SBL managing director grilled by immigration officials

What you need to know:

The spokesperson of the Immigration Department, Mr Ally Mtanda told The Citizen that Ms Weesie, who is a South African national, was summoned over immigration concerns facing her company.

Dar es Salaam. The Serengeti Breweries Limited managing director, Ms Helene Weesie was interrogated by immigration officials on Friday, March 23, over what was referred to as “security concerns.”

The spokesperson of the Immigration Department, Mr Ally Mtanda told The Citizen that Ms Weesie, who is a South African national, was summoned over immigration concerns facing her company.

“The questioning did not concern her as an individual but it had something to do with allegations of immigration regulation by her company and so she was questioned in her capacity as the head of the organization,” he said.

Mr Mtanda said after questioning she was released as she had not been arrested.

“It is not true that she was arrested as reports circulating in the social media claim. She was summoned, she responded and she was released after the questioning. I am aware that she is supposed to report again at the Immigration offices on Monday,” Mr Mtanda told The Citizen.

Reached for comments the Dar es Salaam Regional Immigration Officer (RIO), Crispin Ngonyanisaid further information about why MsWeesie was grilled would be released in due time.

“Please be patient, we will provide you with more details after the whole process is over,” he told The Citizen.

The SBL corporate relations director, Mr John Wanyancha declined to comment on the issue when reached, telling The Citizen to wait for an official statement. However, by the time we went to press no statement had been released.

Ms Weesiewas appointed to head SBL in October 2015. Prior to her appointment she worked with Unilever and Heineken where she held a number of roles including Commercial Director Africa Middle-East Region, Global Marketing Director. Her last role was in South America as Managing Director Cervecerias Baru-Panama.

Ms Weesie attended the Tanzania National Business Council meeting on Monday where she raised the private sector’s concerns over plans by the Tanzania Revenue Authority to roll out a costly electronic tax stamps system and requested the government to reconsider its procurement process.

“We as the private sector have nothing against the system but it will cost the targeted companies about Sh350 billion annually… yet there are other suppliers offering the same system at significantly lower prices,” she noted.

Serengeti Breweries is the second largest beer manufacturing company in the country, with its brands accounting for 15 per cent of the market by volume.

When combined with the East African Breweries Limited (EABL’s) portfolio, it accounts for approximately 28 percent of the Tanzanian branded beer sector.