Election in Zanzibar Annulled

The semi-autonomous archipelago's Electoral Commission chairperson Jecha Salim Jecha, has cited "violations of electoral law", including double-voting and cheating.

Election results in Zanzibar cancelled

Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago Zanzibar on Wednesday has cancelled results of its just-held general elections, according to Zanzibar Electoral Commission.

ZEC chairman Jecha Salum Jecha made a statement on state television that by the power invested on him he has been obliged to cancel the results because the election violated election laws and Zanzibar constitution.

He advised the public to be patient and wait for more information from the government, but he didn't say when a new election would be held.

Zanzibar held general elections on Oct. 25 to elect its own president and members to its subnational legislature and House of Representatives.

Nigerian Port Harcourt Airport Rated 'Worst in the World'

Unhelpful staff, a severe lack of seating and broken air-conditioning were just some of the reasons the Port Harcourt International Airport was given the worst airport title.

Tensions Rise as Ruling Party Takes Early Poll Lead

Official results released by the National Electoral Commission so far put John Pombe Magufuli, the presidential candidate of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi  party in the lead.

Tanzania: Zanzibar's Presidential Candidate Declares Himself Winner

An opposition candidate in Zanzibar on Monday declared himself the winner of the island's presidential election as security agents arrested 191 people during a night raid on opposition tallying centres.

One of those seized was Kenyan, one French and another a Korean.

While Tanzania remained generally calm after the most competitive election since independence, these were some of the signs of tensions as results started trickling on Monday.

Official tallies released on Monday by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) put Dr Pombe Magufuli, the presidential candidate of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), in the lead.

Some 23 million Tanzanians were registered to vote and more than half of all voters live in nine major regions of the country.

Mr Lowassa, who ran under the Ukawa Opposition Alliance, accused NEC of selectively releasing results from CCM strongholds and warned that delays in announcing official results could inflame tensions after the arrests of the party's tallying centre officials.

"All they were doing is collating results from polling stations across the country," Mr Lowassa said at a press conference. "We have been incapacitated, all our tallying centres have been raided and the volunteers incarcerated. This is so unfair."

The whereabouts of the detainees seized during raids in Dar-es-Salaam were unknown by last evening.

ZANZIBAR POLLS

In Zanzibar, Seif Sharif Hamad, the candidate of the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), which is part of the Ukawa alliance, said he had received 200,077 votes against 178,363 for the incumbent CCM candidate, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein in what would be the first ever defeat for the ruling party in the island's presidential elections.

"We call on the (Zanzibar Electoral Commission) to declare the result without delay, and we call on Dr Shein to end any uncertainty and concede defeat," CUF said in a statement. "The longer the announcement is delayed the more room there is for those who will try to manipulate and change the outcome."

By 5pm, however, NEC was yet to announce full results from the islands and partial results still put the CCM candidate in the lead.

CUF lost narrowly to CCM in the 2010 election but the rival parties agreed on a power-sharing arrangement to avoid violence.

There was no official response to the declaration from the Zanzibar electoral officials but the head of NEC, Justice Damian Lubuva, called for patience as he delivered the second batch of official results in the afternoon.

NEC has promised to announce the final results by Thursday and the new President is scheduled to be sworn in on November 5.

Early results from the parliamentary elections suggested a tight contest between the two parties.

By 5pm, official results showed CCM and Chadema neck-and-neck having won 12 and nine seats respectively out of the 265-seat Parliament. Early exit interviews suggested that CCM, which had 186 of the 239 seats in the last Parliament, would win a smaller majority this time round.

After a polling day that was widely heralded for being peaceful, reports of skirmishes between supporters of the two main political parties started trickling in from different regions.

Police in Tandahimba, Mtwara Region in the southeast of the country, said they were holding eight people for allegedly invading and destroying the house of an election supervisor in Nanyamba Province.

In Tarime, northern Tanzania, a 36-year-old opposition supporter was stabbed to death in a dispute with a CCM supporter on Sunday night.

The election has been the most tightly contested since Tanzania returned to multiparty politics in 1992.

Supporters of the Civic United Front party gather outside the CUF headquarters in Zanzibar on October 26, 2015 at the party presidential candidate declared victory in the polls.

