Mhe. Membe apokea Tuzo ya Utumishi Bora wa Umma Afrika kwa niaba ya Rais Kikwete

Balozi wa Nigeria nchini Marekani, Prof. Adebowele Adufye akizungumza machache kabla ya kumkabidhi  Mhe. Bernard K. Membe (Mb.), Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa Tuzo ya Kiongozi Mwenye mchango Mkubwa Zaidi katika Maendeleo ya Bara la Afrika kwa  mwaka 2013. Mhe. Membe alipokea Tuzo hiyo kwa niaba ya Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, Mhe. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. Katika maelezo yake, Balozi Adufye alimwelezea Rais Kikwete kama Kiongozi wa kuigwa Barani Afrika kutokana na uadilifu wake katika uongozi. Hafla hiyo ilifanyika Jijini Washington D.C, Marekani katika Hoteli ya St. Regis na kuhudhuriwa na wageni mbalimbali mashuhuri akiwemo Naibu Spika wa Bunge la Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, Mhe. Job Ndugai ambaye yupo nchini Marekani kwa majukumu mengine ya Kiserikali.

Mhe. Membe akipokea Tuzo ya Kiongozi Mwenye mchango Mkubwa Zaidi katika Maendeleo ya Bara la Afrika kwa  mwaka 2013. Mhe. Membe alipokea Tuzo hiyo kwa niaba ya Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, Mhe. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete kutoka kwa Balozi wa Nigeria nchini Marekani, Mhe. Prof. Adebowele Adufye.

Mhe. Membe akiwaonesha wageni waalikwa Tuzo hiyo mara baada ya kuipokea kwa niaba ya Mhe. Rais Kikwete.

Mhe. Naibu Spika, Job Ndugai nae akifurahia Tuzo hiyo.

Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani, Mhe. Liberata Mulamula nae akifurahia Tuzo hiyo ya Mhe. Rais Kikwete.

Mhe. Waziri Membe akizungumza mara baada ya kupokea Tuzo kwa niaba ya Mhe. Rais Kikwete ambaye amepewa Tuzo ya Kiongozi Mwenye mchango Mkubwa Zaidi katika Maendeleo ya Bara la Afrika kwa  mwaka 2013 na Taasisi ya Uchapishaji ya African Leadership Magazine. Mhe. Membe alimwelezea Rais Kikwete kama Kiongozi ambaye Watanzania wanajivunia kuwa nia kutokana na uongozi wake uliotukuka.

Naibu Spika, Mhe. Job Ndugai, Mhe. Balozi Mulamula pamoja na wajumbe wengine wakifuatilia hotuba ya Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani) wakati wa hafla ya upokeaji Tuzo ya Kiongozi Mwenye mchango Mkubwa Zaidi katika Maendeleo ya Bara la Afrika kwa  mwaka 2013 ambaye ni Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, Mhe. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.

Mkurugenzi wa Mawasiliano-Ikulu, Bw. Salvatory Rweyemamu akiwa na Bi. Mindi Kasiga, Mkuu wa Kitengo cha Mawasiliano wa Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa pamoja na wajumbe wengine wakati wa hafla ya upokeaji Tuzo ya Kiongozi Mwenye mchango Mkubwa Zaidi katika Maendeleo ya Bara la Afrika kwa  mwaka 2013.  

Bw. John Kennedy Opara (kulia) ambaye ni Katibu Mtendaji wa Tume ya Mahujaji Wakiristo wa Nigeria ambaye pia ni Mshauri wa Rais Goodluck Jonathan wa nchi hiyo kuhusu Uhusiano wa Kidini akiwa na Dkt. Kingsley Moghalu, Naibu Gavana wa Benki Kuu ya Nigeria ni baadhi ya Waafrika ambao walipewa heshima pamoja na Rais Kikwete wakati wa hafla hiyo.

Wajumbe wakifuatilia matukio.

Hafla ikiendelea.

Wajumbe wakifuatilia matukio mbalimbali ya utoaji Tuzo kwa Mhe. Rais Kikwete.

