L. Nyasa beach paradise going extinct

Mbeya. When the ongoing border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi is resolved, either through peaceful negotiations or by means of mutual agreement, the country’s attention should be given to the development of the forgotten beaches of Lake Nyasa.

These beautiful white sandy beaches which lie in the Deep South of Tanzania have been abandoned and left to rot by successive Tanzanian governments since independence.

It is true that the newly created Nyasa District together with the whole of the Southern Region lag behind in development compared to the rest of the country, even though one of the country’s presidents comes from the south.

It seems all efforts and resources have been concentrated in developing other parts of the country for the past half a century leaving the southern region to fend for itself.

Ironically, it is only now after the discovery of natural resources such as oil and gas in Mtwara Region as well as uranium in Ruvuma Region that the government’s attention is now being focused on these two forgotten areas. These discoveries which can transform the country to perhaps the largest natural gas producer in East Africa, are a blessing from God and can help to kick start the southern circuit’s economic development.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the people of the south and especially those from Lindi and Mtwara are now demanding answers from the government on their precious oil and gas once extraction takes off.

It is difficult to develop a country when the much-needed development itself is not inclusive. Unfortunately this is what has happened to the beaches along the shores of Lake Nyasa whose resources still remain untapped to this day.

The beaches which stretch from Chiwindi where Tanzania has its border with Mozambique to Mbamba Bay, the commercial hub of Nyasa District and to Liuli, were once a vital education hub and a major Christian centre built by the first Anglican Missionaries.

The forgotten beaches along the lake shore can be sheer paradise if developed and promoted properly to attract both local and foreign tourists. This development could include a holiday resort on top of “Undu” Peninsula or a water skiing sports venue with a tourist hotel on top of the hills of Mbamba Bay, overlooking the blue waters of Lake Nyasa and its surroundings.

It could be a breathtaking experience for holidaymakers. At the moment, Mbamba Bay acts as the commercial hub of the lake zone and it is the only connecting link to Malawi and lies only a few kilometres from the Mozambican border.

The beautiful Lake Nyasa which was renamed Lake Malawi by the first Malawian president, dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda, after the country attained its independence from Britain stands at about 560 km and covers about 29,000 square metres. It has a shoreline on Western Mozambique, Eastern Malawi and southern Tanzania.

The lake has always been shared by the three countries since time immemorial, even before they became sovereign states after the departure of the British and later the Portuguese colonialists.

Although the largest portion of the lake lies in Malawi, a quarter of the area belongs to Mozambique while the rest of it has always belonged to Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika).And because both Tanganyika and Nyasaland(Malawi) were governed by colonial Britain, the border dividing the two countries was never discussed.

Lake Nyasa has always provided the only source of income to the local inhabitants on both sides of the lake.

It never occurred to either Malawi or Tanzania that 50 years after the departure of the British, the border could become a subject of dispute between the two neighbours who have always lived in harmony and even share family ties, a language and culture.

Lake Nyasa’s fresh waters are extremely rich in tasty and large cat fish as well as sardines which are locally known as “Sipa” or Dagaa Nyasa in Kiswahili. There are also such fish as “Mpasa” which looks and tastes like Salmon.

These fish are supposed to be the most delicious fish on the planet. Some of these rare fish have now found their way to the streets of Dar es Salaam for sale.

But these resources are now faced with extinction due to overfishing and pollution. There is an urgent need to raise awareness among local fishermen and inhabitants in order to further protect the resources because they have now become endangered.

It is a fact that some of the lake’s creatures have for years become very popular among divers from Italy, Germany, United Kingdom and Denmark who frequently come to fish in the lake for aquatic life and sell in their respective countries. These fish are particularly popular due to their bright and beautiful colours and therefore ideal for aquariums.

Apart from the many types of fish, the lake also hosts crocodiles and hippos which could be major tourist attractions as these beasts sometimes come out of the water.

But unlike Tanzania, Malawi has not abandoned her beaches along the lake shore. Malawi has in fact developed a lot of activities on her side of the lake where major popular tourist attractions have been set up.

For instance, several tourist hotels have been developed along their shoreline and offer a wide range of watersport activities such as scuba diving, water skiing, annual boat racing, sailing competitions and even beach football.

Camp sites have also been created which give the country extra economic benefits and at the same time creating jobs for the inhabitants whose lives depend on the lake. These recreations attract many tourists from South Africa, Europe and the USA. All this is happening while the Tanzanian side of the lake stays dormant and its resources remain untapped, 51 years after independence.

There is therefore an urgent need to open up and develop the Southern Circuit’s infrastructure to complement the newly created Nyasa District to kick start investments in the tourism industry.

Modern fishing techniques can also be developed to replace the old fashioned dug out canoes which the local fishermen have been using for decades, with modern tools to help the local fishermen increase their daily catch and incomes.

beaches to sunbath and for crocodiles to lay their Eggs in the sand. The waters of lake Nyasa are ideal for Water surfing sport because at times the lake can be extremely rough producing huge waves which are ideal for surfers.

This area canbe transformed into a tourist paradise and thereforeintoa money spinner and a fabulous getaway for many foreigners as well as Tanzanians who live in the land locked cities and towns like Iringa,Mbeya,Njombe,Songea and Dodoma.

With so many natural resources and now with the prospect of Oil and Gas ,it does not come as a surprise that now Madam Banda,thePresident of Malawi is fighting for the monopoly of the lake.

This is basically because the Portuguese who once ruled Mozambique made a deal with the British and divided the lake between the then Nyasaland and Mozambique but left the lake open to their two colonies and without a specified border.

Humphrey Kamenya

Mob: 0655 805817/0785499333