Dar es Salaam: Bombs leave dozens homeless


  1. Deo Simba, VoicesofAfrica, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
    On April 29, 2009, a suburb of Dar es Salaam, Mbagala, situated about 20 km south of Dar City Centre witnessed huge blasts of bombs that went off at a military base located in the area. Official death toll had reached 27 May 10th, 2009, with more than 4,000 houses destroyed, some in part, some completely.
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    Damage on other instructures and service facilities was equally big. The bomb blasts caused many more other negative effects: social, psychological, intellectual, economic and even politically. Life was almost brought to a standstill in the area, uncommon scenes such as erected tents emerged, shop stalls were destroyed, some families had to relocate to other parts of the city.

    The general situation was pathetic. In spite of all the above accounts, a visit to the area two weeks after the first time the bombs went off, showed that apart from support from the government, non-profit organisations such as the Red Cross, and other organisations and companies, people also have been struggling trying t rebuild their lives. No one has been blaming the government for the bomb disaster, they explained that, it was an accident and as such no one needs to blame the government.

    The point they have been making, however, is how the whole thing has been being handled, most are dissatisfied. People have to be compensated for what they lost - in terms of property and the like. So far registrations of house owners in the area has been going on, but the only problem remains with those who lived in rented houses and whose personal properties got destroyed in the houses.

    Although, the Prime Minister, Hon. Mizengo Pinda, was quoted as saying that the latter category of people would be taken care off, so far there seems to be no measures being put in place to address the issue. Some people have started rebuilding their lives by repairing their houses and opening some of their service-oriented businesses. It is a slow and painful exercise especially as most do not know when they would be compensated for the losses they suffered.

    For those who are on casual labour - they find themselves in difficult positions, if they go out to earn their daily bread, they may find themselves missing in registers of government appointed committee that goes around trying to register the losses. Many are still at the cross roads. There is still hope in life, that is what some people do comment. Yes, there is still a ray of hope. Children are trying to regain their lives while other activities are returning to normality.



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