Wageni waalikwa wakiwa wamefurika ukumbini wakati wa hafla ya utoaji Tuzo kwa Mhe. Rais Kikwete

Picha ya Pamoja

Mhe. Membe akiwa na Balozi Mulamula pamoja na Bw. Hamza Mwamoyo wa Sauti ya Marekani (VOA) mara baada ya mahojiano kuhusu Tuzo hiyo.

Mhe. Membe (katikati) na Mwenyekiti wa CCM, DMV, Bw. George Sebo (kulia) walipofika kumpongeza kwa niaba ya Rais Kikwete mara baada ya kupokea Tuzo.
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KEY NOTE ADDRESS BY HONORABLE BERNARD KAMILLIUS MEMBE, (MP) MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF TANZANIA ON THE OCCASION OF RECEIVING THE AFRICA POLITICAL LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD ON BEHALF OF HIS EXCELLENCY JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

WASHINGTON, DC 09-04-2014

______________________________________________

Dr. Ken Giami, Chief Executive Officer of the African Leadership Magazine,

Hon. Saada Mkuya Salum, Minister for Finance of the United Republic of Tanzania

Her Excellency Liberata Mulamula, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania

Senior Government Officials,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Members of the Public Service Sector,

Editors of the African Leadership Magazine,

Distinguished guests and friends of Africa

Ladies and Gentleman:

I commend the Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ken Giami and his entire team for convening this Award ceremony and for organizing it so well to everybody’s satisfaction.  I also thank the organizers for inviting me to participate and deliver a key note address on the theme “Efficient Public Service delivery as key to Africa’s Economic Growth and Development”  I will try to limit myself with Tanzania’s example as you suggested, however you will bear with me when I speak for Africa as we stand as one.

The proposed subject is indeed an important matter to all of us especially at this juncture when countries such as Tanzania are at the verge of economic transformation.

          Throughout my remarks, I will put an emphasis on people’s centered development and economic growth.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

It is with no doubt, efficient public service delivery in Tanzania has brought significant progress in the overall well-being of its citizens.  However, the experience has shown that the master key to sustainable Economic Growth and Development is the partnership which the public sector must, of necessity forge with the Private Sector.  This is why we in Tanzania have for number of years embraced the notion of public private partnerships (PPP).  This has been working across all sectors that play a big role in the development of Tanzania.  The combination of the two propels economic growth and development forward.  In Tanzania for example we have achieved a target on universal primary education enrolment as well as on gender parity with regard to number of boys and girls in primary and secondary school enrolment.  We are now working to create gender parity of female-male in tertiary education.

Since education is carried out by both public and private sector, we in the government made a decision that student loans should not only be accessible to public school students, but also to all private school students.  This public service delivery in education coupled with the partnership with the private sector in education, has made a huge difference.

Since we are in the ICT era, I must also mention that new schools in Tanzania have triggered an explosion in the demand for secondary school education.  A 400 percent increase in enrolment in only four years has taxed the educational infrastructure.  The schools cannot cope with the numbers of new students, and the country now needs 85,000 more teachers.  As a result, the Tanzania government has launched a powerful public-private partnership scheme called “Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow”.  International technology brands and important not-for-profit organisations are taking part in the scheme exploiting e-Learning to expand the capacity of the secondary schools.  Trials are taking place in Mbezi Beach, an up-market suburb of Dar-es-Salaam.  Our goal is to roll out this project nationwide through national fibre-optic network.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

          On environmental sustainability, we are doing very well on providing safe and clean water in rural and urban areas.  A total of 2,390,000 villagers have been provided with clean water during the past one year.  Previously, the number of people provided with water in rural areas was at between 300,000 to 500,000 people annually.  An important factor in this development has been the  success in increasing efficiency in the procurement process, reducing the time required to procure a contractor from an average of 295 days to 95 days only in implementation of water projects.

