FROM COAST

Zanzibar inakabiliwa na uhaba mkubwa wa mafuta ya petroli hali inayotishia kuathiri sekta za uchumi.

Uhaba huo wa petroli umekuja huku Zanzibar ikiendelea kukabiliwa na ukosefu wa umeme kwa siku 42 mfululizo.

Uhaba wa mafuta umeanza kujitokeza wiki iliyopita na kusababisha baadhi ya wananchi wanaomiliki magari kulazimika kuyafungia majumbani na kuanza kutumia usafiri wa daladala na wengine kutembea kwa miguu.

Magari yanayotoa huduma hivi sasa ya usafiri ni yale yanayotumia mafuta ya dizeli lakini idadi kubwa ya magari yanayotumia petroli yamelazimika kusitisha huduma za usafiri na kusababisha msongamano wa watu katika vituo.

Kufuatia kuadimika kwa mafuta ya petroli, kumeibuka biashara ya magendo ambapo lita moja ya petroli imekuwa ikiuzwa kwa Sh. 2,000 badala ya 1,480.

Uchunguzi wa Nipashe umegundua kuwa mafuta ya petroli yamekuwa yakiuzwa kwa bei za ulanguzi nje ya vituo vya mafuta, hasa katika maeneo ya Kijangwani, Mikunguni Gulioni.

Kampuni zinazaoingiza mafuta Zanzibar ni Zanzibar Petrolium, GAPCO, pamoja na Kampuni ya United Petroleum, lakini wateja wake wamekuwa wakifika katika vituo na kuondoka bila ya kupata huduma hiyo.

Mafuta ya petroli yamechukua nafasi kubwa katika shughuli za kiuchumi baada ya Zanzibar kukosa huduma ya umeme kuanzia Desemba, mwaka jana, baada ya kifaa aina ya spliter kulipuka katika kituo cha Fumba.

Kiongozi mmoja mwandamizi kutoka Kampuni ya United Petroleum, alisema uhaba huo wa mafuta umejitokeza baada ya nishati hiyo kuadimika katika bandari ya Mombasa, Kenya kufuatia nishati hiyo kuchelewa kuwasili kutoka nje ya nchi.

Alisema uhaba huo wa mafuta katika bandari ya Mombasa, unatarajia kumalizika kuanzia Januari 30, mwaka huu kwa vile meli zenye mafuta zinatarajiwa kuwasili katika bandari hiyo.

Hata hivyo, alisema baada ya kujitokeza upungufu huo wa mafuta, waliamua kutafuta mafuta kutoka katika meli moja iliyofunga gati, katika Bandari ya Dar es Salaam, lakini hawakufanikiwa kutokana na meli hiyo kuwa katika foleni kubwa ya kusubiri kuteremsha mafuta Tanzania Bara.

WIMBI la ujambazi linazidi kutikisa nchi baada ya watu 14 kuuawa na wengine 17 kujeruhiwa kwa risasi katika shambulio lililofanywa na kundi la majambazi kwenye kisiwa kidogo cha Izinga kilicho wilayani Ukerewe na wengine 17 kujeruhiwa kwa risasi.

Katika salamu zake za Mwaka Mpya, Rais Jakaya Kikwete alilipongeza Jeshi la Polisi kwa kufanikiwa kupunguza wimbi la ujambazi, lakini siku chache baadaye kuliripotiwa matukio makubwa ya ujambazi, likiwemo la mkoani Ruvuma ambako askari polisi walinusurika kuuawa baada ya kushambuliwa na majambazi na kuporwa bunduki mbili.

Tukio jingine lilitokea mkoani Mwanza ambako jambazi mmoja aliuawa wakati polisi wakirushiana risasi na kundi la majambazi katika jaribio la uporaji kwenye mgahawa wa UTurn.

Hali imekuwa mbaya zaidi kwenye kisiwa cha Izinga kilicho Ziwa Victoria ambako majambazi hao walivamia majira ya saa 9:25 usiku.

