Villagers block major road for seven hours
Rocks laid on tarmac, vehicles damaged
By Mussa Juma

From The Arusha Times
July 31 to August 7, 2010

Irate residents of Kigongoni village in Mto wa Mbu ward of Monduli district on Tuesday blocked the Arusha-Serengeti road for about seven hours to pressure the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) to erect road bumps (humps) adjacent to their village.

The residents, mainly unruly youths, laid down rocks and burnt old tyres on the road to prevent traffic flow, and as if that was not enough, they threw rocks indiscriminately causing damage to vehicles .

There are claims that four people had been knocked down to death by speeding vehicles on that section of the road in recent years but their anger was fuelled by an incident on Tuesday which saw one of the village residents being knocked down by a speeding car but survived to narrate the ordeal.

The pandemonium broke out at around 3.00 pm and ended at 11.00 pm when armed policemen arrived at the scene and unleashed tear gas bombs.

Many passengers and hundreds of tourists on the busy highway were cross with the lawlessness which adversely affected their itineraries causing some of them to miss their connecting flights.

Also caught up in the mayhem were CCM parliamentary seat aspirants of Ngorongoro constituency who were returning from a campaign in Sale Ward riding on a vehicle with registration numbers T653 BEU. They narrowly escaped being beaten up when they attempted to force their way through the blockade.

One of the blocked off parliamentary seat aspirants was forced to draw his handgun when marauding youths attempted to attack his entourage.

This reporter who was driving his car with registration numbers T936 AGB which also had on board other journalists who went to cover the event, narrowly escaped injury when a rock was hurled onto his car smashing the windshield.

TATO’s executive secretary , Mustapha Akounay who also found himself helpless in the barricade wondered why the police and Monduli’s district commissioner failed to contain the situations immediately leaving the mayhem to last for seven hours.

“Here we have tourists with limited time who had booked to be in Ngorongoro or Serengeti today and others are on their way to catch flights to other destinations. This is a big problem and is putting our nation to disrepute”, Akounay said.

Commenting on the incident, the Executive Officer of Mto wa Mbu Ward Peter Sironga said four people in as many years have been killed by speeding cars in that section of the road and they have been requesting TANROADs to erect humps but in vain.

Arusha’s Regional Police Commander, Basilio Matei has confirmed the incident adding that investigations were going on in order to arrest all those who were involved in the chaos.

So candidates for Parliament carry handguns in Tanzania? I didn't know they had legal handgun carry there. That they speed is hardly in question.

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
So candidates for Parliament carry handguns in Tanzania? I didn't know they had legal handgun carry there. That they speed is hardly in question.

In Tanzania one doesn't have to be a Parliamentary candidate to legally own and carry a gun - one applies for a permit (may be approved or disapproved) - Once authorized it may be carried but has to be concealed on the person.

Where speeding is concerned, it happens everywhere - on the current "Serengeti dust track" speeds are limited but when and if they build the highway then one incident a year or (4 in as many years) as the report goes will be wishful thinking - one way of avoiding a speeding vehicle is not to jaywalk (a trend which is quite common in this part of the world) - in the States and parts of Europe you get fined - in other places you get run over!