We have also made significant achievement in the provision of health facilities in the country.  In the past five years, we have been building more dispensaries and health centers with the aim of ensuring that there is a health delivery facility within a radius of 5 kilometers from where people live.  We are also training Doctors, Nurses and Mid-wives so that pregnant women can now deliver under the care of trained health personnel in a move to improve maternal health. New two medical colleges of medicine have been built in Tanzania for the purpose of increasing the number of Doctors and Nurses.  The two schools at Mloganzira in Kisarawe and Dodoma have the capacity to produce approximately 15,000 medical students annually in various fields.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

          Another area that has consumed most of our time and resources in the past few years, is the area of infrastructure development.  Road and railway infrastructure is key to economic growth and trade facilitation in the country and in the continent at large.  The Government has during the 2013/14 fiscal year increased spending in infrastructure to 2.16 trillion Tanzanian shillings compared to 1.94 trillion Tanzanian shillings in the previous financial year.  Tanzania has built close to 4,000 kms of road network in the last 8 years.  This development facilitates trade, shortens the number of travelling days and motor vehicles would now live longer.  There are port development projects which are capital and labour intensive which are as well underway.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

          Recent Gas discoveries are leading the way in Tanzania’s economic transformation.  Tanzania’s gas discoveries todate are at 46 trillion cubic feet and more are expected.  We do have other renewable resources that are largely untapped; these are hydro, solar, wind and biomass.  Our renewable industry is understandably at its infancy because of lack of finance providers, service companies and a regulatory framework.  I seize this opportunity to welcome those interested to invest in this area.

          Our Government knows that if we are to achieve our goal we must have the ease of doing business.  Transparency in managing these resources is what we have resolved to do.  We believe that transparency will enable the business environment to develop and thrive.  Without transparency, we will have weak governance, corruption and poor oversight.  Whereas better governance and transparency drives up standards, engages communities and creates a level playing field that will benefit all companies.

          That is why I said from the beginning that public service delivery and partnership with private sector is imperative.  Partnership is about improving the business environment, and Tanzania remains committed to working with our partners and help each other in implementing more transparent, whether on open data, tax or trade policies, or on land and extractive transactions.

          Agriculture is the mainstay of Tanzania’s livelihood.  Close to 80% of our people live and depend on agriculture.  The Government is determined to transform our agriculture into mechanized and commercial agriculture.  The discovery of gas will put in place fertilizer industries which will create and improve productivity.  Agriculture will continue to create more jobs to the millions of unemployed youth.  Should be known, Tanzania, has 44 million hectares of arable land and up to now only 6.3 hectares (24%) are under crop production.  34 percent of our export earnings come from agriculture.

CONCLUSION

          So yes! Efficient public service delivery is key to economic growth and development.  Tanzania’s growth levels have reached and sustained at 7%.  Export of goods and services in the country, in the East African market and European countries is tripling. 

          Partnership with private sector and other countries is a master key.  Not only does partnership provide resources, but it enables partners to help each other creating conducive climate for trade and investment with good governance and transparency being its top priorities.  That is what Tanzania has been trying to do and will die trying! 

As I finish, I hope to see you in Tanzania, if not for investment opportunities that we can offer then for leisure as a tourist.  Let me also take this opportunity once again to thank you for selecting His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as a winner for this year and this award is dedicated to Tanzania and Africa at large.  We have work to do in improving the lives of our people, let’s do it.  Our gratitude to Africa Leadership Magazine you are doing a wonderful job of speaking for Africa by Africans.  You remain a good example of what young people in Africa can do in the world, best wishes in keeping the African dream alive.

          Thanks for your very kind attention!

 

Mhe.Membe akutana na Gavana wa Jimbo la Maryland nchini Marekani

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Mhe. Bernard K. Membe (Mb.) akisalimiana na Gavana wa Jimbo la Maryland la nchini Marekani, Mhe. Martin O'Malley walipokutana jijini Washington D.C kwa mazungumzo kuhusu namna ya kuimarisha ushirikiano kati ya Jimbo hilo na Tanzania katika masuala ya uchumi, jamii na siasa. Mhe. Membe alipata fursa ya kukutana na Gavana huyo alipokuwa mjini humo kwa ajili ya kumwakilisha Mhe. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania kwenye upokeaji Tuzo ya Kiongozi mwenye Mchango Mkubwa zaidi katika Maendeleo ya Bara la Afrika kwa Mwaka 2013.