Watu walioshuhudia tukio hilo waliiambia Mwananchi kuwa umati wa watu ulijitokeza kujaribu kupambana na majambazi hao baada ya kusikia kelele za kuomba msaada.

Mashuhuda hao walisema baada ya wananchi kujitokeza, mmoja wa majambazi hao aliwafyutulia risasi na kasababisha majeruhi na vifo vya watu hao.

Waliongeza kuwa awali waliposikia mlio wa bunduki, walidhani ni baruti, lakini baada ya kelele hizo walijikusanya kwa ajili ya kuwakabili na wananchi wengine walienda kujaribu kuharibu mtumbwi wao ili wasiutumie kutoroka, ndipo majambazi hao wakamimina risasi na kuua watu zaidi.

Walidai kuwa kundi la majambazi hao lilivamia kisiwa hicho usiku likitumia mitumbwi miwili ya injini, lakini wananchi walibaini kuingia kwao na kuwazingira. Baada ya kubaini kuwa wamezingira, walianza kufyatua risasi na kusababisha vifo vya wananchi saba.

Katika mashambulizi hayo wavamizi hao waliweza kujeruhi watu wengine 17 na wao wananchi kufanikiwa kuwaua wavamizi hao wawili.

Akizungumzia tukio hilo, mwenyekiti wa kamati ya ulinzi na usalama ya wilaya ya Ukerewe, Queen Mwashinga Mlozi alisema kati ya watu hao waliokufa wawili wanasadikiwa kuwa ni majambazi.

Mlozi ambaye pia ni mkuu wa wilaya ya Ukerewe alisema tayari taarifa ya tukio hilo ameifikisha kwa uongozi wa mkoa na kuongeza kuwa mkuu wa mkoa wa Mwanza, Abbas Kandoro akiongozana na kamati ya ulinzi na usalama walifika eneo la tukio ili kupata taarifa zaidi za tukio hilo.

Kaimu Mganga Mkuu wa wilaya ya Ukerewe, Dk Faustine Nkinga alisema hali za majeruhi bado ni mbaya na kwamba wanaendelea na kazi ya kunusuru maisha yao kwa sababu kati yao wanne walipoteza damu nyingi na wengine walifanyiwa upasuaji ili kuwaondoa risasi kwenye miili yao na wengine wamehamishiwa Hospitali ya Bugando.

Mkuu wa mkoa, Abbas Kandoro, ofisa usalama wa mkoa, Jason Mutashongerwa na kamanda wa polisi mkoa, Jamal Rwambow waliondoka asubuhi jana kwenda eneo la tukio kujionea hali halisi ya uvamizi huo.

Kandoro alisema kuwa majeruhi wote 17 walihamishiwa Hospitali ya Rufaa ya Bugando kwa ajili ya matibabu zaidi kutokana na hospitali ya Ukerewe kutomudu kuwahudumia wagonjwa hao.

Naye Kamanda Rwambow alisema kuwa watu waliothibitika kuuawa eneo la tukio kisiwani humo ni saba na watu wengine watano ambao walipelekwa wakiwa majeruhi kutibiwa walifariki wakati wakitibiwa. Habari zilizofika baadaye zilieleza kuwa watu wengine watatu walipoteza maisha.

"Mpaka sasa niko na viongozi wengine wa kamati ya ulinzi na usalama wa mkoa tukielekea eneo la tukio, lakini ninachoweza kukueleza ni kuwa tukio lipo na watu wamekufa na kati ya hao waliokufa wawili ni majambazi ambao waliuawa na wananchi.

Lakini taarifa kamili nitatoa baada ya uchunguzi kamili na kufika eneo la tukio," alieleza Kamanda Rwanbow kwa njia ya simu.

Mbunge wa Ukerewe, Getrude Mongella alisema kuwa Jeshi la Polisi linastahili lawama kutokana na tukio hilo kwa sababu wananchi wa visiwa vya wilayani Ukerewe walichanga Sh3 milioni ili wajengewe kituo, lakini hadi leo jeshi hilo limeshindwa kutoa maelekezo ya kufanikisha nia hiyo.

