Congo train crash victims buried in mass graves

Between 100 and 200 victims of an April 22 train crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo were buried in mass grave after disaster.

Boko Haram threatens to kill abducted school girls

Boko Haram members have allegedly threatened to kill the schoolgirls they abducted if the search by parents and soldiers in the Sambisa Forest is not called off.

Flood victims

A flood victim in Dar es Salaam early today

 

Boy, 8, ‘marries’ 61-year-old woman because his ancestors told him to

The older woman has five children and is already married but she is not in danger of breaking any polygamy laws because her latest union is just a ritual.

‘I’m married and have five kids of my own, but I know that this is what the ancestors wanted – and now they are happy,’ said Mrs Shabangu.

‘It is a ritual. We are just playing now, but it is a sign that he will get married one day.’

 The pretend wedding, which cost a total of £1,500, has shocked locals but Sanele’s family from Tshwane, South Africa, have defended the controversial nuptials.

His 46-year-old mum, Patience, added: ‘This is the first time this has happened in the family.

‘Sanele is named after his grandfather, who was never had a white wedding before he died so asked Sanele to get married. He chose Helen because he loves her.

‘By doing this we made the ancestors happy. If we hadn’t done what my son had asked then something bad would have happened in the family.’

Although the eight-year-old was happy to have pleased his forefathers with the false union he did admit when he gets married for real he hopes to find someone his own age.

Sanele added: ‘I told my mother that I wanted to get married because I really did want to.

‘I’m happy that I married Helen – but I will go to school and study hard.

‘When I’m older I will marry a lady my own age.’

Ridhiwani Kikwete Takes Chalinze Seat

RIDHIWANI Kikwete was on Sunday evening declared MP-Elect for Chalinze  in which he secured 86.6 per cent of the total votes cast.

Mr Kikwete got 20,828 votes cast in his name, an equivalent of 86.6 per cent while his 'closest' opponent, Mr Mathayo Torongey, from Chadema got 2,544 votes or 10.5 per cent and the CUF contestant Mr Fabian Skauki, got 476 votes, which is an equivalent of 1.9 per cent.

AFP contestant Ramadhan Mgaya got 186 votes or 0.5 per cent, while Hussein Muniru (NRA) got 60, equivalent to 0.2 per cent of the vote.

National Electoral Commission (NEC) Returning Officer, Samwel Salianga, who is also Bagamoyo District Executive Director, said the voter register had 92,000 entrants, but only 24,422 people went to the polls.

He said this was below the number of those who voted in the 2010 general elections who counted 36,000 while there was also fewer voters who turned up compared to those who did so in 2010.

On his part, the loser, Mr Torongey, claimed there were some hiccups in the exercise, especially in the number of those who voted whose voter card numbers differed from those in the registry.

The by-election was held following the death of the area's MP, Mr Said Bwanamdogo, who passed on at the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) where he was undergoing treatment.

Mr Ridhiwani was born on April 16, 1979 and is a lawyer by profession.

He was educated at Shaaban Robert Secondary School in Dar es Salaam and Mkwawa Secondary School in Iringa. He then joined the University of Dar es Salaam where he graduated with a Bachelor of Law Degree.

Ridhiwani Kikwete on the right.