Tanzania's Unusual Immigration Case

[Magurudumu]

On Sunday, more people were evicted from Tanzania. Among them were three men who crossed with 84 heads of cattle. The New Times/ Timothy Kisambira.

When Samuel Mwesigye woke up early morning Friday, September 6, it looked just another normal day.

Little did the 35-year old know that he would not spend the day in the area he had called home all his life.

Yet the father of two would lose everything he had toiled for over a period spanning 20 years, in just a space of 24 hours.

It was so simple. He was told he’s Tanzanian-ness was questionable, and was therefore an ‘illegal’ immigrant’. The sentence? He lost all his 200 heads of cattle, his house, bank account with a balance of Tsh5 million (Rwf2 million deposit), and the country he and his parents had called their homeland for a generation.

While recounting the story in an interview with The New Times, Mwesigye, who’s among more than 7,000 people evicted from Tanzania on the account that they were illegal Rwandan migrants, clearly did not believe what he had gone through, wishing it was a bad dream he would wake up from.

“I woke up early as I normally did and rode my bicycle to the kraal a few kilometres away to collect milk for my family,” he recalled.

But it was a fateful morning.
“I received a call from a friend telling me that soldiers had taken my wife and children; I immediately knew what was going on, I knew they were going to be thrown out of the country and sent to Rwanda on false suspicions,” he said.

“So I rushed home only to find the house deserted. I just picked the important documents in the house, including our birth certificates, to prove we are Tanzanians.”

When he finally arrived at the place where his wife, France Karuhanga, and their two light skinned, healthy looking children aged 5 and 8, were briefly detained, Mwesigye presented the documents in his possession to prove they were not illegal immigrants.

But the officials there instead confiscated the documents, he said.

“To my surprise, they confiscated the documents, made me sit down on the floor and started whipping me insisting that we were illegal immigrants.”

Mwesigye, who was born in Tanzania, acknowledges his Rwandan roots but says his father and grandfather became naturalised citizens under Julius Nyerere’s regime.

“What I don’t understand is how my father and my grandfather are recognised as Tanzanians and I and my children are not. Still, if the authorities have decided to throw us out, why don’t they treat us as human beings and give us a chance to sell or leave with our property, including cows?


Other accounts

On Sunday morning, Mwisigye arrived at the Rusumo Border Post on a Tanzanian Police lorry, along with 28 other evictees. They were guarded by six policemen and in company of two Tanzanian immigration officers.

Yet Mwesigye was lucky. Many other evictees were less fortunate.

Jean Claude Tuyambaze, a herdsman, was not only expelled from Tanzania, but was also stabbed with a machete on his way to Rwanda.

“When rumours started spreading that we would be forced to return to Rwanda, I sold my eight bulls at Tsh2.8 million (about Rwf1.1 million) and decided to return to Rwanda.

“But on my way back home to pack my belongings and leave Tanzania at once, I met a vigilante group armed with machetes and sticks. They stopped me asked me if was Rwandan and before I could answer, they started beating me up, and stabbed me several times,” said the visibly wounded Tuyambaze.

He sustained injuries on his forehead, on the arm and in the back. And all the money was taken.

Another victim, Stephan Rushesha, owned 400 heads of cattle and a house. He narrated how Tanzanian soldiers burnt down his house and forced him out the country without anything.

“They came looking for my father who lived next door but he was away so they turned to us and ordered us to burn our houses, which we thought was a joke until they started beating us up,” recalled Rushesha.

“They tortured my brother in my presence and forced him to set our three houses ablaze. To save his life he set the houses on fire, and the soldiers immediately put us onto a truck and ferried us to the border.”

When The New Times visited the Rusumo border on Sunday, three men crossed with 84 cows.

One of them, John Nabagenza, said he did not know where he was going to put his cows since it was his first time in Rwanda.

Of confiscated property

“I don’t even have relatives here, I don’t own land in this country; I practically don’t know my fate and that of my cows,” he said.

He pointed out that he decided to return with his cows after he learnt that the Tanzanian authorities were rounding up people and forcing them to leave.

According to officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs, people evicted from Tanzania are temporarily put in Kigera and Gihura transit facilities in Kihere District and later relocated to Rukara Camp in Kayonza District.

“Since Saturday, most of the arrivals are being brought by the Tanzanian police. Since this practice started last month, hundreds have registered complaints with us about their abandoned and confiscated property,” said Gonzague Karagire, who heads the transit camps.

