanzania, an upcoming African tourist destination, has a new tourism minister, Mr. Ezekiel Maige, who is taking over from the former counterpart in the same portfolio, Mrs. Shamsa Mwangunga.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete appointed Mr. Maige to hold the full tourism ministerial portfolio in his newly-formed cabinet, which he announced Wednesday this week in Tanzaniaโ€™s capital of Dar es Salaam.

Before his new appointment, Mr. Maige was a deputy minister in the same ministry before dissolution of the cabinet in August this year to pave way for general elections and the formation of a new government.

The new tourism minister will oversee challenges in Tanzaniaโ€™s fast-growing tourist industry at the time that vigorous marketing campaigns to attract more tourists are taking place across the world.

Mr. Maige will be responsible to oversee daily activities affecting his ministry’s departments, including wildlife and forest resources. His ministry is also responsible for controlling key tourist sites, including the 15 tourist wildlife parks, Ngorongoro Conservation Area where the famous Ngorongoro Crater is located, and Selous Game Reserve โ€“ the biggest and most natural wildlife reserve in Africa.

Tanzania, the largest country in East Africa, is focused on wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism, with approximately 28 percent of the land protected by the government. It boasts 15 national parks and 31 game reserves.

It is the home of the tallest mountain in Africa, the legendary Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, the world-acclaimed Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, Ruaha wildlife park – now the second largest National Park in Africa, and the spice islands of Zanzibar.

Tanzania gets a new tourism minister

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (eTN) – Tanzania, an upcoming African tourist destination has got a new tourism minister, Mrs. Shamsa Mwangunga who replaced the former minister in the same portfolio Professor Jumanne Maghembe in a major government shake up.

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (eTN) – Tanzania, an upcoming African tourist destination has got a new tourism minister, Mrs. Shamsa Mwangunga who replaced the former minister in the same portfolio Professor Jumanne Maghembe in a major government shake up.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete appointed Mrs. Mwangunga a new minister for Natural Resources and Tourism in his new cabinet to replace the old one he had dissolved last week after the resignation of former Tanzanian Prime Minister Edward Lowassa, who has been accused of office abuse.

Mrs. Mwangunga, a graduate engineer and business professional, was elevated to the full ministerial portfolio from a water junior minister. She had replaced Professor Maghembe, who was transferred to head the Ministry of Education.

President Kikwete, who seems to be tough to his ministers, dissolved his cabinet following resignation of the premier, who was accused of unaccountability during the signing of emergency power supply contract with one Texas-based company, Richmond Inc., that had attracted controversy in Tanzanian parliament over its business authenticity and ability to deliver.

The new tourism minister will oversee challenges in Tanzaniaโ€™s fast growing tourist industry at the time that the East African partner state, Kenya, is facing political stalemate which had disrupted tourist flow in East Africa.

Tanzania is as well in preparation to host the 33rd Africa Travel Association (ATA) Congress and the Eighth Leon Sullivan Summit to take place in northern tourist city of Arusha in May and June this year. The ministry of Tourism is among key organizers of the two global gatherings.

She is the second lady minister to hold the full tourism ministerial portfolio after the former minister Mrs. Zakia Meghji who led the same ministry for ten years and succeeded to put Tanzania in the global tourism map.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...