Post by Yona Maro on Dec 11, 2005 5:52:56 GMT -5
Saturday, December 10, 2005
By Aziz Mongi
At about 6:00 am (09:00 hours GMT), at the suburb of Mwenge, in Dar es Salaam, a lone tourist, Caucasian male, about 45 years, who was cycling from the Northern area of Dar es Salaam (Kunduchi) towards the City Centre, was accosted by two young Tanzanian males. The sole motive for the assault was to rob the tourist of his hard-earned money. Unfortunately for the tourist the two hooligans succeeded in their robbery of the lone, unsuspecting tourist.
The technique that was used by the Tanzanian robbers was to first push the tourist down from his bicycle, in the ambush, they proceeded to hit him with whatever they could lay their hands on – feet, shoes, sticks, stones – as though they were “punishing” a thief. This technique has become popular against tourists recently, while the local police authorities have not issued any warnings to tourists travelling by themselves.
The so-called mob justice against petty and hardcore criminals has become entrenched in Tanzanian society, creating apathy as it is a direct result of rampant corruption amongst officers of the Police force. Thus, when applied to foreigners, the technique works well because most Tanzanians have now become used to such sightings, of criminals being given their “fair share” of justice, by the so-called “angry mobs”.
But when the matter is between two young male thieves, attacking a lone tourist on a bicycle, it is an entirely different situation. I had just arrived from Masasi, Mtwara Region, in the South of Tanzania, when we passed the Mwenge suburb in the early hours of the morning, when we witnessed the attack. Having traveled 26 hours on a ramshackle bus, I was too shell shocked to ask the taxi driver to stop and investigate the matter. We witnessed the last ten seconds of the attack on the lone tourist, who had been lying prostate on the sandy, dirty sidewalk, being kicked as though he was a criminal. He was clutching to his belt pack, where all his money, documents and other belongings were kept.
Even as he yelled at the top of his voice, nobody dared intervene, lest they feared retaliation by those two hardened ruthless young men, who looked as though they had nothing whatsoever to lose, apart from their lives, perhaps. Thus, when he was finally relieved of his pain and misery, the lone tourist was left clutching what seemed to be an empty belt pack; his attackers had succeeded in robbing him of his money and other belongings, perhaps, even his passport. And nobody came to his aid, let alone to intercept the two young male thieves as they made their way with their ill-gotten “wealth”.
The sadness of the entire affairs is that, at 6 am, Dar es Salaam is already in broad daylight, despite being a very early hour of the morning. Worse, the incident took place right in front of the Mwenge Industrial Area, the other side hosting properties of Tanzania People’s Defence Force (Army) officers, most of whom were already awake at the early hour of the morning. On the other side of the road many people were standing by, waiting for commuter transport to the Northern suburbs of Dar es Salaam, and none came to the aid of the lone, Caucasian, male tourist. A lone figure in an unfriendly place; what have we become, my fellow Tanzanians?
When I think of this situation, I am most certain that, of all the countries visited by that tourist, he will have the worst memories of Tanzania, in particular, Dar es Salaam – the former Haven of Peace! He certainly didn’t bargain, upon coming to Tanzania, that he would ever be mugged by a bunch of young ruffians. He didn’t. What a shame!
Why former? Plain and simple. The taxi driver told me that the Main Dar es Salaam Upcountry Bus Terminal at the Ubungo suburb, becomes a hazard area from 8 pm to 6 am, daily. Travellers arriving from upcountry locations at late hours of the night are advised to either travel by taxi home, or have their hosts pick them up at the Terminal. Often they have advised lone travelers to refrain from walking outside the gates of the Terminal unaccompanied; those who were lucky, few, did not return inside those gates, but many who were unlucky, returned inside the gates of the Terminal, minus their belongings and most of their garments. Frustrated, they could only tell the same taxi drivers whose advice they had refused earlier, to drive them home, where their fares would be paid. The taxi driver who had taken me home informed me that people fearing coming to the aid of robbery victims at Ubungo simply because of retaliation against them. Those who have aided robbery victims in the past have been attacked, some of them murdered, and this has created fear amongst members of the public. If you do find yourself in such a situation, do not resist, let them rob of you what you can earn back, not your life.
This travel advisory is being published in order to advise tourists travelling to Dar es Salaam to refrain from travelling alone; refrain from resisting robbery attacks by young Tanzanian males – it could cost them more than their property; insure against all forms of theft; and most of all, if possible, carry a weapon and declare such a weapon together with its international (self-defense) permit at all border entry points.