At least 2,000 heads of cattle have crossed into Rwanda from Tanzania since the evictions started.

Most of the evictees are from the Kagera Region in the north-western swathes of East Africa’s largest nation.

Contact email: edwin.musoni[at]newtimes.co.rw

Wale waimbaji walishasema kwenu kuzuri sasa mbona hampataki? Rudini mkaijenge nchi yenu acheni kung'ang'ania nchi za wezenu.

 

[Sangarara]

jean claude tuyambaze tangu lini hili jina likawa la kitanzania hapo kuna walakini watutsi acheni kuleta picha za rangi nyekundu zinaumiza macho. ondokeni mtakula jeuri ya kagame bongo tumeshawvumilia sana na ushenzi wenu . muende mkakubaliane na interahamwe mtaishije pamoja badala ya kufukuzana kama paka na panya. hiyo ndiyo fashion siku acheni mambo yenu ya kizamani

Hauwezi kutambua uraia wa mtu kutokana na Jina lake, shirikisha ubongo wako kidogo

 

[JamboJema]

Mtalalamikaaaaaaa lakini mtakwenda tu!

 

[Maswala]

Kagame's arrogance is to blame for all this. Tanzania fears another M23 in there region. Unfortunately the game hurts some few innocents.

This is like a misguided missile landing in civilian areas, causing casualties.

But for those who have lived illegally in Tanzania, why should they complain and demand legal eviction. Who is paying for the eviction exercise? One has to stop and think. I am not saying that these cattle and other properties are to pay for the exercise, but it is also possible they come with nothing, they depart with nothing, if that is true at all.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9780 using JamiiForums

 

[Sangarara]

Wale waimbaji walishasema kwenu kuzuri sasa mbona hampataki? Rudini mkaijenge nchi yenu acheni kung'ang'ania nchi za wezenu.

Acha kurukia mambo usiyoyajua, wale waimbaji wimbo wao hauhusiki na huu ujinga.

 

[Magurudumu]

Acha kurukia mambo usiyoyajua, wale waimbaji wimbo wao hauhusiki na huu ujinga.

Kumbe unajua ni ujinga kuingia nchi za watu bila utaratibu? Mtakoma rudini kwenu. Mwisho wa kuifanya Tanzania shamba la bibi unakaribia.

 

[Sangarara]

Kagame's arrogance is to blame for all this. Tanzania fears another M23 in there region. Unfortunately the game hurts some few innocents.

This is like a misguided missile landing in civilian areas, causing casualties.

But for those who have lived illegally in Tanzania, why should they complain and demand legal eviction. Who is paying for the eviction exercise? One has to stop and think. I am not saying that these cattle and other properties are to pay for the exercise, but it is also possible they come with nothing, they depart with nothing, if that is true at all.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9780 using JamiiForums

Why do not the Government legalize their stay? the story here is mentioning someone who was born by naturalized parents right here in Tanzania since the Mwalimu's Regime, where was the Government all that time? all to come and falal on innocent being because of nonesense misunderstanding between two arrogant and insensitive presidents to the wellbeing of humanity.

those guys, whether rwandese or Tanzanians they have humanity right to live where ever they want without regard of nonsense national borders.

 

[Mbombo Ngafu]