Tanzania General Election

For those who didn't vote yesterday;  vote peacefully, gracefully, accepts results. there's life after the election.

Tanzania: Millions Vote in Peaceful Election

Millions of Tanzanians yesterday voted in the country's fifth multi-party general election after the re-introduction of political pluralism in 1995 in a 10-hour exercise that was described as generally peaceful.

With an exception of a few skirmishes and technical glitches experienced in some areas, both observers and the police force were united in their 'peaceful election' finding. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) and law enforcers, however, immediately and squarely responded to such few incidents and glitches, thus enabling voters to carry out their democratic right of voting without let or hindrance.

About 23, 253, 982 were registered on both parts of the United Republic. The day provided a climax to the country's fifth general election as fever and tension among supporters of various competing political parties reached their zenith. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Ernest Mangu, described the security situation in the country as generally promising yesterday, save for some minor incidents reported.

Mr Mangu affirmed that the force was well organised to ensure that the country remained peaceful and that any incident of peace breaching is timely and squarely dealt with. "The situation remained calm and peaceful countrywide, regional police commanders (RPCs) have been directed to do everything within their reach to make voters and all Tanzanians live without fear," said IGP Mangu.

He said that police officers were deployed at every polling station to make sure the exercise is run smoothly. According to the IGP, many people turned out for voting while security was beefed up everywhere.

In Dar es Salaam and elsewhere in the country, most streets had been deserted as early as six in the morning, with only a handful of cars seen, giving an impression of a public holiday. Some churches in the country had carried back their Sunday services to Saturday afternoon to allow the faithful to take part in the election.

A number of voters could be seen an hour or more before the polling stations called the people to vote for their presidential, parliamentary and councillorship candidates in the election, which has generated much excitement because of the fierce competition involved, mainly between CCM and CHADEMA.

People from all walks of life, the elderly, the young and those with physical disabilities could not afford to lose their democratic right to choose candidates of their choice this year, a chance which comes after every five years. Take, for example, Ms Mariam Tikawe (44), a resident of Kawe in Dar es Salaam, who is a person with a physical disability.

She expressed delight for what she described as good preparations by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) that gave consideration to the elderly, expectant mothers and those with physical disabilities to put elect leaders of their choice.

Another person, the overwhelmed Kauzeni Madulo (68), was interviewed while walking out of Makurumla polling station in Magomeni, Kinondoni District before he could even vote.

"I woke up very early today without knowing that we (elderly) will be given a special favour. I wrongly picked my national identity card instead of the voter card. I am rushing back home to pick it and rush back to vote. Never before have I seen election of such comparable enthusiasm like this one in 2015," Mr Madulo explained.

However, all was not well as confirmed by the Director of Elections, Mr Kailima Ramadhani Kombwey, reported that at Kimara Temboni area, the opening of some of the polling stations was delayed due to late disruption caused by returning officers who had previously signed work contracts but acted indifferently in the last moment. "The electoral body (NEC) invited applications from the community for the position of returning officers, a departure from the tradition of hiring school teachers," Mr Kailima explained.

He added that after some vetting, qualified candidates signed a work contract, which also entailed the remunerations. Surprisingly, some of the candidates in Kimara changed their minds last night, demanding more payment on top of what was agreed; finally destroying ballot boxes and other important documents. They have been arrested for interrogation by the police," Mr Kailima told reporters.

At the Muungano Local Government Office in Tungi Ward, Kigamboni constituency, there were six polling stations, the exercise peacefully started at around 7:20am. Despite the fact that some clerks and agents from political parties arrived late, the exercise took off peacefully. After casting their votes, the people went back homes as it was earlier directed by both the electoral body and police force.

"I am happy to exercise my democratic right as a Tanzanian, I hope the victory shall go to candidates who I have voted for," said Mr Lusekelo George who called for peaceful election to maintain unity and stability in the country.

In Bonyokwa ward in Segerea constituency, polling stations were opened exactly at 7am with some few people worrying over whether they could all cast their votes.

A resident of Kinyerezi Ward, Mr Martin John said the overall voting exercise was good despite what he described as minor anomalies, including the slow speed by some poll supervisors in conducting the exercise, which created fear that the exercise might not have been concluded. In Mwananyamala, Kawe and Kisutu, there was a big turnout of voters dominated by youth.

