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Dar must strive to be Africa`s most beautiful city
2008-05-11 11:25:31
By Bimani Lwinga
When an old man visited the city of Dar es Salaam recently, he was really stunned to see untarmaced roads. It was his first time to come to the city he believed was more elegant than any urban centre he had ever visited in the country, including his native city of Mbeya.
``I thought Dar es Salaam is highly developed and well cared for with all the top officials living here,`` said Mzee Angolwisye Mwandemele as he stood in vain at a bus stop for an hour waiting for a daladala to take him to Tabata Chang`ombe, a small location within Segerea Ward.
One would perceive Mzee Mwandemele as an optimistic citizen. Yes, he is. Like many suburban roads in Dar, the road to that suburb is generally poor, restricting vehicle movement.
Many people in rural areas expect to see the difference between the environment in which they have been living for years and the country`s commercial hub.
Many a resident feel that Dar es Salaam has lost the glitter it had started to acquire a few years ago.
Its roads, especially side-roads going into residential areas are now far worse than in most cities and towns in the country.
Over 70 per cent of its dwellers live in unplanned areas. Its main roads are poorly maintained.
The situation may be so partly because of geographical position of the city but largely because of poor planning or negligence of the country`s city planners. Because of poor planning, whenever it rains many houses are submerged by water.
Heavy traffic in Dar es Salaam is a hurdle to various economic endeavours as people get stuck jams for long hours.
Civil engineers have failed to advise the government to build fly-overs, at least in some busy road sections to ease traffic flow.
In South Africa, even countryside cities have fly-overs. Almost all cities have that particular infrastructure - go to Johannesburg - the country`s commercial hub, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Shwane [ Pretoria], Cape Town, all have that facility.
Many International airports of foreign countries give a nice glimpse to passengers in a landing plane. Some African airports such as Entebbe (Uganda), Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya) and Oliver Tambo (South Africa) may provide a good example. You see attractive sites such as estates, international hotels and other nice scenes that refresh one`s mind.
But negligence by city planners in Dar es Salaam just around the airport has created room for people to set up anywhere and without planning in its vicinity.
``Ooh, over a slum,`` remarked a lady seated next to me as we were landing at Julius Nyerere International Airport from Nairobi. I felt ashamed on behalf of my country and irresponsible officials.
``No, they should not have allowed this,`` added the Ugandan national who was coming to Tanzania for the first time.
In Tanzania, Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) could make a good example.
Its surroundings are not ruined by poor planning, making it more attractive as one concentrates at spotting Africa`s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.
Also, the city of Dar es Salaam faces poor water and sanitation services.
Most of its dwellers rely on private wells. Water services by Dawasco, the city water utility company serves less than 50 per cent of Dar residents.
The past 15 years have seen Dar es Salaam`s a booming construction industry driven by the speedy and steadily growing private sector as well as reformed public sector.
But sanitation remains a major obstacle as dirty water flows on the road surface, posing health hazard to residents.
So Mzee Mwandemele was polite enough as he looked at only one problem afflicting Dar es Salaam.
If he had gone a bit further, he would have noticed many more problems facing the Haven of Peace.
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