CHOPA za US ZATANDA ANGA YA SOUTH AFRICA NA DAR ES SALAAM

US choppers enter SA and Tanzania airspace

Flies over Pretoria, as Obama arrives to meet South African President Jacob Zuma
The helicopters, believed to be part of a security detail that included three CH-46 Sea Knights and two SH-60 Seahawks, landed at the Union Buildings in an exercise in preparation for the official visit of US President Barack Obama. Photo: Phill Magakoe

Helicopters including Marine One sit on the grass in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Johannesburg

For a while it appeared we were under attack as strange double-bladed helicopters first appeared over Cape Town and then Johannesburg.
But as the choppers drew near, there was a collective sigh of relief: on the side of the big choppers were the words “The United States Marine Corps”.
This was no clandestine invasion. The Americans had arrived. It was a practice run for US President Barack Obama’s visit.
The helicopters, it is believed, were part of a security detail that included three CH-46 Sea Knights and two SH-60 Seahawks, which landed at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The US authorities, however, were tight-lipped about the exercise.
“For security reasons we obviously won’t be able to confirm any aircraft movements,” said Jack Hillmeyer, spokesman for the US embassy in Pretoria.
While the US would not speak about its aircraft slipping through South African airspace, residents in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria got out of homes and offices to watch them fly past.
“Chinook helicopter spotted flying over Cape Town. Either we’re being invaded, or this must be part of #Obama visit,” said Gavin Silber on Twitter.
“We did observe the aircraft flying north of our airspace,” said Jo Nieman, the chief fire officer at Grand Central Airport.
“Everyone came out to see it, it was quite a sight,” he said.
Also not spoken about is that a US aircraft carrier is believed to be lurking in the South Atlantic, within striking distance of South Africa.
US media reported that fighter jets would be flying overhead, giving Obama 24-hour protection.
It is not clear if the helicopters flew off the aircraft carrier or had arrived in the country on US heavy lift transport planes.
All this hardware doesn’t come cheap: the trip to the three African countries - South Africa, Senegal and Tanzania - is estimated to cost between $60-million (R610-million) and $100m.
But defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman doesn’t believe that fighter jets will be providing cover for Obama during his South African visit.
He said fighter planes flown from an aircraft carrier might have escorted the president’s jet, Air Force One, while he was travelling in West Africa, but they would not be needed in South Africa.
“There is no country in this part of the world that would want to harm him,” said Heitman.
Flying jets from an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic, Heitman said, would also require in-flight re-fuelling.
He added that the aircraft carrier was there just in case the president had to be evacuated quickly, and other countries, including South Africa, had similar extraction plans.
“When Mbeki travelled to Haiti, the SAS Drakensberg arrived there a week earlier. On board were special forces and Oryx helicopters that would be used if he had to be evacuated quickly.
“This is routine for a head of state,” he explained.
The Star

Chopa 8 za Obama zatua Dar

Habari zilizopatikana kutoka kwa wafanyakazi wa Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa Julius Nyerere,zinasema kuwa helikopta sita zinaunganishwa katika sehemu ya karakana ya Kikosi cha Anga cha Jeshi la Wananchi wa Tanzania (JWTZ).

Dar es Salaam.

Makachero wa Marekani wameendelea na matayarisho ya mwisho ya ziara ya Rais Barack Obama, ambapo katika Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa Julius Nyerere walikuwa na kazi ya kuunganisha helikopta za doria.
Makachero hao walikuwa wakiunganisha helikopta sita zilizosafirishwa vipande vipande kutoka Marekani, ambapo meli mbili za kivita na ndege moja pia zimewasili. Rais Obama tayari yuko katika ardhi ya Afrika, ambapo leo anatarajiwa kwenda Afrika Kusini baada ya kumaliza ziara yake ya kwanza Senegal na anatarajiwa kuwasili nchini Jumatatu.
Kwa mujibu wa uchunguzi uliofanywa jana na Mwananchi unaonyesha Marekani imeleta helikopta hizo kwa ajili ya ulinzi wa Rais Obama, zikiwemo meli zilizobeba helikopta nyingine mbili na ndege.
Habari zilizopatikana kutoka kwa wafanyakazi wa Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa Julius Nyerere,zinasema kuwa helikopta sita zinaunganishwa katika sehemu ya karakana ya Kikosi cha Anga cha Jeshi la Wananchi wa Tanzania (JWTZ).
Mpashaji mmoja aliliambia gazeti hili kuwa helikopta hizo zililetwa kama vipande vipande vilivyosafirishwa kama mzigo kwenye meli za kivita zilizotia nanga jijini Dar es Salaam.
“Nilikaribia kwenye eneo la karakana na nikashangaa kuona jinsi jamaa walivyokuwa ‘bize’ wakiunganisha vyuma mbalimbali na kutengeneza helikopta hizo,” aliongeza mpashaji wetu, ambaye alibahatika kusogelea eneo hilo licha ya kuwepo kwa ulinzi mkali.
Inaaminika kuwa helikopta hizo zitakuwa zinasaidia kusafirisha watu na mizigo kutoka kwenye meli za kivita ambazo zimeegeshwa kwenye Kikosi cha Maji cha JWTZ.
Pia helikopta mbili zinaaminika ziko katika meli ambazo zimeegeshwa huko Kigamboni.