It was also learnt that NEC directives that called on voters to refrain from wearing party uniforms was adhered to. The exercise went on smoothly with a few challenges such as high temperature, which gave voters a hard time standing on lines for a long time, with some stations running out of ink.

At Nguvu Mpya Secondary School polling station in Ukonga constituency, voters were observed queuing up in an orderly manner with men and women lined up in separate lines of the station's room as per alphabetical order.

However, some people were complaining on the speed of some of supervisors, which they said caused them to stay at the stations for many hours before casting their vote. In Kimanga and Mawenzi Street in Segerea constituency, a number of voters interviewed said the exercise was carried out serenely and effectively as respective officials timely and politely attended to them.

Though some voters claimed to have not seen their names, one of the poll supervisors played down the claims, saying no eligible registered voter had his or her name skipped. Another voter, Ms Joyce Nakoli, said that she did not expect to see the exercise going on smoothly with no violence as the public had first feared. "It has been a peaceful, calm and well organised election.

May God bless us so that everything ends well," she added. The exercise was also conducted smoothly in Kivule ward in Ukonga despites some challenges that occurred, including some voters who failed to spot their names on the notice board.

At Mbweni ward polling station, the voting exercise started by 7am and the queue started growing in size after 6am, when security officials arrived to make initial preparations.

However, the only insignificant hiccups witnessed at the polling station was when voters were told not to use their mobile phones within three metres of the voting booths, yet some were seen making calls in contravention to the NEC guidelines. But the 'Daily News' saw NEC officials immediately reign in those areas that were seen using their phones within three metres of the voting booths.

In further surveys by this newspaper in Kawe constituency on Sunday, long queues of voters were seen at Bunju A, along new Bagamoyo Road, which started getting shorter shortly after 2pm.

The 'Daily News' also visited Kunduchi and Mtakuja Primary School polling station were queues of voters did not ease until mid-afternoon although more fresh voters started coming in to renew lines that were thought to be growing thinner then.

In Sumbawanga, over 200 irate people armed with traditional weapons invaded a vehicle laden with electoral items and burnt them into ashes, including 45 balloting boxes, alleging that the boxes had already been stuffed with cast ballots.

Confirming the incident, Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC), Jacob Mwaruanda told the 'Daily News' over the phone while on his way to the scene of incident that the incident occurred at Zimba Village, Lake Rukwa Basin, in Kwela Constituency, Sumbawanga District. According to the RPC, the incident occurred at 5:00 am, adding that no any casualties had been reported by then.

He, however, confirmed that about eight people have so far been arrested after being linked to the incident. "Yes it is true; the incident has truly happened now I'm on my way to the scene of incident ... the blazed electoral items including ballots papers were transported to Milepa Ward along Lake Rukwa Basin , Kwela Constituency, Sumbawanga District," added the RPC.

Narrating the murky incident, Mr Mwaruanda said that about 200 incensed a mob armed with machetes, clubs , stones and arrows blocked the road at Zimba Village by placing huge stones, barring a vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number T 865 BEU, loaded with election material; which they also burnt to ashes. According to the RPC, two assistant returning officers and a police officer were escorts aboard the vehicle.

He could not immediately mention their names. When contacted for comment, the Sumbawanga District Returning Officer, Mr Adam Missana, told this newspaper over the phone that the incident occurred at between 9pm and 10pm at Zimba Village when a huge mob armed with different traditional weapons invaded the vehicle and burnt all electoral material to ashes.

Mr Missana, who is also the Sumbawanga District Council Executive Director, confirmed that the irate mob blazed to ashes all election items, including balloting papers for the presidency, parliamentary candidates and councillorship posts and 45 ballot boxes among other items.

"Unfortunately, all items, including 45 ballot boxes, torches, lamps, pens and all ballot papers for presidential, parliamentary and councillorship candidates have been razed to ashes," added Mr Missana.

In Mwanza, a spot survey by the 'Daily News' in different street of the city witnessed a sharp decrease in traffic in almost all major roads, with reports saying that the situation was partially caused by fear of possibility of riots while others went to cast their polls.