Tatizo kubwa la Wanyarwanda walisahau kwamba wamekaa kwenye nyumba ya kioo hivyo hawaruhusiwi kurusha mawe. Wameanza wao kurusha mawe kwa watanzania kwa kuwatukana matusi ya nguoni na aliyefanya hivyo ni kiongozi wao na wote wakashangilia sana, wakasahau fadhila waliyopewa. Kama hiyo haitoshi, wakajiunga na wakorofi wengine eti kuitenga Tanzania kwenye jumuiya ya EAC na kusitisha matumizi ya bandari ya DSM wakifikiri wanawakomoa WATZ. Leo mnakuja na story kibao ukweli unabaki pale pale wewe ni mhamiaji haramu haijalishi umekaa hapa miaka mingapi na umefanya nini. Zaidi ya yote, walipewa muda wa kuondoka kwa hiari sasa wao walitegemea nini? Kuwa na cheti cha kuzaliwa Tanzania haimaanishi wewe ni mtanzania, bali ni asili ya wazazi wako. Tanzania mnaichezea sana mara Malawi wanataka ziwa nyasa lote liwe lao na wako tayari eti hata kwa vita. Haya sasa wanyasa wote haramu kwenu, wanyarwanda wote haramu kwenu, wakenya na waganda wote haramu kwenu. Hivi nyie hamjui kwamba Tanzania haina cha kupoteza. Embu na nyie wafukuzeni wahamiaji haramu watanzania kwenye nchi zenu muone kama wapo au wanazidi hata 10. Mmerusha mawe hali mnakaa kwenye nyumba ya kioo sasa tanzania imegusa tu hicho kimoja cha wahamiaji haramu ambacho kimsingi ni haki kama nchi kelele chungu mbovu. Mara mnataka bunge la EAC lisikutane Arusha tu hali kwamba pale Arusha ndipo kwenye ukumbi maalum uliojengwa wa bunge hilo. Kwa kuonyesha jeuri yenu mkaungana wote mkatoka nje mkimshinikiza spika w abunge la EAC akubali ajend ayenu na mkawaacha ukumbini watanzania wanashangaa. Hatimaye ajend ayenu ikapita mkifikiri mnaikomoa Tanzania hali ni kuzidi kuongeza gharama zisizo za lazima kwa jumuiya. Ni wakati umefika sasa kila mtu kwao. Huo ndio ukweli wenyewe. KAMA NI EAC KUVUNJIKA ACHA IVUNJIKE TANZANIA ITAENDELEA KUWEPO DAIMA DUMU. TUONE SASA MKIANZA KUPIGANA MTAKIMBILIA WAPI?

 

[Sangarara]

Kumbe unajua ni ujinga kuingia nchi za watu bila utaratibu? Mtakoma rudini kwenu. Mwisho wa kuifanya Tanzania shamba la bibi unakaribia.

Maofisa wa Uhamiaji wako kila kona nchi hii, walikuwa wapi muda wote huo? Ustaarabu ambao watanzania wamekuwa wakijivunia kwa miaka nenda rudi, tena hata ile historia ya kusaidia majirani wakaribu na wambali katika kujipatia uhuru wa bendera kutoka kwa wakoroni uko kwenye majaribu makubwa kwa matendo yanamna hii.

 

[cyberspace]

Unasahau kwamba hii mipaka tuliwekewa na Wazungu wakati wa mkutano mkuu wa Berlin? Hivi leo ukimkuta Mwita aliyeko Musoma utasema aende kwao ni Kenya kwakuwa tu anaitwa Mwita? Kwanza nakubalina kuwa wahamiaji haramu NO, lakini hili suala la Ku- generalize kwa majina au pua ndefu, nakwambia si kigezo sahihi. Tukimaliza hao tutarudi hapa kwetu kuna wahindi na Waarabu tena ambao wakati wa ukoloni koo zao zilikuwa madaraja ya juu, mbona leo ni WaTz? JK alipotoa tamko hilo alikuwa sahihi, lakini nakwambia hivi kwa baadhi ya askari wetu huu utakuwa ni mradi tu wa kukusanya fedha na kupora

Mkuu acha kupotosha Jean Claude ni jina kifaransa, Tanzania angeitwa John Claud au Yohana Claudio kwa hiyo hilo jina ni tosha kabisa kuwa huyu siyo mtanzania kaka

 

[chishango]

Huwa nashindwa kuelewa, kwa nini hawa jamaa hawataki kurudi kwao???

Banamuogopa papaa MAWANI.......!!!!

 

[Sangarara]