"Nimesikitishwa na tukio hili, lakini jeshi la polisi linastahili lawama kutokana na kuzembea kutoa maelekezo kwa wananchi ambao tayari wamechanga Sh3 milioni za kujengea vituo vya polisi katika visiwa vya uvuvi," alieleza Mongella.

Tukio hili linaufanya mkoa wa Mwanza kuwa miongoni mwa mikoa inayoongoza kwa matukio ya ujambazi. Wananchi wamekuwa wakivamia kila mara na kujeruhiwa kwa mapanga, nondo na silaha za moto na kuporwa mali na fedha.

Julai mwaka jana watu wanaosadikiwa kuwa majambazi walivamia na kuteka Kisiwa cha Ziragula na kujeruhi wananchi zaidi ya 13 na kupora mali na fedha.

Januari 14 mwaka huu majambazi pia walivamia eneo la uvuvi la Igombe na kupora Sh700,000 na kujeruhi wananchi watatu.

source..mwananchi.

Haitian President Rene Preval said estimates of the death toll in the devastating earthquake in capital Port-au- Prince could easily be in the tens of thousands, while other officials said more than 100,000 may have perished.

'Up to now I've heard 50,000, I've heard 30,000. Let's say, it's too early to give a number,' Preval told broadcaster CNN, conceding that any sort of official estimate was extremely difficult. 'I am still trying to understand myself the magnitude of the event.'

Earlier, he had told The Miami Herald that thousands may have been killed in the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that rocked the country Tuesday afternoon, and issued an appeal for world assistance. The damage was centred in and around the capital Port-au-Prince, home to about 1.9 million people.

Figures for the number of dead remain murky as the government tries to assess the damage.

Speaking on CNN, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said: 'I believe that we are well over 100,000' dead, based on the number of buildings that have collapsed.

The UN mission in Haiti said Wednesday that the country suffered 'massive and broad' destruction from the devastating earthquakes which may result in large number of casualties.

Fifty to 100 UN staff remained unaccounted for a day after the earthquake, said Vicznezo Pugliese, spokesman for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Separate reports say the dead included soldiers from Brazil, China and Jordan.

The end death toll could amount to the largest number of deaths ever for any UN single mission. UN officials warned that the situation remained fluid because the quake and its aftershocks had cut off communication lines between UN headquarters in New York and the mission in Haiti.

Pugliese said hotels, hospitals, schools and the national prison in Port-au-Prince all suffered extensive damage. Electricity was interrupted and water was in short supply.

'Casualties, which are vast, can only be estimated,' Pugliese said in a statement made available at UN headquarters in New York.

The missing staff had worked in the main MINUSTAH office, a six-storey concrete building which collapsed. Normally, between 200 and 250 UN staff worked in the main office building but many may have left before the quakes struck.

Ten other staff were still unaccounted for who worked for UN agencies like the UN Development Programme, some of whom were in hotels.

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians slept in the streets Tuesday night after the earthquake struck, fearful that their houses would collapse. UN soldiers and police patrolled Port-au-Prince since the earthquake to maintain order and security.

The UN Security Council held a minute of silence before it met Wednesday and issued a statement expressing 'deepest sympathy and solidarity' to Haitians killed or affected by the catastrophe.

The 15-nation council also voiced support for the government of Haiti and called on UN members to assist the country in rescuing the survivors.

John Holmes, the top UN coordinator for humanitarian emergency, said there was no 'reliable information at the moment'.

The earthquake with magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale struck the impoverished Caribbean nation Tuesday right before 5 p.m. local time.

Holmes said a Chinese search and rescue team had arrived in Port-au-Prince. There are 119 Chinese police in the UN mission in Haiti. Taiwan was sending 55 rescue workers and two search-and-rescue dogs, Taiwan officials said earlier Wednesday.

US and other country rescue teams were scheduled to reach Haiti in coming days.