Some new developments that were noted included the churches postponing the Sunday services to allow the faithful to get ample time to cast their votes as opposed to the previous exercises.

Meanwhile, reports from Chato Constituency have it that the presidential candidate, Dr John Magufuli, cast his vote at around 11am at Magufuli Primary School. According to the Chato Returning Officer, Mr Joel Ally, the exercise was equally conducted freely and peacefully with the possibility of announcing the results for new councillors and Member of Parliament (MP) by Monday.

"In Chato, we have recorded a very good turnout of voters and if the trend doesn't change, I will be in the position of announcing the results by Monday evening," said Mr Ally.

On the other hand, police in Mwanza have established a special desk that will be tasked to receive and handle all criminal reports related to the performance of the general election as Mwanza conducted the exercise peacefully. Mwanza Regional Police Commander (RPC), Charles Mkumbo noted that reports that reached him had it that almost all districts conducted the elections well; save for some minor incidents.

The desk will always monitor, evaluate and act instantly with criminal reports from all over the region in a bid to make the whole exercise as peacefully as possible. In Zanzibar, there was a big turnout at polling stations in as voters and candidates expressed hope for peace to continue prevailing even after the results. Community centres and schools reported large numbers of people turning out to vote.

Many polling stations started voting at 7 am on the dot as Zanzibar presidential candidate on the CCM ticket; Dr Ali Mohamed Shein and his wife, Mama Mwanamwema, were among the first people to cast their votes at Bungi School in Unguja Central District.

"I am pleased with the arrangement; the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) had made good preparations," Dr Shein said after casting his vote. He said he was confident of victory as he emphasised on peace and calling on losers to concede defeat so that Zanzibaris can move ahead.

Tanzania General Election

We as Tanzanians have to remember that: "Country first: There's life after election".

JK bids farewell.

Tanzania: women say husbands hide their voter cards.

A number of wives in Tanga region, have complained that their husbands hide their voter's identity cards to prevent them from voting in the forthcoming general election. This, indeed, is unthinkable as husbands are not expected to be this foolhardy.

The situation, we are told, is so bad that Tree of Hope, an organisation of paralegals, has deployed operatives who move from house to house advising women to hide their voter's cards from their husbands or other members of the family.

It is imperative to mention at the outset that stealing anyone's voter's card is illegal and is punishable by law. We all know that women make the greater portion of the population at about 56 per cent and hence hold greater voting power in terms of numbers. In this case, we expect to see more women than men at voting centres.

And this has often been the case in recent years. So, the husband who prevents his wife from voting, denying her democratic right, commits a felony. We shudder to imagine what else happens to these humble wives who are denied even their basic right to vote.

Husbands who commit such misdemeanors are also notorious in bashing their wives. Let these husbands know that wife bashing is a greater felony. Some wives have experienced severe domestic violence (being hit with a fist or something else, kicked, dragged, beaten up, choked, burnt on purpose, threatened with a weapon or had a weapon used against them. This is unacceptable and horrendous.

Nigeria: Chibok Girls Alive, Escaped Girl Reveals

The escapee further disclosed to security agencies that almost all of the girls have been married out to the Boko Haram terrorists and have been relocated to Lake Chad area.Saturday Vanguard gathered that about two weeks ago, one of the abducted girls who was formerly kept in a Sambisa forest camp, escaped from the hands of the abductors and ran into the hands of some Fulani herdsmen. It was the Fulani herdsmen having confirmed that the girl was a Chibok girl, who assisted her to get to the Baga military base of the multi-national Joint Task Force.

At the Baga base, the escapee girl was said to have confessed that many of them were forcefully married to the terrorists who not only impregnated them but infected some of them with different diseases. Continuing, the source said, "When the Fulani herdsman saw the girl in the bush and questioned her about her mission, she narrated her experience, which made the herdsman to take her to the soldiers in that area. With her escape, there are now 59 of the girls left in her camp."

Emphasizing that almost all of the girls have been married out to the Boko Harram terrorists while quite a number of them have delivered babies, the escapee told security agencies that the girls were always moved from place to place in the Sambisa forest during the bombardments but that when the heat was too much, they were all moved out of the forest.