Meli za kivita na ndege ya kijeshi

Katika hatua nyingine, meli mbili za kivita ambazo zimetengenezwa kwa teknolojia ya hali ya juu zimeegeshwa Kigamboni.
“Jamaa wana meli kali kwa kweli, mimi nimekuwa askari wa Kikosi cha Maji kwa muda mrefu na kufanya mazoezi na mataifa kadhaa, lakini sijaona meli kama zile.
“Wamarekani wanatisha sana. Meli zao zina zana muhimu za kivita. Pia wanafuatilia kila kitu kinachoweza kuhatarisha usalama wao. Hawaamini mtu kabisa wala kudharau chochote,” aliongeza mtoa habari mmoja.

Ndege ya kijeshi

Taarifa zaidi zinaeleza kuwa kuna ndege ya Jeshi la Marekani lakini imeegeshwa kwenye karakana ya Kikosi cha Anga cha JWTZ.
Ndege hiyo inadaiwa iko nchini tangu mwanzoni mwa wiki hii, ingawa kuna taarifa kuwa zipo ndege nyingine ambazo zimekuwa zikitua na kuruka.
“Ndege nyingi za Wamarekani zinatua nchini kwa kipindi cha wiki mbili sasa, zaidi zinaleta watu, ambao nahisi ni wale wanaohusika na usalama na mizigo.
“Kimsingi kuna mambo mengi yanaendelea hapa uwanja wa ndege. Ila msisahau pia kuna ujio wa marais kutoka sehemu mbalimbali duniani kwa ajili ya mkutano wa Smart Partnership ndiyo maana kuna mengi yanaendelea hapa,” kiliongeza chanzo chetu.

Matapeli waibuka

Kuna habari pia, kuna kundi la watu limeibuka jijini Dar es Salaam ambalo linataka kutapeli wakazi wa jiji kwa kutumia mgongo wa ujio wa Rais wa Marekani, Barack Obama.
Kamishna wa Polisi wa Kanda Maalumu, Suleiman Kova alisema kuwa wamepelekewa kesi tatu za majaribio ya watu kupora wengine kwa kutumia mgongo wa Obama.
Ziara ya Rais Obama imesababisha kuongezeka kwa mahitaji ya usafiri na malazi, hali iliyosababisha kuibuka kwa matapeli wanaowalenga watu wenye magari yenye hadhi kwa wageni wa nje.
Pia hali hiyo imechangiwa zaidi kutokana na ugeni wa viongozi wapatao 11 kutoka mataifa mbalimbali duniani, wanaohudhuria mkutano wa Smart Partnership unaoanza leo jijini Dar es Salaam.
Kova alisema kundi hilo limekuwa likiwasiliana na watu wanaomiliki magari ya kifahari ili wakodishe magari yao.
“Matapeli huwa wanajifanya kuwa wanawakilisha Ubalozi wa Marekani na kujifanya wanataka magari ili kubeba watu watakaofuatana na Rais Obama.
Kwa mujibu wa Kova matapeli hao walilenga kutumia ziara ya Rais Obama kufanikisha wizi wa magari, hasa yale ya kifahari.

Kituo cha Mabasi cha Mwenge chasafishwa

Katika hatua nyingine, Manispaa ya Kinondoni ilivunja vibanda vya biashara kwenye Kituo cha Mabasi cha Mwenge.
Operesheni hiyo iliendeshwa kwa ushirikiano wa maofisa wa Manispaa, Askari wa Jiji, Kikosi cha Polisi cha Kutuliza Fujo (FFU).
Watu walioshuhudia tukio hilo wanaeleza kuwa wafanyabiashara ndogondogo walikuwa wakikimbia ovyo huku wakiwa wamebeba bidhaa zao.
Kituo hicho cha Mwenge huwa kina wachuuzi wengi na wengine hufikia hatua ya kuweka vitu chini.

Mkutano wa Smart Partnership

Katibu Mkuu Kiongozi, Ombeni Sefue amesema macho na masikio ya dunia nzima kuanzia leo yanahamia jijini Dar es Salaam kutokana na ugeni mkubwa wa marais tisa na ujumbe wa watu 800, kutoka nchi mbalimbali duniani wanaoanza leo mkutano wa majadiliano ya Smart Partnership.
Mkutano wa Smart Partnership unahusu uwekezaji katika sayansi na teknolojia kwa lengo la kujiletea maendeleo.
Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jana, Sefue alisema mkutano huo utafunguliwa na Rais Jakaya Kikwete katika Ukumbi wa mikutano wa Kimataifa wa Nyerere jijini Dar es Salaam.
“Nchi yetu imepata heshima kubwa, macho na masikio dunia nzima sasa yanaitazama Tanzania, kila mgeni atakuwa balozi wetu wa kuitangaza nchini yetu huko ughaibuni,” alisema Sefue.
Marais watakaohudhuria katika majadiliano hayo na nchi zao kwenye mabano ni Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Boni Yayi (Benin), Ali Omar Bongo (Gabon), Ikililou Dhoinine (Comoro), Ernest Koroma (Sierra Leone) na Blaise Compaore (Burkina Faso).
Viongozi wengine ni Mfalme Mswati II (Swaziland) na Mahinda Rajapaska (Sri Lanka), ambao wametua nchini tayari ya mkutano huo.
Imeandikwa na Beatrice Moses, Patricia Kimelemeta na Ramadhani Kaminyonge