Friday 6 October 2006, by PowerNell. Despite of the announcement mid-September that Zanzibar would from now on be included in the load shedding, the island still has power every day. That raises all kind of questions. Although Zanzibar and Tanzania are officially united in one state, until mid-September Zanzibar was excluded from the load shedding. This had led to complaints from the public, for instance in the editorial of Business Times, where this decision is called a "grave anomaly".

Editorial Business Times

The editorial: "For all practical purposes, we are told, the Isles is part and parcel Tanzania. This being the case, to give it special treatment (...) is problematic. For the United Republic to mean everything that it was intended to mean, both parties to the Union must be part and parcel of decisions that are taken in the national interest. (...) The presumption is that (...) Tanesco drew up a power-rationing timetable for the entire country, Zanzibar included. If the company did not do so, then it is culpable off gross negligence or ineptness." (Source: Business Times, September 8, 2006)
The newspaper approached the minister for energy and minerals, but he advised to approach Tanesco for an answer. Business Times: "When the reporter duly contacted Tanesco on the matter, the firm"s head of public relations (...) categorically denied involvement of his company in the decision that clearly and unduly favours Zanzibar consumers of its power." Within two weeks after the publishment of this editorial, it was announced that Zanzibar would be included in the power rationing. But... that never happened. We can conclude: it"s a mess.

Sensitive matter

The Union is a sensitive matter, though. On Zanzibar there is an anti-union movement going, and Zanzibaris have said the Tanzanian government oppresses them economically (source: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks). Yeah, right. In the case of the power crisis anyhow Zanzibar is given a very preferential treatment above the mainland.
According to today"s Business Times the power rationing on Zanzibar "will begin anytime soon".
Related article: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, October 4, 2006: Tanzania: Court Dismisses Claim That Union With Zanzibar is Illegal
 
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