Critics blame Tanzania government for lack of disaster management and response readiness

By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania

Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, has challenged the government’s disaster management and emergency response readiness following deaths of 19 people after a plane plunged into Lake Victoria shortly before it was due to land in the north-west town of Bukoba.

Rescue team hand-pulling the plane with a rope

The 48-seater twin turboprop ATR42-500 with 39 passengers (38 adults and an infant) and four crew on board was flying from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba, Kagera Region, when the accident occurred at around 8.53am.

Precision Air, which is partly owned by Kenya Airways, was founded in 1993 and operates domestic and regional flights as well as private charters to popular tourist destinations.

The plane crashed while attempting to land in stormy weather at the airport, which is less that 200 meters from the lake shore.

Reports showed that 26 people were rescued by fishermen and taken to a public hospital in the town.

In a condolence statement, issued Sunday November 6 and signed by CHADEMA’s Director of communication, protocol and foreign affairs, John Mrema, the party said that the country does not have reliable disaster response readiness capability.

“We convey our heartfelt sympathy to the families, relatives of victims and all Tanzanians following the tragedy deaths and praying for quick recovery of the survivors.” Read the statement.

“Either, the accident has revealed that as a nation we don’t have reliable disaster response readiness capability when they happen, we could not have the big effect we are witnessing.” Mrema said.

The opposition further acknowledges the efforts done by local fishermen and citizens from the surrounding area who managed to rescue the 26 survivors. “We acknowledge the citizens, especially local fishermen who responded quickly to the accident area and rescued the passengers with the truth that they didn’t have facilities.”

Despite the existence of national and international regulatory frameworks, a sole department in the prime minister’s office to deal with disasters, disasters have been causing devastating effects across the country.

For two weeks, the country has been struggling to put off the fire which broke out on Africa’s highest peak Mouth Kilimanjaro, since 21 October near one of the most popular climbing routes estimated to be about 3,963 meters above sea level.

The government had to deploy the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces on Mt. Kilimanjaro to help curb the raging flames.

On 20 September 2018, over 200 people died after a ferry carrying hundreds of people capsized on Lake Victoria.

The Mv. Nyerere operating on a busy route, crossing eight times a day between the islands of Ukara and Ukerewe, in Mwanza with capacity of carrying 100 people, had more than 400 passengers when it capsized according to officials.

In 2012, at least 145 people died when a packed ferry, Mv. Skagic, sank while transporting people to the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean.

The year before, almost 200 people died in another major incident off the coast of Zanzibar. Hundreds of passengers Mv. Spice Islander I survived, some found clinging to mattresses and fridges.

On 21 May 1996, Mv. Bukoba sank 30 nautical miles (56 km) off Mwanza in 25 metres (14 fathoms) of water, killing up to 1,000 people. The official deaths record is 894.

The lack of equipment and divers were partially to blame for slowness in the salvage operation; rescue teams from South Africa, including Navy divers, were flown in to salvage the ship and retrieve bodies days later.

Other disasters include bombing of the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam in 1998 left 11 people dead; and the train crash near Dodoma in 2002 that killed 281 passengers.

A freelance investigative journalist based in Dar es Salaam, Kizito Makoye, said the "Disaster preparedness Unit" in the Prime Minister's office is a disaster in its own right. It should be disbanded with immediate effect.

Tanzania's Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, visiting survived infant and mother at Bukoba hospital, Sunday (courtesy)

He said that the nation does not seem to have learnt from past mistakes. “Past disasters should've taught us valuable lessons in terms of preparedness and rapid response.” 

“I feel so sad to learn that those who perished in the Bukoba aircraft crash waited helplessly for many hours, frantically clinging for their dear lives, but to no avail.” Makoye said and further questioned “How many lives should be lost for these …… to act responsibly, haven't you learnt anything from the Mv. Nyerere tragedy where hundreds died because of your sheer negligence?”

The discussion has been live on the social platforms since Sunday with critics blaming the government of purchasing lavish vehicles for themselves forgetting important services for the taxpayers.

The pictures of rescue showed citizens hand-pulling the plane with a rope for lack of modern rescue machineries. - Africa