The Telegraph Story on Tanzania’s Mega Power Project is Erroneous, and Unprofessional
By Eng. Davidson G.S Mramba* – A Danish philosopher, Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, who lived in the 20th century, had a famous quote thus says, “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”
The story of the Telegraph newspaper on Tanzania’s Rufiji Hydro Power Project in Tanzania, written by one Adrian Blomfield fits, exactly in what Kierkegaard tells. It is fooling.
Needless to say, the Telegraph, has seriously negated journalism professionalism and used their newspaper as a racist tool to fool Africans, is a clear manifestation of a serious problem in European journalism.
Politely, the newspaper should realize the dynamics of the times. Africa is no longer the same. Being on the threshold of change, the movement is irreversible. You will never fool us at all times. You had your time, now kindly bask in the history of your hegemony.
Clearly this is a shame. Today, Africa has thinkers too. Africa has transformative leaders, Magufuli of Tanzania typifies them.
His brilliant performance in office remains a powerful testament to the working of his reforms he introduced in 2015 when he came to power. Come and learn of what he has thus far achieved in transforming the lives of his people in health, education, infrastructure, you name it.
You call him autocratic leader; wonderful neo colonial mentality that shouldn’t be in the mouths of trusted editors of a newspaper of the Telegraph fame. But remind you, we call him democratic and transformative leader. To us he is a transformer.
How can you call him deservedly while you are unhappy with our resolve to unchain ourselves from neo-colonial mindsets which has enriched you over the years? Kindly accept that times change. This is a different generation which is committed to change.
Tanzania will never be impoverished by the large scale public investments it implements, instead, it has been impoverished by ill advices as stipulated by Kierkegaard by its colonial and neo colonial powers, as evidenced in this your article and the historical facts found in Walter Rodney’s book, “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.”
Under President Magufuli, Tanzania has made significant development achievements in the span of three years; we have six new planes to uplift the national airliner [two more are on the way], he is offering free education, he is constructing Africa’s biggest electric Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) using own sources, he has almost doubled monthly revenue collection. This is your definition of autocracy?
He has tackled corruption, he built 67 modern District Hospitals in a year, in a country that had built only 77 similar hospitals in more than 50 years, he has revamped the health sector to an extent that Tanzania is now attracting heart patients from neghbouring Kenya, Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, Zambia etc.
The Rufiji Hydro Power Project
This mega-power project will work despite the huge ignorance exhibited in the article. It is not the first in the country. The Arab contractors, not Chinese as you erroneously alluded has proven experience. It will never be vanity or white elephant as the Telegraph author seems to believe out of vain.
The trend shows that The Telegraph and its partners behind the story would not be happy with any viable mega project aimed to deliver Tanzania and Africa out of debt burden. Kindly leave us alone to plan our new prosperous future.
Reading the article you quickly discover massive ignorance of the author and those who edited it. Contrary to the Telegraph one sided piece, the Rufiji Hydropower Project (RHPP), formerly known as the Stiegler’s Gorge Dam, is a 2,115 megawatts power undertaking, expected to spar social and economic growth in the East Africa’s fastest growing economy, the United Republic of Tanzania.
The Project is a restored will of the current Government to deliver the 1980 designed plan that could not take off until after 39 years owing to economic constraints and appropriate resource mobilization strategy.
Therefore, President Magufuli implements the decision that was made by the first Tanzanian leader Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in 1980. It is unjustified to claim Magufuli is autocratic on this, unless you deliberately ignore the facts.
Project Area Covered
The project is located in South-East of the country’s largest National Park, Selous Game Reserve, measuring 50,000 square kilometers.
Contrary to the allegation as if the entire Selour will be gone, the entire project comprises 914 square kilometers out of which the project area (Offices, sub stations, switch yard, power house and other operation areas) only covers 61.13 square kilometers out of the 50,000 square kilometers of the Selous.
In terms of percentage, expert final estimation show, the total forestry area to be cleared for the project is a mere 1.8 per cent; TANESCO’s operation area (Operations) is 0.122 per cent and the total area for water reservoir is 1.7 per cent. More important for the telegraph to be aware, it is only 1.3 square kilometers out of the entire 8 kilometers of the Gorge that will be used.
Therefore, a total area to accommodate this largest East Africa’s Hydropower Project which is also the fourth largest in Africa, is merely a total of 3.62 per cent of the entire area of our proudly Selous Game Reserve. The dam plan was there before Selous was included as a world heritage site and it has nothing to do with the massive flora and fauna present in it.
Project Impact
Currently Tanzania produces 1.5GW of electricity from mixed sources. The Stiegler’s Hydro Electric Power is expected to generate 2.1GW which will increase power generation to over 3.6GW. Tanzania needs this electricity to power its industrialization drive hence boost its economy and light millions of homes which are now living in the darkness of the long night. They have a right to light too.
The project will create over 12,000 employment opportunities to Tanzanians during the three years of construction of the dam. It will boost tourism industry through sports fishing, boat rides and photographic safaris in the reservoir dam.
The project will change lives of the people within and outside the Project area through various economic and social activities such as agriculture, aquaculture and fishing downstream.
Construction of the dam and reservoir will control floods in the downstream of the project area where its inhabitants used to suffer from untamed water floors.
Combating Poaching Activities
Contrary to allegations of the author who seems to miss lots of facts, the project activities on one side of the Selous will help enhance conservation and bolster anti-poaching activities in and around the Game Reserve.
According to a 2018 survey, apart from other conservation efforts, during the initial project preparation, a number of elephants had increased significantly in the Selous Game Reserve as dam activities prevented poachers from free movement in the site.
UNESCO’s Shifting Positions
The author offers UNESCO unequivocal support without taking regard that there has always been shifting positions depending on the “status” of interests to be protected. In July 2012, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved a special excision of proposed uranium mine site from the same protected Selous Game Reserve.
UNESCO, therefore, approved the Russian uranium project at Mkuju Selous but it is the same UNESCO that today protests Tanzania’s hydro electric power project. Clearly this is double standard.
President Magufuli is pragmatic never an aristocratic, he is sensible and no-nonsense leader. He has introduced efficiency in a country that was badly in need of it. Sadly the Telegraph and allies are not happy.
Any sensible and rational human being, could have never written what the Telegraph has scribed unless the newspaper is in war and has deliberately negated professionalism, subjecting the newspaper to a weapon against an African state that strives to transforms its course to bring development to its people.
The West is happy with weak, lenient and corrupt and unfocused African leaders who are easily fooled to bow their heads to the West and allow them poach and plunder the great wealth of mother Africa, enriching their nations at the expense of the Africans.
The Telegraph and all it represents are in full knowledge that the Rufiji Hydro Dam Project will transform the economy of Tanzania which is projected to cut short the dependency syndrome and enhance its sovereignty.
One would wonder, how the once ethical Telegraph would publish this unbalanced, biased reporting which by all standards intends to undermine Tanzania’s economic growth and development. What is really happening in their newsroom? Is there anything wrong somewhere? Very sad.
*The Author is an expert in hydro power systems in East Africa.