The escapee further disclosed to security agencies that Boko Haram terrorists have been seriously weakened and are now moving from place to place aimlessly like lost sheep,"All of us were forced to become Muslims but kept in camps far from each other", any of us who refused being Islamized was either beheaded or shot at point blank range."

She revealed further that the camps where the Chibok girls are now kept are in Kangoora, Mallam Fatori, Damasak, Tunbun Kaka and Tumbum Gira. Many of these towns are located in the border communities around Lake Chad with some in Nigeria and others in Chad.

Namibia: Elephant Kills Woman At Her Homestead

Ngone villagers were left shocked and speechless after an elephant charged a homestead, killing a 57-year-old woman and injuring a three-year-old boy.

The incident occurred on Friday night at Ngone along the Kavango River, some 20 kilometres outside Rundu in the Kavango East Region. According to sources who were near the scene of the attack the lone elephant charged at the homestead after a pack of dogs barked at it.

The 57-year-old woman, who was identified as Tjangano Tjivi, and her daughter and grandchildren were sleeping outside when the elephant attacked them at night at around 23h00, according to Anna Maliti, the deceased's daughter.

"We were sleeping outside when the elephant came. We ran to safety and my mom went in that direction and I ran to my cousins' place. Later we came back with other family members and were looking for her, but we found her dead near her homestead in the early morning hours," Maliti said.

The old woman died after the elephant gored her body through to the back with its tusks, breaking several bones in the process and killing her on the spot. Except for the deceased's grandson, three-year-old Kandjimi Muhoka, the rest of the family escaped unharmed.

One of the neighbours said: "When the dogs started barking the elephant ran into the homestead where the dogs were. The dogs ran away and we all woke up and ran in different directions, as it broke down the hut where my grandmother was sleeping, but luckily she escaped unhurt."

Ngone village headman Gervasius Shampapi expressed dissatisfaction over what he referred to as "ignorant nature conservation staff at the ministry of environment and tourism". He said environment and tourism officials are never available to assist his people, as well as other nearby villages when wild animals terrorise them.

"Up until now they did not even show up, despite several of our efforts to inform them," he said. "Why do they protect animals more than humans?" asked the distressed headman.

"If one kills an animal through an act of self defence that person will be jailed. Now who is going to vote? Is it the animals that the government is protecting or the people that they are neglecting?" asked headman Shampapi.

"We want the ministry responsible to look into this. We need to be protected. They must drive their elephants and others to the parks. Nobody deserves to die like this. We are no longer safe," he opined.

The headman said his community wants the ministry of environment and tourism to track and destroy the rogue elephant before it kills again.

Tanzania: JK - I Leave Office a Happy Man

PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has expressed delight at the 'excellent service' achieved during his 10-year tenure in the nation's highest office, adding that he was now more than ready to hand over to his successor, according to constitutional dictates.

Speaking at a farewell dinner prepared by members of staff of the State House in Dar es Salaam on Friday, President Kikwete requested them to give all the needed support to his successor, who would be known after the general election next Sunday.

"My successor will be able to perform his duties with great success only if you will accord him the necessary support - perhaps even more than what I received in the last ten years," said Mr Kikwete.

He assured the public that he leaves office a very happy person despite the fact that he would be missing the colleagues with whom he had worked while serving the nation in the capacity of head of state.

The president said it would be impossible to meet all the people's needs even if he chooses to stay in power for good and that it was proper, therefore, to give a chance to others to see how they would fare.

"Even if I decide to extend the leadership term, I cannot handle each and every issue on board. The Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, led for 23 years, yet he could not solve all the problems.

He left the office to Mzee Ali Hassan Mwinyi to move on, who as well gave the relay stick to Mzee Benjamin Mkapa, who was my predecessor. The same applies to me someone else has to take over, " Mr Kikwete remarked.

Saying that there is an end to everything, he added: "To be sincere, I am happy that I am retiring from the presidency; I am going to miss you. But everything has an end. Ten years are enough for one to fulfil his leadership agenda.

I have played my part," he further said. President Kikwete was first elected as fourth president of the United Republic of Tanzania on December 14, 2005 and re-elected on October 31, 2010. In his more than 30 years of public service, President Kikwete served in different positions, military and government.

