Acacia seeks goodwill from villagers in Mara

[Samantha Cole]

Report in The Citizen By Beldina Nyakeke

The Acacia North Mara Goldmine acting general manager has called for peace and harmony between the mine and the host community. Currently, the mine is surrounded by a wall that separates the firm from the host community.

Acacia mining is advocating for a mutual relationship between the villages surrounding the mine and its North Mara Gold, which is currently ring-fenced due to security.

The mine acting general manager, Mr Sam Pobee, said the wall must be removed through an improved relationship between the mine and the host community, after long term battles and confrontations between the two sides.

"We are making efforts to ensure that we have a good relationship with host communities through good terms and I believe that one day, there would be no wall," he said.
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---- Nice idea but-------
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Can Acacia Mining really think that they can wave a magic wand and all the Tanzanian residents living in villages around North Mara mine will come running to start a new friendship with Acacia?
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After all the many years or misery, rape, death, property damage and theft, environmental devastation and more?
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Let us not forget the proof of the crimes against these innocent villages as presented in this very accurate video made by the UK Human Rights organization, RAID. Here is the link.
https://youtu.be/nShgbXfwrhI
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Over and above the crimes committed against the villagers living around North Mara mine, they all read the news and they all know about the arrests of the Acacia senior executives for alleged charges of corruption, bribery, money laundering, tax evasion, forgery, and more. Every Tanzanian takes these alleged charges personally because every crime against the state is a direct influence on each individual person.
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Acacia Mining is correct to wish for a clean start with the villagers. Peace, stability and cooperation are the only ways to move forwards. Conflict is unhealthy and spreads more misery and disappointment.
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Acacia needs to to take responsibility for their deeds over the decades in relation to the villagers. They need to apologise and they need to pay compensation to those who need to be compensated.
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PRESIDENT MAGUFULI should appoint an UN-CORRUPTABLE person to handle the process of claims and compensation.
And then a new page can be turned and the parties can move forwards together - as they should have over 20 years ago
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Power to Tanzania !

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

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PRESIDENT MAGUFULI should appoint an UN-CORRUPTABLE person to handle the process of claims and compensation.
And then a new page can be turned and the parties can move forwards together - as they should have over 20 years ago
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Power to Tanzania !

Nice piece but got irritated by a shortsighted proposition within the above paragraph. We don't need some an incorruptible messiah to handle the whole indemnity issue. We need more Transparency in extractive industry, We need to see Corporate Social Responsibility in Action. Above all we need a competent tribunal/court of law to handle the whole issue of claims and compensation.

Power to Tanzania.

 

[Samantha Cole]

Nice piece but got irritated by a shortsighted proposition within the above paragraph. We don't need some an incorruptible messiah to handle the whole indemnity issue. We need more Transparency in extractive industry, We need to see Corporate Social Responsibility in Action. Above all we need a competent tribunal/court of law to handle the issue of claims and compensation.

Power to Tanzania.

Sorry you got irritated by our suggestion.
I don't profess to be a specialist in this field but if you look back at similar situations, you will generally see processes getting bogged down by bureaucracy and corrupt officials trying to get their fingers into the pie.
Our suggestion was really aimed at being as uncomplicated as possible. Truth be told, you are correct that we need more transparency all around, in all industries, but where do we start? It is a tough question.
As regards our People around North Mara, there are specific claims and whatever official body/tribunal will be appointed to handle the claims, "let the show begin" otherwise it will get stuck along the way for years.
And above all we do want peace between miners and villagers all around the country and only with North Mara

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

Sorry you got irritated by our suggestion.
I don't profess to be a specialist in this field but if you look back at similar situations, you will generally see processes getting bogged down by bureaucracy and corrupt officials trying to get their fingers into the pie.
Our suggestion was really aimed at being as uncomplicated as possible. Truth be told, you are correct that we need more transparency all around, in all industries, but where do we start? It is a tough question.
As regards our People around North Mara, there are specific claims and whatever official body/tribunal will be appointed to handle the claims, "let the show begin" otherwise it will get stuck along the way for years.
And above all we do want peace between miners and villagers all around the country and only with North Mara

Look Samantha,
The whole suggestion of incorruptible messiah is unrealistic close to saying light sabers are real.
How can we know that this official is incorruptible, and is likely to be incorruptible in the near future ?
I understand your deepest concern about vicious corruption and bureaucratic nightmare in our legal system. But again i see more light in reverting the matter back to the court of law/tribunal than a single bureaucrat.

So how do we deal with corruption and bureaucracy in within our legal system: Simple Answer.
Pass an Emergency Legislation that will give more mandate to the High Court Commercial Division on dealing with issues of minerals and natural resources. Or you can amend the recently passed legislation and create a tribunal special for handling all issues of natural resources within the Country. Enact a new set of legal procedures for investigation, witness protection, Rules of evidence etc.

But, if we think individuals will do us any good we will be lost in our own quagmire.
And the whole process will turn out to be one crazy charade.

