SPEED KILLS ONE

1
Mikindani Gazette
SPEED KILLS ONE A 7 tonne truck carrying
a cargo of dried cassava lost control and over
turned killing one pedestrian. On Sunday the 25th
of Nov at 9 pm a truck driven and owned by Mr
Mohomed Hamisi was travelling at high speed as it
rounded a slight bend in the road in Magengeni
ward recently. According to eye witnesses the
truck rubbed along a guard rail for some time
before the rail gave way. The truck plunged off
the road and flew through air for several meters
before crash landing on the beach below.  A
pedestrian that was standing against the guard
rail at the time of the accident was hit by the
truck and killed instantly. The driver and four
other passengers, some of who were riding in the
back of the lorry all received only minor
injuries. Exactly why the accident occurred is
unsure, however witnessed said the truck was
travelling at an amazingly high speed.
According to other reports the trucks accelerator
was stuck and its brakes were faulty. Apparently
the deceased, Mr Hamisi Mijai, was standing with
another woman just before the accident occurred.
His woman friend perturbed by the speed of the
fast approaching truck decided to quickly cross
the road out of the trucks way. Mr Mijai decided
to stay where he was and unfortunately was hit.
Mr Mijai was a fisherman and leaves behind a
wife and two children.
OFFICERS MAKE A CATCH  On Friday the 2nd of
October at 9 oclock, Fishing Officers
accompanied by armed police made a surprise raid
on illegal fishing in Mikindani. According to
Saidi.M. Abdallah (Chief Municipal Fisheries
Officer), no arrests were made but 4 illegal nets
were indefinitely confiscated.  The nets that
were confiscated in Mikindani were illegal beach
sand nets (usually over 100 meters long).
According to national regulations the size of the
mesh must be 2.5 mm and above. The nets
confiscated were under this mesh size.  They
know they are guilty, said Mr Abdallah, We
have schooled them many times before about what
is legal and what is not. Many of the illegal
nets come from Mozambique continued Mr Abdallah,
they are referred to locally as Mshipi
nets.  Contrary to Mr Abdallah local fishermen
say that they bought their nets in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania, and that they thought that their nets
were legal. Many fishermen complained that the
Fisheries Department was deliberately trying to
make their life harder. However, Mr Abdallah
refused this claim by saying that If we wanted
to make their life hard I would have arrested
them! 
November 2007 Ed 13
POLICE PATROLS IN MIKINDANI Residents of
Mikindani were reported to have congratulated
Mtwara Police Commander Mr Ephraim Mrema for his
forces night patrols in the local area.  Some
local people took the opportunity to thank Mr
Mrema whilst he was visiting Mikindani recently.
They thanked him for increasing the police
presence in the local area and reported to him
that since the patrols started the number of
young people hanging around the streets at night
smoking cannabis and doing other suspicious
activities have significantly been reduced.
Members of the community expressed that they
hoped the patrols will continue for a long time
so that Mikindani will be a safe place to
live. Different opinions were expressed by other
members of the community, for example some
people felt that before they did not fear people
loitering around at night but now they fear the
police. Now, said one anonymous resident the
patrols are making innocent people fearful to
move around at night. The police, he continued
are looking for money, not trouble makers, they
will pick up anyone and make a big issue out of
it until you pay them to leave you alone.
A truck lies in the sea on the morning after it
crashed killing one.
APPRENTICE BEE KEEPER WANTED  Are you aged
between 16 and 25 and are interested in learning
how to keep bees? If you are Hamis Kampande is
willing to take on one apprentice and teach him
or her the skill of keeping bees, but the
apprentice will receive no salary. If you are
seriously interest in this position please come
to Trade Aids Base House and apply.
Mr H. Kampande, expert bee keeper is calling for
an apprentice.
Some of the nets confiscated by police were
common mosquito nets like this one found recently
in a fishermans canoe.