He joined the Cabinet in 1988 where he held several ministerial portfolios, including Minister for Finance, Minister for Water, Energy and Minerals and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

He was the longest serving Foreign Minister in the history of Tanzania after serving in that position for a ten-year tenure.

In 2007, Mr Kikwete was elected Chairman of the SADC Organ on Security, Defence and Politics, where he was deeply involved in the search for peaceful solutions to political crises in the Southern Africa region, including political crises in Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

In the local scene, he had set out an ambitious agenda for faster and sustained economic growth. On January 31, 2008, President Kikwete was elected Chairman of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, where he took a proactive role in resolution of conflicts in the Republic of Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He also advanced to greater heights, relations between the AU, UN, EU and the international community at large. He has completed his chairmanship of the East African Community (EAC) and it was during his tenure that the EAC signed and ratified the Protocol on the Common Market.

He left negotiations on the Monetary Union at an advanced stage.

Uganda: Horror of Rwanda Killings Still With Me

ANALYSISBy Sheila Kawamara Mishambi

Twenty-five years since Ugandan soldiers of Rwandan descent invaded Rwanda, former New Vision journalist SHEILA KAWAMARA MISHAMBI recalls coming face to face with murders most foul.

The horror of the Rwanda genocide began unfolding before us with the first encounter of the shameless killings at a Catholic church in Nyarubuye, in the diocese of Kibungo, where over 1,500 women, men and children were mercilessly massacred on April 15, 1994. According to a survivor we interviewed, several people had run to the church for refuge from the neighbouring communities.

The local people were allegedly encouraged by the Catholic nuns and priests to gather at the church for protection and since the area was seen as "sacred grounds" the people expected to be safe from the marauding Interahamwe.

Unknown to the people that gathered at the church, some of the nuns and priests were accomplices of the Interahamwe, using the sanctuary of the church as a concentration camp. Once their victims had gathered, they alerted the killers to attack the unarmed civilians with machetes, blunt objects, hoes, guns and grenades.

Evidence of the gruesome massacre welcomed us at the church, with a huge stench of decomposing human bodies polluting the atmosphere. Bodies and belongings of those killed littered the entire church. The consecrated altar, where Holy Mass must have been celebrated a few days earlier, had been defiled. Mothers lay holding onto their young ones as if trying to protect them from the ugly hand of death.

We were told that when the Interahamwe arrived, they ordered the Hutu to separate themselves from the Tutsi. They started hacking to death and shooting all those that were identified as Tutsi and spared the Hutus. The priests and nuns who were in charge of the Nyarubuye church and convent ran away, leaving the Interahamwe to carry out the horrific murders. After the killings in the church they attacked a nearby convent and also killed the nuns who were identifies as Tutsi.

According to our RPF guides, in the 1950s and 1960s, the Tutsis that sought refuge at the churches were spared and these people were made to believe that they were safe in the church premises. Unfortunately this time round, the Hutu militia men were determined to annihilate all Tutsis arguing that the uprising of the RPF was a result of the Tutsi that were spared.

We were told that the Interahamwe were recruited and trained to carry out the killings much earlier. As soon as the president's plane was shot down, organised gangs of government soldiers and Interahamwe militia were dispatched, with machetes, guns, and grenades to attack and exterminate all Tutsi and Hutus that were sympathetic to them.

In some cases, Hutu civilians were forced to murder their Tutsi neighbours by military personnel and even some murdered their own families. I came across a Hutu woman who had no remorse, who confessed to killing her six children and a Tutsi husband, claiming that they had "contaminated blood".

Later, as we moved towards the Rwandan capital Kigali, we came across a huge warehouse of brand new machetes that were alleged to have been imported in preparation for the genocide. This fact could, however, not be verified, since Rwanda's economy is based on agriculture and the machetes could have been stacked up for that purpose, but conveniently used for the genocide.

After Nyarubuye, having obtained what I regarded as a journalist 'the scoop of a lifetime', I requested the RPF to drive me back to the Ugandan border to relay an eyewitness report of what was actually going on in Rwanda. They complied and once in Katuna, I took the 25km bicycle ride to Kabale town, typed my story and immediately faxed it to the New Vision in Kampala.