Mhe. Gavana O'Malley akisalimiana na Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani, Mhe. Liberata Mulamula

Mhe. Waziri Membe akitoa salamu maalum kwa wajumbe kabla ya mkutano kuanza. Pembeni ni Mhe. Gavana O'Malley.

Mhe. Membe akizungumza huku Gavana O'Malley akimsikiliza.

Mhe. Membe akiendelea na mazungumzo huku Mhe. Gavana O'Malley na wajumbe wengine wakimsikiliza.

Mhe. Gavana O'Malley akizungumza.

Balozi Mulamula akiwa na wajumbe wengine wakimsikiliza Gavana O'Malley (hayupo pichani)

Mkurugenzi wa Mawasiliano Ikulu, Bw. Salvatory Rweyemamu akimsikiliza Gavana O'Malley (hayupo pichani). Wengine ni Balozi wa Nigeria nchini Marekani Prof. Adebowele Adufye pamoja na Bi. Mindi Kasiga, Mkuu wa Kitengo cha Mawasiliano ya Serikali, Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa.

Wajumbe wengine wakati wa mkutano kati ya Mhe. Membe na Gavana O'Malley (hawapo pichani). Kushoto ni Bw. Thobias Makoba, Katibu wa Waziri Membe na Bi. Redemptor Tibaigana, Afisa Mambo ya Nje.

Wajumbe wengine

Mhe. Membe akimweleza jambo Mhe. Gavana O'Malley mara baada ya mazungumzo yao.

Mhe. Membe akisalimiana na Bw. John Kennedy Opara, Katibu Mtendaji wa Tume ya Mahujaji Wakiristo wa Nigeria ambaye pia ni Mshauri wa Rais Goodluck Jonathan wa nchi hiyo kuhusu Uhusiano wa Kidini nchini Nigeria. Bw. Opara pia alipokea Tuzo ya Heshima siku hiyo.

Mhe. Gavana O'Malley katika picha ya pamoja na Bal. Mulamula

Mhe. Gavana O'Malley katika picha ya pamoja na Bi. Kasiga.

Mhe. Membe na Mhe. Gavana O'Malley katika picha ya pamoja na wajumbe wengine.

Viongozi wa CCM Tawi la DMV, Marekani wasalimiana na Mhe. Membe

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Mhe. Bernard K. Membe (Mb.) akizungumza na Viongozi wa Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) (hawapo pichani), Tawi la DMV, Marekani waliofika kumsalimia katika Ubalozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani. Mhe. Membe alikuwa nchini humo kwa ajili ya kupokea Tuzo kwa niaba ya Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, Mhe. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.

Mwenyekiti wa CCM, Tawi la DMV, Bw. George Sebo akitoa salamu za wanachama kwa Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani)

Mhe.Membe na wajumbe wengine waliokuwepo kwenye mkutano huo wakimsikiliza Bw. Sebo.

Katibu wa Itikadi na Uenezi wa Tawi la DMV Bi. Salma Moshi nae akieleza jambo wakati wa mkutano wao na Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani)

Picha ya pamoja

Mhe. Membe azungumza na Wafanyakazi wa Ubalozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje  na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Mhe. Bernard K. Membe (Mb.) akisaini Kitabu cha Wageni alipowasili Ubalozi wa Tanzania mjini Washington D.C, Marekani kwa ajili ya kuzungumza na Wafanayakazi wa Ubalozi huo. Mhe. Membe alikuwa nchini Marekani kwa ajili ya kupokea Tuzo ya Kiongozi Mwenye Mchango Mkubwa Zaidi katika Maendeleo ya Bara la Afrika kwa mwaka 2013 kwa niaba ya Mhe. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania ambaye ametunukiwa Tuzo hiyo.

Mhe. Membe akisaini Kitabu cha Wageni Ubalozini Washington D.C huku Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani, Mhe. Liberata Mulamula akishuhudia.

