Police holding two for vandalising Tanzanite Bridge
Tanzanite Bridge. PHOTO | SUNDAY GEORGE
What you need to know:
- The suspects whose identity was not revealed were arrested on April 2 at around 0400hours while trying to cut some of the pillars known as P9.
- The Police is also holding 10 other people who were found under the bridge, allegedly trying to collect scrap metal which they were going to sell.
Dar es Salaam. The Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police have arrested two people on suspicion of attempting to destroy by cutting some of the pillars at the Tanzanite Bridge which started its operations on February 1 and was only officially commissioned on March 24, by the President.
The suspects whose identity was not revealed were arrested on April 2 at around 0400hours while trying to cut some of the pillars known as P9.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, April 4, 2022, Police Commander Jumanne Muliro said the suspects were being investigated and would be brought to justice for further action once the investigation are completed.
The Police is also holding 10 other people who were found under the bridge, allegedly trying to collect scrap metal which they were going to sell.
"The 10 suspects are also being interrogated to determine their motives under the bridge, what they were doing there and to see if they have links to those who were responsible for destroying some of the pillar on the bridge," said Muliro.
Muliro said the police will remain vigilant to protect the nation’s infrastructure from any form of vandalism by people who are seeking selfish and criminal motives.
The Tanzanite Bridge was built by South Korea's GS engineering along the Coco Beach coastline in Oysterbay stretching all the way to Aga Khan Hospital.
The bridge connects roads linking Aga Khan Hospital with the Obama, Kenyatta and Toure Avenues covering 1.03 kilometers.
The project broke grounds in 2018. The new bridge is jointly funded by the Tanzania government and the government of South Korea at 82.9 per cent of the entire cost. It connects roads linking Aga Khan Hospital and Coco Beach and it measures approximately 6.23 kilometers at a cost of Sh256 billion.
With a 180-tonnage Capacity, the bridge ferries 55,000 vehicles or thereabouts per day, and this has significantly reduced congestion along the independence-time Selander Bridge.
The old Selander Bridge was constructed back in 1929 and named after John Einar Selander, Tanganyika’s first Director of Public Works.
