Tanzanian President's motives for Serengeti highway becoming clear

By Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN | Apr 01, 2011

(eTN) - It was reported overnight that Tanzanian President Kikwete demanded the fast tracking of a proposed soda ash extraction plant at Lake Natron, when visiting the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This confirms a long-harbored and long-suggested suspicion that the construction of the equally-controversial highway through the Serengeti is primarily motivated and driven by industrial and mining considerations. The Tanzania government has been saying that the highway is "in the interest of the people." Perhaps the public did not realize that the government meant just a few of the poeple.

President Kikwete tried to lessen the blow when mentioning the plant should be constructed a few kilometers away from the lake to avoid disturbing the large flamingo populations, which use the shores of Lake Natron as the only viable breeding place across the entire East Africa. However, conservationists consulted overnight – the story broke yesterday (Friday) – to ascertain the impact of such plans and the viability of moving the plant machinery a few kilometers. They all said in unison that as the deposits of soda ash are "in the lake," the extraction has to take place there. The placement of any machinery, use of large lorries, and presence of workers would inevitably drive the birds off their breeding grounds. Even the construction of pipelines and a pumping station to extract the soda ash would create major disturbances, in particular as the intake position needs to be constantly moved to "suck up" the minerals from the shallow lake floor.

Said one specialist in flamingo behavioral patterns: "The birds are spread over the alkaline Rift Valley lakes in Kenya and Tanzania for much of the year, providing a big spectacle for tourists. They, however, do not breed there and return to Lake Natron for breeding and rearing their young ones before they can fly back to their feeding locations.

"The lake shores at Natron provide an ideal environment for the birds. They make nests using mud, and the heat of the day assists the eggs to mature. Natron is the only known place where the East African flamingos go to breed and us ornithologists are not aware of any other place where the annual mass breeding takes place.

"When NEMC [US National Environmental Monitoring Conference] made their investigation, some people from the developers went to the lake shores and pointed out there were no or few birds only, but they conveniently chose times when the flamingos were not there for breeding, which is only happening at intervals. Then they claimed we were trying to protect ‘empty mud flats’ but everyone with at least a bit of an interest knows that the birds return there regularly, lay eggs, and when the young ones have hatched and matured, fly off again. We cannot make that any clearer and my Tanzanian colleagues concur.

"It is not true that because I am Kenyan I have been ‘bought to deny Tanzania development.' Me and my colleagues' interest is to see we ensure the long-term survival of the flamingos, because they are a natural asset worth protecting, and they, by the way, are also found in Tanzania, not just Kenya."

In his directive, President Kikwete spoke of over 300 million tons of soda ash deposits, claiming the untapped riches must be exploited. He cited the Magadi Soda Ash operation on the Kenyan side of the Rift Valley floor as an excuse to wreck the last breeding refuge of the East African flamingo population.

Calling opponents of the plans unpatriotic, he laid down the gauntlet to the conservation fraternity and opened the doors for ruthless pursuit of anyone speaking out against such plans. According to past practices in Tanzania, this may well include trumped-up charges against individuals, sackings from government positions, hounding by sycophantic supporters, and worse. He also accused critics to be "agents of someone," adding further fuel to the now all but inevitable drive to crush any opposition to his plans, muzzle the media, and denounce conservationists as "traitors to progress."

Most notable, the refusal last year of the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) will be tossed aside, as the minister hastily promised to have the final preparations ready by the end of April, unless he wished to incur the wrath of "his boss." The NEMC denied approvals for the project’s clearance over environmental concerns and lack of mitigative measures available to safeguard the breeding grounds of the flamingos.

NEMC had proposed to use a pipeline – in itself also problem ridden with no clear mitigation assurance – to extract the soda ash and locate the plant some distance away in Loliondo. This was rejected by the Indian-based developers as too costly. Subsequently, rumors emerged that a "deal" was struck ahead of last year’s elections in Tanzania when the ruling party suddenly started to splash out money to ensure – some said buy – elections success, within particular opposition camps. This immediately pointed to the funding coming from industrial groups around the world lined up for mining concessions to be granted to them in return.

The controversial Serengeti highway is clearly the main transportation link for those interests. As with the flamingo breeding grounds, so the migration of the great herds of wildebeest and zebras will have to make way for powerful industrial and financial interest groups in the good books of President Kikwete.

