Sticking it to The Man.

It has been so sunny and peaceful lately you would never believe that all these smiling Bongolanders were on the verge of eating their young during the WEF/Rains reign of terror just last week. Remember the HIV/AIDS activists who were turfed out of Tanzania after the World Economic Forum? Well, they have decided not to take it lying down. I am skeptical about their chances of success: African Union Heads of State aren't exactly paragons of moral rectitude. Still, best of luck to the underdog.

Speaking of bear-baiting...

WEF, eh?

Apparently, it's all good. TUCTA didn't strike *big gasp* after Jay Kay told them not to. On the TBC news today, we got treated to the sights and sounds of opposition leaders telling us how undemocratic Jay Kay's threats were in juzi's speech. Right. When has the state ever allowed the unwashed masses to embarrass it in front of foreign dignitaries? Besides, the Tanzanian in me must ask, how did TUCTA appease its members after such a volte-face? Hmm.

In the same sweeping gesture that saw TUCTA muzzled, the police revoked march permits that had been previously issued. Which is how this story came about: spunky NGO gets ready to march and hand over a letter to the WEF- something about government keeping their healthcare promises, especially the ones pertaining to HIV treatment:

"Hi everyone,

Please see press statement from African civil society advocacy forum taking place in Dar Es Salaam, in lead-up to World Economic Forum on Africa that opens tomorrow. We held a press conference today that was well attended, tomorrow we'll protest at the WEF. Meeting docs will be uploaded onto the website soon...

Governments being callous and unwise about health commitments

African activists decry backtracking on health funding commitments at opening of World Economic Forum on Africa

4 May 2010, Dar Es Salaam – Donors and African governments are making callous and unwise decisions on funding commitments to HIV and global health, according to a group of African health and human rights activists gathered in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to carry out strategic planning and advocacy in the lead-up to the World Economic Forum on Africa from 5-7 May.

And then the police told them the march would be illegal:

"Dear all

We have just been informed that the march planned for tomorrow to the

venue of the World Economic Forum has been banned by the Government of

Tanzania. Apparently, a strike had been planned to coincide with the

Forum, and all demonstrations were subsequently banned. A call was

then received from the Police advising of the decision to cancel the

consent to the demonstration, even though it was planned as a peaceful

one."

Then they were told (and here is where things get murky) to go ahead. To the WEF, where they were promptly taken into custody, and a natural progression of things:

"hi everyone,

from what we have heard it was 10 activists arrested. Apparently the police thought they were sneaking into the Forum after agreeing that a small delegation would hand over the letters. They are at the police station but are expected to be released today."

There is in fact an alternative event being held at the Tanzania Gender Networking Progamme (TGNP) grounds during WEF where the weird kids are welcome- sorry, I don't have a link yet. And there's this going on. And this. Thus went some of day one.

A little rain, a little traffic, a little meeting in the 'hood.

I can't be the only one chuckling at this: Nairobi hosted East Africa's World Social Forum (WSF) 2007 where all the lefties, greens, civil society beasts and other fringe types come together to wag a collective finger at Evil Corporations and Bad Governments. This year Dar gets to host the World Economic Forum on Africa where Governments and CEOs come together to make big economic plans, preferably without the drippy intrusions of the fringy folks. Nairobi got the Lefties. Dar got the Corporates. What is the world coming to?

Whatever. My real beef here is congestion- something that has been bothering Bongolanders of all vehicular stripes since the masika rains decided to go for broke. I wasn't going to say anything- lord knows there's been enough yakking about drainage systems and urban planning to satisfy the bitterest grouser. However the combination of flooding, road damage and totally insane road closures because of the WEF has tipped us over the edge of RIDICULOUS commuting times. Oh, you should hear the pathetic stories from people who live in the Outer Reaches of Beyond, like Kimara. Waking up at 4:00 or earlier to wade through backed up sewage/drainage pipes and being forced to push their stalled daladalas. It is inhumane.

So while it is nice to hold this Big Important Meeting to which Watus Are Not Really Invited right here in Dar es Salaam, my beloved center of the universe, I must admit regretfully that we don't seem to have the infrastructure for it. Mister Popularity was cracking jokes amidst his thinly veiled threats to TUCTA about not striking tomorrow, but if they do and lock up the city center we're going to end up killing each other at gridlocked intersections.

Likelihood is that tommorow is the endtimes anyways. They are closing Ali Hassan Mwinyi for four hours per day! Decades of Tanzanian civilization will be wiped out in one day. We should have traded in a couple of State House Taxis for helicopters so that your people could fly these Very Important Nuisances hither and yon and leave us alone. Because life is already plenty hard enough. Just sayin', Jay Kay. You'll be that president, know what I mean? The Weffers might go home with fond memories of how fresh the fish was from the buffet and how gorgeous the view from Level 8, but we the Watus will remember it a little differently.