Tatizo kubwa la Wanyarwanda walisahau kwamba wamekaa kwenye nyumba ya kioo hivyo hawaruhusiwi kurusha mawe. Wameanza wao kurusha mawe kwa watanzania kwa kuwatukana matusi ya nguoni na aliyefanya hivyo ni kiongozi wao na wote wakashangilia sana, wakasahau fadhila waliyopewa. Kama hiyo haitoshi, wakajiunga na wakorofi wengine eti kuitenga Tanzania kwenye jumuiya ya EAC na kusitisha matumizi ya bandari ya DSM wakifikiri wanawakomoa WATZ. Leo mnakuja na story kibao ukweli unabaki pale pale wewe ni mhamiaji haramu haijalishi umekaa hapa miaka mingapi na umefanya nini. Zaidi ya yote, walipewa muda wa kuondoka kwa hiari sasa wao walitegemea nini? Kuwa na cheti cha kuzaliwa Tanzania haimaanishi wewe ni mtanzania, bali ni asili ya wazazi wako. Tanzania mnaichezea sana mara Malawi wanataka ziwa nyasa lote liwe lao na wako tayari eti hata kwa vita. Haya sasa wanyasa wote haramu kwenu, wanyarwanda wote haramu kwenu, wakenya na waganda wote haramu kwenu. Hivi nyie hamjui kwamba Tanzania haina cha kupoteza. Embu na nyie wafukuzeni wahamiaji haramu watanzania kwenye nchi zenu muone kama wapo au wanazidi hata 10. Mmerusha mawe hali mnakaa kwenye nyumba ya kioo sasa tanzania imegusa tu hicho kimoja cha wahamiaji haramu ambacho kimsingi ni haki kama nchi kelele chungu mbovu. Mara mnataka bunge la EAC lisikutane Arusha tu hali kwamba pale Arusha ndipo kwenye ukumbi maalum uliojengwa wa bunge hilo. Kwa kuonyesha jeuri yenu mkaungana wote mkatoka nje mkimshinikiza spika w abunge la EAC akubali ajend ayenu na mkawaacha ukumbini watanzania wanashangaa. Hatimaye ajend ayenu ikapita mkifikiri mnaikomoa Tanzania hali ni kuzidi kuongeza gharama zisizo za lazima kwa jumuiya. Ni wakati umefika sasa kila mtu kwao. Huo ndio ukweli wenyewe. KAMA NI EAC KUVUNJIKA ACHA IVUNJIKE TANZANIA ITAENDELEA KUWEPO DAIMA DUMU. TUONE SASA MKIANZA KUPIGANA MTAKIMBILIA WAPI?

Mambo ya Kagame kurushiana maneno na Jakaya yalitokana na namna Kagame kushughurikia tatizo la waasi wa serikali yake mwenyewe, hata kama kuna m23 issues, sio fair kwenda kuwakurupua watu wengine, Kama ni swala la wahamiaji haramu nchi hii wamo maelfu kwa maelfu, achilia mbali wote hao wako hapa katika kutafuta ama ridhki ama kuishi kabisa kama hao wanaodharirishwa sasa na askari wetu.

Hao watu hawana uhusiano wowote ule na siasa za East Africa, na wala Tanzania kutengwa sio dhambi, by the way tumekuwa tukidai hatutaki kuingia kwenye federation wala kitu chochote sababu tunaogopa kuibiwa ardhi na nini sijui, kwa nini kuwatwisha watu wengine hasira zetu.

 

[sawa]

hii oparesheni kimbunga lazima itende haki,tusije tukawafukuza wakina YUSSUF,mnao soma biblia nadhani mnakumbuka hii story

 

[Sangarara]

King'asti..Hii habari ingekuwa imeripotiwa na Chombo kingine cha habari kidogo ningetilia uzito lakini si hili gazeti la New Times Rwanda linaloandika habari za kuichafua Tanzania kila kukicha kisa tu watu wameambiwa waende kwao.

Hivi katika zoezi hili linaloendelea waliotimuliwa ni WanyaRwanda tu? ambao mpaka sasa idadi yao ni karibia 7000 kulinganisha na WaBurundi ambao ni 21,000 (Yes, twenty one thousand) mbona wao hatuwasikii serikali zao zikipiga jaramba ulimwengu mzima? Na bado changanya kuna Wakongoman, Wazambia na Waganda kufikia jumla ya wakazi haramu 31,000 waliokwi shatimuliwa.

Wanyarwanda ni mahodari wakung'ang'ania nchi za watu na ubaya ni kwamba hawajui pia kuishi na watu kwa wema maana leo wanakaribishwa kwa wema kesho wanataka kumfanya mwenyeji mgeni! Tazameni ya vita ya huko Goma DRC inasababishwa na nani? Tazameni ndani ya EAC hiyo Tanzania inaanzwa kufanyiwa kampeni chafu na sasa inaazwa kufanywa mgeni na nani?

