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OPENING REMARKS BY HON. KASSIM MAJALIWA MAJALIWA (MP), PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2ND JOINT MEETING OF THE SADC NUCLEAR REGULATOR NETWORK AND THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF PROJECT SUPPORT TO SOUTHERN AFRICAN STATES IN NUCLEAR SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS AT ARUSHA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE,
29th APRIL, 2019
SALUTATION
Hon. Mrisho Gambo, Arusha Regional Commissioner;
Hon. Faustine Ndugulile (MP), Deputy Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children;
Mr. Charles Andrew-Stuart, EU Representative;
Prof. Lazaro Busagala, Director General of Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission and Tanzania National Focal Point of CBRN;
Dr. Kamen Velichkov, Program Manager of International Science and Technology Center;
Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission Staff;
Dear Participants;
Invited Guests;
Members of the Press;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Good morning, Habari za asubuhi!
INTRODUCTION
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen;
First of all, it is a great pleasure and honour for me to have been given such an opportunity to officiate this auspicious occasion of the 2nd Joint Meeting of the SADC Nuclear Regulator Network and the Steering Committee of Project “Support to Southern African States in Nuclear Safety and Safeguards”.
Secondly, I would like to thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and the organisers, for the warmth reception and hospitality accorded to my delegation and I during our arrival at this occasion.
Thirdly, permit me to convey to you the best wishes of His Excellency Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Her Excellency Samia Hassan Suluhu, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania to all the distinguished delegates participating to this meeting.
Fourthly, may I take this opportunity to warmly welcome distinguished delegates who travelled afar to making this meeting possible to our beautiful country Tanzania, famously known as the land of Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar. I am confident that despite your short stay in Arusha, you have already started enjoying the warmth, friendship and hospitality of the people of the United Republic of Tanzania.
In the same vein, I would further ike to thank the SADC Nuclear Network and International Science and Technology Centre for choosing the United Republic of Tanzania to host this special event. Similarly, I wish to extend my deep appreciation to the European Union for the continued support in ensuring that Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard in the region is reinforced.
NUCLEAR SAFETY, SECURITY & SAFEGUARD
Ladies and Gentlemen;
I have been informed that the objective of this meeting is to discuss the progress of the implementation of the Nuclear Safety, Security & Safeguard Project in the SADC region. I believe that matters pertaining to safe and secure
Transportation of Uranium Ore Concentrate and other Radiological and Nuclear Material in the region will act as the centrepiece of your discussion.
As you may recall, transportation of nuclear or other radioactive materials is a global concern and not a one country issue. It is therefore important for the SADC region to have harmonised guidelines for Nuclear Material Safety and Security to safeguard human health, the environment and the ecosystem at large.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
As you might be aware, the United Republic of Tanzania is among countries with large deposits of Uranium. It is estimated that there are about 58.5 tons of Uranium deposit in: Namtumbo (Mkuju); Bahi; Galapo; Minjingu; Mbulu; Simanjiro; Lake Natron; Manyoni; Songea; Tunduru; Madaba and Nachingwea.
This calls for a need to strengthen the Nuclear Safety and Security regulatory frameworks with a view to ensuring that the people, the environment and the ecosystem in general, are protected from any harm which may result from mining, milling, processing or transportation of uranium. It is on similar grounds that Tanzania is fully participating in the project titled “Support to Southern African States in Nuclear Safety and Safeguards”.
Ladies and gentlemen;
In the absence of effective and sustainable regulatory infrastructure to support Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard, the benefits associated with the use of Nuclear Technology and Atomic Energy are likely to be jeopardized. Although most of the Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa have established systems for authorization, inspection and enforcement for the control of Nuclear and other radioactive materials, there is still a lot to be done to strengthen the national regulatory infrastructures for the transportation of uranium ore concentrate and other radioactive materials.
These issues range from technology, gaps in the legislations, regulations, guidance and procedures on implementation of regulatory activities in cooperation with other national designated authorities as well as insufficient number of well-trained personnel. It is my hope that each African country will endeavour to ensure that these shortcomings are circumvented.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
The United Republic of Tanzania is a signatory to the Non Proliferation Treaty which ensures that the nuclear materials are used for peaceful purposes only. As such, the Government of Tanzania attaches great importance to
ensuring that Nuclear Technology is promoted and safely utilized for human development. This is done by instituting strict control measures on transportation, storage and utilization of all Nuclear Materials.
The government is confident that the newly constructed Nuclear Technology Laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment at Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission will not only catalyse Nuclear Research but also further promote safe utilization of Nuclear Technologies for socio-economic development.
I would like reiterate to distinguished participants that all what you intend to discuss during the two days of your meeting is relevant and well aligned to our national strategies to embrace the contribution of Science, Technology and Innovation in socio-economic development.
EXPLORING TANZANIA’S TOURISM ATTRACTIONS
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Provided that you are in Arusha, I would like again to welcome you all to our beautiful country. Tanzania is the beautiful country; inhabited by friendly and warm-hearted people; and it offers a lot of tourism attractions ranging from the unforgettable beauty of nature, wildlife and beautiful beaches.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There could be no better platform for you to start off your exploration of Tanzania’s tourism and safari experience than this platform. Further, I do encourage you to take your time, especially after this conference to visit the spices islands of Zanzibar. Zanzibar is well known for her history and the finest unpolluted beaches in Africa. Its white sandy exotic beaches provide a serene atmosphere for relaxation and sunbathing.
If you are indeed mesmerised by wildlife and safari then the new seventh wonder of the World - the Serengeti is the place for you where the world’s largest and most spectacular animal migration takes place. I encourage you to take tour of the
Ngorongoro Crater known as the Cradle of Mankind, where it is believed that the first man, made his first steps as well as the highest freestanding mountain in the world the Mount Kilimanjaro.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Tanzania teams up with such an abundance of wildlife. The Selous for example is the world’s largest Game Reserve while other national parks include: Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Arusha, Mahale, Gombe, Katavi, Rubondo, Mkomazi, Mikumi and Ruaha which are all home to millions of magnificent and easily visible wildlife.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Before I conclude my speech, let me take this opportunity once again to thank the European Union for the continued support to ensure safe utilization of Nuclear Technology in Tanzania. I am also grateful to the International Science and Technology Centre, for supporting this meeting. I congratulate the organizing committee for making this meeting possible. I
t is my hope that at the end of the meeting, you will be able to enhance cooperation and coordination among states for effective and efficient implementation of nuclear safety, security and safeguard regimes in the SADC region.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
With these few remarks, I now have the honour to declare that the 2nd Joint Meeting of the SADC Nuclear Regulatory Network and the Steering Committee of Project “Support to Southern African States in Nuclear Safety and Safeguards’ is officially opened.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
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