Njombe boy dies fighting for his life

Njombe. Meshack Myonga, a four-year-old boy, who was found alive but with a partially slit throat after he was abducted by an unknown person has died while undergoing further medical checkup at the Mbeya Referral Hospital.

According to the boy’s mother, Ms Rabia Mlelwa, Meshack passed away at around 2pm, as he was undergoing medical checkup.

“The doctors called me at around 2pm and told me that my son has died. They said Meshack didn’t stand any chance of surviving due to the serious wound he sustained in his throat,” Ms Mlelwa told The Citizen in a telephone interview.

Earlier on the day, Njombe District Commissioner Ruth Msafiri has directed that all guests checking in at hotels or in guest houses must show their identification documents, which are recognised by authorities.

The DC has also directed that all guests being hosted by their relatives must be registered by leaders of local government and villages.

She issued the directives yesterday when speaking to district and ward social welfare officers in a seminar organised by the district defence and security committee on the safety of women and children.

“In this period, we must ensure we tighten defence and security in our areas. We must provide information on any guest, whom we receive, whether in rural or urban areas, to our leaders as we have already directed guest house managements to observe similar measures.

“Every guest checking in at a guest house in this Njombe must have an identification card and I believe nobody will say to have no voter registration card or the national identification card. If you have no such documents then you are not a Tanzania citizen,” said the DC.

However, she clarified further that any guest, who was without any identification card, must possess a letter of recognition from where they came otherwise they would not be received anywhere within her district.

The head of the woman and child defence committee from the ministry, Hanifa Selengu, said they arrived in Njombe District to cooperate with the committee at district and ward levels in countering such incidents.

“We are in Njombe Region to cooperate with experts from the sector of community development and social work and see how we can counter the killings in Njombe,” she said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa yesterday told the parliament that 29 suspects have been arrested in connection with killings of children in Njombe District.