Na wende zao makwao huko watuache 'wenyeji tupumue' na hii nchi yetu sasa. Nchi yetu wanayoita ya ajabu kutwa kucha ni ni kuisema na huku bado mwataka kuing'ang'ania eboh!. Kwani huko kwao si yasemekana mambo mazuri eti maziwa na asali kwa wingi🙂, ati lami za kumwaga na wala hakuna vibaka sasa wanang'ang'ania nini huku? Si wazungu walisha sema there is no place like home🙂 sasa wana hofu gani? These people are full of air (read themselves🙂

Umeishawaona watu wenye asiri ya rwanda wanapigana na wacongoman wa kinshasa? au kwa vile kwenye mipaka yetu hapajachafuka?

 

[LOVI MEMBE]

Tunamshauri rais wa tanzania aongeze nguvu na kasi hawa kizazi kijacho wanaweza kuanzisha goma na kivu nyingine hapa kwetu . Sasa tukaze buti kusafisha hii mbegu mbaya ikiwezekana na watoto waliwazaa hapa tz nao waondoke ndiyo solution permanent otherwise our descendants will suffer from the politenes in disguise we are trying to portray towards the illegal immigrants. There is no good in keeping illegal intruders. Naunga mkono mia kwa mia hawa wanapenda kujitanabaisha kwa ututsi na kuona kama wabantu waliletwa duniani kwa bahati mbaya vile. Waondoke hatuwataki

 

[Magurudumu]

Maofisa wa Uhamiaji wako kila kona nchi hii, walikuwa wapi muda wote huo? Ustaarabu ambao watanzania wamekuwa wakijivunia kwa miaka nenda rudi, tena hata ile historia ya kusaidia majirani wakaribu na wambali katika kujipatia uhuru wa bendera kutoka kwa wakoroni uko kwenye majaribu makubwa kwa matendo yanamna hii.

Kwani ulikuwa hujui kuwa wema una mwisho? Rudi kwenu Rwanda ukajenge nchi yako acha kutafuta huruma ya watanzania.

 

[LOVI MEMBE]

hawa wanajua stahili ya majina ya Tanzania ila wanajifanya kung'ang'ania kifaransa sasa wasiduwae huu uzalendo wakutumia majina ya kifaransa unatoka wapi kwa mtanzania aiyejua kifaransa acha huo utamaduni wao. bila shaka huyo ni mhamiaji haramu aondoke tu. hata kama mipaka tuliwekewa na wakoloni. hapa baadae kilizuka kizazi cha mauaji katika mataifa haya madogo na sisi watz hatuja pata serious cases za geneocide. kwahiyo mbegu hatuitaki ibakie hapa . tunamuona jirani yetu anavyoshindwa kuendeshwa nchi kutokana na hawa wanaojitafutia maisha. kwahiyo there is no more solution than chasing them out i thin k this is the best choice of all choices we have around us

 

[Anheuser]

Hawa tunaowaita "illegal immigrants" wametukosea nini?

Matatizo ya kila siku ya Mtanzania kwenye kuwasiliana.

Hawa tunaowaita wahamiaji haramu wametukosea nini, wametokusea kwa kuwa wahamiaji haramu!

Ni aibu kwa nchi kama kama yetu. Kwa nini sisi? Tutajie nchi moja duniani ambayo ina mipaka ya wazi, unayoweza kuingia na kukaa na kutoka na kuingia tena na kufanya unavyotaka. Sasa sisi nchi ya nani, Mama Theressa?

Mkizidi mahala shurti mfukuzwe, hususan mkionekana hamna shukurani. Afrika Kusini tulipigana kuwakomboa, tulipozidi tulifukuzwa kwa fimbo mitaani!

 

[LOVI MEMBE]

hapo ni mwanzo tu bado tunaanza kufuatilia wale wafanyakazi haramu. tafadhali mtukufu rais uandae jeshi lingine la kupita maofisini kukagua wafanyakazi haramu waliopenya milango ya dhahabu bila kugundulika na vyombo vya usalama. nasikia wapo tele hadi katika sekta nyeti kama ikulu. sasa juzi wakti kamanda anaendelea na zoezi baadhi ya vigogo ndugu wa wahamiaji haramu walianza kumpigia simu kamanda . nafikiri hao waliompigia simu tuanze nao hao kwa kuwapekua tujue kama ni watanzania kweli au la vinginevyo zoezi hili lifannywe kwa weledi na msingi ya uadilifu ambao Jeshi letu limeweza kuonesha mpaka sasa.

 

[Full Moon]

Nasema pole kwa yaliyo kusibu lkn ondokeni tafadhali