Hadzabe villagers facing an acute shortage of food (Photo by Valentine Marc Nkwame)

Front page 1

Bushmen lives threatened as famine hits
Yaeda valley
Hadzabe population drops from 5000 to 1800 in three decades
Hadzabe Bushmen who live within the Yaeda-Chini valley in Mbulu district are facing an acute shortage of food. Two of them died recently from what is believed to be famine related. Five children were also seriously sick but amid the worsening situation, Mbulu officials are alleged to have banned church groups from sending food aid to the Bushmen.
"It seems like the entire Yaeda valley is now out of bounds to everybody. You cannot be allowed to go down there without permission. We wonder if it is part of Tanzania or not," said Mandege Naftal Jonga, a Hadza activist who resides in the valley.

Front page 2

Mererani grinds to a halt
‘End of the road for tanzanite small scale local miners’
Hundreds of small scale miners and other residents of Mererani mining hills are fleeing the area following a decline of tanzanite mining activities, a recent visit to the world famous mining area has revealed.
Local leaders have also confirmed the residents' exodus, warning that in a few months the entire township will be reduces to ruins.
"People are deserting Mererani, some are even demolishing their houses removing iron sheets and frames taking the items away with them, " said Oscar Lawrence Gunewe, the chairman of Zaire location which is the central trading and residential area of Mererani.

Front page 3

AUWSA brags success in water supply
The Arusha Water and Sewerage Authority (AUWSA) has succeeded to raise its water bills collection from Tsh.2.5 billion in 2004/5 to Tsh.3.3 billion in 2006/7 and its customers have increased from 20,744 in 2004/5 to 24,051 in 2006/7.
Engineer Asili Munisi, AUWSA’s Managing Director said at the swearing in of new board members and saying goodbye to the old board members that availability of safe water supply in Arusha has increased by 40 per cent.

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