Aziz Losika Mongi, ICT Consultant & Entrepreneur
P. O. Box 80447, Dar es Salaam
Tel: (+255) 748-219319
Email: aziz_mongi@yahoo.com
"The journey of a thousand miles, begins with one step." - Chinese Proverb
Website: www.webspice.co.tz
By Aziz Mongi
At about 6:00 am (09:00 hours GMT), at the suburb of Mwenge, in Dar es Salaam, a lone tourist, Caucasian male, about 45 years, who was cycling from the Northern area of Dar es Salaam (Kunduchi) towards the City Centre, was accosted by two young Tanzanian males. The sole motive for the assault was to rob the tourist of his hard-earned money. Unfortunately for the tourist the two hooligans succeeded in their robbery of the lone, unsuspecting tourist.
The technique that was used by the Tanzanian robbers was to first push the tourist down from his bicycle, in the ambush, they proceeded to hit him with whatever they could lay their hands on – feet, shoes, sticks, stones – as though they were “punishing” a thief. This technique has become popular against tourists recently, while the local police authorities have not issued any warnings to tourists travelling by themselves.
The so-called mob justice against petty and hardcore criminals has become entrenched in Tanzanian society, creating apathy as it is a direct result of rampant corruption amongst officers of the Police force. Thus, when applied to foreigners, the technique works well because most Tanzanians have now become used to such sightings, of criminals being given their “fair share” of justice, by the so-called “angry mobs”.
But when the matter is between two young male thieves, attacking a lone tourist on a bicycle, it is an entirely different situation. I had just arrived from Masasi, Mtwara Region, in the South of Tanzania, when we passed the Mwenge suburb in the early hours of the morning, when we witnessed the attack. Having traveled 26 hours on a ramshackle bus, I was too shell shocked to ask the taxi driver to stop and investigate the matter. We witnessed the last ten seconds of the attack on the lone tourist, who had been lying prostate on the sandy, dirty sidewalk, being kicked as though he was a criminal. He was clutching to his belt pack, where all his money, documents and other belongings were kept.
Even as he yelled at the top of his voice, nobody dared intervene, lest they feared retaliation by those two hardened ruthless young men, who looked as though they had nothing whatsoever to lose, apart from their lives, perhaps. Thus, when he was finally relieved of his pain and misery, the lone tourist was left clutching what seemed to be an empty belt pack; his attackers had succeeded in robbing him of his money and other belongings, perhaps, even his passport. And nobody came to his aid, let alone to intercept the two young male thieves as they made their way with their ill-gotten “wealth”.
The sadness of the entire affairs is that, at 6 am, Dar es Salaam is already in broad daylight, despite being a very early hour of the morning. Worse, the incident took place right in front of the Mwenge Industrial Area, the other side hosting properties of Tanzania People’s Defence Force (Army) officers, most of whom were already awake at the early hour of the morning. On the other side of the road many people were standing by, waiting for commuter transport to the Northern suburbs of Dar es Salaam, and none came to the aid of the lone, Caucasian, male tourist. A lone figure in an unfriendly place; what have we become, my fellow Tanzanians?
When I think of this situation, I am most certain that, of all the countries visited by that tourist, he will have the worst memories of Tanzania, in particular, Dar es Salaam – the former Haven of Peace! He certainly didn’t bargain, upon coming to Tanzania, that he would ever be mugged by a bunch of young ruffians. He didn’t. What a shame!
Why former? Plain and simple. The taxi driver told me that the Main Dar es Salaam Upcountry Bus Terminal at the Ubungo suburb, becomes a hazard area from 8 pm to 6 am, daily. Travellers arriving from upcountry locations at late hours of the night are advised to either travel by taxi home, or have their hosts pick them up at the Terminal. Often they have advised lone travelers to refrain from walking outside the gates of the Terminal unaccompanied; those who were lucky, few, did not return inside those gates, but many who were unlucky, returned inside the gates of the Terminal, minus their belongings and most of their garments. Frustrated, they could only tell the same taxi drivers whose advice they had refused earlier, to drive them home, where their fares would be paid. The taxi driver who had taken me home informed me that people fearing coming to the aid of robbery victims at Ubungo simply because of retaliation against them. Those who have aided robbery victims in the past have been attacked, some of them murdered, and this has created fear amongst members of the public. If you do find yourself in such a situation, do not resist, let them rob of you what you can earn back, not your life.
This travel advisory is being published in order to advise tourists travelling to Dar es Salaam to refrain from travelling alone; refrain from resisting robbery attacks by young Tanzanian males – it could cost them more than their property; insure against all forms of theft; and most of all, if possible, carry a weapon and declare such a weapon together with its international (self-defense) permit at all border entry points.
Aziz Losika Mongi, ICT Consultant & Entrepreneur
P. O. Box 80447, Dar es Salaam
Tel: (+255) 748-219319
Email: aziz_mongi@yahoo.com
"The journey of a thousand miles, begins with one step." - Chinese Proverb
Website: www.webspice.co.tz