 

[Samantha Cole]

Look Samantha,
The whole suggestion of incorruptible messiah is unrealistic close to saying light sabers are real.
How can we know that this official is incorruptible, and is likely to be incorruptible in the near future ?
I understand your deepest concern about vicious corruption and bureaucratic nightmare in our legal system. But again i see more light in reverting the matter back to the court of law/tribunal than a single bureaucrat.

So how do we deal with corruption and bureaucracy in within our legal system: Simple Answer.
Pass an Emergency Legislation that will give more mandate to the High Court Commercial Division on dealing with issues of minerals and natural resources. Or you can amend the recently passed legislation and create a tribunal special for handling all issues of natural resources within the Country. Enact a new set of legal procedures for investigation, witness protection, Rules of evidence etc.

But, if we think individuals will do us any good we will be lost in our own quagmire.
And the whole process will turn out to be one crazy charade.

Yes, my Friend, I see where you are coming from.
At the end of the day, the "powers" that be, for better and for worse, will decide on the mechanism - hopefully sooner rather than later.
All we can do is continue our drive to raise awareness towards a better future for all our People.
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[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

Yes, my Friend, I see where you are coming from.
At the end of the day, the "powers" that be, for better and for worse, will decide on the mechanism - hopefully sooner rather than later.
All we can do is continue our drive to raise awareness towards a better future for all our People.
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Yes, but such future ought to be sustainable: A trick that not a single vizier can pull alone.
Be it as it may, there comes a time when we have to take our institutions seriously.

 

[Samantha Cole]

Yes, but such future ought to be sustainable: A trick that not a single vizier can pull alone.
Be it as it may, there comes a time when we have to take our institutions seriously.

Hence our single 'tool' being public awareness and having more and more people pro-active.
It is a tall order and there is no hocus pocus or wizard who can wave his wand and fix the present problems.

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

Hence our single 'tool' being public awareness and having more and more people pro-active.
It is a tall order and there is no hocus pocus or wizard who can wave his wand and fix the present problems.

Samantha,
Transparency is a birthmark of any form of awareness,
The difficulty is: Are we transparent or at least willing to cherish this principle???

 

[Samantha Cole]

Samantha,
Transparency is a birthmark of any form of awareness,
The difficulty is: Are we transparent or at least willing to cherish this principle???

"We" can be as transparent as crystal. The problem is not us - the problem is the culture of our officials and we have to have hope and trust that our President is bringing about change. It will take time to filter down but we have to have hope

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

"We" can be as transparent as crystal. The problem is not us - the problem is the culture of our officials and we have to have hope and trust that our President is bringing about change. It will take time to filter down but we have to have hope

Don't want to sound pessimistic but truth be told, this culture of impunity is a pedigree of this Draconian Constitution which creates Imperial Presidency without any form of accountability. Let's assume Magufuli does his thing and the economy booms and gets perched up the horizon. The only potential will be Imperial Presidency without accountability: Magufuli may turn out to be good but what about his political successors ??? Imagine Tanzania with a President with the likes of Makamba (God Forbid).

If we wish to witness a major paradigm shift in our political culture, then the constitution must be totally changed. We can keep the Imperial Presidency but with a massive penumbra of checks and balances to curtail any abuse from the executive which has been like a norm for Tanzanian presidents.

 

[Samantha Cole]

Don't want to sound pessimistic but truth be told, this culture of impunity is a pedigree of this Draconian Constitution which creates Imperial Presidency without any form of accountability. Let's assume Magufuli does his thing and the economy booms and gets perched up the horizon. The only potential will be Imperial Presidency without accountability: Magufuli may turn out to be good but what about his political successors ??? Imagine Tanzania with a President with the likes of Makamba (God Forbid).

If we wish to witness a major paradigm shift in our political culture, then the constitution must be totally changed. We can keep the Imperial Presidency but with a massive penumbra of checks and balances to curtail any abuse from the executive which has been like a norm for Tanzanian presidents.

Now THAT is what I call a tall order, bordering on the 'most unlikely' ---- and I am an eternal optimist

 

[Massanda OMtima Massanda]

Guys, good relationship is a two way traffic. It is incoherent and inappropriate to think that the mine can open its borders (remove the wall) whilst surrounded by a hungry community (especially jobless youths) or rather when it limits the local entrepreneurs access to its supply chain system!

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

Now THAT is what I call a tall order, bordering on the 'most unlikely' ---- and I am an eternal optimist

Well if you think liberty and justice are way too expensive then lets preserve the status quo.

 

[MALCOM LUMUMBA]

Guys, good relationship is a two way traffic. It is incoherent and inappropriate to think that the mine can open its borders (remove the wall) whilst surrounded by a hungry community (especially jobless youths) or rather when it limits the local entrepreneurs access to its supply chain system!

That's why i have told Samantha that if the issue of Compensation is handed to the bureaucrats instead of competent courts the there will be no two way traffic in this irreparably broken down relationship.