The following day, when my story was not published, I called the editor to inquire why. I was told that the editors felt I had exaggerated the killings and unless I had photographic evidence, my story would not run. Being in an era where photographs were only developed in the darkroom, I took a taxi and made the over 400km trip back to Kampala.

The evidence I carried was so overwhelming. My story was published the next day with a pictorial of the killings I had witnessed in Rwanda and I immediately became a hot item for journalists, both foreign and local. I spent a few days in Kampala, where I was asked to write a feature article of what I had witnessed.

Returning to Rwanda was no longer a hassle and this time round Pike sanctioned his best photographer, Jimmy Adriko, to accompany me. We travelled with two television journalists from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) who had come to make a documentary about the genocide.

Having been in Rwanda, I acted as a tour guide and conveniently used their hired transport and generosity to get more access and stories. At the time, several bodies of murdered Rwandans were being washed down stream into Uganda. Thousands of the genocide victims had been thrown into rivers Kagera and Nyabarongo, which pour into Lake Victoria.

Given the fact that this was an unfolding story, we decided to begin our tour at Kasensero landing site, in Rakai district. The bodies of killed Rwandan were arriving in droves and the district had taken it upon itself to fish out the bodies before they contaminated the entire water body. Locals had been mobilized and, using fishnets and bare hands, they pulled the bodies out of the water and, using a grader truck, instantly buried them in a mass grave.

To witness this sad event, some Rwandan refugees were gathered and silently mourned their countrymen and women, possibly some of whom were their relatives, being indecently buried in a foreign land. After Kasensero, we proceeded to Kabale, where we spent a night and then once again entered Rwanda. Again we went via Mulindi for clearance and then we were taken to where there was action.

By this time the RPF was on the outskirts of Kigali and had secured the entire eastern side of the country. Literally all areas of Rwanda were killing fields. There were bodies in the houses, compounds, banana plantations, but churches remained the main scenes of the mass killings.

In some churches, the Interahamwe tried to cover up their atrocities. We came across one such incident, where thousands of people had evidently been killed but there were no bodies. So, we followed the blood trails which led us to a disused deep well where the bodies had been disposed of. As we were leaving the scene, we heard screams from this 'grave', which sent all of us, the journalists and our RPF escorts, scampering for dear life.

We later gathered guts and went back to the well. The RPF soldiers began communicating with the faint voices underground as we looked for ropes to rescue those that were still alive. We managed to pull out about nine people, who were faint-looking, smelling like death and some badly injured.

They narrated their ordeal, telling us that once the Interahamwe had carried out the mass killings in the church where they had sought refuge, they ordered them to get rid of the bodies into the unused well. When all the bodies were done, those carrying the dead were also shot or hacked with machetes and pushed down as well.

These survivors, however, tactfully jumped into the well, remaining underground with the dead for days until we rescued them. The killings by the Interahamwe were so horrendous.

One needed to be mentally deranged or drugged in order to carry out those murders. At one church, we met a young girl about 11 years old, with a deep cut at the back of her head, who had witnessed the killing of her entire family.

She had been presumed dead as she lay bleeding among the dead bodies. When there was total silence, she ran and hid in the bushes. Body parts of a little baby lay scattered on a log where it had been chopped up in the presence of both parents, who were later killed as well. The horror in the eyes of that 11-year-old is so vivid for me, even up to now.

Ms Kawamara is now a civil society activist

Zimbabwean Student in Court for Modelling Without Underwear

A Harare Polytechnic College student, who made headlines last week after images were leaked of her flashing her privates at adjudicators during a beauty pageant, appeared in court Monday.

Panashe Zhaware, 21, was charged with public indecency when she appeared before magistrate Blessing Murwisi.

She was remanded to October 21 for trial and released on $100 bail

Zhaware, who is represented by Harare lawyer Musindo Hungwe was not asked to plead when she appeared in court.

Tanzania: Decline in Hotel Bookings as Polling Day Inches Closer

Zanzibar — Online hotel bookings have dropped as Tanzanians move closer to polling day on October 25, tourism sources have disclosed.

Mr Khalfan Nassor, who runs a hotel in Zanzibar, said that October "is normally a low season, but we have reason to believe worries about insecurity have contributed to the decline although the government has assured us of peaceful election."

