Today, Tanzania marks 23 years since the tragic MV BUKOBA accident.
On the morning of May, 21, 1996, a ship christened MV BUKOBA, carrying more than 1000 passengers as well as cargo, overturned and sank 30 nautical miles off Mwanza, in Lake Victoria, just an hour before docking at Mwanza port.
MV BUKOBA was built in 1979 and had a capacity for 850 tons of cargo and 430 passengers only.
The then Tanzania's President, HE Ben Mkapa, declared three days of national mourning and formed a probe commission headed by Mr. Justice ROBERT KISANGA.
According to a report issued by the probe commission, over 700 people perished while 114 others, were lucky to survive the accident. One ABU UBAIDAH AL- BASHIR, who was then second in command of Al Qaeda, was one of those who died in the disaster.
A tower of memories was built at Igoma on the outskirts of Mwanza town were victims were buried in a mass grave.
Mr. GOFREY NYAISA SIMANGO, hitherto a Prison warder at Ukonga Maximum prison but now working with the Bank of Tanzania, was one of the lucky survivors of the worst marine transport accident in Tanzania.
Inspired by the burning desire to tell the world what happened before and after the ship capsized, a few years ago, Mr. NYAISA wrote a Swahili book "SITASAHAU MV BUKOBA" in which he chonicled the horror as it unfolded during that fateful morning. As a great lover of books, I really enjoyed reading this book!.
This is a true heartbreaking story, a depiction of how negligence, complacency, greed and corruption on the part of the establishment, could cost the nation very dearly. This unique and unputdownable book by Mr. NYAISA, prefaced by Prof. HAROUB OTHMAN, is A MUST- READ and is readily available in all major bookshops across the country. For the sake of preserving history and the love of our nation, I recommend it as one of Tanzania's Best Sellers!. The following quote from NYAISA's book evidences what I have stated above(Translation mine):
"Tickets were available through the back door, even if you came late. Multitudes jammed the dock with their belongings as if fleeing a war zone!. Those who failed to board hurriedly hired taxis in order to catch up with the vessel at Kemondo bay. All hell broke loose when the ship swayed violently as we were sipping our soft drinks. The refrigelators droped on the floor with a loud bang! Bottles of beer and soda broke into pieces and littered the floor! I honestly feared for my dear life!.
The ship tilts to the left, then right and then makes about turn, she has overturned! Good God, my life is over...I am dead! My mind veered off from the swaying ship and reached my home village in Musoma. I saw my younger siblings screaming and wailing after my body is brought home from the accident scene!. When Mv Bukoba was swaying, someone grabbed my underpants as we hussled for lifebuoys.
I felt relieved because when you are under the water, your clothes are nothing but a heavy burden!. I was thus completely naked, am telling you!. The only thing I was wearing was my watch. When the rescue boats arrived, we were given clothes but most of us rejected them.
Men and women sat together, all naked, we didnt care!. It was a frightening scenario but no authority, not even the Tanzania Railways Authority which operated the vessel, came foward to quell this manmade storm", narrates Mr. NYAISA.
Thereafter, four TRC officials including Mr. JUMANNE MWIRU, the Captain of MV BUKOBA, were subsequently charged with 159 counts of the offence of Manslaughter contrary to section 195 of the Penal Code, Cap 16 of the Laws before Mr. Justice JUXTON MLAY in criminal case no. 22/1998.
The high court of Tanzania at Mwanza commenced hearing on the case on 14th May 2001 and on the 22nd November 2002, Judge MLAY acquitted all the accused persons stating:
"Our mourning people and nation respect and live under the rule of law which presumes every individual to be innocent no matter how grave the offence may be until proved by credible and clear evidence that he is guilty. The prosecution evidence has not established the guilt of any accused person beyond reasonable doubt. In our system of criminal justice, they are entitled to be acquitted of all charges".
Ms FLAVIANA MATATA, Tanzania's world famous model based in the US, who lost her mother in the shocking accident, has been, for many years, hosting various events to commemorate the death of her mother:
"I lost my mother when I was only 8 years old. Losing my mother has left a deep scar on my life. For several years I have wanted to transform this loss and pain into something more meaningful, which is why I have launched the Flaviana Matata Foundation. For me this was not only a way to give back to the community but more importantly a way to pay tribute to my mother who was one of the most generous women I have ever known.
She used to pay school fees of many children, and particularly, young girls. I decided to do something connected to the MV BUKOBA tragedy and to the memory of my mother. I thus personally got in touch with a manufacturer of life vests and ordered 500 life vests and shipped them to Tanzania and delivered in Mwanza city.
I am now looking foward to every future 21st May with a different perspective. No longer is my heart heavy and no more do I think of it in dread, but I look foward to making every 21st May meaningful not only to me but to the people of Tanzania and to future passengers", said former Miss Universe Tanzania on 26th May 2011.
This morning, Mr. GODFREY SIMANGO NYAISA and 114 people who were lucky to survive the accident on 21st May 1996 and who are still alive together with other Tanzanians, will be commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the sinking of MV BUKOBA, in remembrance of those who perished with it. This is a historical event which must not be allowed to die. It must be told again and again for everyone to get to know their role and responsibility towards protecting lives.
As we mark 23 years of MV BUKOBA accident, we should come together as a nation and set strong strategies that will help us to end marine accidents in the country. The preface by Prof. HAROUB OTHMAN, in NYAISA's book, tells it all. He criticises the then Ministry of Communication and Transport's inability to rein in corruption, negligence and inefficiency in the TRC.
My heart goes out for all families that lost their loved ones, for the kids who lost their parents and adults who lost their life partners. May the Almighty God continue strengthening you.
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