TANZANIA: Information Minister Sacked

Tanzania's President John Magufuli has sacked his information minister, who launched an investigation into a powerful government administrator accused of intimidating a popular private media station in the main city, Dar es Salaam.

In a mini-reshuffle announced this morning, President Magufuli did not explain why Nape Nauye had been pushed out of the cabinet.

On Tuesday, an investigating team, formed by Mr Nauye, recommended disciplinary action against embattled Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda following allegations that he stormed into the offices of Clouds Media Group (CMG) on Friday.

Mr Makonda was unhappy that the TV station had failed to run a story that would have portrayed a local cleric in a bad light.

Mr Makonda and the religious leader have had a public disagreement over an alleged drugs scandal.

President Magufuli appeared to defend his administrator, a move that sparked off public outrage, especially among social media users.

Mr Makonda, who is said to enjoy a close relationship with the president, is yet to comment on the incident.

TANZANIA: With New Bombardier Q400NG, Air Tanzania Will Fly More Routes

Air Tanzania, and under orders by both President Magufuli and his transport minister to show results or else, has wasted no time to put the two new Bombardier Q400NG aircraft to good use.

The airline presently serves Hahaya / Comoros, the only international destination Air Tanzania flies to, three times a week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, but had notably cranked up domestic destinations.

Arusha's municipal field is now served six times a week, daily with the exception of Wednesdays, according to the latest scheduling information, avoiding for now the more costly and distant Kilimanjaro International Airport which is more than 50 kilometres from the city of Arusha.

Mwanza, Tanzania's second largest city, is now served daily again with a mid morning departure from Dar es Salaam. Kigoma is another destinations ATCL is now flying to again, according to schedule information five times a week.

The Spice Island of Zanzibar too is back on line with five flights a week but it is anticipated that once flight loadfactors have grown this destination will see flights every day of the week.

Other destinations are under planning, among them a likely return to Mtwara, Tanzania's so called 'Gas Capital' but also to Mbeya - this airport being a challenge as a result of often having no fuel.

In the region are planners said to be eying Nairobi again as well as Entebbe, since earlier this month Fastjet withdrew from both routes leaving a glaring gap in connectivity to Kenya and Uganda.

In a related development has the airline now also advertised for recruitment of trainees for cabin crews, a further indicator that when the third new Bombardier Q400NG arrives, to be followed by two Bombardier CS300's, there will be not only new destinations served by also jobs created in the process.