Ms Lilian Kisasa, Jovago. com public relations manager, also told journalists of the decline in hotel bookings, but said the country remains peaceful and stable.

Tanzania: Filikunjombe Dies in Chopper Crash

A HELICOPTER crash in the middle of the Selous Game Reserve on Thursday evening claimed yet another life of a Parliamentary candidate in next week's general election, maverick Mr Deo Filikunjombe and three others on board.

Police have confirmed that the accident has occurred and that there were four people on board the helicopter but only two have thus far been identified, one of them being the pilot, Captain William Silaa. Capt Silaa is also the father of the outgoing Mayor of Ilala Municipality, Mr Jerry Silaa.

According to the Police Commissioner for Operations, Mr Paul Chagonja, police are yet to establish the cause of the accident and who actually owns the helicopter.

Mr Filikunjombe becomes the sixth parliamentary aspirant and the third from Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in a list that seems to escalate since election campaigns started in August.

Early in the week the Minister for Industry and Trade, the late Dr Abdallah Kigoda who was also a candidate for Handeni constituency in Tanga died whilst undergoing medical treatment in India.

Late last month (September 24) a Minister of State in the President's Office (Public Service Management), Ms Celina Kombani, who was vying for the Ulanga East seat also died in India where she was undergoing treatment.

On September 13 this year, Mr Mohammed Mtoi who was vying for the Lushoto constituency on Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) ticket died in a car accident.

Other aspirants who have since passed on are Masasi parliamentary candidate Dr Emmanuel Makaidi of National League for Democracy (NLD) who died on October 15 from stroke and the Arusha Urban candidate Mr Estomiah Malla of ACT-Wazalendo who died on October 9.

A fortnight ago, outspoken politician and National Chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), Rev Christopher Mtikila died in a car crash at Msolwa village in Chalinze while travelling from Morogoro to Dar es Salaam.

Following news of the crash and confirmation of the deaths of Mr Filikunjombe and others, Jerry Silaa posted on Instagram: "With great sadness I have received official confirmation from the search and rescue team that they have managed to reach the site of the crash and all those on board the helicopter, including the pilot have died.

"I have lost a father and the country has lost a pilot, Capt William Silaa. I have lost a friend and a leader Deo Filikunjombe. I send my condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones and I pray all the deceased rest in peace. "I thank all those who partook in the rescue efforts. I thank President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, IGP Mangu, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Dr Meru, Everest Company and all those involved in search of the crash victims.

May your soul rest in eternal peace Deo Filikunjombe.

Tanzania General Election 2015

Tanzania General Election 2015: 09 days to go.

Nigeria: Falana Drags King Mswati III to UN Over Killing of Girls, Women in Swaziland

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has dragged King Mswati III of Swaziland to United Nations (UN) over killing of girls and women en route to dancing virgin festival.

Falana, in a petition sent to UN Special Rapporteurs, requested them to use their "positions and mandates to thoroughly investigate reports of the unnecessary deaths of at least 60 girls and young women in Swaziland in bus crash on their way to dance festival where King of Swaziland, King Mswati III picks one of thousands of topless virgins as his new wife".

The petition was sent to Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Mr. Juan Ernesto Mendez, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Dubravka Simonovic and Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Mr. Christof Heyns.

The petition reads in part: "According to reports, a car or a van hit the back of one truck which resulted in a pileup. The dead were reportedly thrown from the back of the truck which was usually used for transporting building materials and some were said to have been hit by on-coming cars. The festival still went ahead despite reports on the deaths.

"I urge you to investigate allegations of cover-up and blatant failure of the authorities to prevent the violations of the rights to life, to human dignity, and violence against girls and women, forced marriage, as well as to provide effective remedies for the victims and their families.

"I am seriously concerned that King Mswati III's regime rather than addressing the serious violations of human rights has continued to prevent and prohibit the publication of these abuses against innocent girls and young women while also compromising the law enforcement agencies in the discharge of their lawful functions."

"The girls were forced to stand up in the back of an open truck cheek-by-jowl. There was no space to sit down or even to turn around. By forcing the girls and women to travel on the back of open trucks in a convoy, the government of Swaziland has violated also their rights to freedom from cruel, inhuman, degrading or ill-treatment."