Tanzania Government ‘will suspend’ leasing of Lake Babati to Chinese investors: minister

Minister for State in the Vice President's Office (Union and Environment), Mr January Makamba

Dar es Salaam. The government seeks to suspend a decision by Babati Town Council to lease the Lake Babati to a Chinese company that is interested in fish stocking.

The media reported on September 21, 2018 that a Chinese company, XIN SI LUCO Ltd, headquartered in Arusha, wants to enter into a lease agreement of the lake so as do fish stocking.

The agreement would also see other environmental stakeholders as well as the Council engaging in conservation measures including stopping those conducting agricultural and cattle rearing activities around the lake.

But the Minister for State in the Vice President's Office (Union and Environment), Mr January Makamba said on Sunday, September 23, 2018 that the plan will be suspended because there could a lot of issues that need to be sorted out.

Writing on Twitter page on Sunday, September 23, 2018 Mr Makamba said the issues include the wisdom, legality and utility of the leasing and the precedent that will be set. It also entails the accessibility of other water users to the leased water body.

Mr Makamba’s ‘suspension plan’ come two days after the report was first published in the media and raised some eyebrows to Twitter users.

Quoted on a section of the print media, Mr Mohamed Kibiki, the Babati Town Council Chairman, had earlier called upon his fellow councilors and Babati citizens to welcome the investor provided that they (investors) would abide by the terms and conditions.

Some of the conditions oblige the investor to come up with fish species that can easily multiply.

The investor is also required to conserve the environment; invest in a fish processing plant at Maisaka Katani and employ local residents in different jobs such as fishing.

Mr Kibiki said the investment is important for it would save the lake whose depth has been decreasing due to human activities, leading to soil erosion from uplands.

As a result, it is estimated that fish stocks have gone down from 20 tonnes to merely four to five tonnes in six months.