Expect more revelations in the coming weeks and months as the pace to give mining right concessions to developers and break founding father Nyerere’s commitment to protect the priceless natural resources and national parks gathers more speed.

And this is the government that will listen to the LCTF????

I have been to Natron and the area is an absolute jewel in a beautiful and remote place. Any industrial disturbance there will be a disaster. I am deeply saddened by this.

Mark

Good Lord....Soda Ash?

Africa...go figure...

Jeff

I have been there as well. It is an amazing place.

Maybe an eruption of Oldonyo Longai would make them think twice.

quote:

Calling opponents of the plans unpatriotic, he laid down the gauntlet to the conservation fraternity

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Another greedy Big Man will probably get what he wants, which, I would naturally assume, is a villa or two in Paris and Lake Geneva. In addition to a couple hundred million Euros in a Luxembourg bank.

Isn't this the same as "drill baby drill"?

ANWAR is an amazing place also, but many seem to think it should be developed anyway.

Let the African nations do as they please. How does that song go? "See paradise, put up a parking lot."

Keeping the Africans from exploiting their own natural resources seems a bit hypocritical.

JMHO

slim:
Couple questions.
Have you ever been to ANWR?
Why do you think it is an "Amazing" place?
Thanks.
(I'm not looking for an argument, just curious.)

No I have not been to ANWAR, yet. Why do I think it is "Amazing"? I suppose it is because is a place that is remote and as about as "wild" as it comes in this world. JMO

Comparing ANWR to the Serengeti is comparing apples to oranges. I would suggest you do a bit more research on both topics before jumping in with both feet.

quote:

I would suggest you do a bit more research on both topics before jumping in with both feet.

well that's certainly taking an un AR like attitude

You can safely bet a year's income that there is at least one PROC in the background, chucking lots of greenbacks where it matters to himself.

quote:

Originally posted by slim buttes:
Isn't this the same as "drill baby drill"?

ANWAR is an amazing place also, but many seem to think it should be developed anyway.

Let the African nations do as they please. How does that song go? "See paradise, put up a parking lot."

Keeping the Africans from exploiting their own natural resources seems a bit hypocritical.

JMHO

I've hunted in that amazing area Natron, and spent many months in the Serengeti. It is a unbelievable place! Ive never been to Anwar, but I wouldnt care to spend more than a couple days there.
I think you're comparing pineapples to papayas my friend. With Anwar, there's lots of wild Alaska that surrounds (i think). The Caribou, wolves, bears can probably move around / bypass the oil wells to some adjoining range. a lot more people & poaching surrounding Serengeti than Anwar.

Fly camping on the shores of Lake Natron, sitting in the warm flowing springs and sipping an ice cold Kili, taking in the harsh but awesome scenery whilst the sun slowly sets in the west !

Been there, done that ! My first impressions of Natron was "...the most inhospitably beautiful place I had ever visited" To have had the honour to experience it in all it's majesty is something I will cherish for ever. I trust and wish the same on all those who venture there.

Should there be any public outcry and petition against the highway and the imminent degradation of the area, my signature will be there.

God himself vacations at Natron !!!

quote:

.....................................
Keeping the Africans from exploiting their own natural resources seems a bit hypocritical.

JMHO

Yes. But someone must advise these ignorent children of nature that they should not cut off a trickel of forever sustainable income from the Serengeti or lake Natron for the sake of a few million greenbacks once in the pockets of some high government officials!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Been there too....agree with Mark, Larry and Andrew

ANWAR has no relationship whatever....someone must have been shown pics of the more interior part of ANWAR rather than the barren 2000 acres to be used as a base for oil extraction.....BTW, all species are flourishing around Prudhoe...
BTW II, if the Soda Ash facility would employee 100,000 Masai and stop them from destroying the
Serengetti with their cattle, goats and camels, there is a chance, outside of course, the project would be worthwhile...

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:
You can safely bet a year's income that there is at least one PROC in the background, chucking lots of greenbacks where it matters to himself.

GET THIS; THIS IS THE CHINESE INVASION AND RAPE OF AFRICA. Time to wake-up.

YEP!!! Even Sir Robert's "relocation" was done to appease Chinese merchants!