Minister William Ngeleja
“We want the small scale salt harvesters to change from crude methods of producing salt into modernized ones in a bid to make the sector more productive,” the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr William Ngeleja who visited the area recently stated. Gendabi is one of the important salt mining sites in the Northern Zone, which employs more than 500 villagers in Hanang, one of the five districts of Manyara region inhabited mostly by people of the Barbaig community.
Speaking at the official opening of the five-day training for the 60 salt producers on the shores of Lake Gendabi, Mr Ngeleja said education was part of the government’s efforts to boost the sector.“This training is meant to empower small-scale salt producers with different skills and knowledge to make them change from traditional ways of doing things and add value to salt mined in the area,” he said.
In his speech which was read on his behalf by Manyara Regional Commissioner, Mr Eraston Mbwilo, the minister said that salt produced in Gendabi Lake was of best quality, though the small-scale producers lacked incentives. “Most people working as salt millers here were not licensed. So we have to first train them and
issue permits to ensure that they operate as per the regulations and with technical know-how,” said the minister. Salt mining operations at Gendabi village started in the1950s, but since then, it was done through small-scale traditional methods and had little benefit to the locals.
So far there are about 39 licences which have been issued to nearly 40 Gendabi salt miners and the government is processing 17 more licences to accommodate nearly 20 others. The minister was optimistic that the training will act as a stimulus and would help push further the sector into extra miles. “Since August, 2011 to February, this year, the government through the mining department has collected a total of 4m/- as revenues,” he recounted, saying: “This is very good step.”
More than 500 people including women from Gendabi village are actively engaging into salt production, hence boost their livelihoods. The minister also underscored the need for the villagers along the lake to conserve the environment.
By MARC NKWAME, Tanzania Daily News
