MV Bukoba tragedy remembered

PIUS RUGONZIBWA in Mwanza

international model Flaviana Matata (TOP LEFT) lights a candle on a grave during the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the MV Bukoba tragedy in Mwanza yesterday. She is being helped by Information, Culture, Arts and Sports Minister Nape Nnauye (left) and Minister of State for Union and Environment January Makamba.

THE government has expressed a need for the nation to build more capacity in disaster management and rescue techniques in a bit to get rid of effects of accidents reportedly causing more deaths than those caused by diseases in the country.

An ambitious programme will be proposed and thoroughly deliberated for the schools to start teaching on how future drivers and rescue teams could detect signs of accidents and fight hard to avoid them or save the victims.

Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports Nape Nnauye said this here over the weekend during the commemorations of the Mv Bukoba tragedy which capsized killing more than 800 passengers some 20 years ago.

Mr Nnauye said the government was also determined to deal with accidents by introducing capacity building programmes in observing best practices in operating road, marine and air transportation machines.

“We need to do something to avoid what occurred in 1996 resulting in the capsizing of MV Bukoba. We can introduce special programmes for future drivers and machine operators to observe and avoid accidents due to reckless driving,” he said.

The minister gave condolences to all people who lost relatives in the MV Bukoba tragedy and announced that the government will from next year take over in hosting the commemorations from Ms Flaviana Matata who has been hosting them for the last five years.

Ms Matata who lost her mother in the shocking incident announced to stop marking the day saying she had sacrificed a lot and that it was time for other interested people or institutions to take over.

She asked the government to consider taking over. She thanked other partners who have been supporting her overcome the reality of living without her mother all along but said she will not completely abandon the event but keep on participating in a low profile.

But Mr Nnauye said while the nation plans more interventions on accidents managements it was funny that responsible authorities have failed coming across reliable figure of the total lives lost in the MV Bukoba calamity.

“It is surprising that we are not even sure how many people perished in the tragedy as different authorities are giving confusing figures from 400 to 700, and others are saying that more than 1,000 people died.

This is embarrassing,” he said. Apart from Ms Matata who through her Flavian Matata Foundation (FMF) organized the commemorations, other dignitaries among many in attendance included the Minister in the Vice-President’s Office, Mr January Makamba, who hailed Ms Matata for sacrificing her time and resources in remembering the day.

Member of Parliament for Nyamagana Mr Stanslaus Mabula and Ilemela District Commissioner Mr Manju Msambya made the commitment in keeping on marking the day promising to collaborate with the central government towards the cause.

Religious leaders who took part led the prayers and challenged the transportation regulators to remain honest and trustworthy in regulating the sector since it was evident that corruption was one of the causes of the accident