Mhe. Membe akizungumza na Wafanyakazi wa Ubalozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani (hawapo pichani)

Mhe. Balozi Mulamula (kushoto) akiwa na Mkuu wa Utawala Ubalozini, Bibi. Lily Munanka (katikati) pamoja na Bi. Redemptor Tibaigana, Afisa Mambo ya Nje wakimsikiliza Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani) alipozugumza nao.

Wafanyakazi wengine wa Ubalozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani wakati wa mkutano na Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani). Kutoka kushoto ni Bw. Suleiman Saleh, Bi. Mindi Kasiga na Bw. Abbas Misana.

Wafanyakazi wengine wa Ubalozi huo akiwemo Dkt. Mkama (kulia), Mama Kijuu (kushoto) wakimsikiliza Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani) alipozungumza nao.

Waziri Bernard Membe aongelea swala la Uraia Pacha Ubalozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa Mhe. Bernard Membe (Mb) akiongoza mazungumzo ya Raia Pacha alipokuwa akiongea na Rais wa Jumuiya ya Watanzania DMV Bw. Idd Sandaly na katibu wake Amosi Cherehani ( Hawapo pichani) wakiwemo baadhi ya Maafisa Ubalozi na wanaDMV kwenye Ubalozi wa Tanzania Nchini Marekani siku ya Jumanne April,2014 alipo karibishwa chakula cha jioni Ubalozini hapo huku Naibu Spika Mhe. Job Ndungai akiongezea mawili matatu 

Waziri Membe akiongelea swala la Uraia Pacha kulia ni Naibu Spika Job Ndungai akifuatilia mazungumzo hayo

Kushoto ni Rais wa Jumuiya ya Watanzania DMV Rais Idd Sandaly na Mhe. Balozi Liberata Mulamula wakifuatilia mazungumzo

Kikao kikiendelea

Waziri Membe akutana na wafanyakazi wa Ubalozi Tanzania nchini Marekani

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Bernard K. Membe (Mb) akikaribishwa na balozi wa Tanzania nchin Marekani Balozi Mulamula. Membe yupo Marekani mjini washington DC, ambako atapokea Tuzo ya Africa's Most Impactful Leader of the Year kwaniaba ya Mhe. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania

Mindi Kasiga afisa Ubalozi wa Washington DC akiongea machache kuhusu ujio wa Mhe.Bernard Membe kabla ya Balozi ya Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Marekani Mhe. Liberatta Mulamula kumtambulisha kwa wageni waalikwa walio jumuika na Waziri Bernard Membe kwenye chakula cha jioni na baadae kuongea Mhe. Membe kuongea machache na ujio wa safari yake

Waziri Bernard  Membe akisalimiana na Rais wa Jumuiya ya watanzaniaDMV Rais Idd Sandaly

Waziri Membe akimtambulisha naibu spika Job Ndungai kwa maafisa wa Ubalozi wa Washington DC

Naibu Spika wa Bunge la Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania Job Ndungai akisalimiana na Bwana Mulamula

Picha ya Pamoja

TAARIFA KWA VYOMBO VYA HABARI

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Mhe. Bernard K. Membe (Mb.) atapokea tuzo ya Africa’s Most Impactful Leader of the Year kwa niaba ya Mhe. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Rais wa Jamahuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania mjini Washington D.C, Marekani tarehe 09 Aprili, 2014.

Tuzo hiyo ambayo hutolewa kila mwaka na Taasisi ya Uchapishaji ya African Leadership Magazine yenye makazi yake nchini Marekani kwa viongozi wa Afrika wanaofikia vigezo vilivyowekwa na Taasisi hiyo ikiwa ni pamoja na kuzingatia utawala bora, demokrasia na kuheshimu haki za binadamu kwa Mwaka 2013 inatolewa kwa Mhe. Rais Kikwete.

Kwa mujibu wa Taasisi ya African Leadership Magazine, Tuzo hiyo inatolewa kwa Mhe. Rais Kikwete kutokana na namna ya pekee ya uongozi wake wenye matokeo yanayopimika kiutawala bora hususan kwa mwananchi wa kawaida wa Tanzania. Aidha, uongozi wake umeiletea Tanzania heshima kubwa kimataifa na kuiweka Tanzania kama chaguo muhimu kwa wawekezaji kutokana na ukuaji uchumi na maboresho ya sera.

Tuzo hiyo tayari imewahi kutolewa kwa Marais na Viongozi wengine mbalimbali wa Afrika wakiwemo Mhe. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Rais wa Liberia, Mhe. James Michel, Rais wa Shelisheli na Rais Mstaafu wa Ghana, Mhe. John Kuffor.

Ujumbe wa Mhe. Membe utamhusisha Mkurugenzi wa Mawasiliano Ikulu, Bw. Salvatory Rweyemamu, Waandishi wa Habari na Maafisa wa Serikali. Mhe. Membe atarejea nchini tarehe 11 Aprili, 2014.

 

Imetolewa na: KITENGO CHA MAWASILIANO YA SERIKALI, WIZARA YA MAMBO YA NJE NA USHIRIKIANO WA KIMATAIFA, DAR ES SALAAM.

 

8 APRILI, 2014

Tanzania na EU zasaini Mkataba wa Kubadilishana washitakiwa wa Uharamia

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Mhe.  Bernard K. Membe (Mb) na Mwakilishi wa Umoja wa Ulaya wa Mambo ya Nje na Usalama, Bi. Catherine Ashton wakiweka saini  Mkataba wa Kubadilishana Maharamia wanaokamatwa Bahari Kuu. Mkataba huo ulisainiwa mjini Brussels, Ubelgiji hivi karibuni. Mhe. Membe amefuatana na  ujumbe wa Rais kwenye Mkutano wa Wakuu wa Nchi za Umoja wa Ulaya na Afrika unaofanyika mjini Brussels.

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Mhe. Benard K. Membe (Mb.) na Mwakilishi wa Umoja wa Ulaya wa Mambo ya Nje  na Usalama, Bi. Catherine Ashton wakipeana mkono mara baada ya kusaini mkataba huo.

EU Tanzania signs Piracy Transfer Agreement

Signing Ceremony of the Agreement between the European Union and the United Republic of Tanzania on the conditions of transfer of suspected pirates and associated seized property from the European Union led naval force to the United Republic of Tanzania. The Government of Tanzania was represented by Honorable Bernard K.Membe (MP), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Ms. Catherine Ashton, First Vice President of the European Union represented the EU.

Tanzania: Sports Diplomacy Will Transform Local Athletes

TANZANIA has embarked on sport diplomacy to enable its athletes perform better and bring in medals from international events including the Commonwealth Games set for July, this year in Glasgow, Scotland.

The diplomacy which is meant to enhance capacity building amongst the sportsmen and women will include sending local athletes to other countries and learn new tactics and improve their performance.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Bernard Membe, said that at the moment the country does not have international standard facilities for training its athletes and this has prompted the government to seek assistance from advanced countries.

To start with, the government will send 50 athletes and about 16 coaches abroad to train. A total of ten athletes will train in Ethiopia, ten in New Zealand, ten in China and ten others in Turkey and the government will provide tickets and per diem allowances while the rest of the expenses will be covered by the host countries.

We applaud the government for coming up with this brilliant idea and as Minister Membe said, this is indeed good news for the country's ambitious plan to revive the ailing standard of sports.

Previously, our sportsmen and women were training on facilities that don't meet international standards and this led to their dismal performance in international competitions but now, the government is committed to bring to an end scenario of failure to win medals in big games.

Yes! The embarrassing failure has to end now and the country should retain its old lost glory, especially in such events as Commonwealth Games, where the country has a history of performing well.

Without our sportsmen and women winning in sports competitions, locally and internationally, Tanzania will not be able to make any diplomatic sports impact at home and abroad.

We should remember that sports diplomacy has helped a number of countries in the world in pushing forward their agendas, some of which had absolutely nothing to do with sports.

However, at this juncture, the major focus should remain on helping our athletes step up and improve their career and instil winning mentality. We always believe that good preparations will definitely pay off.